BMW BIG BOXER CONCEPT DEBUTS
BMW Motorrad has unveiled its first official
concept featuring the all-new 1800cc boxer twin
we featured in the May Vol1, and we think it looks
incredible.
Dipping into the BMW Motorrad historic archives
for inspiration, BMW’s Concept R18 cruiser
(yep, no surprises there for the big boxer to be
powering) debuted at the exclusive Concorso
d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Italy’s Lake
Como.
“With this dream bike, BMW Motorrad presents
its own version of an emotional and authentic
offer for the large cruiser segment,” commented
BMW Motorrad’s head honcho, Dr. Markus
Schramm.
As with the Revival Birdcage featured last month,
the Concept R18 is based around the massive
newly designed, two-cylinder 1800cc boxer
engine. Its outward appearance is consciously
reminiscent of the flat twin engines that BMW
Motorrad used to build, up until the end of
the 1960s – but with a considerably bigger
displacement and modern air/oil cooling.
The big prototype boxer has been designed
down to the last detail: the engine block and
transmission are made of glass bead-blasted
aluminium, on which hand-polished aluminium
components as well as the belt guard and valve
covers are mounted to.
The engine badge bears the name of the
concept bike and emphasises the overall quality.
In addition, Solex dual carburettors – similar to
those in the BMW 2002 – hark back to the brand’s
construction history and add the final touch to the
bike’s visual authenticity.
When it comes to nailing that classic look, BMW
mixed in a bit of the 1950s and 1960s to reach the
overall aesthetic of the R18, and it’s hard not to
see the lines of the BMW R series bikes of old in
the new concept, with its white hand-applied lines
on the fork and fuel tank in combination with the
black base colour plus its solo seat and generally
clean, simplistic aesthetic.
The frame and tank create a common line all
the way from the steering head to the rear wheel
hub and gives the bike an incredibly long side
view. The large spoke wheels (front 21-inch, rear
18-inch) provide a secure stance and perfectly
balance the dominant power unit. The tyres are
another nod to BMW’s boxer history with Metzeler
tyres, just like the BMWs of old.
BMW is still keeping things quiet as to the actual
performance of the prototype ‘Big Boxer’, but
with the company’s official prototype featured
in a cruiser and the cubic capacity oh so close to
Indian’s long-lived Thunderstroke 111 we’d hope
for similar power figures (160Nm) from the BMW.
KIWI RIDER 17