2020 BMW R 18
FIRST LOOK
P40
BMW R 18
B
MW Motorrad has unveiled its all-new 2020 R 18 cruiser
in a special online event. It retails in the U.S. for $17,495
and the up-spec First Edition for $19,870. This is BMW's
first cruiser segment motorcycle since the R 1200 C of the mid-
1990s and puts BMW head to head with Harley-Davidson and
Indian Motorcycle in the large capacity cruiser segment.
BMW has created its largest ever flat twin motor for R 18,
measuring a very healthy 1802cc. The peak power output is 91
hp at 4750 rpm and 116 lb-ft at 3000 rpm, with 110 lb-ft of torque
available from 2000 to 4000 rpm. A downside is the motorcycle
weighs a claimed 761 pounds wet, ready to ride.
The massive chassis is a double-loop steel tube
design. It's crafted to give a rigid-frame look with the
axle driveshaft exposed in a similar vein to the legend-
ary R 5 of the 1930s. There's no electronic suspension
adjustment—a first for any large capacity BMW for a
very long time—with the inverted 49mm fork offer-
ing 4.7 inches of wheel travel and the rear giving 3.5
inches. Four-piston fixed front calipers haul the R 18 up
with a twin-piston caliper at the rear.
BMW finally
debuted its R
18 cruiser.
