BMW’s R18 Concept is that rare thing in the motorcycle world: a BMW that doesn’t look like the contents of the junk drawer in your kitchen. Most of the GS series have a rubber band, plastic-handled corkscrew and expired AA batteries look about them. Cluttered and stolen-valor-military-ish, the big GS’s take a concerted effort to look at without smirking and feeling superior. Except for the very first ones. The early GS800 was much cleaner and actually was pretty good off road.
Concept bikes are a great way to get the reaction of the riding public without spending a bunch of money on a bike nobody likes. It’s smart to ask your customers first. Personally, I love the thing. It has a vibe that goes all the way back to the beginning of BMW. Back when they were still trying to kill us all.
The engine is huge and air-cooled because that’s what cruisers are supposed to be. Liquid cooling on a cruiser is a negative. Four cylinders on a cruiser is two too many. The whole point of a cruiser is laid back and relaxing. This is not to be confused with comfortable.
The seat on the R18 is a concession to the Brat trend that is slowly but surely vandalizing Honda’s entire production output from the 1970’s. I would prefer a dual seat more like the old R69 came with. It seems a waste for such a long bike to neglect the pillion accommodations. The long reach to the bars is another styling cue that will probably make it into production. Motorcyclists have proven time and time again that they will put up with any silly riding position as long as it makes them cool.
And you will be cool on the R18. It’s long and low and black, all these are good things to be. I hope the exposed driveshaft makes it past the product liability wonks at BMW. I like a dangerous spinning bit on a motorcycle.
The front end has about 1-inch of travel, generous for the cruiser segment. I hope BMW replicates that crazy-huge, aerodynamic skeleton key when they design the keyless proximity fob for this bike. Come to think of it all those keyless entry thingies are too big to fit in the skintight leather rockabilly pants you’ll be wearing on the R18. Maybe a plain old key would be better. The headlight nacelle looks great if a bit Royal Enfield Bullet-ish. Hey, that’s ok.
My biggest concern about the R18 is not the bike itself but the manufacturer. BMW puts entirely too many electronic doodads on their modern bikes. The excessive reliance on E-trickery to protect the rider from himself has created heavy motorcycles. BMW used to pride itself on lightweight motorcycles. It was in their advertisements! The damn things may be safer as long as they don’t land on you but reliability has suffered with the additional complexity.
Here’s hoping BMW can pull their heads out of their…ahem…you know, and build a strong, simple machine that won’t cost a fortune to buy or maintain because it would be a crime for such a pretty motorcycle to be restricted to Starbucks parking lots and BMW service centers.
That is a BMW I would consider. None of the new ones do anything for me, in fact, most get a similar reaction from my gut as they do when the see a Harley. That feeling in no bueno.
And you nailed it, keep it simple, I am sick and tired of seeing base models loaded with electronic features no one asked for or wanted.
Keep the faith,
Steve
Amen, Brother.
Yes . I agree with joe completely . As a former owner of a /2 and long time fan and builder of bobbers and strippers, I love this bmw. I will go farther than joe and say it’s not just bmw that have turned me off from plastic electronic bloated boats . Most newer bikes including Harley’s are just not talking to me. I pray this prototype reaches production much as it is . Thanks for the post , joe.
H919Rider aka Steve Baumann still can’t resist revealing his Harley envy after all these years. Lol! Keep in mind the cruiser category was made up by the straight Moto press to try and ad legitimacy to the jap clones and the big four advertising accounts their existence depended on . “Cruisers “ themselves were the product of shade tree cutdown Harley’s that inspired willie g to create the first superglide. Without which those intruders , Vulcans and raiders wouldn’t have existed .
“…contents of a junk drawer!” Made me laugh, but oh so true!
Yeah, Gresh had me laughing with that one, too.
Again Joe nails it with the junk draw description. BMW is so far away from what motorcycles were.
Tupperware with tech.
Of course my Road Glide is not much further away.
At least I can see the guts of it.
This is a Beemer I would own.
As long as it’s sub $2ok. If they leave the gizmos off it should not be a problem.
Sell it for $18k and make a parts and accessories catalog to make up the difference.
Now you cooking with gas.
sell it for 15 and i may have to buy it. 18 is alot harder for me to afford. and 20? i would be dead before i paid it off. we shall see what BMW actually comes out with.
Exactly, FF
BMW could leave all the electronics off (except for fuel injection) and have a simple, more reliable, much cheaper bike.
Put a regular key on the think too!
Hell, leave all the electronics off except for fuel injection and ignition. Give it a standard key. So much less junk to hide.
Sell it for $12,999 and move some product!
That works for me, too. But $12,999 is still a lot of money. I could buy a lot of guns for that kind of change.
$12,999 would be great but is that even possible on something new with that big ol honken motor.
Heck, a 1200 Sporty is $11k and that’s about as bare bones as you can get and it’s been made basically the same since 04.
Of course with the sporty your helping fund a killer motorcycle museum,,,, and some upper management that is paid way more than they are worth.
Oh,,BTW I received the over the top Exhaust Note stickers. Very cool.
Thank you much.
I need to buy some and start slapping them up at bar restrooms, stop signs and some church pews.
It’s easily possible from an economics and manufacturing cost perspective. From a marketing perspective, it’s not likely they would do so.
Send the plans to Zongshen, have them build it and slap a BMW spinning propeller tank badge on the thing: $12,999 out the door and BMW would make $7000 per bike.
My point exactly.
I’ll send you some more FF… If I can figure out which address is you! Pm me the addy on facebook.