The BMW development department found that the 1973 R 90 S, designed by Hans A. Designed by Muth and the brand’s first machine with a handlebar fairing, it still looks great today. Interestingly, BMW presented the “Concept Ninety” in 2013 as a commissioned work from designer Roland Sands. With its short fairing, it was clearly borrowed from the R 90 S and was painted in an attractive orange colour. Fifty-one years after the R 90 S and eleven years after the “Concept Ninety”, BMW is finally bringing the R 12 S series of motorcycles to the market.
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Strictly speaking, the R 12 S is actually a special model of the R 12 Ninety, as key components of the R 12 S – the handlebar fairing, rear seat cover, short license plate holder, handlebar end mirror, double-pipe exhaust and wires – Spoke wheels – have been a longtime addition to BMW accessories. Only the “Lava Orange Metallic” paint finish has not yet appeared in the program.
successful retro model
But BMW wants the R 12 S to be seen as an independent model and the retro bike can probably be considered a success. The R 90 S is clearly recognizable as a role model and yet the R 12 S does not deny modernity. The handlebar fairing is surprisingly similar to the original, just slightly shorter. Even though the 16-litre aluminum tank looks more spacious, the Ancestor actually stored two liters more in the steel tank.
The R 90 S was the first BMW to feature a rear bumper behind the long seat – a great template for today’s designers, who turned it into a pillion seat cover and eliminated the rear section much earlier. That’s why there’s a small wheel cover protruding from the back, which also includes the license plate holder and indicators. The front fender is also significantly shrunk compared to the original.
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extreme attention to detail
It shows the developers’ attention to detail that the forked fender bracket is back with a more modern interpretation. The double, stacked rear silencers on the left are perhaps a bit exaggerated, although they are on the base R-12 series, but the R90s had an elongated exhaust pipe on each side.
Wire spoke wheels are very classic; Cast rims will vary by style. BMW very wisely chose the widely used combination of 120/70-17 at the front and 180/55-17 at the rear as tire dimensions, which opens up a wide selection of tire models for retrofitting. For those feeling nostalgic, the cockpit features two round instruments with indicators indicating speed and RPM. As icing on the cake, BMW also offers Handlebar End Mirrors – although they are popular, they are not found on the base model.
adds orange
The orange – called “Lava Orange Metallic” by BMW – serves as a connection to the R 90 S, but is darker than the model’s “Daytona Orange”. Whereas on the R 90 S the paint on the tank, fairing and rear changed to a very light, almost white gold tone, on the R 12 S it is a color that BMW defines as “brushed aluminium”. At least it also shows the thin, red double lines. Enthusiasts may be disappointed that BMW didn’t choose the original 1973 color, but “Lava Orange Metallic” looks great on it. The bench is then given orange stitching. The cylinder head covers with milled aluminum parts are also attractive.
Technically the R12 Ninety
Technically, the R 90 S surprisingly matches the R 12 Ninety perfectly. But it provides a very good base, even if the air-cooled 1170 cm3-The boxer made his debut 20 years ago, even today he is good at feed and is considered very reliable. In its current version it produces 109 hp at 7000 rpm and 115 Nm at 8500 rpm. The R 12 S is said to weigh 220 kilograms, which, interestingly, is five kilograms more than the 1973 model, which was the first BMW to break the 200 km/h sound barrier with 67 hp, and its descendants made 215 hp. Km/hr achieved.
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Dynamic, but not a miracle of handling
Although experience shows that the R 12 Ninety is no real handling marvel, due to the wheelbase of 1511 mm and the relatively flat steering head angle of 62.3 degrees, it glides smoothly through turns of any radius and should not cause any problems for anyone. The driver doesn’t. The seat height of the R 12 S is 795 mm, so that even those around 1.70 meters tall can reach the ground with both feet. Two radial four-piston brake callipers on the front wheel with 310 mm brake discs reduce speed very well. The R 12 S offers three driving modes Rain, Road and Dynamic as standard, as well as ABS Pro, DTC, quickshifter, keyless ride, adaptive cornering lights, cruise control, hill start assist and heated grips.
not cheap
BMW is setting the price for the R 12 S at 22,545 euros, which will be available from March 2025. At first glance this seems like a lot, as the R 12 Ninety is available for just 17,410 euros. But if the interested party adds all the additional features already available as standard on the R 12 S, it is really cheap, as the handlebar cover alone costs 827 euros.
The key difference is the orange-silver paintwork on the R12 S, which is not available for extra charge on the R12 NineTouch. Finally, fun fact: BMW advertises the R 12 S with the slogan “Let’s paint the town orange”, although its competitor KTM had previously rented orange with the same advertising slogan.
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