BMW 9Cento Concept sports tourer revealed

MANILA: It’s kind of a ritual for the BMW Motorrad to unveil custom and concept motorcycles every year at the annual Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, Italy and this year is no exception. The German automaker showcased a new concept termed as the 9Cento at the recently held prestigious event in Italy. The latest adventure sports tourer flaunts a radically new design developed by the in-house design team of the BMW Motorrad.

BMW Motorrad has been a bit experimental with the Concept 9Cento and has developed it to be different from a regular mid-range sports tourer. While most of the bikes in this category feature big displacements, fancy electronics, and low fuel economy, the Concept 9Cento is more focused towards agility while preserving the vital features that are essential for long-distance riding.

The latest BMW Concept 9Cento will most likely be powered by a parallel-twin engine, one that powers the BMW F850 GS. To enhance the sport touring experience, an upright seating position is maintained for long distance comfort and the bike has also been equipped with a large windshield for better protection while driving on a long route. BMW has used Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) and aluminum in different parts of the motorcycle to shave off weight and make the bike more agile. The bike also features a touring-focused suspension with enough travel to facilitate comfortable long travels. BMW has not yet released the technical specifications of the Concept 9Cento.

There’s a lot to talk about the design of the new BMW concept. One of the most noteworthy design elements of the bike is its uniquely designed panniers. Designed in a way to provide more space to the pillion, the panniers can easily be mounted and unmounted using the electromagnet under the seat. Without the panniers, it features a sleek tail section with an LED tail light placed right below the seat. Similar to the other GS models, the BMW Concept 9Cento also features a large windscreen. Overall, the bike looks extremely sporty and futuristic.

BMW has also made two motorcycling jackets to go with the BMW Concept 9cento. With their refined mixture of leather and Kevlar fabric, both jackets reflect the Concept 9Cento ’s sport and touring properties.

Although BMW has no plans to get the Concept 9Cento into production, we can expect that the German automaker will unveil an evolved concept model at the EICMA 2018 later this year.