TheBMW Motorrad Concept R18 mixes traditional and modern design aesthetics, Edgar Heinrich, head of BMW Motorrad Design, says that it shows how a futuristic 1960s boxer engine could look like today as a purist custom bike. The design exposes all the mechanical workings and the boxer engine, cradle frame, exposed universal shaft and drop-shaped BMWMotorrad announced its incredible new BMW concept motorcycle at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este last month. The BMW Concept R18 is a unique BMW Motorrad custom bike that highlights the best of vintage and modern features. This impressive motorcycle features great performance, comfort and style. Performance and parts on the BMW Theample range of Original BMW Motorrad Accessories additionally supports this customising concept. The "Machined" and "2-Tone-Black" collections, designed in collaboration with Roland Sands Design, the classic "Option 719", for instance with AERO Design package, particularly emphasise the bike's luxurious appearance even more. TheConcept R18 blends vintage BMW aesthetics with classic bobber style and tons of modern technology. It's both a throwback and a giant leap forward. The bike is definitely a concept. If BMW were to actually make a motorcycle like this it would have a few more amenities. This motorcycle's engine is actually carburetted on the Concept R18. It's the world premiere that the custom scene has been eagerly awaiting - a BMW Motorrad custom concept featuring a new prototype flat-twin engine - the highest capacity boxer motorcycle ever produced. Simply christened 'Concept R 18', this pure, stripped-down, raked-out bike gives more than a hint of what's coming our way in the cruiser segment. TheBMW motorrad concept R18 comes with that recognizable genuine BMW look, with its big boxer engine, cradle frame and drop shaped fuel tank with the typical design icons of the old BMW motorrad classics. The large spoke wheels, 21 inch front and 18 inch rear, offer a secure stance on the road and provide perfect balance for the dominant BMWi3+i8 Concept BMW 1er BMW M5 BMW 520d Eff. Dyn. BMW X1 sDrive20d Efficient Dynamics Ed. BMW 6er Coupé BMW Z4 sDrive20i BMW Concept e Husqvarna Concept E BMW Motorrad Modellpflegemaßnahmen für das Modelljahr 2023. BMW Motorrad präsentiert die R 1250 GS Trophy Competition. TheBMW Concept R18 celebrates mechanical romance as a purist cruiser - and is scheduled to go into series production at the end of 2020. At the Concorso d'Eleganza on Lake Como, BMW Motorrad presents a spectacular cursom bike study. Thisyear, that bike was the stunning Concept R18, designed by BMW and built by Unique Custom Cycles in Sweden. The R18 previews the route that Motorrad will be taking with their yet-to-be Thisconcept model brought out by the brand's Motorrad division is called the Concept R18. And, yup, the company is correct in pointing out the bike "transports the essence of the big BMW Motorrad classics into the modern age." But, all right, the Concept R18 is unmistakably a cruiser. xf9mS. "A picture is worth a thousand words" is a well-known adage reflecting the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with a single image, which more effectively conveys its essence than does a adage came immediately to mind when the new BMW Motorrad "Concept R 18" was shown at Concorso d'Elegenza Villa d'Este on the weekend. Whilst it is indeed only a concept for the flying propellor brand, the "Concept R 18" is effectively the first shot in a war. It represents the first offensive on Harley-Davidson and Indian territory. Harley still rules the cruiser marketplace globally, having sold 228,000 hogs last year, compared to BMW's worldwide sales of 165,000 motorcycles across myriad segments ... but the new BMW liter boxer engine seems to fulfill all the criteria required to give both Harley and Indian a run for their starters, BMW has the credibility and longevity to match the American brands, but with the new engine, it has the cubic twin-cylinder grunt to more than match them in the cruiser litres isn't enough, rumors already suggest a 2000cc version of the BMW horizontally-opposed twin will also be available, no doubt with Harley-Davidson's 1923cc and Indian's 1901cc V-twins in mind as its primary most remarkable aspect of the Concept R 18 is that the new big bore BMW boxer motorcycle engine it contains has been shown previously. We've seen two custom motorcycles using the new big bore boxer engine over the last six months and the release of a new engine to custom builders prior to its showing in a factory-produced motorcycle is unprecedented. 'Departed' was shown last December 2018 at the fabled "Mooneyes Show" in Yokohama in Japan. In the 27 years the show has been running, it has become one of the most important on the world custom stage, and the December show attracted 300 show cars and 650 show motorcycles. 