GRAB A NEW R18 AND MAKE IT SPECIAL
BMW offer hot £1000 customisation contribution on stylish new super-cruiser
‘It’s a really amazing piece of machinery’
If you’re in the market for one of the classiest super-cruisers ever built, BMW have made the package even sweeter with a £1000 contribution towards genuine BMW Motorrad Accessories or Options when ordering either the new R18 or the touring-focused R18 Classic. Even better, this isn’t a oneweek flash offer – you’ve got until June 30, 2021 to take advantage, choose your bike and the quality parts you want to add into the deal.
Big headed genius
The real centrepiece of the R18, both literally and figuratively, is the new 1802cc boxer engine. BMW have worked hard to make it look classic, with the pushrods over the top of the cylinders, while also using modern engineering to keep it clean – such as putting the fuel injectors in the head rather than in the throttle body. The result is a really amazing piece of machinery that can’t help but attract attention. Every time you sit on it and glance down, your eyes are sucked in by the huge cylinders and pistons bouncing around. Performance figures are pretty much on the money compared to the competition (with 89bhp and 117lb.ft). That might not sound like a lot from such a big engine, but a beefy 110lb.ft is available between 2000 and 4000rpm, which is where you do 95% of the riding. Tackling twisty roads is simply a case of leaving it in third, and letting it pull from 30mph right into the naughty numbers. This makes riding the R18 totally effortless, despite the fact it’s pulling along 345kg. The gearbox is well spread out too and surprisingly slick for a boxer, snicking into gears well and just about smooth enough for clutchless shifts.
Lessons from history
Styled to look like the R5 from way back in the 1930s, the engine puts its power down through an exposed shaft drive, which runs into a bevel box that’s locked into a ‘soft tail’ cantilever rear-end. The result is astonishing, although you never get the joy of watching it spin yourself. BMW promise that it’s well-sealed enough to shrug off the elements and that despite its outward appearance, it’s no more dangerous than a standard drive chain. Holding that cantilever in the air is a preload adjustable rear shock, which offers 90mm of travel from its perch under the seat. That does mean the seat has to come off if you want to adjust the suspension, but again, that is a price worth paying for the clean look. Besides, keep the single seat fitted and it will never be a problem.
There’s also the matter of the reverse gear. Now this might seem like a gimmick, but you’ll find yourself using it almost every time you ride. Selected with a fun little lever on the side of the gearbox, it runs the starter motor in reverse to winch you out of any tight spots you find yourself in. It’s genuinely worth every penny.
In a world of tightening emissions and downsized engines, creating not only a new air-cooled engine but BMW’s largest engine to date deserves some serious respect.
Going the distance
And if you want more touring capability straight out of the crate, pick the be-panniered screen-wearing and even more laid back Classic version. Clearly, for effortlessly swallowing serious miles a pukka tourist such as Beemer’s own R1250RT or remarkable six-cylinder K1600GT makes more sense – especially as they’re both cheaper than the R18 Classic. But if your touring is about sensations and taking time to appreciate where you are, rather than what time you’ll get there, then the new Classic has as much appeal as the default Harley. And your cash buys a bike of fabulous quality and engineering, one that delivers vivid sensations on each and every ride. Whether you choose the Classic for longer journeys is a matter of taste. What’s definite is that the R18 Classic has the quality to match a certain US brand. Don’t buy a Harley without testing this too.
O Head to www.bmw-motorrad. co.uk to find your nearest dealer – then take a test ride to temptation.