Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1408163
P104 RIDE REVIEW I 2022 BMW R18 TRANSCONTINENTAL & R18 B Both machines are graced with a superlative 10.25-inch TFT display, one of the prettiest I've ever seen on a production motorcycle, which serves as the rider control module for all the usual things like chang- ing the modes from Rain, Rock and Roll (I know—low, medium and high would be better), trips, service intervals, fuel mileage, etc. The TFT sits beneath lovely analog speed and rev counters, a left-side fuel gauge and a fairly useless available engine power gauge on the right. When you're cruising the freeway with minimal throttle input, the gauge needle will sit near the 90-hp mark. Crack the throttle and the needle dives to nearly zero, indicating you've used the full whack of engine power. I don't know, give me a nice clock made by Breitling or Tag Heuer. I might look at it more than once. When you do indeed gun that massive motor, you're left unin- spired. Considering there's over half a ton of mass (rider and bike) to move and we were at around 5500 feet of elevation in Colo- rado, the R18 Transcontinental's motor performance was sluggish at best. It revs relatively quickly for such a big motor, which means the best performance is gone quickly if you hammer the throttle in a hurry. It's not a performance motor by any stretch, but in R18 B form the 1802cc flat twin was at least a little more sprightly, given the less weight it needed to push. There's torque there for when you need it, but more ponies from such a massive piece of metal would be a very welcome addition. Two extra points stood out on the drivetrain performance. The first was the very small clearance for the rider's foot to change gears, up or down, given the shift is under the left cylinder. This can be adjusted, but in standard form the gearshift position is far from ideal, with very little space to let you lift yourself into the next gear. (Above) The gear lever position is not ideally set as standard. You'll likely want to change this as getting a correct upshift was not as easy as you may think. (Above right) The brakes are simply not up to the task of hauling up a machine of this size satisfactorily. (Right) New Marshall speakers provide plenty of clear sound for the ride.