'Departed' won the prestigious "Best of Show Motorcycle" award, at the same time as creating a stir among BMW aficionados about the engine which was publicly acknowledged by the BMW factory as a prototype for the first Motorrad That's the Custom Works Zon "Departed" which was shown last December 2018 at the fabled Mooneyes Show in Yokohama in Japan. In the 27 years the show has been running, it has become one of the most important on the world custom stage, and last year's show attracted 300 show cars and 650 show motorcycles. "Departed" won the prestigious Best of Show Motorcycle award, at the same time as creating a stir among BMW aficionados about the engine, which was publicly acknowledged by the BMW factory as a prototype for the first time. The new large capacity boxer engine is believed to be ready for production in both 1800cc and 2000cc capacities, with further derivative models to be shown later this year and next year 2020.BMW Motorrad Dubbed the R 18, which according to BMW's traditional nomenclature, indicates it has a capacity of around 1800cc, the geometry and elements present in the show bike were reminiscent of much older BMW Motorrad engines. The push rods running above the cylinders in chrome-plated protection ducts were used in BMW boxer engines in the 1960s, and if you check out "Departed" in the image gallery for this article, you'll see the valve gear covers were styled on pre-WW2 BMW engines, despite the equally obvious modern day air/oil cooling. Six weeks ago in April, 2019, a second custom bike using the BMW prototype engine appeared at the annual Handbuilt Show in Austin, Texas. Austin is also the home of renowned American custom craftsman Alan Stulberg's Revival Cycles, and the 'Revival Birdcage' show bike was clearly inspired by Ernst Hennes' speed record BMW machinery from the late 1920s and early 1930s, which wore similar polished aluminum teardrop valve-gear Motorrad Six weeks ago in April, 2019, a second custom bike using the BMW prototype engine appeared at the annual Handbuilt Show in Austin, Texas. Austin is also the home of renowned American custom craftsman Alan Stulberg's Revival Cycles, and the "Revival Birdcage" show bike was clearly inspired by Ernst Hennes' speed record BMW machinery from the late 1920s and early 1930s, which wore similar polished aluminum teardrop valve-gear two custom motorcycles somewhat disguised the sheer physical size of the prototype engine by dressing it in different contexts and with cylinder heads that evoked different eras of the company's signature boxer twin engine. This time, although the R 18 Concept bike also relies heavily on historic cues in evoking the company's near 100 year heritage, the magnitude of the big bore engine is suddenly evident because we can see it in a relatively traditional BMW form factor. BMW Motorrad's "Concept R18" motorcycle was shown for the first time at Concorso d'Elegenza Villa d'Este 2019 - the nomenclature suggests it has a capacity around the 1800cc Motorrad Those protruding pots are HUGE, and after 98 years of producing horizontally-opposed motorcycle engines, BMW has suddenly raised the boxer engine's capacity by a whopping 50 percent, stepping it up from middleweight to heavyweight class ... BMW Motorrad l Concept R 18 ... and the intention is suddenly clear that it is going after Harley-Davidson's heavyweight crown in the cruiser class of motorcycles."Naturally we want to keep growing," said Timo Resch, Vice President Sales and Marketing BMW Motorrad at the unveiling of the "Revival Birdcage" show bike. In the context of what we have now seen at Villa d'Este, his words take on much more meaning "One step we will take to do so, certainly in the US market, is to enter the Cruiser segment. BMW Motorrad is consistently pursuing its growth strategy with the clear aim of becoming the number one in the Premium Big Bike Segment."I've owned and tested Harley-Davidson and BMW twins for almost 50 years, and I've always thought of the BMW twins as more like a Swiss watch and Harley V-twins as more like Big Ben, despite their similar engine capacities. Those protruding pots are HUGE, and after 98 years of producing horizontally-opposed motorcycle engines, BMW has suddenly raised the boxer engine's capacity by a whopping 50 percent, stepping it up several orders of magnitude from middleweight to heavyweight classBMW Motorrad There's something about the exquisite primary balance of the BMW Motorrad horizontally-opposed engine that makes it feel more like a scalpel than a meat axe, but the emergence of this new big bore version of the age old design puts it firmly into Harley-Davidson territory. With Indian also providing a credible alternative to the Harley-Davidson cruisers, the stage looks set for a battle BMW Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Motorcycle Cruiser may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this © 2023 Motorcycle Cruiser. An Octane Media, LLC Publication. