BMW rocked the motorcycling world by unveiling the production version of the R18 and the maker also launched it in India last year. There were talks regarding BMW Motorrad developing a touring-friendly version of the R18 and the same was unveiled last year, shortly after. And now, BMW Motorrad has launched the new R18 Classic in India, based on the R18 platform.
More details
The BMW R18 Classic is priced at Rs 24 lakh (ex-showroom, India) that makes it around Rs 1.5 lakh more expensive than the BMW R18 First Edition. The motorcycle will be available across all BMW Motorrad showrooms in the country.
The differences
Most of the R18’s elements are present on the R18 Classic, meaning that it is still utterly gorgeous. The only difference is, the R18 Classic would feel more comfortable at those long highway jaunts as compared to the standard R18. The Classic features a large windscreen, passenger seating, saddlebags, electronic cruise control, additional LED lighting and a 16-inch front wheel. While on the base R 18, the wheels are asymmetrical at 19 inches in the front and 16 inches in the back.
The classic also gets straight pipes as compared to the standard ones. The R18 Classic’s windshield is also removable, fitting at the top of the fork tube and connecting at the bottom with brackets. The windshield is connected to a bar that carries additional lighting.
The seat on the Classic is thicker and flatter than on the R18, and its 28-inch height is 0.8 inches higher as a result. The R18 Classic’s passenger seat is removable for those riding solo. Up front, the R18 Classic uses a smaller 3.00×16″ wire-spoke wheel fitted with a 130/90 tire compared to the R18’s 3.5×19″ wheel and 120/70 tire. Both models share the same 5.0×16 rear wheel with a 180/65 tire.
Similarities
Both models share the same suspension, with a 49mm telescopic fork and a directly-mounted central rear strut with adjustable spring preload. One of the most defining feature apart from the looks is its massive 1.8-litre horizontally opposed twin-cylinder engine.
The engine too, has remained in the same state of tune. This is the biggest boxer that BMW has ever offered — by over half a litre — and it’s still air-cooled. The performance figures are quite impressive though as the massive boxer engine is good for 91 hp and a whopping 157 nm of torque. Such performance on tap is definitely required to get something going that weighs this much!
The two R18 models also share the same braking system, with dual axially-mounted four-piston calipers and 300 mm discs up front, and a single 300 mm disc at the rear. An integral anti-lock braking system comes standard, with the hand lever activating both front and rear brakes.