BMW Motorrad has expanded its retro-classic family with the R 12 S, a tribute to the iconic R 90 S that impressed in 1973 with a top power of 67 hp and a top speed of 200 km/h. It does have a huge price tag: at least € 26,405 must be paid for the R 12 S, which will be available at the start of the next motorcycle season.
It was BMW’s sports bike in the early 1970s. Chief designer Hans A. Muth had managed to express the sporting ambitions of BMW Motorrad in the R 90 S, the world’s first production motorcycle with a steering fairing, with which Steve Mclaughlin won the prestigious Daytona 200 by the smallest margin in 1976.
According to BMW, Hans-Otto Butenuth and Helmut Dähne celebrated a class victory in the Ilse of Man Production TT that year, but the wish must have been the father of the thought here. Butenuth only rode 2 TT races in his career in 1964, the Senior TT with BMW and the Junior TT with Norton, while Dähne only finished on the podium once with BMW, in the 1974 Production TT 1000.
According to the Germans, the new R 12 S is more than an embodiment of the Concept Ninety study model that was presented in May 2013, it must have captured the essence of the R 90 S in both the overall concept and the numerous details, elaborating on the R 12 NineT presented earlier this year.
“The defining design elements of our R 12 S include the steering fairing with the tinted windshield, the seat with contrast stitching and the Lava Orange metallic exterior color as a nod to the legendary R 90 S Daytona Orange from 1975. The design is perfectly complemented by details such as the red inlaid ‘S’ on the side panels, the red double line and the brushed and clear painted aluminum surfaces of the tank and seat cover.”
To give the bicycle the status of a sporty retro classic, BMW says it has equipped the R 12 S with extensive standard equipment. This includes the Option 719 Classic II wheels with spoked wheels and anodized aluminum, among other high-quality components.
The handlebars and front fork legs are in black, while the Billet packages Shadow and Shadow II must have provided technical accents. Parts of the Billet package Shadow include the crankcase covers on both sides, the oil filler cap and the valve covers with a coating in matt Avus black metallic.
The Billet Package Shadow II includes the footrest system including the foot brake and gear levers, the passenger footrests, the handbrake and clutch levers, the expansion tank covers for the front brake and clutch, as well as the mirrors at the ends of the handlebars.
In addition, standard equipment includes the Comfort Package, with functions such as Hill Start Control, Shift Assistant Pro, heated grips and Cruise Control. For extra safety during night-time driving, the adaptive cornering lights Headlight Pro provides better road lighting in bends.
Additional factory options are also available, such as Tire Pressure Monitoring (RDC), Anti-theft Alarm System (DWA), Intelligent Emergency Call, Connected Ride Control and the digital display with micro-TFT display as an alternative to the classic round instruments.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.