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Sold my T 120 R9T

7K views 52 replies 30 participants last post by  kdxandrew 
#1 · (Edited)
I’ve been a member of this community for nearly a decade and have made lifelong friends here. For real. In the flesh.

I left once before and came back and my Triumph love remains strong but I decided to trade in my T120 for this new BMW R9T /5 50th Anniversary model.

My Bonnie treated me great and Over Labor Day I did an 1100 mile round trip to the Bull City Rumble on her.
I’d been watching the R9T since 2013 but the price point scared me away so I figured I’d grab a used one down the line. Then triumph introduced the water cooled line and my T120Black called out. March would have been 4 years.

When this blue beauty was announced I looked it over and the wheels started turning. Called my dealer who explained their are only 150 coming to the United States and his wasn’t spoken for yet. He gave me a great number on my trade and I pulled the trigger.
 

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#2 ·
I’ve been a member of this community for nearly a decade and have made lifelong friends here. For real. In the flesh.

I left once before and came back and my Triumph love remains strong but I decided to trade in my T120 for this new BMW R9T /5 50th Anniversary model.

My Bonnie treated me great and Over Labor Day I did an 1100 mile round trip to the Bull City Rumble on her.
I’d been watching the R9T since 2013 but the price point scared me away so I figured I’d grab a used one down the line. Then triumph introduced the water cooled line and my T120Black called out. March would have been 4 years.

When this blue beauty was announced I looked it over and the wheels started turning. Called my dealer who explained their are one 150 United States and his wasn’t spoken for yet. He gave me a great number on my trade and I pulled the trigger.
Here is the deal, I've owned 9 Hinckley Triumphs since 1996. I was a sales manager for a Triumph/BMW shop for a couple of years and much preferred Triumphs style and reliability to go with reasonable pricing. As a matter of fact I thought quite a few BMW buyers were rather arrogant and thought they were special.

My last two Triumphs in the garage are my 2009 Thruxton bought new and my 2016 Thruxton R. I consider myself a Triumph man, however I will be trading in my 2009 in the next week or so when I also pick up one of these blue BMW beauties.

I'm still consider myself a Triumph man but reasonable pricing isn't a Triumph selling point anymore.
 
#4 ·
Congratulations on those good looking BMW R9T / 5 machines. I fell under the spell of a R9T Pure (now w/ a white Urban GS tank and Racer fender) this summer, but was able to also keep my Triumphs. That /5 edition is gorgeous, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the engaging character of the R9T boxer motor. Best of luck, and hope you both stay active on this forum.
 
#6 ·
Great looking bike! Especially in that striking blue. Probably more of a direct competitor to the Thruxton but it would be interesting to hear what it feels like to ride the R9T compared to the T120. Hope you get on well with it and it doesn't stand for Bring My Wallet. Not to say a trip to the Triumph dealership is cheap these days...
 
#14 ·
The number 1 factor after my test ride was how the R9T handled more like my Speed Triple than my Bonnie.
It fell more agile and willing to go into a corner than the T120. Despite the 30 hp difference once I let my Bonnie breath she delivered all that lovely low end torque. So yes the BMW is more powerful but these T 120’s are phenomenal.

A few of you guys have said it. There are some really fantastic motorcycles available to us under $15kUS.
 
#24 ·
First of all, congratulations Gabbydad. :beerchug The slash 5 is gorgeous!

I really, really like riding the RnineT. It's way better than its hipster image; great feel and handling, great engine character. The way power is delivered is addictive. Plus I'm short and the bike's ergs are just right.

The only reason I don't own one right now is the pillion seat. LOGale is absolutely correct the pillion seat is only for short hops. I bought a T120 instead of the RnineT and it might be the best two-up motorcycles I've had in 35 years of riding motorbikes.
 
#11 ·
I was waffling between an R1200R, an R9T, and a T120 when I was shopping and my ultimate choice (the T120) was driven mostly by cost. About the only times I regret choosing the T120 is when I have to service the chain. I also regret buying a bike with spoked wheels due to the tubes.

