BMW R Nine T vs. Moto Guzzi V7 II Stornnello vs. Triumph Street Scrambler Comparison Review

BMW R Nine T Scrambler vs. Moto Guzzi V7 II Stornnello vs. Triumph Street Scrambler
Three top European scramblers go head-to-head on and off road to see if they have the dirt chops. BMW, Moto Guzzi, and Triumph say they do, so we test them to see if they are true scrambler motorcycles, or if they’re just built for looks.
Scramblers are one of the biggest current motorcycle trends, with a large number of the manufacturers choosing to produce their own version of these modern-retro standard motorcycles with one eye on the dirt. With many of the scramblers seeming to be more for looks than performance, we wanted to head out into the dirt and do our best to push these bikes to their limits-seeing if they really stacked up on dirt like the companies say they do, and how much of their road performance was sacrificed for these off-the-pavement ambitions. Jordan Mastagni, Morgan Gales, and Jon McDevitt took three European scramblers-the BMW R nineT Scrambler, Moto Guzzi V7 II Stornello, and Triumph Street Scrambler-out to the dirt roads, fire trails, and curvy paved canyons of Southern California’s Ortega Highway to see which of these scrambly standards would come out on top.
2017 BMW R nineT Scrambler
After riding the base-model BMW R nineT, I was nothing short of giddy to throw a leg over the R nineT Scrambler. About a thousand miles later, I felt like a kid who opened his presents Christmas morning to find a pair of socks. It's a great-looking bike, but as one of BMW's employees described it during the HighPipe Moto Festival, it's "an exercise in aesthetics," rather than a truly capable scrambler. While BMW did hit its goal in making an awesome-looking motorcycle, the Scrambler sacrifices on-road capabilities for off-road ambitions that just aren't met. Compared with the Triumph and Moto Guzzi, even with their shortcomings, the looks of the BMW were not enough to truly set it apart or make up for its shortcomings in performance.
The 1,200cc engine of the R nineT is awesome. It puts out 110 hp and 86 pound-feet of torque; power that is strong and smooth. The engine both looks and sounds awesome right off the bat. You have the classic airhead BMW horizontally opposed shaft-driven twin with a 2-1-2 pipe putting out a good, throaty pop. With the original R nineT that comes equipped with road tires, you can get all that power to the ground. Unfortunately, it seems like the Bavarian engineers didn't update the traction control when switching to the knobbies which led to an incredibly inhibited ride for the Scrambler. Turn off the traction control and you're burning through tires and slipping through turns; it's all real fun until you pull in your driveway and see those tires that cost about $500 a pair are going bald. It's hard to win.
The biggest detracting factor of the bike is the weight, or more so the way the bike carries it. Seeing as there’s only a 30-pound difference between the Street Scrambler dry and the BMW wet, it can’t just be the weight of the bike; it has to be the geometry and where that weight is held. While the phrasing on their respective websites makes it hard to state numbers (rake versus steering head angle), it’s clear to see that the BMW has a longer rake than the other two here, meaning its front wheel is extended farther from the weight of the bike. This translates to a sort of floppy, squirrelly, and sluggish feeling when handling at low speeds and more stability at higher speeds, a tradeoff that doesn’t really make sense for a scrambler. The wheelbase of the BMW is also significantly longer than the other bikes at just over 60 inches, compared to 57 on the Triumph and Guzzi, more geometry that just doesn’t add up for the type of riding this bike is supposedly designed to handle.
Now the R nineT Scrambler isn’t a bad bike by any means; it’s just not nearly as good as some of the other models in the R nineT family or the other European scramblers we’re testing here. BMW changed up the geometry and did a handful of “exercises in aesthetics” that just take away from the bike’s rideability. Sure, it’s a damn fine-looking machine; we just want some bite to back up that bark.
Coming in at $13,000 this is the most expensive bike in our shootout. As you might expect from BMW, fit and finish definitely meet its high standards, but when comparing performance, the Triumph Street Scrambler is a much better buy at $10,700.
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[@user-oc6mk1zh2g]

I own a Triumph Street Scrambler but Moto Guzzi with Arrow high exhaust is a pure sex to me 👍🏼👍🏼

[@threepot]

Guzzi for me. Italian made,true to its origin! Triumph..made in Thailand,but wears a 'Union Jack'! BMW looks like the rear end was bolted on as an afterthought?

