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The Big Bang was almost exactly four years ago and was exactly calculated. On a mild May afternoon, there was a strong boom at the Concorso d’Eleganzia, a gathering of classic cars on Lake Como. But it was not an old car around which a large group of curious people immediately formed, but a motorcycle and a brand new one. BMW introduced an exhibition bike that should be reminiscent of the R 5 and was therefore named after the R5. A spectacular machine, reduced to the essentials, which immediately raised the question: will it someday and somehow become a kind of serial motorcycle?
BMW plans luxury offensive with SUV
Speculation for years
Maybe a cruiser, a heavy motorcycle with a classic look, but with the latest technology? A segment from which the Munich years had previously withdrawn, which was surprising given the large number of heavy machines from the American cult brand Harley-Davidson, which also circulate on German roads. Then-BMW Motorrad chief Stephan Schaller fueled such speculation: “We have enough substance to do more for cruise customers,” Schaller said in an interview in 2016.
Now it’s there, the BMW cruiser, and it can be said that compared to the R5 tribute studio, the final version has created a great bacon. Because it has not become a filigree machine, but a huge machine that weighs 345 kilograms. And rarely has a new motorcycle with such a sophisticated public relations concept been prepared, and to some extent been launched. Because BMW strategists knew: in order to establish yourself in the cruise segment, Harley-Davidson territory, and a bit of Indian, the first service has to be correct.
Phonebook Thickness Accessory List
The first thing that was developed was a completely new engine, a 1802 cubic centimeter two-cylinder boxer engine. The strongest boxer BMW built, which is why he was immediately called the “Big Boxer.” This great boxer made himself available to two renowned customizers in order to build a motorcycle around the engine of his own taste. The international customizer scene – that is, the modern community in which motorcycles are converted in every conceivable way – must be immediately involved. Because without the ability to convert the motorcycle to your own wishes, a fat cruiser would not work, as the Harley example shows, where the list of accessories is as thick as a phone book. Furthermore, with the R nineT, BMW first won the hearts of customizers. For them, BMWs were not previously an object of desire, they were considered technically boring mature.
The development of a Big Boxer also has a lot to do with BMW’s first experience in the cruise segment, which ended painfully. In 1997, BMW launched the R 1200 C, a cruiser whose production was already discontinued in 2004. The machine, which stood out optically from the standard range and is now a highly sought-after collector’s item, largely failed in the important US market. There, you were and are fixed on large capacity iron piles, the classic 1200 cubic air-cooled boxer from BMW couldn’t keep up.
Pretty comfortable
And the seating position was also not cross enough for American customers. Because with your legs positioned forward, you feel a lot more uncomfortable than it seems in the long run and you have little feel for the front wheel, but for cruise fanatics, this sitting position is considered cool and casual. This is not possible with a boxer engine due to its design, because the two cylinders protrude to one side. With the R 18 Big Boxer, they stand out even more. BMW tries to hide this deficiency as much as possible and advertises the sitting position as an “informal position, called the mid-mount footrest position. This” classic behind-the-cylinder position “allows for a” relaxed and active sitting position, “he says. a press release. Will Harley fans see it that way?
Otherwise, BMW has deliberately given the R 18 a “conversion friendly architecture” that aims to offer customizers a rich field of activity. There is extensive special equipment available from the factory, which should significantly raise the total price. It starts at a whopping 23,650 francs, and the machine isn’t just for beginners in terms of weight. Technically, BMW has given its cruiser along with the massive engine with a maximum torque of 158 Newton meters everything that is possible today, including reverse gear.
Will the R 18 be a success? It is difficult to say. Harley-Davidson is struggling with declining sales in the US domestic market. Customers are considered out of date. Harley boss Matt Levatich resigned in late February. And the Japanese have withdrawn from the heavy cruiser segment. Bayern’s starting position for attack has never been better.
