BMW RnineT vs. Triumph Thruxton R

There are lots of responsible ways to spend $15,000. Mortgage payments. College fund. Even just in the realm of transportation there are a dozen cages you could buy, complete with air-conditioning and power windows, that will get you where you need to go using less fuel and in more comfort. When it rains you won’t get wet, and when you meet your friends for dinner you won’t have to say, “Can I put this weird, Darth Vader headgear over there next to your chair?” Oh, the convenience we could harvest if we didn’t ride motorcycles.

It is for all of those reasons that these two machines, BMW's RnineT and Triumph's spankin'-new Thruxton R, are so attractive. As far as factory-produced standards go, this pair is just about as overtly inconvenient as it gets. A nineT or a Thruxton isn't just a different form of transportation than a Toyota or a Kia, it represents precisely the opposite outlook. Prioritizing not comfort or ease of use but the sentiment of riding that can only be understood by those who have felt it.

In fact, the last time we chewed over an RnineT ("The Curious Case of the Bavarian Triplets," November 2015, MC) we found it to be a surprisingly visceral motorcycling experience. There were many shakes and backfires and smells of oil. Then again, that was riding it next to BMW's own R1200R and S1000R—cutting-edge nakeds designed to melt away the uncomfortable knots of motorcycling. This Thruxton, though, is aimed squarely at the nineT.

Seeing these two in the flesh, we noticed the mood is similar. The Thruxton’s aggressive, café lines pair well with the RnineT’s brawny, urban stance. If the two were at a party, you might say, “Do you guys know each other?” Even when you look closely there’s a lot in common. Both are 1,200cc twins with spoke wheels, metal gas tanks, and round headlights. Then there are the flat seats, upside-down forks, and massive, Italian brake calipers. They are both stately, but with a touch of purpose lingering in the components that makes you think they might be prettier with some wear and tear applied.And so we applied some.

Riding the nineT was everything we remembered from last year. The seat is minimalist but shaped and padded well, the handlebar is wide, and the pegs are set right under your hamstrings, slightly forward of where you’d expect. The suspension is plush without being soft, the front brake is as crisp as an apple plucked straight from the orchard, and the dash is simple and elegant. The throttle response on the nineT’s previous-gen boxer is fairly perfect—as it should be considering how many decades BMW had to massage the fueling—and connects you very directly to an amazingly character-rich engine. “It feels like you’re riding a machine,” Road Test Editor Ari Henning said. “The RnineT is sophisticated without being too polished.”

Oddly, it's not really the engine we remember from the R1200GS of 2012 and before, which always seemed so buttoned up and destined for servitude. Maybe it's the menacing snarl from the nineT's pipe or the fact that it has been stripped of bodywork and any perceived purpose. In any case, the RnineT exudes mischief in a way we never expected from this supposedly obsolete boxer. You just can't wait to twist the throttle open so it can growl at the neighbors and anyone nearby.

Which brings us to the Thruxton R—nearby indeed, and looking for a fight. The energetic snap in the BMW’s exhaust note is answered from the Triumph with a much more subtle grumble. It’s quieter but with the lurking bass of two 600cc pistons firing 270 degrees apart. As much as it isn’t quintessentially Bonneville, it sure is appealing. Click into gear, take off, and you’re immediately immersed in a much more serene experience than the BMW.

The Thruxton clutch engages as delicately as you like, ultra smooth and light. Then bask in the velvety torque. The low-end grunt of the new, liquid-cooled 1,200 engine from Triumph merges seamlessly with an immense midrange and before you know it 6,000 rpm has arrived along with laughter in your helmet. It’s terrific. The engine revs to nearly 8,000, but you won’t get as much joy above 6,000, where it starts to buzz and power flattens out noticeably. Also why bother, when there’s such juicy, silky power between 2,000 and 5,000 rpm?

The vast midrange is where the engine feels happiest, and it’s where you’ll be most comfortable. Where comfort might elude you is the seat, which seems appropriately soft at first but after about an hour compresses pretty noticeably. Once you’re sitting on the seat pan you won’t be ready for the long haul. But then saddles are awfully subjective. The BMW pad looks too thin and narrow to work but it satisfied more of our staff than did the Trumpet’s. Associate Editor Julia LaPalme summed the BMW’s saddle up best, saying, “better padding, more sculpted, and a smoother joining with the tank.”

