Scrambler vs Scrambler

[adventurelounger]

I've had a V7II Stornello scrambler for a year or so. But I'm also a BMW fan, and in addition to my Storny I ride an old airhead, a '74 R75/6. And I've always been curious about the BMW RNineT in its various guises.

So on a ride through Southwestern CT today (it was a perfect day for airheadin'), when I passed MAX BMW in Brookfield, with a half dozen or so RNineT's sitting out front, I couldn't resist the tug to explore.

I have to say that I didn't really love the original RNineT's styling; but the new Scrambler, Racer, Urban GS and "Pure" variants are all appealing to me in their own unique ways. I find the Pure and the Urban GS to be particularly sharp. After a few minutes of chit-chat with the sales guy, I found myself handing over my license and insurance card, and throwing my leg over this.



Another view:



I only went for 3-4 miles on the RNineT Pure and...well, not so much. The motor is nice and torquey. It's got a brappy, raspy exhaust. But I really didn't like the seating position, from the pegs (too high for me), tank (exaggeratedly wide), the bars (simultaneously too wide and close), and the seat. It's a great looking seat, but it's ultra-firm and thin, and I felt like I was sitting on top of the bike, as opposed to down in the saddle. The instrument cluster was also disappointing. It's a single analog speedometer with no tach; and you have to toggle through any information (odometer, trip, etc) with a thumb-rocker on the left hand bar. Not so easy or intuitive. And the absence of a tach reminded me of how much, on a bike, you rely on your tach (vs your speedo).

When I relayed my disappointment to the sales guy, he said "you're maybe a little big for the Pure. Try the Urban GS." I'm 6'1", maybe 215, and thought, maybe he's right.

So he swapped plates and next I went for a ride on this:



It felt instantly better just sitting on it. The bike is set up a bit taller. The relationship between the bars and the seat felt better. My legs were less pressed up by the pegs and splaying out from the tank. And man, it's a sweet looking bike.



The motor was identical, and so was the exhaust note. There's no question that the bike "fit" me better. I find the looks so striking that I really wanted to love it.

But I have to say, I didn't love it. It's tight and sporting, and rides like a fat, brappy naked bike. Maybe it's that I'm not 35 (more like 53). But I found The Urban GS (and in fact both RNineTs) to be more like exercises in design than organically enjoyable motorbikes. They felt curiously "taught" and somewhat tightly-wound to me. I'm not a total comfort-junkie, but I ride purely for enjoyment, and the Urban GS wasn't purely enjoyable. The "Pure" even less so.

So I thanked the sales guy for his time and the demos, and hopped back on an older, technically prehistoric, marginally underpowered, but functionally way more enjoyable Bimmer:



(Astute observers will note the airhawk; I guess I am a bit of a comfort junkie).

All during my ride home, I was trying to summon what it was that I didn't quite like about the RNineTs, but did like about my Guzzi Stornello. (It's not always easy riding one bike while trying to visualize the experience of riding another). And I guess it comes down to this.

I like the modern/retro vibe. I like an older-school twin (boxer or the V arrangement on Guzzis). I don't particularly care if a bike is air- or water-cooled. But I like to see the cylinder heads and have the wind help with cooling. I like fork gators and I like a bench seat. And I really like having a tach.

But I don't like the idea of sacrificing comfort or pleasure for styling or optics. And the Guzzi handily delivers on both.

Here's my Storny (I've posted pictures of her here before).



I had a wandering eye for her German cousin. But this Italian girl is a keeper for me.

Thanks for demo-riding along!

[ARGuz]

Great post.  I also have a Storny and love it.  Also recently road a few Bimmers and could wait to get back on my Storny.  I too though am looking for an older Bimmer as I like vintage bikes.  In fact am restoring a 1966 Stornello Sport.  Will post pics when do.  Nice having to Storny's a 1966 and 2016.

[willowstreetguzziguy]

What you summed up in your OP with your test rides on the two R9T's is what I interpreted as lacking "Authenticness". Or "Being true to what you are." In a modern world where so much emphasis is placed on "Looks" more than Function, I think that's what makes Guzzi's appealing.... it is what it is! No pretense. Maybe an underlying lack of Authenticness in the current crop of bikes may explain part of what's keeping the younger generation of riders from getting hooked on the sport.

[pebra]

@adventurelounger:
Like you I feel a bit attracted to the R9T, so many thanks for the input!
Now I'm even more curious about the V9......

[Mr Pootle]

You’ve described my feelings about the Pure to a t (sorry I couldn’t resist it). It was nice to get back on my V7 after an hour on the BMW.
I actually preferred the HD Roadster that I tried out a few weeks before, but i’d never get over the shame of being seen on one by a friend.

[kingoffleece]

Nice report.  Kind of ties in nicely with the discussion about what Guzzi "needs" to do.
I was mentioning how it sure seems the US motorcycle press often times will jump on the "more hp is better" wagon and all that goes with that.  Now, looking at a few reviews on the R9T and reading this riders report it sums it up nicely.  The Guzzi V7, while down almost half in HP to the R9T, and similar to the older BMW owned by the OP, feel more "of a piece" than the new BMW.

Maybe those of us with a spot for a Guzzi in our lives consider the whole more than the part.

[adventurelounger]

Yeah, “authenticity” may be the thing. My Guzzi definitely feels “more of a piece” than the RNineT. There’s more than a little evolution or advancement for its own sake happening here, too. Which may also be dividing riders between the gloss of the new (younger), versus the comfort of the familiar (older). There are aspects of the RNineT that feel slick, modern or “evolved” just for the sake of doing it, as opposed to improving it. Take the seat, for example. It looks way sexier than the somewhat fuddy plank on the V7.   It’s sculpted and contrast-stitched. It looks bad ass. Then you sit on it and it feels...bad on your ass.

Same with the display. I get that a single dial looks cleaner, maybe more modern. I appreciated the integrating of digital information into to the display. But the net result, for at least this rider, is that it’s hard to see things (like mileage) without fiddling. And you don’t have a tach. So it just feels to me less functional than the dual display on my V7II, which has a legible speedo and tach, and can display mileage/trip AND temp/time continuously. (Granted, you have to push a button to switch between time/temp, or trip/odo, and the button is inconveniently located forwards by the instrument cluster). But still, it’s more functional. And in Guzzi’s hands, still modern and good looking.

In both cases, there’s something familiar, either because you came from it (older bikes, older bikers), or you’re attracted to it (the modern-retro appeal). But form really should follow function, and a few things about the RNine felt form-driven for design’s sake. Not necessarily for rider pleasure or comfort.

I don’t mean to dis the Beemer. On looks alone it’s a winner. It’s just that once I rode it, it didn’t convert that optical hunger into physical lust. My Storny, on the other hand (and this goes for other V7s, although they really should’ve put a tach on the new Stone III) looks great, and when you ride it, feels great.

[Dean Rose]

Maybe a V9 Stornello is in the future?

Dean

[GuzziChris]

That Stornello sure is a pretty bike, and simply looks "correct" in every way. Very nice.