BMW Motorrad has just unveiled a new model in their Heritage program – The BMW R 12 S, a neo-retro motorcycle. The BMW R 12 S is BMW’s way of paying homage to one of its iconic motorcycles from the 70s – The BMW R 90 S – spearheaded by then-Chief Designer Hans A. Muth who envisioned a performance motorcycle that would usher the BMW motorcycles from old and uninspiring to an era of new and exciting motorcycles.
The BMW R 90 S managed to achieve just that for the brand – for a decade The R 90 S was BMWs flagship model – that not only managed to captivate the interest of the public but also went on to conquer some of the iconic races at the time – add that extra bit of prestige to the ever-growing mage of the R 90 S.
The R 90 S went on to claim a class victory at the production TT at the Isle of Man in 1976 at the hands of Hans-Otto Butenuth and Helmut Dähne. Subsequently, in the same year, the R 90 S came first and second at Daytona in the inaugural season of the AMA superbike championship with Steve McLaughlin and Reg Pridmore. Reg Pridmore, a British rider, took the AMA Championship the following year on board the BMW R 90 S.
Apart from its success on the track BMW R 90 S managed to set some records for the track – when made public R 90 S became the first production motorcycle to have a handlebar mounted to the fairing and the overall design of the bike was shaped while keeping aerodynamics and drag reduction in mind. The R 90 S was powered by a pushrod air-cooled flat-twin boxer engine punching out 67 hp. This and the streamlined bodywork of R 90 S propelled the motorcycle to the top speed of 124 mph.
To capture the spirit of the iconic R 90 S, BMW has created the R 12 S based on the BMW R12 NinetyT. The BMW R 12 S is a new entrant into the Heritage program that BMW offers the customers to experience and celebrate the history of the brand.
The BMW R 12 S is a neo-retro motorcycle – that encapsulates the essence of the R 90 S from the ’70s and presents it into the modern times with all the bells and whistles of the modern era married to the iconic design language from the ’70s.
The R 12 S get an 1170 cc flat-twin boxer engine that produces 107 horsepower at 6,500rpm and a peak torque of 110Nm at 6,000rpm. Other notable features of the R 12 S comprise the handlebar-mounted cockpit fairing with the tinted windshield, contrast stitching on the seat, and the Lava orange metallic paint finish as a tribute to the R 90 S Daytona Orange. Some other small but distinguishable design features include the red-laid ‘S’ on the side covers, the red double line and a classic twin pod gauge cluster with an analogue tachometer and speedometer.
The BMW R 12 S comes standard with Option 719 Wheel Classic II, Billet packs Shadow and Shadow II, Headlight Pro, and Shift Assistant Pro. which include the footrest system including foot brake and gear shift levers, the pillion footrests, the hand brake and clutch levers, ignition coil covers, the oil filler screw, and the cylinder head covers coated in Avus black metallic and the expansion tank covers for the front brake and clutch to name a few.
Additional features that come standard on the BMW R 12 S include the Comfort Package, which comprises Hill Start Control, Shift Assistant Pro, Heated Grips, and Cruise Control. In the illumination department, the R 12 S gets an adaptive cornering light Headlight Pro.
The R 12 S can be further optioned by opting for the other options and accessories available for the BMW R Ninety T such as titanium exhaust systems, soft bags and other Further factory-installed options are also available, such as Tire Pressure Control, Anti-Theft Alarm System, Connected Ride Control, and one can opt for the micro-TFT display as an alternative to the classic round instruments.
