Some parts like the wheels and levers are aluminum, but you’ll find very little plastic, and the tank, fenders, side covers, headlight, instrument and fork covers are all steel. As befits a premium cruiser, BMW styled the R 18 mostly in metal - the engine and gearbox only account for 244 pounds, so we’re talking a whopping 520-pound rolling chassis minus the Big Boxer and a few options. BMW’s largest engine to date has four overhead valves per cylinder actuated by a pair of dual rocker arms with screw-and-locknut adjusters, pushrods and one camshaft per side, parallel to and above the crankshaft.Īt 788 pounds fully fueled sitting on a long 68.1-inch wheelbase, the R 18 looks and feels overbuilt, like there’s a roomful of bagger and dresser bodywork tucked away somewhere just waiting to be hung on the sturdy platform. All of this is pleasingly mashed together with contemporary cruiser licks like bobbed fenders, a semi-slammed rear end and fat tube-type wheels and tires to create the first cruiser in BMW’s Heritage family. In fact it’s easy to see the R5 reflected in the R 18’s double-loop frame and swingarm that give it a modern hardtail cruiser look, as well as the teardrop 4.2-gallon fuel tank, exposed final drive shaft, metal fork shrouds, fishtail dual exhaust and pinstriped black paint on the R 18 First Edition. “We took a deep look at our own museum, and we condensed these icons from the past, and found five super-important things that you will find all of on this bike,” said Edgar Heinrich, BMW’s head of motorcycle design. To make it look right, BMW’s styling team stepped back into the company’s motorcycling history, taking cues from the 1930’s R5. Or both.īMW nailed the styling on the R 18, and with a few refinements to the suspension and seat, it can be a really nice bike to ride, too. But every so often someone on the continent decides that they need a bigger chunk of the American motorcycle market, and out pops a Euro cruiser that either misses the styling dartboard completely or has an unacceptable engine layout. As long as they’re selling lots of ADV, sport and sport-touring bikes, Germany and Italy haven’t paid much attention to our cruiser market, either. Despite an exceptionally good run, the Japanese have pretty much thrown in the towel - with a couple exceptions there hasn’t been a new Japanese cruiser or bagger in a decade. Americans love their cruisers and baggers, but these days mostly want them Made in the USA. is as much a result of cultural preference as it is affection for traditionally styled bikes. Some motorcycle manufacturers have a difficult time accepting that Harley-Davidson’s 55-60% share of the cruiser motorcycle market in the U.S. Seen here in First Edition garb that includes lots of chrome, paint and functional options, it’s BMW’s second attempt to gain some traction in America’s large cruiser market, following the R1200C of 1998-2004. The new R 18 is the first salvo in BMW’s Heritage cruiser family, which is likely to include a bagger and perhaps even a touring bike in the future.
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