Mein Gott, BMW's New R 12 S Is a Spectacularly Beautiful Retro Cafe Racer

Traditionally, the beautifully designed motorcycles of the world come from Italy. I don't mean to throw shade on any other country building bikes, I don't need the smoke, but Italian bikes just have a certain something that make them bite-the-back-of-your-hand pretty. 

Case in point, any of the modern MV Agusta's. I mean, even the paint colors and liveries are gorgeous. 

There are, of course, exceptions with a handful of beautiful designs coming from outside the Italian penninsula. But they're few and far between, and don't come around all that often. Yet, when they do, they have a habit of stopping you right in your tracks, take a deep breath, check your bank balance, and sigh you're not someone on more financially stable footing. 

That's what I'm introducing here today, BMW's 2025 R 12 S. My god is it gorgeous. 

According to BMW, the new R 12 S pays hommage to the original R 90 S of the 1970s, which "set an exclamation mark for BMW Motorrad with 67 hp, a top speed of 124 mph (considered the 'sound barrier' for motorcycles at the time),  double disk front brakes and sporting riding dynamics."

Based around an R 12 nineT, the R 12 S is powered by the same 1,170 cc 2-cylinder air/oil-cooled Boxer engine making 109 horsepower and 85 pound-feet of torque. But compared to the standard model, the R 12 S receives Option 719 Wheel Classic II wire wheels, and black handlebars and fork tubes. There are also black accents throughout the engine components that make the whole thing pop. 

Furthermore, you get BMW's Hill Start Control, Gear Shift Assist Pro, Heated Grips, Cruise Control, and a short rear tail with swing arm mounted license plate holder. You can also get the brand's adaptive headlights, i.e. Headlight Pro, which corner with the bike. Likewise, it features that bespoke paint scheme that makes it look almost identicical to the original R 90 S. It's called N42 Lava for anyone wondering and features red pinstriping and brushed aluminum accents on fuel tank and rear cover. 

An old-school front fairing completes the look in just a chef's kiss way. 

Now we gotta talk price, because as much as I love staring at this motorcycle, it's meant to be bought and ridden, though I'm not sure anyone told BMW. It's $21,590 minus destination and tax. That's just a whole heck of a lot of money for what is essentially and appearance package. Yes, it's stunning. Yes, it's a throw-back to one of BMW's most iconic motorcycles. But woof, in a world where interest rates are so high, wages are nonexistent, and everyone's pulling back on their purse strings, that's a hard pill to swallow. BMW's financials, however, might disagree with my assesment though.