Roland Sands goes drag with custom BMW R 18 cruiser
California custom bike builder ups R 18 performance ante. But how much meaner and faster is it?It was only a matter of time before the custom bike world would be unleashed on BMW’s forthcoming R 18 cruiser, and the first official custom cab off BMW’s ‘Big Boxer’ rank is none other than the R 18 Dragster by Roland Sands.
The famed custom bike builder from Long Beach, California, cemented his connection with BMW back in 2013 when he teamed up with the German giant to create the Concept Ninety, a modern cafe racer concept that previewed the original R NineT Roadster (the Concept Ninety was inspired by the brand’s iconic R90 S from the 1970s and was unveiled to commemorate the 90th anniversary of BMW Motorrad).
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BMW's R 18 'Big Boxer': 91hp/158Nm
Now we have the R 18 Dragster, which melts pro-stock drag bikes and California’s custom-bike culture over the German cruiser while showcasing RSD performance parts and the bike’s versatility as a cruiser and blank canvas.
With the 110ci/1802cc ‘Big Boxer’ taking pride of place – BMW’s largest-capacity engine in its history – the RSD Dragster ups the R 18 ante with a traditional rigid rear, upside-down forks from a BMW R NineT Roadster, far-flung rearset footpegs for maximum aerodynamics and nitrous-oxide injection sending bigger ‘Big Boxer’ brawn to the full-drag rear slick tyre.
Despite its no-nonsense presence and performance potential, however, neither BMW nor Roland Sands mentions the low and long Dragster’s outputs or ETs (elapsed times for drag racing). Needless to say, the NOS (arguably made famous by the Fast and the Furious franchise) would significantly up the ante from the Big Boxer’s 67kW (91hp) and monstrous 158Nm of torque at 3000rpm.
If you check out Roland’s original design render in the promo video, you’ll notice a big turbo, but it didn't make the final product.
Roland Sands says his personal story was a source of inspiration for his work on the bike. “With an engine that’s so visibly the centerpiece, I immediately thought of muscle cars,” he said.
“My family has always been into going fast and my dad was a drag racer, so I thought it made sense to strip the bike down to the essentials and shape it to go fast on a straight track.
“The electronics were definitely the most difficult task we had to deal with as we put in nitrous oxide, stripped out the stock exhaust and changed the intake drastically. It was a bit of an experiment, but we dialed it in!”
The standard – and long-awaited – R 18 cruiser is gradually arriving in local showrooms (subject to COVID restrictions) with a starting price of $26,890 (plus on-road costs). A limited ‘First Edition’ run, featuring a convenient electrically-assisted reverse, double pinstriping and chrome, kicks off at $31,690.
R 18 Dragster in detail
- The frame was modified, removing the shock for drag racing.
- Front and rear guards were modified retaining the standard sheet metal parts in order to keep the R 18 silhouette.
- The standard exhaust has been replaced with a hand-fabricated stainless-steel twin. megaphone system with milled aluminium tips.
- The hydraulic front brake and clutch master cylinders are from Roland Sands Design.
- The tank has been taken over from the original R 18.
- The paint finish is a two-tone metallic blue with classic white BMW pinstripes.
- The fork has been taken from the BMW R NineT Roadster.
- The front braking system has been taken from BMW’s S 1000 RR superbike.
- The seat has been built from scratch and is a RSD custom seat by Saddlemen.
- Several parts, including wheels, levers, headlight, gauges, chest plate and valve covers were milled by RSD and available for purchase.
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