2021 BMW R 18 First Ride

Cycle World takes BMW’s Berlin-built cruiser for a ride. Its massive size and nostalgic character compel you to slow down and enjoy the riding experience. 1,802 cubic centimeters or 110 cubic inches—no matter how you measure it, that is a substantial displacement for a horizontally opposed boxer twin. Two 107.1mm bores firing left and right dominate the first few moments of your experience on BMW’s Berlin-built R 18 cruiser. It fires to life, jumping to the left before settling into a lumpy idle, rocking the bike side to side. Ca-chug, ca-chug, ca-chug. That 225-pound chrome and aluminum living monolith breathing below and in front of you is just one piece of a riding experience that is very much unlike any modern BMW yet somehow is so compelling because it is a BMW. It’s raw, bordering on unrefined at times, while simultaneously being sublime in its nostalgic elemental riding experience. The R 18 is BMW’s second attempt at entering the cruiser market (BMW might prefer we forget the R 1200 C) and it’s been teased for 18 months with a series of customs from builders around the world. And now the production version is here. It is truly a thing of beauty. Not often does a production bike outshine concepts and sketches; yet from nearly every single angle, this is what the black-and-chrome First Edition R 18 does. From the long and perfectly proportioned black-with-white-pinstriped fuel tank to the massive engine adorned with an equally massive 1,800cc badge to the shining exposed driveshaft, never have I experienced a motorcycle that the form is such an integral part of riding function. Clean lines and graceful curves lead your eyes through the entire motorcycle’s shape and architecture. Nearly every detail is worth a long look. The double-cradle frame’s backbone matches the swingarm triangle, emulating a hardtail. Cables and wires are tucked away neatly. The engine’s shape is uncluttered—throttle bodies, starter motor, sensors, and ignition wires (and spark plugs!) are all hidden away from the world. There is bright and smooth chrome on the fishtail pipes and cylinder head covers, but not so much to remove focus from the classically black shape of the R 18. And it’s deep, glossy black with just the slightest hint of orange peel. To be successful as a cruiser, BMW knew the R 18 must be designed with ease of customization—not only with BMW’s own parts already available, but those currently available in the aftermarket. Therefore, many of the most commonly changed parts like handlebar risers, foot controls, and gas cap are interchangeable with American cruisers. This strategic decision immediately opens up the marketplace for buyers looking to change up the look of their German cruiser; no waiting for designing, testing, and manufacturing. BMW even showed us pictures of an R 18 with apehangers, and it wasn’t wrong… Without the clues and callbacks of the 1936 R 5, you have a big-displacement cruiser that is, to be blunt, very American in its ride quality and performance. But wrap this hammer in the velvet that is the R 5 mythos and design, and it becomes something special. Even before the ride begins. But it must be ridden, otherwise what would we do with our time here at Cycle World? The largest boxer twin ever designed and manufactured by BMW, the R 18′s engine is 21.5 inches tall and 24.75 inches long. Watermelon-sized air-and-oil-cooled cylinders and four-valve heads punch out to the sides proud. In viewing the bike from the front, BMW’s propeller logo has never been so apropos. A duo of chromed tubes nestle within the black cooling fins of each cylinder, providing the path for aluminum pushrods actuated by dual camshafts working rockers to open the aforementioned pairs of 42.2mm intake and 35mm exhaust valves. Three main bearings support the longitudinally mounted crankshaft—one between the 180-degree rod journals. This increases the offset between the cylinders—the left forward of the right—and imparts the classic “rocking couple” vibration exhibited by non-counterbalanced boxers of yore. Only it’s greater due to the wider separation of the connecting rods by that center bearing. Add to this the strong flywheel effect that amplifies the R 18′s left-to-right shake at idle—and it’s pure cruiser. And like old-time boxers, there is no balance shaft in this engine—BMW’s engineers wanted you to feel that flywheel effect and a strong engine pulse. They got it, now you have it. Read the full article here: https://www.cycleworld.com/story/moto... Subscribe to Cycle World Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/cycleworld?s... Read more from Cycle World: https://www.cycleworld.com/ Buy Cycle World Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/cycleworld