The R18 is BMW’s second foray into the heavyweight cruiser market, after the now-discontinued R1200C. The R18 was launched in 2020 and is powered by a 1,802 cc (110 ci) engine, the largest two-cylinder boxer ever made.
Inspired by the legendary R5 of the 1930s, the R18 has shaft drive and a double-loop tubular steel frame: like the Softail range sold by Harley-Davidson, the rear shock is concealed, in an attempt to mimic a classic ‘rigid’ frame design.
The initial ‘First Edition’ model was soon followed by the R18 Classic, and in 2021 BMW revealed the R18B (bagger) and Transcontinental models—with slightly modified frames and an increased focus on touring.
Like the R nineT, the R18 is designed to make life easier for custom builders, with several easily removable parts and plug and play electronic connections. BMW has commissioned several custom builds to date, enlisting the services of leading shops during the prototyping and initial sales stage—including Revival Cycles, Roland Sands Design, Bernhard Neumann, Kingston Custom and Zillers Garage.
Malle London describes their annual Malle Mile event as “a non-stop celebration of the speed, music and art of the motorcycle culture.” To see how that plays out, Bike EXIF will be hopping on a plane in just over a week to attend the 2022 edition of the Malle Mile. Held at the breathtaking grounds…
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Three-wheeled motorcycles get a bad rap, but we can think of a few good uses for them. They’re especially useful for riders who love the feeling of riding a bike, but are physically unable to keep one upright. And if you must ride a trike, you might as well do it in style. This glorious…
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It’s no secret that we have mixed feelings about the BMW R18. But there’s one thing we’re sure of: in the right hands, it has massive potential for customization. And few hands are as deft as Brice Hennebert’s. We’ve been following Brice’s career for quite some time—from his early days as one half of Kruz…
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It’s that time of year again! And once again, it’s been a year we’re glad to see the back of. The pandemic didn’t seem to put a dent in the custom scene, though: for every larger workshop experiencing a slowdown, there seemed to be an amateur builder taking up the tools. This list is a…
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It’s been over eighteen months since BMW launched the mighty R18. And if you count the teaser campaign, the biggest-ever boxer has…
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Shinya Kimura is one of the most enigmatic custom motorcycle builders working today. His bikes have zero respect for conventional styles, prevailing…
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We’re pushing the extremes this week: a BMW R18 with air suspension, a land speed project powered by a radial engine, and…
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This week we’re launching an occasional series of video reviews called ‘Fast Take.’ And we’re kicking off with riding impressions of the…
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Whenever a concept motorcycle becomes a production motorcycle, there are tears over how far the final product has strayed from the original…
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We’re heavy on Bavaria this week, with a blacked-out BMW R18 from Harley specialist MB Cycles and a flat track-inspired R100 from…
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Few new bike launches have been as controversial as the BMW R18. Seeing a German contender in the cruiser market has perplexed…
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BMW has wasted no time getting the new R18 into the hands of customizers. Five months ago, before the Bavarian cruiser was…
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