Compared to the RnineT, the Thruxton’s pegs are set farther back, and they feel slightly lower because the 31.9-inch seat is an inch taller than the nineT’s. The placement of the Triumph’s grips though, that’s the real difference—racing between cafés with one handlebar is absurd, as we all know, so only clip-ons would do. They’re lower and narrower (as clip-ons usually are), which cants your body forward more than on the BMW. On the freeway this is actually an advantage because while the nineT puts you in full spinnaker position the Thruxton’s forward lean braces against the wind nicely. A fringe benefit, y’might say.

Shorter staffers (everyone less than 6 feet, actually) either complained that the reach to the bars was a little too much or that they felt forced to sit on the back of the tank. But, as Ari said, “Once we turned onto some sweeping back roads the riding position felt spot-on.” As usual, he’s right. The Thruxton R will carve up a set of curves as well as any bike with cooling fins on the cylinders (decorative or not), no doubt thanks to good design in the Thruxton’s all-new chassis, and probably in part to the Showa Big Piston Fork and Öhlins shocks that come standard on the R-model. Those are blingy suspenders and they work—stiff yet compliant, stable, and confidence inspiring. No surprise there.

What was a revelation from our time spent on the side of the tires was how well the RnineT kept up with the Thruxton R. The BMW doesn’t have the sporty stance (or sporty look, really), but there is nothing wrong with how it dances through corners. The wide handlebar offers more leverage than the Triumph’s narrow clip-ons and the boxer mill keeps the center of gravity low. Despite having 2.4 inches more wheelbase and 3.6 degrees more rake than the Thruxton, the nineT is more agile and lighter to the touch. When transitioning from side to side, there is no picking the bike up and dropping in to the next corner—it feels like the chassis simply rolls over and the wheels swivel underneath, with zero drama. We’re a bit stunned, really. Credit to the Sachs fork and shock, as well as the overall balance of the bike.

Between corners, if you glance down at the dash, you’ll see a lot of similarity between the German and Briton. Two bold gauge faces stare back at you, the left for speed and the right for revs. BMW opted for a large screen in the middle of the analog dials to show tripmeters, clock, and gear position. Triumph’s integration of LCD screens is more understated, with a small display embedded into each dial at the bottom. The Thruxton also has buttons near the left grip to cycle through information, three ride modes, and adjust switchable TC and ABS. Mr. RnineT has no traction control and no such buttons on the bar. Non-switchable ABS is standard on the BMW, and heated grips are a $250 option, but aside from that there’s not much to see or adjust in the cockpit.

The Thruxton’s ride modes are nifty—Rain softens the throttle response and Sport makes the engine feel extra peppy—but they also betray the Triumph’s stellar engine in the default Road mode, which needs no dumbing down or pepping up. It also doesn’t play to the Thruxton’s image. Where’s the purity in three engine maps? Where’s the trimmed-down sensibility of the café spirit? Any bike with bar-end mirrors (good ones, in this case) and multiple ride modes is clearly being pulled in different directions. Whether that’s good or bad is up to you.

And that very modern philosophy that explains the Thruxton’s ultra-refined engine and ride modes is precisely where it splits from the RnineT. Forget for a minute the minor variations in the Brembo brakes (the BMW’s are stronger) and the transmissions (the Triumph’s is more precise) and the multitude of other little topics on which these two motorcycles differ. Both are capable, entertaining, high-quality pieces of equipment: It’s the attitude that separates them.

The Thruxton R is a civil, English gentleman. His hair is just so, tie always straight. There is muscle to flex when goaded, but the response in the end will always be a tilt of the head and a hand gesture downward with palms facing the floor. “Steady on, old chap.” The RnineT, however, never wants to calm down. In a drag race the two are dead even, but the nineT feels more strained and raucous when stretching its legs. Blip the throttle at a stoplight and it twists quickly and snorts, like a steed shaking a fly off its ear. That connection to the animal inside the mechanism is where these two are the most different.

