R18: BMW’s latest big-bore Boxer concept

Everything old is new again for BMW Motorrad’s latest design study.

The Concept R18 cruiser uses the newly designed 1800cc boxer engine in a platform that adopts a modern approach to BMW’s historic design cues.

BMW Motorrad design chief Edgar Heinrich says the concept is a forward projection of a 1960s boxer machine, with the styling intended to highlight the key components, be that the boxer engine, cradle frame or exposed universal shaft.

"With its clear aesthetics openly on display, the Concept R18 embodies for me what motorcycling, at its core, is really about. It is all about feeling instead of thinking, and not using technology for self-staging, instead giving space for imagination,” Heinrich says.

The R18 rides on spoked wheels with a 21-inch hoop up front and an 18-inch rear.

Related: BMW boss says cruisers back on the agenda

The prototype boxer’s engine block and transmission are made of glass bead-blasted aluminium, and covered with hand-polished alloys components. Solex dual carburetors – similar to those seen in the BMW 2002 – give a visual link back to the brand’s history.

The electronics are intentionally limited to a starter and switchgear for the lights.
The R18 concept follows the reveal of the “Departed” prototype by Japanese motorbike modders, Custom Works Zon, and the unveiling of the “Revival Birdcage” by Revival Cycles at the Handbuilt Show in Texas.

"For me, motorcycles like the BMW Motorrad Concept R18 are a response to a growing need among the motorcycling community: instead of technology, the focus here is on simplification, authenticity and transparency,” Heinrich says.

“I observe an almost romantic yearning for real mechanical engineering. Our aim with this concept bike is to address this need and turn it into an analogue statement in a digital age.”