German bike manufacturer BMW Motorrad has launched the R12 retro cruiser motorcycle at Rs 19.90 lakhs(ex-showroom). The R12 is the brand's entry-level cruiser that draws inspiration from R18 Transcontinental. In true cruiser fashion, it gets a single seat and a raked-out front end with a wide handlebar setup. The R12 has a 19-inch front wheel with 100/90 section tyres and a 16-inch rear wheel with 150/80 rear tyres. The bike comes in three colours: Black Storm Metallic, Avus Silver Metallic, and Aventurin Red Metallic. The bike looks bulbous and weighs 227kg.
The elephant in the room is the 1170cc air/oil-cooled two-cylinder boxer engine that puts out 108bhp of power at 7000rpm and 115Nm torque at 6500rpm. The engine comes mated to a six-speed gearbox and gets a shaft drive. The gasses are being put out through beautiful dual exhaust pipes. The bike also now features a newly developed tubular bridge steel space frame, eliminating the need for previous fastenings and reducing weight. In terms of suspension, it gets rebound-adjustable USD front forks and a preload-adjustable monoshock at the rear. Braking duties are being taken care of by a 310mm twin disc setup with radially mounted four-piston monobloc brake callipers at the front and a 265mm single disc setup with a two-piston floating calliper at the rear.
The bike gets two riding modes — Rock and Roll. It also features an adaptive LED headlamp, cornering ABS, engine braking control, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), and a tyre pressure monitoring system. The new R 12 models also now have a keyless ride system replacing the conventional ignition lock. The bike also gets an optional ‘Comfort Package’, with Hill Start Control Pro, Shift Assistant Pro, heated grips, and cruise control.