BMW Motorrad is well known for selling a range of motorcycles, from supersports to adventure tourers. However, the German bike manufacturer does not have a typical laid back cruiser on offer yet. That is where the R18 Concept comes in, a proper cruiser styled bike which uses a boxer engine. Unveiled at the 2019 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy, this motorcycle pays homage to BMW’s R5 made in 1936 and would go into production as early as 2020. This bike would be aimed against the cruisers currently offered by various brands, including Harley Davidson, Indian and even Triumph.
The looks of the bike will definitely leave you drooling. The petrol tank of the bike extends flowing towards the seat, which is handcrafted out of leather. Beneath that beautiful seat rests a monoshock suspension unit, working with the upside down forks up front. The word minimal would best describe the design of the fenders of this motorcycle, which suit the bike really well. The boxer twin engine protrudes way outside, endowing the motorcycle a massic width. Made up of aluminium, an exhaust pipe comes out of each cylinder of this engine, with the end can cut short right where the rear rim starts. The wheels add another retro touch to the motorcycle, with its spokes, measuring 21-inches in the front and 18-inches at the rear. Both the wheels come wrapped in Metzeler Rille tyres.
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The engine has a capacity of 1,800 cc, making it the largest boxer twin to be made by the German manufacturer. This engine while maintaining its retro appearance, comes with modern oil cooling as well. This engine rotates the rear wheel via an open shaft, which is quite fascinating to look at while the motorcycle propels ahead. BMW has not yet revealed the power and torque figures of the bike, as in this instance, they do not matter. BMW has created this bike for purists, who do not want to be 0.4 seconds faster than the guy on another bike. This bike is meant to offer a pure riding experience, this bike is meant to take you back in time to the basics of riding, and by the looks of it, it seems that the R18 will deliver exactly that.