[CrAzY dRiVeR]

BMW unveiled Motorrad Concept R18 yesterday, that pays tribute to their iconic 1936 R5 cruiser motorcycle. To be powered by a 1800cc boxer engine, the production version is likely to be unveiled at the EICMA Motor show later this year.

"This bike is not about being the fastest," says Edgar Heinrich, BMW Motorrad Head of Design. "This bike is about making an analogue statement in a digital age. BMW has a rich history of iconic motorcycles and they bear the same design characteristics. We believe that this can still work well today, together with current technology.

BMW Motorrad Concept R18 transports the essence of the big BMW Motorrad classics into the modern age, or in other words, it is taking a historical motorcycle design and giving it a modern, custom attitude. Dr. Markus Schramm, head of BMW Motorrad, describes the design as follows: “With this dream bike, BMW Motorrad presents its own version of an emotional and authentic offer for the large cruiser segment.”

BMW had confirmed last year that they are planning a full range of cruisers to compete against the likes of Harley Davidson. Looks like a beautiful machine to my eyes, and unmistakably BMW like the 1936 R5 cruiser it is based on!

Source

BMW Press Release

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Concept R18, in the flesh. Rolls like it is production ready -

https://youtu.be/2oCf4KQ18LU

[narayan]

Its a beauty.. but made strictly for Caucasians who have long limbs.

This will not sell in China for sure


A tele lever front would have looked sweet

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Production version spotted by RideApart, most likely heading towards EICMA -

[LTAutoMad]

Originally Posted by narayan

Its a beauty.. but made strictly for Caucasians who have long limbs.

This will not sell in China for sure


A tele lever front would have looked sweet

I have the diametrically opposite view!

The seat height is really low and so any short Indian, Chinese, Greek etc person can comfortably put both feet on the ground.
A tall Caucasian or other person invariably needs forward controls in a Harley / cruiser to get comfortable - due to the engine cylinder positioning, forward controls are ruled out in this bike and so it will be quite cramped for any tall rider.

[Haroon]

Another variant of the R18 concept unveiled at the EICMA 2019 today. Sure looks cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc4GY85u0ZQ

But many years back BMW tried its hand at cruisers with the R1200C (made famous by the James bond chase scene!) and then dumped it after some years. The present one looks more exciting and times have also changed with cruisers also getting bigger and being loaded with technology. Although BMW's target for that segment is not all that big as this seems mainly destined for US of A, not sure how widely will the bike be accepted outside the US & Western Europe....like the "Baggers" now made by BMW, Honda, Yamaha etc on their luxury touring rigs!

Anyway, this sure will make a great style statement, as I know a few well-heeled hardcore Harley friends, who in addition to multiple big displacement harleys in garage also have fully loaded R1200GS/GSAs in their garage (not for any serious off road adventures but more for the Starbucks ride!), so this bike may also find liking in that segment around the world.

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The production version revealed -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdxNWAzMuCo

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Images from the press release -









The full press release with tech-specs attached -

[ast.ggn]

I wish they had gone ahead with the bar end clutch system from the concept. Don't know how much feasible it would have been in production bike but it looks super cool. And that nickel plated drive shaft!!! This bike is a timeless beauty

[abhishek46]

Looks absolutely Stunning, in an utterly Elegant & Classic way.

On the practical aspect, I have a couple of reservations:
1. Those huge protruding cylinders may get sheared off, if the bike takes a fall.
2. The room for the rider's legs seem to be extremely limited.
The rider's toe are barely inches away from the those massive Cylinders.

[timuseravan]

I don't know what but something is lost between the concept and the production model. The production version does not look that great or distinctive.
And the silencers are fugly

[mh09ad5578]

I agree the concept model was way way better. But this is a nice retro cool model. I don't know if this was really needed. Guess for BMW fans. This is a pub hopping machine rather than a serious cruiser, as has been discussed endlessly the boxer engine prevents any leg kicked out/ forward controls, the hallmark of a cruiser on the bike. I'd still say the Harley/ Indian are the true cruiser forms. Looking at the aftermarket accessories list/ maker it looks like squarely targeted at the Harley. Don't think this justifies that stagnating cruiser market or the hardcore brand loyal customer. Still a beautiful bike and kudos to BMW to actually bringing it to the market.

[53BHP]

Kudos to BMW for doing something really bold. Sure this wasn't necessary but wow did it turn out nice. Am not a big fan of cruisers. I hope they come out with a standard. R1800R that would be awesome

[TusharK]

Rumour: BMW R 18 cruiser bookings open

According to a media report, BMW Motorrad dealers in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi have started accepting bookings for the new R 18 cruiser bike. The booking amount is set at Rs. 1 lakh.



The production-spec R 18 cruiser was unveiled earlier this month. The bike based on a double-loop steel tube frame featuring a single cantilever shock absorber at the rear. It has a round LED headlamp and twin chrome exhausts.

The R 18 cruiser is powered by a 1,802cc, 2-cylinder boxer engine that produces 90 BHP @ 4,750 rpm and 158 Nm @ 3,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox, which drives the rear wheel via a shaft drive. The R 18 features multiple ride modes which include Rock, Roll and Rain. The bike gets 300 mm twin discs at the front and a single 300 mm disc brake at the rear.

BMW Motorrad hasn't made an official announcement regarding the launch of the R 18 in India yet.

Source

Link to Team-BHP News

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Model is now listed on the Indian website as well, with a 'Register your interest' option -

https://www.bmw-motorrad.in/en/models/heritage/r18.html