R18 ‘closest representation’ to BMW cruiser

BMW Motorrad Australia has declared the recently unveiled Concept R 18 the “closest representation of a future production motorcycle in 2020”.

The announcement about the impending BMW cruiser was made during a media briefing at the recent C 400 X and C 400 GT maxi-scooter launch in Melbourne, with the machine set to be powered by the highest capacity boxer ever produced.

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The Concept R 18 took centre stage at the recent Concorso D’Eleganza Villa D’Este on the shores of Lake Como in Italy – the third prototype to show off the mega flat-twin engine.

"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,” said BMW Motorrad design chief Edgar Heinrich.

"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.

“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.”

With the Concept R18 now setting the styling and performance markers for the production version, the focus now turns to when the volume model will be released. With no Cologne motorcycle show in 2019 – the next German two-wheel extravaganza will be early October 2020 – the massive EICMA showpiece in Milan from November 5-11, 2019 shapes as the obvious hosting ground.

Or perhaps it will be a standalone event as BMW re-enters the cruiser segment after a 16-year hiatus.