First Ride: BMW’s R12 is a polished cruiser with retro-inspired touches

What is it?

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BMW has a well-established presence in the motorcycle cruiser segment. One of its most recent forays into this area of the market has been the R18, with its big, burly presence and huge boxer engine making it a standout choice against others in the market. But if you’re after something a little more compact and ever-so-slightly sportier, where do you turn? The answer could be this – the R12.

It’s based on a similar setup to the popular R12 nineT model, which should make this new cruiser a little more dynamic to ride than fully-fledged cruisers. But what is it like to ride? We’ve been finding out.

What’s new?

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The R12 leans unashamedly on some retro styling – as do so many of its rivals – but while other cruisers might go hard on chromed components, this bike is a little more contemporary with a largely blacked-out finish applied to many of its features. With its feet-forward ride position, it is designed for comfort while its wide bars aim to boost confidence at lower speeds.

At the core of the R12 is a new tubular steel spaceframe, which is different from the setup found on the older R nineT series which used a separate front and rear main frame instead. The end result? Fewer attachments, a cleaner look overall and less weight.

What’s it powered by?

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Driving the R12 is a two-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine with a shaft drive. It’s a setup that we’ve seen used in all manner of BMW motorcycles and is distinctly central to the brand’s approach to how it builds its bikes. In this instance, the air and oil-cooled 1,170cc engine develops 94bhp – slightly less than the 107bhp you’ll get in the R12 nineT – alongside 110Nm of torque. It’s sent through a six-speed manual gearbox, too.

A left-side exhaust system with a double silencer provides a beefy soundtrack to the whole affair while a new airbox is cleverly housed under the seat. Up front, you’ve got upside-down telescopic forks, while four-piston monobloc brake calipers and 310mm floating brake discs provide ample stopping power.

What’s it like to ride?

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You sit down on the generous low R12 and find it’s easy to get both feet flat on the floor. Even shorter riders will find it a breeze to get comfortable on this bike, while the reach to the bars doesn’t leave you leaning over too far. The large boxer engine which sits sideways means that your feet positioning will never be absolutely forward, but it’s a lot more relaxed than other BMW motorcycles available today.

That engine does deliver chunky performance, mind you, with loads of torque ensuring that roll-on acceleration is excellent. The exhaust note is almost aeroplane-like in its delivery and while a lack of front screen means that this will never be a true long-distance touring option, it’s still happier and more comfortable at speed than you might expect. Cruise control helps to take the edge off longer trips, too. You can also switch between two rider modes – ‘Rock’ and ‘Roll’ – with the former delivering a sharper throttle. However, it can be a little tricky to keep remembering which one does what – it may have been easier just to call them ‘Sport’ and ‘Road’.

How does it look?

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As we’ve already touched on, the R12 has a distinctly retro appeal to it. The steel tank has been designed to mimic the ‘Toaster Tanks’ that you’d find on some of BMW’s motorcycles from the 1970s and, as such, features a teardrop shape which feeds into the single seat and sharp rear wheel cover.

Again, the low seat height also plays into the classic cruiser design but has the added benefit of making this a very approachable motorcycle, despite its large-capacity engine. In addition, you’ve got a large 19-inch front wheel and a 16-inch rear wheel which compliment the overall look of the bike. There’s also loads of scope for personalisation on the R12, with loads of packs – including classic-inspired ‘Option 719’ parts – allowing you to tweak and tailor the look of the bike to your own liking.

What’s the spec like?

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Prices for the BMW R12 kick off at £11,990, making it slightly cheaper than other cruiser rivals like the Indian Scout and Harley Davidson Nightster. Naturally, it’s not hard to bump up the R12’s price once you start adding options, but it’s good to know that if you’re not too bothered about adding some extras then you can keep the price reasonably civil.

All versions get a keyless ride, too, though you’ll still need the key to unlock the fuel tank. As standard, the R12 just gets a compact display, though you’ll need to pay a little extra to get the handier digital display which gives you a good access point to all kinds of riding information. Annoyingly, there’s no fuel gauge, however. Your alert regarding fuel levels comes when it’s running low – whereby the system will note down how many miles you’ve travelled since the fuel light came on. It would be much easier just to have a simple range or bar graph.

Verdict

The BMW R12 combines the easy-going nature of a cruiser with the added sharpness of a sportier bike. Sure, it’s not going to keep up with an out-and-out sports bike, but it’s more than capable enough of turning your favourite road into something a little special.

But where the R12 really impresses is how polished it feels. From the switchgear to the click-clack gearshifter, this is a bike which impresses a sense of reassuring quality through to its rider – and that’s what makes it a very easy model to recommend.