In the short time that the BMW R nineT has been around, it’s established itself as a strong contender in the heritage segment. And now the R nineT Scrambler’s landed in showrooms?the first nineT derivative, with a reported two more on the way.
But the R nineT is actually a bit of a departure for the German über-brand. Their bikes are usually at the forefront of tech?like the continent-devouring, technical tour de force that is the R 1200 GS.
It’s been like that for years: the R 100 RS sported the world’s first air tunnel-tested fairing. And the R 80 G/S launched the large capacity adventure bike.

So why build a heritage bike" And why use an air-cooled boxer motor, when you have a newer, liquid-cooled model on hand" More importantly?how do you measure how good it is, when it’s not based on numbers" We sat down in Munich with the guys who have the answers: Ola Stenegärd (Head of Vehicle Design and Creative Director of Heritage), Roland Stocker (Heritage Project Leader, below left) and Thrass Papadimitriou (Heritage Business Development Manager, below right).

We spoke about the development of the R nineT and the Scrambler, how the alt-moto scene is getting more people onto bikes, and Ola’s cats.
Bike EXIF: BMW are known for building bikes that are very measurable. How did you transition from that mindset, to building bikes that are emotional?like the R nineT"
Roland Stocker: As you say, in Germany everything is ve...