You’ll notice that we haven’t ranked this comparison with a winner and a runner-up, and that’s because neither bike is better. It’s down to which slice of retro-themed motorcycling you fancy most. For the Thruxton R’s $14,500 base price you get a sporty standard, quilted and luxurious, polished to a gold standard, and styled to perfection. It is handsome and thoroughbred. Whereas the RnineT delivers the feeling of sitting in a quality chair made from rough-hewn lumber—the wood grain is coarse and raw, and because of that you feel more connected to the tree that was chopped down to build it. A $15,095 rough-hewn chair, that is.

But come on, price be damned! The RnineT continues to sell well, despite being a pricey option in the land of minimalist machines. The Thruxton R (and base Thruxton) will do the same, surely, as the flagship model in a new line of Bonnevilles that continues to get better despite already being one of the best.

So go ahead and pick your favorite. Both can be decorated with accessories, cleaned, waxed, and fawned over. Both are exceptional at cruising around town or burning through a set of curves. And both will take about $15,000 away from whatever sensible, amortizing decision you thought you had planned. Have fun.

Moto Guzzi Griso 8v SE If you have an ounce of interest in either the RnineT or the Thruxton, the Griso deserves a look. From the 1,151cc, 90-degree V-twin and round headlight, to the shaft drive and dry, single-plate clutch, this is Italy's version of the RnineT. The last Griso we had in the shop made 91 hp and weighed 557 pounds. That's down a few ponies and up about 70 pounds compared to the Beemer, but it reminds us of the nineT in the way it delivers loads of character. It is a much more pink-in-the-middle motorcycling experience than the Thruxton. It shudders at a twist of the throttle and grunts dramatically when you shoot away from stoplights. Italian charm and spectacle, personified. And at $12,990 it's more affordable than the nineT or Thruxton R. Take that, mainstreamers!

JULIA LAPALME ASSOCIATE EDITOR AGE: 35HEIGHT: 5'5" WEIGHT: 135 lb. INSEAM: 30 in. When I first rode the Thruxton R, I was smitten. This café racer has so much personality, charm, style, and torque that it makes me want to tear through the twisties like a teenager on caffeine. But I'm torn between it and the RnineT. The Beemer is a more comfortable ride all around. The seat is better sculpted and padded, and a little lower, and the handlebar is wider and taller. And that brushed tank looks slick with its beautiful center bead, though it blinds me in midday sun. Its suspension is more compliant and refined, steering is lighter and smoother, and the brakes are better. Everything about the RnineT is smooth and nearly effortless. The Thrux feels more poised, like a spunky greyhound ready to bolt; but for everyday riding with plenty of power and comfort, the RnineT fits the bill.

ARI HENNING SENIOR ROAD TEST EDITOR AGE: 31 HEIGHT: 5'10" WEIGHT: 175 lb. INSEAM: 33 in. I'm attracted to vintage bikes for the same reason most guys my age are: they're elemental and clearly mechanical. I have a vintage CB350 that I race just once a year because it takes lots of fiddling and tuning and constantly listening for signs of impending failure. The same is true of the vintage bikes many owners try to turn into daily riders. It rarely works out.

That’s where the Thruxton and RnineT come in. They’re perfect for those who want vintage-bike looks without vintage-bike troubles. My choice? I’m going with the Beemer. I love the way it snorts and shakes and I prefer its upright riding position, quicker handling, and better brakes. The Thruxton may be more authentic, but it’s too polished for me. I don’t just want the vintage look, I want the vintage feel.

ZACK COURTS SENIOR EDITOR AGE: 32 HEIGHT: 6'2" WEIGHT: 185 lb. INSEAM: 34 in. This new Thruxton is a tremendously good motorcycle. Triumph, and any owner, should be proud. It's powerful, smooth, and bristling with all the technology you need. Hmm, that word, "need" rings an odd tone here, doesn't it? That's because nobody needs a café racer! These bikes aren't about need—they are about desire, and noise, and emotions!

What I desire is the RnineT. It is not as good, or as complete, a motorcycle as the Thruxton R. But with a bike like this I don’t want better. What I want is that crackling, steampunk energy that reminds me with every salvo of exhaust notes that I’m riding a proper, cast-and-carved-from-metal machine. I want to feel the engine churn and smell the oil through the cases. I honestly don’t know if BMW did it accidentally or on purpose, and I don’t care: The RnineT is raw, motorcycling magic.