BMW R nineT (“Classic”, 2014-2016) Maintenance Schedule

This is the complete maintenance schedule for the original BMW R nineT, made between 2014-2016. It’s also known as the R nineT Classic, to distinguish it from the Pure, Racer, Urban G/S, and Scrambler variants.

While the R nineT range has expanded over time, the engine and drivetrain have remained fundamentally the same — an air/oil-cooled 1170 cc flat twin “boxer” engine with four valves per cylinder and double overhead camshafts, pushing about 81 kW (110 hp) of power and 119 Nm (88 lb-ft) of torque (at the crank) to the rear wheel through a dry clutch and a shaft drive.

It’s the same “camhead” engine that was used in the previous R 1200 generation of motorcycles, including the briefly contemporaneous R 1200 R and 2010-2013 “Camhead” R 1200 GS. But those motorcycles evolved to add water cooling and generally have been higher-spec bikes than the air-cooled R nineT.

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BMW R nineT Service Intervals

As the BMW R nineT has an air/oil-cooled engine, service intervals are a relatively short 6000 miles / 10000 km, at which point you should change the oil and filter, and also check the valve clearances.

Note that BMW also specifies an annual oil change in their service schedule, regardless of distance travelled. There’s also an annual full multi-point inspection to check for leaks or parts that need lubrication.

Luckily the valve clearance inspection isn’t too hard. Once you’ve dropped the oil, the cylinders are out there poking out the sides of the bike.

Every two services, change the air filter and the spark plugs.

BMW also recommends a change of the telescopic fork oil every few services (by distance only), which is unusual for most motorcycle manufacturers.

Finally, make sure you regularly attend to key fluids like shaft drive lubricant and brake fluid.

What you need to service the BMW R nineT 2014-2016 — Consumables and Special Tools

For the BMW R nineT, the manual recommends the following specific consumables.

Item	BMW R nineT spec
Engine oil	Per the manual for all R nineT bikes, maximum 3.8 L (1 US gal) L of SAE 15W-50, API SJ/JASO MA2. Additives (for instance, molybdenum-based substances) are prohibited, because they would attack the coatings on engine components, BMW Motorrad recommends BMW Motorrad ADVANTEC Ultimate oil. Mobil 1 15W-50 is a good alternative.
Oil filter	All BMW R bikes use a BMW/Mahle oil filter, part number 11 42 7 673 541. The best replacement is a Hiflofiltro HF164.
Engine coolant	BMW recommends… none! This is an air-cooled bike! (just a little joke to assure you I’m not a robot writing this)
Spark plugs	NGK MAR8B-JDS This is what the manual suggests. Make sure it’s gapped correctly to 0.8mm (get a gapping tool).
Air filter	You can get the stock air filter, but riders love the BM-1204 air filter from K&N, which is re-usable.
Brake pads	Use the standard brake pads by Brembo, which you can order from your dealer. Or use EBC double hardened brake pads to get the best out of your advanced braking system. Use two FA630HH for the front, and one FA363HH for the rear. * Note — Pads are different across the R nineT line (R nineT Classic vs Pure, Racer, Scrambler, and Urban GS) — get the right ones.
Drive oil	Called the “Rear axle differential oil” in the manual. BMW recommends “SAE 70W-80 / hypoid axle G3”, but many hypoid gear oils work, e.g. Mobil 1 75W-90. or Castrol 75W-90 gear oil.
Alternator belt	Super annoying when this breaks, but very easy to fix! The part number is 11 31 8 528 385. It’s easiest to pick this up from a dealer.

BMW R nineT Classic (2014-2016) Maintenance Schedule

Below is the maintenance schedule for the BMW R nineT Classic as per the manual, but made more clear so that you can understand what needs to happen more easily.

The R nineT range, being air-cooled, have surprisingly short maintenance intervals — quite similar to other air-cooled performance bikes like the Ducati Scramblers. You have to service the valves every 6,000 miles or 10,000 kilometres. The good news is that you can get to the valve heads very easily, as the cylinders are sticking out into the wind — quite different to the Ducatis of old.

Simplified, the maintenance for the BMW R nineT involves:

• A standard service every 12 months (irrespective of distance)
• Oil change every 10,000 kms or 12 months, whichever is earlier,
• Checking the valve clearances and engine synchro every 10,000 km/6,000 miles (with no time restriction)
• A series of other periodic checks

Notes on the maintenance schedule

• At the end of the indicated schedule, keep following it in the pattern shown (every 1-4 service intervals)
• Where there’s a time and a distance-based interval, follow the earlier of the two.
• The break-in service isn’t shown, as the dealer usually takes care of this during the warranty period.