To be a Pete who's frank, these things have bothered me enough that I've often thought about selling the Triumph and buying a BMW, but I came to my senses (or lost my mind) when I saw the 2020 Rocket III GT. I'll have one of them under my ass as soon as they hit the showroom.

That /5 sure does look nice, though.

Pete
 
#17 ·
I went to my local BMW dealer today and they had one of these 50th in stock. It really is a gorgeous bike and a nice size.

My fear was realized when I sat on it. It's just too leaned over for me. Otherwise, I think I would have bought it on the spot.

I'm really hoping BMW will one day issue a true "modern classic" with the same or very similar geometry to the older /5 models. I miss my old '73 R75/5.
 
#18 ·
My fear was realized when I sat on it. It's just too leaned over for me. Otherwise, I think I would have bought it on the spot.
Same here!

Last summer I was really really taken (still am) by the R9T scrambler, which we all know it's not anywhere close to a real scrambler but looks pretty cool nevertheless, and I rented one for a day (here it's common practice due to short riding seasons).

Well, the day before I was 99% sure I'd buy it after the ride, but I gave it a pass due to:
1. Too aggressive stance for my height / liking
2. Pillion comfort and 'touring' capabilities
3. Engine a tad too nervous

While perhaps the above could be corrected by the good customization options for that model, I think it would have taken too much away from it.

That sound though... Aaahhh...
 
#19 ·
Great bike, I'm sure you'll love it.
I test Rode an r9t racer before buying the Thruxton r, I thought the air cooled boxer was a better engine than the triumph twin, more powerful and revs a little bit higher and smoother at the top end, I probably will own one at some point but I couldn't resist the supermodel looks of the Thruxton r.
I'm sure you can stay on the forum, isn't there an "other bikes" section, if not there should be.
 
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#26 ·
Great looking bike gabbydad, I seriously considered the R9T as well but the ergos felt a little too laid back if that makes any sense...plus I knew I would want to accessorize it and didn't want to go down that rabbit hole lol, so I went with the Monster. The BMW AC twin is a great motor with tons of character and just the right amount of performance...you made a great choice. I still stick around here too, this is the best MC forum, the others are kinda dead, and I am still interested in what everyone does to their Triumphs here. I will probably get another one one day.
 
#30 ·
Congrats on your new purchase.

I picked up a used boxer RT about a month ago and after 2K miles I have to say that engine is every bit as interesting as the T120 HT engine. If the R9T falls into corners anything close to the RT, I would consider swapping them out. I may just have to take a closer look in the spring. Till then I'll continue to ride and enjoy my T120 while the weather allows.
 
#38 ·
I appreciate BMW for their history and the fact that they are shaft driven, but I have never been attracted to them. Just something about their aesthetics. It's just preference, though, and that's all in the eye of the beholder.

To me, brand loyalty is not a good thing. Look how Harley has abused all of their loyalists.

You go with the bike that brings the biggest smile to your face.

Anyway, I hope your new bike will bring you lots of thrills! Let us know all about it.
 
#44 · (Edited)
A lot of good points made in comparing some BMW R9T and Triumph watercooled models. It gets a little sketchy when the comparisons are between different models in their respective ranges, for an example the R9T/5 at the beginning of this thread and say a Thruxton R .

I get to ride a T120 quite often and definitely find it more comfortable to ride for me than either my Thruxton R or my R9T/5. The Thruxton R feels faster and handles better to me than the T120 and R9T/5. For me the R9T/5 is right between the T120 and Thruxton R in terms comfort and performance.

I looked at the new Speed Twin for this slot and it was close but I liked the appearance of the R9T/5 over the Speed Twin and it was cheaper.

Quite frankly if I took the four bikes in my backyard to a bike show the crowd would pick the Royal Enfield first, the Red Thruxton next, the BMW RnineT/5 third and the Thruxton R last. Now I haven't had the BMW in that mix but I have had those results in two shows before.
 

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