xbmw-r-18-cruiser-front-profile-1586005879.jpg.pagespeed.ic.waiQbPwXIU
The 2021 BMW R 18 cruiser was officially unveiled by BMW Motorrad, and it is a stunning retro-styled cruiser with a 1,800 cc boxer engine.
The new heavyweight cruiser from BMW Motorrad has been in the making for some time now, and we’ve seen many spy shots, beginning with the prototype unveiled last year. And then, if you prefer, it is here, in flesh and blood, or metal and oil.
The 2021 BMW R 18 is both visually and technologically inspired by the original BMW R5. But it is introducing the new boxer engine from the German company.
Visually, it’s still a true-blue classic, with the teardrop-shaped fuel tank, traditional 49 mm telescopic front fork. And some form of the rough tail looks lent by the cantilever single shock all harping to the initial R 5.
It’s a full-blown new heavyweight cruiser. And BMW claims it effortlessly blends retro styling. So, with the advanced technologies. Once it released the R 18 will be available in two versions-a regular editions and the First Version.
The First Version comes with all kinds of pinstriping as on classic pre-war BMW motorcycles. And chrome garnishing applied. This also includes classic tank emblems, slotted pins, leather belt, screwdriver, gloves. And a book honoring the BMW motorcycle’s 97-year existence.
Yes, of course, it’s the First Version which is older than the original model, though mechanically the new R 18 is anything but old school but maintaining the usability and visual appeal of the old BMW R 5. In classic R5 style, the swingarm tubes loop over and around the final motor, as does the exposed shaft motor. Even inspired by the R5, the valve covers, and the fishtail tips on the polished chrome exhausts.
Of course, the highlight of the new BMW R 18 is the latest boxer engine, 1,802 ccs. The air-and-oil cooled wide boxer is an overhead valve configuration with four valves per cylinder, with a pushrod and rocker system operated by dual chain-driven camshafts working valves.