2016–2020 · Scrambler · Buyer's Guide
Boxer Soul, Scrambler Skin
The Scrambler takes the 1170 cc air/oil-cooled boxer and builds a style-led machine around it: steel tube frame, shaft drive with BMW Paralever, a 19-inch wire-spoke front wheel and a high-mount twin exhaust. 110 hp and 86 lb-ft is a lot of engine for a bike sold on how it looks, and BMW Motorrad ABS keeps all of it civil. What you end up with sits at the premium end of the scrambler class, where the finish quality survives close inspection and the parts catalog runs deep enough to make the bike genuinely yours.
It rides like what it actually is, a wide-shouldered roadster in scrambler clothing. 485 lb wet, a 32.3 in seat, upright bars, and a chassis that settles the faster you go. It ages well because there is little to go wrong: shaft final drive, air and oil cooling, electronics that stay out of the way. Now the honest part. Front travel is 4.9 in, rear travel is 5.5 in, and ground clearance is 6.1 in. That is street suspension, not scrambler suspension. Buy it for the look, the boxer and the road. Gravel and graded dirt, fine. Anything rougher, no.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 110 hp (81 kW) @ 7,250 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 86 lb-ft (116 Nm) @ 6,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 1170 cc |
| Engine | Flat-twin (boxer) |
| Cooling | Air/oil-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Shaft |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front tire | 120/70 ZR19 |
| Rear tire | 170/60 ZR17 |
| Ground clearance | 6.1 in (155 mm) |
| Front travel | 4.9 in (124 mm) |
| Rear travel | 5.5 in (140 mm) |
| Seat height | 32.3 in (820 mm) |
| Wet weight | 485 lb (220 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.5 gal (17 L) |
| Fuel economy | 46 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Comfort
Safety
The named systems that set this bike apart — and what each one does for you.
Drivetrain
Hit the starter and the whole bike rocks on its side stand for a beat, the way a big boxer always does. At idle the cylinders sit out in the airstream by your shins and you feel every pulse come up through the pegs and the tank. The note is deep and dry, more mechanical than musical, and it never wears on you. Bars are wide and flat, the reach is short, and you sit on top of this bike rather than down inside it. At 70 mph the vibration smooths into a steady hum in the grips and the 4.5 gal tank keeps the stops sensible at 46 mpg. The seat is thin under you, and you register that before you register anything else about the ergonomics. There is no wind protection worth the name, so long highway stints are a decision you make on purpose.
Wiring loom chafing on steering movement (early models)
On early production models, the wiring loom near the steering head could rub and cause electrical failures to the headlight or instruments. BMW later added a plastic sheath.
Engine oil consumption (especially early miles)
Some riders report noticeable oil consumption in the first 10,000 miles, requiring regular top-ups. Usually resolves as the engine breaks in.
Rear brake pads wear quickly
Rear brake pads can wear prematurely, especially in stop-and-go traffic, necessitating more frequent replacement.
Where this BMW R nineT Scrambler pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the R nineT Scrambler is actually built for.
Small towns, two-lane roads and a bike strangers walk across a parking lot to look at. This is that bike. Plan a stop every hour for the seat and the route does the rest.
Made for Acadia National Park · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
You want sound, presence and something that reads as its own thing in a field of familiar iron. The boxer covers all three, but understand you are buying a roadster, not a low, long cruiser.
Made for A1A — Florida Atlantic Coast · Black Hills / Sturgis Rally Hub · Daytona Main Street / Bike Week
86 lb-ft and a chassis that stays planted suit fast, open sweepers just fine. Tight switchbacks ask for real input from you, because there is 485 lb to move around.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this BMW R nineT Scrambler. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Successor · 2021
All Looks, Real Boxer
Competitor · 2020–2022
The Big-Bore Italian Purist
Roughly $2,500 pricier used than this bike at 6 yr
Competitor · 2019–2020
Scrambler That Actually Delivers
Roughly $1,000 pricier used than this bike at 6 yr
Competitor · 2024
Big Twin, Genuine Dirt Cred
Competitor · 2021–2024
Scrambler Looks, Real Travel
Competitor · 2017–2024
Dirt-Ready Ducati With Real Suspension
About the same used price as this bike at 6 yr
Same Platform · 2020
The Boxer Built For Style
About the same used price as this bike at 6 yr