R 18

BMW to Expand R 18 Cruisers With Two New Models

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com A little more than a year ago, BMW returned to the cruiser segment with the mighty R 18 motorcycle. Designed to take on the big boys of the segment, specifically Harley-Davidson and Indian, the range will get a few more versions very soon. The line already comprises the standard cruiser and the more touring-oriented Classic. They will be joined by a sportier incarnation, R 18 B, and the Transcontinental classic tour-oriented two-wheeler, which according to our sources, will likely be revealed as soon as this June. Like all other bikes in the family, the new ones are said to use of the same 2-cylinder engine that is 1,802 cc in displacement, albeit fitted inside a slightly larger frame required to accommodate the needs of longer cruises. Named by the Germans Big Boxer, the powerplant is rated at 91 hp and 158 Nm (116 lb-ft) of torque in the existing bikes, and that will probably be the case with the new ones as well. The B will come with a large fairing and a short windshield, while the Transcontinental will sport a larger windshield, additional headlights, and a top case at the rear. Both new models will get a larger tank, 10.5-inch TFT screen, and even an area with inductive charging for smartphones. The wheels are likely to remain the same in size, namely 19-inch front and 16-inch rear wheels, only in a new design. Visually, the B will take a darkened approach to things, while the Transcontinental will go for chrome. According to the spies that captured the photos you see in the gallery, the R 18 B should tip the scale at 365 kg (805 pounds), while the Transcontinental is said to come in at over 400 kg (882 pounds). Full details on the […]

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Roland Sands Reworks the BMW R 18, Dragster Comes Out the Other End

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Back in April, BMW Motorrad pulled the wraps off the R 18, the company’s first entry in the cruiser segment dominated by giants like Harley-Davidson or Indian. Since then we’ve heard little about the revolutionary German machine, but the wait seems to have been worthwhile. It appears in the time that has passed since BMW tasked designer Roland Sands with coming up with his own interpretation of the two-wheeler. And what resulted is nothing short of stunning. The centerpiece of the motorcycle is the “most powerful 2-cylinder boxer engine ever used in motorcycle series production,” a 1,802 cc powerplant that develops 91 hp at 4,750 rpm, and provides a maximum of 158 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm. It is this piece of hardware Sands wanted to highlight in his build, so the end product is a stripped-down R 18 with dragster looks. The overall geometry of the motorcycle has been retained, but the rear end was taken out, and the front reshaped to fit the modified frame. The engine, of course, is exposed in all its glory. “With an engine that’s so visibly the center piece, I immediately thought of muscle cars. My family has always been into going fast and my dad was a drag racer, so I thought it made sense to strip the bike down to the essentials and shape it to go fast on a straight track,” Sands says about his design. The simple yet effective modifications are complemented by two different design collections of milled aluminum parts Sands created for the factory-made R 18s. Called Machined and 2-Tone-Black, they include things like custom front and rear wheels, speedometer housings, handlebar clamps, risers, handlebar grips, hand levers and mirrors. The dragster-shaped R 18 and the design collections are the first

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Custom BMW R nineT Is a Two-Wheeled Lost in Space Robot

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com BMW’s latest motorcycle wonder, the R 18, is the freshest Bavarian creation, and the world keeps talking about it even days after it was launched by the Germans. But there are other BMW motorcycles worth talking about, both factory-made and custome, like the R nineT we have here. When BMW announced it is building a cruiser motorcycle based on the new Big Boxer engine it developed, it did so by tasking custom builders with advertising the powerplant. This is how with about a year left until the actual unveiling of the R 18, we got the Custom Works Zon R18, and later the Revival Birdcage. But the R nineT is even more tunable as the R 18, it seems. The bike pictured here is the result of work conducted in Moscow by a builder called Zillers Garage, allegedly with the support of BMW Motorrad Russia. It is, in essence, a tuned-up, futuristic version of a stock R nineT. Officially scheduled to have been shown at the now canceled Moscow motorcycle show, the bike made its online premiere this week. It presents itself as a stock two-wheeled Bimmer that sheds its skin and wrapps itself in a shell of aluminum, one that ends at the front with a large HID lamp that brings back memories of Lost in Space’s Robot. According to the information available, the modifications made to the standard motorcycle include altering the suspension to bring the body closer to the ground, some changes to the brake and clutch levers, and the additions of buttons required to control the air suspension. The engine of the R nineT remains the original one, and no modifications have been made to it. That translates into a 1,170cc powerplant, developing 110 hp and controlled by means of a

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BMW’s prewar-inspired R18 boxer motorcycle makes its production debut

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by Kyle Hyatt from https://www.cnet.com/ We loved the concept at Villa d’Este, and now the production version will haunt our dreams until it’s released. I’ve been looking forward to a production version of BMW’s R18 concept since it debuted last year at Villa d’Este, and now it’s finally here. How close does the production model get to the utterly gorgeous prewar-inspired concept? Well, pretty close, actually. Sure, there will be plenty who argue that it should be closer, that the production bike’s front wheel is too small or that BMW should have retained the concept’s fork covers, but I’m not one of those people. This thing is a handsome-as-hell cruiser-bobber style motorcycle, and I badly want to ride it already. The R18’s headline feature is its massive 1.8-liter horizontally opposed twin-cylinder engine. This is the biggest boxer that BMW has ever offered — by over half a liter — and it’s still air-cooled. This lump outputs a 91 horsepower and a whopping 116 pound-feet of torque. It’s got four valves per cylinder with dual overhead camshafts on each cylinder, and it promises to be a characterful old thing, in the best traditions of the brand. The bike also features the classic BMW boxer large single-disc dry clutch and a six-speed gearbox. Unusual for the BMW though (these days, at least) is the decision to leave the bike’s driveshaft exposed. This was done in homage to the prewar Beemers like the R5 and R51 from which the R18 takes much of its inspiration. A reverse gear ala Honda’s Goldwing is available as an option. The R18 is probably closest in spirit to the R NineT, at least as far as current production motorcycles go, and like that bike, it’s been designed with easy customization in mind. To that end, BMW has

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BMW Goes After Harley-Davidson with Stunning R 18 Big Boxer Cruiser

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Despite being at the top of sales charts in the motorcycle industry, BMW hasn’t had an entry in the cruiser segment since the R1200 RC . That changed with the introduction of the brand new R 18 this week. Featuring the Big Boxer engine, the “most powerful 2-cylinder boxer engine ever used in motorcycle series production,” the R18 is described as a bike that blends the classic lines of older BMW bikes with modern day technology. The design of the motorcycle, and parts of its construction, like the rear swingarm, are reminiscent of the R 5, a bike designed way back in the 1930s as the first BMW motorcycle to use a foot-operated four-speed gearbox. Cues to that resemblance are also the double-loop frame, the pear-drop tank, the open-running driveshaft, the pinstriped paintwork, and of course the exposed drive-shaft. At the center of the motorcycle lies the Big Boxer BMW has been teasing for more than a year now. The 2-cylinder engine is 1,802 cc in displacement, develops 91 hp at 4,750 rpm, and provides a maximum of 158 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm. The motorcycle comes with three driving modes – Rain, Roll and Rock – and is equipped with automatic stability control (can be disengaged) and drag torque control as standard. Optionally, reverse assist and hill start control can be specified. BMW did not announce yet when the motorcycle will become available and how much it will charge for it. When it hits the market though, it will be available in First Edition guise, adding a few unique extras like a classic black finish with white pinstriped paintwork, chrome highlights and First Edition badges. Additionally, for the U.S. market BMW partnered with several companies to give the bike a local flavor. The

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