BMW Motorrad has unveiled its new modern classic cruiser concept called the R18. This bike will rival the Harley-Davidson line-up in the near future. The R18 concept has been meticulously designed with attention to detail and has a simple minimalist design. The R18 concept takes its design inspiration from the 1936 BMW R5 and has a classic cruiser stance.
The wheels are 21-inch at the front and 18-inch rear wheels with a spoke design. The bike gets a rounded headlamp and is likely to have conventional halogen lamp. The seat has a leaf shape design and the bike has chopped-off fenders. The tank is teardrop shaped and has a very cruiser like appearance and it is garnished with pinstripes on the side. The handlebar is a wide single piece conventionally mounted on a triple clamp. Hidden under the fork shrouds, is what appears to be an upside-down unit, on the front with a high rake angle and a monoshock on the rear, that is hidden under the seat to give it a hard-tail effect. The brakes are twin hydraulically operated discs on the front and a single disc unit on the rear.
One of the most striking design features is the engine. The engine on the R18 concept is a horizontally opposed, boxer type finished in matte silver and accented by chrome badging and polished cylinder heads. The engine boasts an open shaft drive connected through the cantilever swing-arm. The carburetor on the engine is open-styled and the exhaust has the classic fishtail design finished in chrome.
BMW Motorrad plans to bring in a whole range of cruiser motorcycles later the year. The bikes will be pitted against Harley-Davidson, Triumph and such modern classic motorcycle manufacturers. The brand is expected to unveil the bikes at the upcoming INTERMOT or EICMA shows in 2019.