[@Supernova12034]

thank you for the honest criticism, so many motojournos are afraid of burning bridges or getting blackballed

[@gregorytimmons4777]

If a bike is not in the running like the first guy said about the Guzzi i want some specific reasons why it's not a contender. It sounded like your prejudices were your reasons. Even if it is the slowest i'm sure it's got good power off road. The problem is he didn't give any reasons. It seemed like just an across the board dismissal. Also, a 744cc engine is a 750 regardless of the models name. The name harkens back to the V7 of the mid to late 60's. I watch a lot of reviews and that first guys "It just doesn't quite cut it." That explanation doesn't cut it. The Moto Guzzi is the lightest and they always handle good. Suspension can be upgraded. It's 744cc's. How can it not be a bike adequate for daily use? Guy is just full of shit. In any scrambler comparison it's likely that one bike is going to be the best on the road and another will be best off road. I think the Triumph would likely be the best on road and the Moto Guzzi the best offroad IMO. Also the Moto Guzzi is the mid price bike in this group yet much of the criticism is regarding the price. Sounds like B.S. reasoning and you are just testing the wrong bikes. $10,700, $11,190, $13,000. So the Moto Guzzi is $1,800 less than the BMW and is $500 more than the cheapest of the lot. That is not a price that should be a disqualifying factor in a comparison of these 3 bikes. Once again it's a 750 (744 actual) Not a 700! I know i sound like a M.G. fan boy but i have owned a BMW and a Triumph before and the Triumph was a scrambler. It's pathetic when you all dismiss the Guzzi based on price. at the end of the video and makes no sense. If you didn't like the power delivery you should test one with 5 or 6,000 miles on it but the price? It's within $500 of the cheapest of the 3. I think you all believing it's a 700 skewed your judgement. Nothing new. 30% of moto vloggers don't even know the products being tested. Obviously none of you knew it wasn't a 700. It still is the smallest engine and only has one disc up front but it's also the lightest of the 3.

[@asiaasia2157]

I couldn't agree more. Those guys liked the Triumph best, which is acceptable since it is certainly a beautiful bike, and then treated the other two like shit. Poorly sponsored review.

[@marcodefonte8374]

You can tell right off the bat it's a totally biased review. Even at the end, the Moto Guzzi was at the back almost hidden. A solid, unbiased review places the bikes on the same level and gives reasons for all Pros and Cons, for each bike. This is so evident they all say the same things predominately promoting Triumph and talking shit about the competitors. The BMW is one of the best motorbike they came up with reacently. Opsie dopsie they forgot to mention that Moto Guzzi is made in Italy, BMW is made in Germany and Triumph is made in Thailand were labour is cheap and some member of the british royal are collecting and sharing the profits. For this reason alone, I'll never buy Triumph! I totally respect when the manufacturer of a Country keeps the factory in their own Country promoting the local economy. Nothing against Thailand, just to be clear.

[@asiaasia2157]

Brought to you by Trumph Motorcycle ©.

[@asiaasia2157]

Yes clearly.

[@mnnic4292]

Looks like they were all for Triumph, but the Guzzi is the best bike in the lot for on off riding. Best un the lot .

[@RandomGRK]

I’ll take the Guzzi any day despite its shortcomings. If I want a real bike to take off road, I’ll get one that’s purpose made. These are street bikes with minor fire trail capabilities and incredibly expensive to fix should you drop it. You’d be dumb to take these anywhere but tar.

[@bryankufalk6107]

The very same Guzzi, #170 is in garage. Almost 10k on it and runs great considering all the beating press bikes take. Look for her in America’s Dairy Land scrambling around cow pies.

[@paintup46]

V7’s are going for about 8k where I’m at in the US. Cannot beat that. The Ducati is also going for about 9k. Excellent bang for your buck. The street scrambler is still hovering around 11k unfortunately. The Ducati is an insane amount of fun for the price and that 800 LTwin is proving very reliable for a Ducati.

[@Wabbit1961]

