Remember the gorgeous BMW R18 concept motorcycle that the German brand revealed at the Villa d’Este in Italy around a year ago? Yes, the one with the gigantic 1800cc twin-cylinder boxer engine. Thankfully, and finally, that’s not just a concept anymore because BMW is going to launch its R18-based cruiser next month.
BMW Motorrad has announced that its R18-based cruiser motorcycle will make its first official debut on 3 April 2020. So mark your calendars as the bike will be unveiled at 8 pm at The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show in Austin, Texas. It the same event where BMW showcased the R18 Concept in 2019.
Spy shots of the upcoming BMW bike started hitting the internet recently. So we do have an idea of how the R18 would look like. For example, it will feature a large windscreen and front fairing to have that cruiser-like appearance. The riding ergonomics would be pretty neutral to provide a relaxed and comfortable riding posture. There will be a very informative dashboard. BMW would also offer hard case panniers as accessories.
The primary highlight of the R18 has to be its powerplant. The massive 1800cc twin-cylinder boxer engine is the largest boxer engine BMW has ever made. In fact, BMW claims that this is the largest engine of its type and configuration to be put into a production motorcycle.
The boxer engine is tuned to churn out 91 horsepower at 4750 revs and generate an enormous 158 Nm of peak torque from as low as 3000 revs. BMW says that out of all the Newton-metres, 150 of them is available from 2000 to 4000 revs. The maximum engine speed is 5750 rpm, while the idling speed is 950 rpm. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox and it weighs around 111 kg.
With its new R18, BMW would be able to give some good competition to similar motorcycles from Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle. Let’s see what the Germans have got.