‘000 km	10	20	30	40
‘000 miles	6	12	18	24	Every
Conduct BMW Standard Service (see below)					Year
Change engine oil (BMW Motorrad ADVANTEC Ultimate oil) and oil filter (BMW/Mahle oil filter, part number 11 42 7 721 779)	X	X	X	X	Year
Change oil in the rear bevel gears (Castrol 75W-90)		X		X	2 years
Check valve clearances	X	X	X	X
Change transmission oil (Mobil 1 75W-90)				X	Year
Replace spark plugs (NGK MAR8B-JDS)		X		X
Replace air cleaner insert (BM-1204)		X		X
Replace alternator belt				X	6 years
Change telescopic fork oil			X
Adjust engine synchronization	X	X	X	X
Change brake fluid in entire system (Castrol Dot 4)					2 years

BMW Motorrad Service, standard scope

The activities in the BMW Motorrad Service standard scope (that are to be done periodically according to the service schedule above) are listed below. The actual scope of maintenance work for your vehicle may differ.

Note: Some of the below tests, including those that need the BMW Motorrad diagnostic system or re-setting the service due date, require BMW-specific equipment.

Perform vehicle test with BMW Motorrad diagnosis system

Visually inspect the clutch system (adjust free play and lubricate as necessary)

Check steering-head bearing

Visually inspect the brake pipes, brake hoses and connections

Check front brake pads and brake discs for wear (replace with a double set of FA630HH if necessary)

Check brake-fluid level, front brakes

Check rear brake pads and brake disc for wear (replace pads with FA363HH if necessary)

Check brake-fluid level, rear brakes

Check for play in the throttle cable

Check tyre pressures and tread depth

Check ease of movement of side stand

Check tension of the spokes and tighten as needed

Check the lights and signalling equipment

Function test, engine start suppression

Final inspection and check for road safety

Set the service-due date and service countdown distance (using hte BMW Motorrad diagnostic system)

Check battery charging state

Confirm BMW service in the vehicle literature

BMW R nineT (2014-2016) Tire size and pressures

The following are tire sizes and tire pressures for the BMW R nineT.

BMW recommends these tire pressures for most of their standard bikes and sport bikes. Note that the R nineT Classic has spoked wheels and tubed tyres. Other variants have different tyres.

Wheel/Tire	Size	Pressure (cold)
Front	120/70 ZR 17	2.5 bar (36 psi)
Rear	180/55 ZR 17	2.7 bar (39 psi) one-up 2.9 bar (42 psi) two up with cargo

The original 2014-2016 BMW R nineT shipped with Continental RoadAttack 2C tubed tyres or Metzeler Roadtec Z8 Interact tubed tyres.

About the BMW R nineT (the original)

The BMW R nineT is an already legendary motorcycle from BMW, representing “simplicity”, but doing so in a typically classy BMW fashion. The name R nineT is meant to pay homage to BMW’s 90 years in the business, not to any one specific model.

It’s powered by the final air-cooled version of the opposite-twin Boxer engine, which in dual overhead cam form produces a claimed 108 bhp (81 kW) at 7750 rpm and a massive 88 lb-ft (119 Nm) of torque. The engine isn’t very high-revving, but the torque helps with the R nineT’s healthy power output.

In contrast with earlier BMW roadsters like the Camhead R 1200 R (which also had the same engine), BMW finally ditched the telelever front suspension for a traditional fork. The R nineT in its original form has an inverted fork, which is unfortunately non-adjustable. (This was rectified in the next-gen R nineT.)

Aside from the engine and chassis, the BMW R nineT is an exercise in simplicity. It has a back-to-basics design, with everything visible to the user. In fact, with a bit of judicious pruning (like removing the airbox), you can get the aesthetic of an engine you can “see through”, something sought after by many traditional motorcycle owners.

The only unsightly parts are the charcoal canister, the cables running to the exhaust power valve and the wires running to the fuel-injector throttle bodies. Strangely, the bike comes standard with anti-lock brakes but heated hand grips are not available; in fact, the one-and-only option is an anti-theft alarm.

There is, of course, a wide range of accessories and options for the R nineT. These have really filled out over the years. You can pour a lot of money into a BMW motorcycle!

Major updates to the model over the years have included

• 2017 BMW R nineT: A new instrument cluster, updated electronics with an additional on-board computer, compression and rebound-adjustable forks, new spoked wheels, and optional automatic stability control
• 2021 R nineT: A 6-axis IMU, ride by wire, and a host of rider aids including cornering ABS.

None of those updates have impacted the maintenance schedule.

Manual for the BMW R nineT Classic 2014-2016

Below is a screenshot of the maintenance schedule from which the above was derived (there’s more information in the manual about what the numbers mean).

The above information was gleaned from the owner’s manual for the BMW R nineT. You can download it from BMW’s website directly here.