BMW’s big R18 Classic ridden
BMW give their big retro practicality and a hint of America with the new R18 Classic
‘It feels great burbling along at 60mph, supplying rich sensations
BMW have their sights set on America. More specifically, they’re aiming at HarleyDavidson. With a huge pushrod twin-cylinder engine, enclosed rakedback forks, traditional lines plus a fine balance of heritage and bling, the substantial R18 First Edition retro-cruiser that the German brand launched last year is clearly aimed at trying to tease punters away from rumbling stars-andstripes V-twins.
Now they’ve gone a step further with the R18 Classic First Edition. A couple of grand more than the normal R18 at £20,980, its screen, spotlights, ‘bagger’-style panniers and fatter 16-inch front wheel let the BMW set its sights on the horizon – and just happen to align rather well with Harley-Davidson’s Road King and Street Glide mainstays.
Further and faster
With an 1802cc engine tuned for huge punch at dawdling revs and a laidback stance, the regular R18 clearly isn’t designed for rapid transit. It’s most definitely a cruiser, so feels great burbling along at 60mph and supplying rich sensations. Low-speed pleasures don’t get much finer but the wide-bar riding position and nakedness are a limiting factor to how far you’re willing to ride in one hit though, and motorway speed can literally become a pain.
The new Classic’s screen helps matters somewhat. It’s not the allenclosing protection of a full-dress tourist; hands and knees are still cooled by the breeze, and at 6ft 2in there’s a hint of buffeting unless I dip my head. However, the screen raises the BMW’s comfortable cruising speed from 65 to 80mph and makes it far more accommodating for prolonged multilane drudgery.
Though they appear to use classic buckles, the panniers are actually held shut by simple modern plastic clips. This makes the robust leather bags easy to get into, though space is limited to a generous fish and chip supper rather than a full-face helmet, especially with the heavyweight waterproof inner bags in position. They’re also positively attached to a substantial frame, so can’t just be whipped off and on.
Performance intact
With the bags, framework, screen and Harley-esque spots the Classic is 20 kilos heavier than a regular R18, at 365kg ready to cruise. The front wheel is also a smaller, broader 130/90 B16 to go with the 180/65 B16 at the back, rather than the 120/70 R19 on the regular R18.
Neither weight nor wheel makes any noticeable difference to the way the BMW rides, however. The Classic retains the unadorned version’s surprisingly neutral feel and easy control below 40mph, and swings through turns cheerfully. There’s decent ride quality for a cruiser too. It’s not exactly sumptuous (that’ll be the age-old thing of cruiser riders demanding ‘connection’ to the road), but the suspension has a smoother action than rival Harleys and is nothing like as teeth-chatteringly firm as a Triumph Rocket 3 GT. Comfort levels are good too, your feet not being thrust too far forward and instead locating at what Harley would call a ‘mid-control’ position. And, of course, the enormous sticky-out engine is still a delightful thing. The flat-twin R18 has the most torque of any boxer ever with more than 116lb.ft of grunt at a lowly 3000rpm. The engine just overflows with easy-to-use thrust. Get used to the feel-good delivery and how it makes power, start short-shifting in the middle of the revs, and you really appreciate how the new machine allows lazy-yet-brisk progress.
The Classic’s straight exhausts don’t look as cool as the fishtail pipes on the normal R18 but give an equally pleasing soundtrack.
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 the 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.