At BMW, concepts are destined to end up on the street. This is the case of the R18 concept of cruiser presented last year as part of the Villa d'Este elegance contest, on the shores of Lake Como, and which has just given birth to a spectacular cruiser. While the R Nine-T roadster perpetuated the architecture of the R32, the first BMW in history, this time BMW was inspired by the famous R 5 from 1936. Stayed less than two years in the catalog and produced only 2,652 units, the latter, designed by pilot engineer Rudolf Schleicher, will have made an impression with its modernism and technical sophistication.
With great sobriety, the latest BMW cruiser intends to revive old-fashioned sensations. BMW
Through the R18, BMW continues to combine an irresistibly vintage style with a modern design, generating a completely contemporary driving pleasure. The sleek style of the R 18 transposes the codes of the R 5. We thus find the inclined fork, the double cradle frame, the teardrop-shaped tank, the angled exhaust line, the two-way swing arm branches and the small saddle. BMW pushes the mimicry to offer the R 18 in a classic black shade adorned with double white piping on the tank. Designed to reserve “good vibrations” for bikers in the builder's own words, the R 18 inaugurates a new flat twin. With a displacement (1,802 cm3) never reached before by a BMW motorcycle, this flat-twin delivers 91 hp at 4,750 rpm. A power certainly modest but the maximum torque is located at 158 Nm at 3000 rpm. With a torque of at least 150 Nm, between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm, BMW insists on the unprecedented flexibility of its cruiser.
The analog instrumentation of the R 18. BMW
Minimalist, the R 18 dispenses with bubbles, has only one instrumentation dial but offers three driving modes as standard (Rain, Roll or Rock). Traction control is also part of the standard equipment while reverse gear and the hill start function are part of the optional program.
The R 18 First Edition takes up the decoration of the R 5 with the double white border. BMW
The tubular frame composed of a double steel cradle incorporates a mechanical and faired telescopic fork. The front suspension travel is 120mm, the rear travel 90mm. Braking is based on a double disc at the front and a single disc system at the rear with fixed four-piston calipers. BMW offers many possibilities for customization - including several handlebars - for this cruiser whose price starts at 22,990 euros.