BMW R nine T Scrambler First Look Review

In the world of Scramblers, BMW has been one of the late entrants. But it has still managed to get the world’s attention with the R nine T Scrambler. 

Based on the R nine T, which gets fancier equipment, the R nine T Scrambler is about making a fashion statement and at the same time, also take the rider from point A to point B, comfortably. The German automaker is targeting the millennials as well as younger customers with this Scrambler. The presence of a big fuel tank coupled with high-mounted side exhausts makes the bike look rugged and quite muscular. 

Even though the Scrambler shares the engine and chassis with the R nineT, a lot of things have been changed to give a unique touch to the Scrambler. Being an off-roader, the Scrambler loses out on the 17-inch front wheel and gets a 19-inch wheel instead. It also gets a taller handlebar and higher seat to compliment the off-road nature of the bike. However, the Scrambler also gets traditional non-adjustable telescopic forks from Showa up front, unlike the R nineT which is equipped with upside-down forks (USD). At the rear, there’s a Sachs mono suspension that offers a good travel with preload adjustability. The Scrambler also loses out on the large radial monobloc callipers found on the R nineT. Instead, it gets four-piston axial-mounted Brembos with 320mm discs up front and 265mm disc with twin-piston calliper at the rear. 

This bike is powered by the same 1170cc boxer engine as that of the R nineT, and churns out 110bhp at 7750rpm and peak torque of 116Nm at 6000rpm. Its motor is mated to a six-speed gearbox which transfers power to the rear wheel via a shaft drive. 

BMW has taken a minimalistic approach while designing the instrument cluster of the R nineT Scrambler. It features speedometer, odometer, two tripmeters and engine temperature. There’s no tachometer. The bike comes with ABS as standard. Gizmos like traction control, heated grips, spoke wheels are optional. 

Given the price point and the displacement the BMW R nineT Scrambler comes with, it’s got no real competitor in India. The bike is sold as a completely-build-up(CBU) unit in India.