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Concept R 18 /2 makes EICMA debut Second BMW Motorrad cruiser concept unveiled Just six months ago, BMW Motorrad took the custom scene by storm with the world premiere of the Concept R 18 at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Now, a second design study featuring the awe-inspiring 1800cc flat-twin engine has been successfully presented in Milan at the international EICMA motorcycle exhibition. Concept R 18 /2 paves the way. Concept R 18 /2 paves the way. Simply designated Concept R 18 /2’, this completely new and markedly different interpretation of a dynamic performance cruiser shows the true versatility of the big-boxer’ platform and gives fans of the genre a strong suggestion of what to look forward to when a series production cruiser from BMW Motorrad enters the market in 2020. Cruiser fans have already been enticed on several occasions over the past 12 months, not only by the Concept R 18, but also by the two fascinating custom builds from Japan and the USA that used BMW Motorrad’s big boxer engine as a base – namely CUSTOM WORKS ZON’s Departed’ and Revival Cycles’ Birdcage’. Expect the unexpected. Expect the unexpected. However, no one was expecting what would follow next – direct from BMW Motorrad’s design studio in Munich and finished to perfection by Swedish builders UCC. Enter the Concept R 18 /2, a more dynamic, modern cruiser interpretation that occupies a place towards the performance end of the segment, while retaining the elegant proportions of its predecessor. The /2 displays a more extrovert character that’s far removed from the chrome-laden, retro feel of the original Concept R 18. The latest big boxer wears its colours proudly, with deep, multi-layered paintwork contrasting with dark frame, forks, valve covers and seat. " With the Concept R 18 and this /2 project, we wanted to show two bookends –this is completely on the other side. “ Bart Janssen Groesbeek BMW Motorrad Design Sign up for the newsletter and don't miss anything anymore. Dynamic details. Dynamic details. A closer look reveals black and white cast wheels rather than spoked on silver rims with dimensions of 19” front and 16” rear. A modified R nineT Racer bikini fairing sits on top of the raked forks and triples, offering stylish protection from the elements, while high-end Brembo brakes suggest stopping power worthy of this performance cruiser. Gone is the floating leather saddle from the Concept R 18, replaced with a one-and-a-half person chopper-style seat, lending the bike a more dynamic, hot-rod character. Underneath a subframe, the rear fender has been bobbed and fixed to the frame, so it appears to hug the rear wheel. Begs to be ridden, not just admired. Begs to be ridden, not just admired. Whereas the original Concept R 18 is undoubtedly a thing of beauty, its sibling is designed to show just how flexible the base engine and chassis is as a starting point for customisation, and how easy it is to break out into different styles – in this case, a contemporary dynamic softtail with the character of a customised production motorcycle, rather than the uniqueness of the Concept R 18. " The Concept R 18 had this jewel quality from the past. With the /2 the character is much more achievable, like a modified production bike. “ Bart Janssen Groesbeek BMW Motorrad Design While the Concept R 18 took its creators deep into the brand’s past for inspiration, the /2 has more of a ’80s feel to it and has clearly been designed for higher speeds and longer distances. It’s lowered – but not nearly as low as the Concept R 18 – and the rider enjoys a more dynamic seating position, with less of a stretch to the higher bars. The low and long proportions are traditional for the segment, with the tank and frame cradling the huge muscular engine with its black metal-finished, stainless steel valve covers. Sitting higher than the Concept R 18, the /2 exudes an attitude that is not overly aggressive, but still sporty. As a fitting compliment to the original design strategy, the frame is shared with the Concept R 18, with no change in dimensions, angles or the distinctive flyline. The exposed shaft-drive remains, as does the classic teardrop tank. To complete the customised production look, the exhaust is made by German outfit Hattech, which has an established reputation for fabricating mufflers for classic and custom BMW bikes. The manufacturing process Less elegant, more raw attitude With the /2, the aim is to show the flexibility inherent in the original design concept, which allows for small changes to various body parts, without the main components frame/tank/engine etc. needing any degree of modification. Conceived by BMW Motorrad and hand-crafted by respected enthusiasts, the /2 definitely demonstrates this flexibility – exuding a completely different character, despite the same basic backbone. It’s a successful continuation of the story that leads us ever closer towards a genuine, series production cruiser in 2020. Until then, enjoy seeing the Concept R 18 /2 at motorcycle events across the globe. Concept R 18 roars into life. BMW Motorrad custom concept unveiled at Villa d’Este. Learn more