Meet BMW Motorrad Philippines' newest member of the Heritage line of motorcycles, the R nineT Urban GS. BMW Philippines president Maricar Parco unveiled this classic enduro bike, which first saw action as the R 80 GS during the '80s, at the BMW Xpo 2017 in Bonifacio Global City.
Now, the German motorcycle brand has five Heritage models available in the country: Pure, Classic, Scrambler, Racer, and Urban GS. The newly launched model is BMW's answer to Ducati's Scrambler Desert Sled, an enduro bike with an 803cc engine designed for off-road adventures. But the tale of the tape says the Urban GS is beefier in form and substance. It's pricier, too.
The 2017 Urban GS draws its design cue from the first generation R 80 GS. Black dominates the frame finish, light alloy cast wheels and drivetrain. The bright red seat is reminiscent of the old, glorious BMW Motorsport days.
Its 19-inch front and 17-inch rear cross-spoke wheels are fitted with big knobby tires, making it easy to tell the Urban GS apart from its R nineT siblings. What also sets it apart from the four other Heritage models is its high-mounted front fenders, an indication that it's ready to rock and roll on any obstacles on country roads. The rear splash guard is mounted just above the front wheel and bolted to the slider tubes via a fork stabilizer.
Ready to rule the mountains, the Urban GS is powered by the legendary 1,170cc flat-twin, liquid-cooled, boxer engine that spurs 110hp @ 7,700rpm maximum power and 116Nm @ 6,000rpm maximum torque.
Adding up to the strong and powerful character of the Urban GS are the aluminum forged fork bridges, steering damper mount, and the sturdy clamp for the double-butted aluminum tubular handlebars with embossed ‘BMW Motorrad’ inscription.
The Urban GS sold like hotcakes that the first batch of seven units was immediately bought. More units are scheduled to arrive in the coming months, according to BMW Motorrad Philippines director Gil Balderas. Prior to the arrival of the Urban GS, the brand's best sellers in the country are the Scrambler and R nineT Black.
If you're ready with your leather jacket, high cut boots, skinny jeans, aviator shades and open face helmet, all you need is P1,120,000 to ride home this handsome mountain beast. That is only if you have the patience to wait for two to three months for the next batch of Urban GS units to arrive.
