At this year's Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, BMW Motorrad unveiled its concept model of the 9cento (pronounced 'nova chen-toe') adventure-sport motorcycle. Something totally new from BMW, the 9cento endeavors to bring together sport, adventure, and touring in one package.

Continue reading for more on the BMW 9cento Concept.

The BMW 9cento

"It doesn't always have to be about 'bolder, bigger, brighter' nowadays; this concept bike focuses on achieving a sense of balance," says Head of Design BMW Motorrad, Edgar Heinrich. "We've created a bike that combines the appropriate power with reliable sports-touring properties and above all, lots of riding fun, so it's an attractive overall package.”

BMW looks to bring together the best of sports, adventure and touring segments in one exciting ride, which is an all-new class for BMW, something they haven't done before. By paying special attention to touring capability, storage space, and wind and weather protection, BMW wants to combine all into one ride. The look is light and lightweight, which conveys agileness and positive dynamic performance with a suspension designed for touring.

9cento Features and Innovations

Yes, it looks sporty, but what about a passenger? The 9cento pannier system -- which attaches using an eletromagnet -- integrates seamlessly into the bike's styling to provides storage for times when you want it to be a touring bike and take a friend. The bags look very small, however, and other than adding the pillion, I'm not sure how riders here in the U.S. will find them useful. The pillion also looks very uncomfortable for the long-haul. The rear taillights are beautifully integrated under the seat in a tidy little arrangement, though I rather think as it is, it would not be street legal here.

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