I've seen you guys ride review together a few times on here and I will say that I value you honest opinions about the bikes you review... But... As veteran riders you should also add some advice to these manufacturers. BMW, well it's a R1200R pretty much. IMO, it shouldn't have been a choice here because, let's face it, it's just another Beemer - to me. I've ridden my share. To me, they're pedestrian, mundane. Now their inline-fours is a different ballpark! But this bike will sell to the Beemer enthusiast, period. As far as advice? BMW should have designed their twin 800cc motor for this job. Drop the weight. Would be A MUCH more manageable power to weight ratio for sure. Hell, you could even ask the 'german engineers' to fin the heads (weird retro look for sure), keep an oil cooler, and put shaft drive on something other than a damn 1200! (but, of course, they'd cheap out and stick with their belt drive IF they were to do this.) That's why I went with a 2006 Honda Interceptor over trying the BMW F800 sport tourer. Triumph - belt drive and off-road ain't a brilliant idea, really. But I do like belt over chain as far as maintenance. Just not impressed with styling. I think it's not that great to think of this bike as retro when it hasn't changed in design at all since it's inception. I mean, there's nothing retro if you've always been retro...lol. It's just the norm! Like trying to tell me that there's really much difference in any of their speed triples as far as specs and performance. Little improvement, to me, is none. I can take an old one, build it for less, and whip a new one. Motorcycle Guzzi - I'd pay their higher price just for the biggest gas tank! What you failed to mention about such a low powered, heavy bike - is the same old saying - 'It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast.' (That's because ANY true Cafe apprecionado will tell you, torque rocks!) I have a 1986 Yamaha SRX 600. It's a blast. It weighs 287lbs wet! I put 40,000 miles on it in 3 years as my daily rider. Highway and canyon riding. It's a TRIP to switch from that to my 2011 Ninja 1000. Big smiles, both ways. Personally, the Moto wins in spades in the style department. Suspension can be fixed easy. That engine has been around decades now. You better believe there's aftermarket in the engine/transmission department. Yeah, I'd buy this one over the 'tractor' look of the Triumph. Did I piss people off with my thoughts? Just my opinion, man. But that's the fun of debate.

[@marcodefonte8374]

You Nailed it man! I'm with you!

[@danilocapellan1316]

Great video 👍🏽

[@tokyosmash]

People saying Guzzi’s are for hipsters have never actually ridden one, hipsters shy away from things with actual soul 😂

[@shmac96]

lol! good to know! Cause I want one! :)

[@shmac96]

@De Sign love this! Thank you!

[@robotjeans]

Abe Lincoln was a hipster

[@takemebacktothen]

@@robotjeans literally who?

[@Deetroiter]

Most the guzzi guys and gals I see are the people you’d expect to be a door greeter at Walmart’s if you went by looks lol

[@contemporaryhomeaudio]

the Moto Guzzi is 750cc not 700cc

[@raglanheuser1162]

would love to see guzzi make a real modern competitor to the nineT

[@mark.e.p]

Guzzi for me. A simple air cooled engine.

[@gregorytimmons4777]

Triumph started the game about 60 years before the 2000's. It is easy to find a Moto Guzzi for less than MSRP. Maybe not one of one thousand limited edition but the V9 Roamer should have been the M.G. entry here. I'm not sure the Roamer is the right model but the most scrambler oriented V9 anyway would have been a better choice since these are all more like desert bikes to me. I just can't see any of these being much fun on a trail through a forest of Noble For. Fire roaders is what these are. Just as the first and only brand new bike I have ever bought. A 1973 Triumph Trophy Trail 500 for around $1,650 in March 1974.

[@gurpreetbanwait6097]

I am wondering u have not reviewed the ftr 1200 as u are reviewing these motorcycle , i am expecting a comparison of ftr 1200 vs bmw r9t scrambler from cycleworld

[@qutip14]

what kind of helmet is the red one with the silver

[@Deetroiter]

Talking about the price of the guzzi and moaning that it’s not worth the price. Then praises a triumph LOL...we know who paid the most for this video. Guzzi all day long for a REAL motorcycle with a soul, not some hipster gimmick

[@marcomoran5293]

Love it

[@AkaAndyKnuckles]

Cool helmets. What makes are they?

[@AkaAndyKnuckles]

Title should mention which bikes that are included.

[@seyha4001]

Nice

[@hankgs]

You guys should have picked the BMW GS Urban... -way better suspension-

[@godlyant9640]

...the moto guzzi, foo me shes a beauty and am inlov..

[@godlyant9640]

...u know right now, am imaginin myself a badass mascular young man ridin my sweet guzzi..

[@jasmusic8543]

Which best?

[@Milkybar3320011]

It is a shame that the Ducati scrambler didn’t make the lineup

[@tompage8674]

Wow a review where someone actually criticises a bike. Amazing.

[@ThePaulw595]

And no mention that the Triumph is water cooled with an unprotected radiator directly behind the front wheel, not good if it is to be taken on the trails.

[@fred_e]

R nine t with 900cc?

[@backyardwindow]

I love the aesthetics of the scrambler class. REALISTICALLY THOUGH, are these all hell to ride off pavement? I own a FT500 Ascot and it's the right tool for anything unpaved. I feel like the scrambler class is a bit of a lie. Thoughts?

