- Production-spec BMW R18 cruiser to be unveiled next month
- Will be accompanied by a touring model
- Powered by BMW’s largest displacement engine yet
We have seen the BMW R18 in all forms until now including concept (two of them), patent drawings and in spy shots, except for in the final production guise. In fact, BMW dealers in France had also started accepting pre-bookings in September last year. After all the hype created around the motorcycle, BMW has finally announced a debut date for the R18 – 3 April 2020.
The R18 cruiser was first shown in its concept form in May last year. Featuring minimalistic body panels, the most prominent aspect of the concept was the bulbous 1,800cc powerplant. This was followed by various spy shots of the R18 emerging on the internet, revealing that this new platform will not just spawn a cruiser but a touring model as well. While the former will be a typical modern-retro cruiser, the latter will be equipped with touring-centric elements such as a batwing fairing, large infotainment system, side panniers and laidback ergonomics.
All we knew about its newly-developed engine until November 2019 was that it’s a 1,800cc, boxer-twin mill. Then the German bike maker disclosed comprehensive details about the behemoth. With a 107mm bore and 100mm stroke, this is the largest displacement motor developed by BMW yet which churns out 91bhp at 4,750rpm and 158Nm at 3,000rpm. Notably, most of this torque is available in the lower range of the rev band, between 2,000-4,000rpm to be precise.
BMW will take the wraps off the R18 cruiser (and perhaps the tourer as well) at The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show in Austin, Texas. Once launched, the BMW R18 will go up against cruisers and tourers from Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle.
