At last year’ s event BMW took the wraps off its Concept Path 22, which effectively previewed the R nineT Scrambler that appeared later in the year, and our sources say that the new concept will follow the same pattern, becoming a production bike in 2017.
The bike’ s official title is the ungainly ‘ BMW Motorrad Concept Lac Rose’ but in production it’ s likely to be called the R nineT GS, or possibly R nineT G/S in tribute to the original R 80 G/S of the 1980s.
The Lac Rose name refers to the salt lake at the end of the original Paris-Dakar rallye route, and the bike’ s styling and paint are a tribute to its 1985 winning R 80 G/S. Ridden by Gaston Rahier, the number 101 bike achieved BMW’ s third win at the event.
In production, some details are sure to change. The unique cam covers, designed to replicate the original versions, are likely to be swapped for normal R nineT ones. A dual seat is also sure to appear, replacing the stubby version seen here. However, the distinctive, bulbous fuel tank and the high level front mudguard seem sure to stay as both are key elements of the G/S’ s styling.
At the moment, the official line is that the concept is intended to provide inspiration to customers planning to modify their own R nineTs. Edgard Heinrich, Head of Design at BMW Motorrad, said: “Since it was first introduced on the market, the BMW R nineT has become a popular bike for customizers and finishers as can be seen at Wheels & Waves. This makes us very proud and spurred us on to create something special for this festival, something no one has seen from us yet. The BMW Motorrad Concept Lac Rose is our laid-back and veryindividual interpretation of the bike that won the Paris-Dakar Rallye in 1985 – fully in line with spirit of Wheels & Waves and its visitors. It puts the BMW R nineT into an exciting new context and shows what passion for brand heritage, imagination and a few modifications can achieve.”