[@bulentkilinckesmez9513]

winner MG

[@devinddalrymple4426]

I can’t hear you over the music

[@daviddibella118]

Guzzi forever

[@gregorytimmons4777]

I'm kinda biased ever since I found there was a bike with an engine that achieves automotive like longevity. Plus I'm pretty sure I don't want or need a 1200cc "Scrambler." Or even want one. Just too much weight, power and I just don't find big engined scramblers very practical but give me the smallest engined bike of this bunch with agricultural torque curve and big tank and I'll manage. An airhead BMW strikes me as the basis for a decidedly odd off road bike. Triumph? Well, what can you say? Until the Japanese invaded motorcycle land Triumph and BSA were the most common scramblers here in the U.S. This would have been a better comparison if the M.G. entry had been the V9 Roamer or whichever one has the luggage package and crash bars. You would then have engine size grouped more closely and probably weight and maybe price too.

[@shakymctwitch8615]

If you are a reviewer that cannot pronounce Guzzi correctly and cannot seem to remember how large the motor is in the bike, your opinion means nothing. Great bikes, all three, and I think you chose the right one (I own a BMW and a Triumph and lust after the Guzzi so I have no bias here), but get your shit right before judging.

[@Simulera]

Um, Guzzi.

[@themmmeanone]

BMW R Nine T: Make your overcompensated midlife a ride.

[@TN-D18]

“Still get scrambly on the weekends?” #smh

[@savage22bolt32]

No way I could listen to this with the constant noise in the background.

[@nortondlcl]

I think Ducati would of been the winner of this shoot out.

[@deormanrobey892]

Meanwhile, the Japanese and KTM are still making real scramblers, and no, I don't mean the Bolt.

[@renatovazpinto9023]

🙃

[@KingKiavash]

230kg Scrambler my ass.

[@andybj4091]

Choosing the right hipster bike, brought to you by three hipsters.....

[@snoopdoug2137]

Where's the Ducati Scrambler? Ducati is European, right?

[@dirtyronald]

snoopdoug he said at the beginning it fell through

[@snoopdoug2137]

Thanks. I missed that. Probably when my kids were pestering me while I was trying to watch...#parentingfail

[@thejudgehasjudged]

I thought your review was realistic even though you seem to be getting a lot of hate for it in the comments. I love the Guzzi V7 lineup and the BMW looks trick but I thought the Triumph was the obvious winner given your criteria. Probably wouldn't buy one now though. Made in Thailand is no longer a Triumph and I think I speak for many. The Guzzi would probably get my money simply for it's authenticity. That still carries weight with me.

[@Mrdudezful]

I own a r nine t and I agree with them 100% my T is great in the city I drive it 45 min a day very very often. And I would never drive a different bike. I also ride around the world with my bodies with our ADV and my KTM 1290R will F*** any bike on and off road any day of the year. So I am lucky in life to own a few bikes that I can bounce for the occasion. But, If u want an solid bike that U want to drive every day for anything that u got going on, triumph scrambler is the bike to go with 100%. One thing exhaust will heat your leg. I didn’t care for that though. But it could annoy ppl.

[@2ShoesPhoto]

Lets use a bike that's only available for 1000 customers... Bwahahahahahaha!!! I own the BMW Scrambler and I chose it because I wanted the power and ride quality of a BMW with the good looks as well.

[@Dave-sw2dm]

The Moto Guzzi V7III Rough is now available and all you have to do is put the Arrow Scrambler exhaust on it. The BMW Scrambler looks cool, but I would take the Urban Enduro over it for the classic GS look.

[@mindspinn311]

I hate when magazines bring in these outside commentators who add nothing but whining and negativity about brands or models they don’t understand.

[@garneauweld1100]

You're too young to test a Guzzi.

[@DirceuCorsetti]

What a bad video. Uninspired, too loud background music and why no Ducati scramber?

[@IRLtrolls]

What a trash video. Did you really just say the Triumph is the "quintessential modern scrambler"...I don't even like Ducati but the Duc Scramble woule slap every bike in this lineup. Especially the desert sled.

[@aluisious]

There's no point doing this video and leaving out the best bike.

[@Ozmeister666]

Opinions...

[@doriangray2020]

Without the Ducati this review is for second best.

[@crazy10seven]

3 of the most boring presenters on KZbin. A guy like Lemmy is heads, shoulders, and beards above these hipster doofuses.

[@dennisb7317]

Pewdipie?