BMW has been teasing the R18 for quite some time now. The bobber R18/2 concept was showcased at the 2019 ECIMA. Lately, there have been numerous rumours on the production BMW R18 including, spy shots and patent leaks.
Update: 2020 BMW R18 Launched, read about it here:
2020 BMW R18 Price, Specs and Options
The concept was first unveiled in May 2019 at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Later the BMW R18/2 bobber concept was unveiled at the 2019 ECIMA.
BMW R18/2 Concept
The Spy Shots and Patent Leaks
According to sources and the leaks, the production BMW R18 would be rolling out with the same big 1,802 cc, flat-twin boxer as the concept. This air-cooled engine would produce a peak power of 91 bhp at 4,750 rpm and a peak torque of 158 Nm at 3,000 rpm. The bike would feature a 6-speed gearbox with a possible reverse gear powered by the starter motor. Also, the bike is expected to roll out with adaptive cruise control assisted by a radar sensor. On top of this, we can expect to see hardcore electronics and other gizmos as it very common among cruisers.
However, from the leaked patents, it seems like there would be two versions of the R18. The first one is similar to the bobber like concept and the second one is a cruiser-style bike. Though have many variations, both of these would use the same engine.
On top of this, both of them have round instrument clusters, however, the cruiser features a TFT screen. This could possibly be a touchscreen infotainment panel, providing built-in navigation as well as access to smartphone connectivity and also other multimedia features.
As for the suspension, the setup on the cruiser is similar to the concept. However, it seems like the bike would come out with smaller 18-inch wheels compared to bigger 20-inch rims on the concept.
How sure are we about the R18? Well, the prototype went on pre-booking awhile back. Looking at this, the possibilities of the R18 bobber and the cruiser rolling out of the production line does look realistic!
Patent Design
Source: Ride Apart, carandbike, motorbike writer
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