sag considered . That just doesn ’ t cut it on our bumpy roads from a comfort point of view . That said , the rear of R18 remains quite well controlled , which is pretty impressive considering its weight and short travel . Up front the large diameter forks have 120mm of travel and offer a nice comfortable ride , good control levels and no bottoming out issues . The tyre sizes are 120 / 70-19 at the front and 180 / 65-16 at the rear , providing decent grip . Perhaps a taller profile rear tyre would provide a better cushioning effect and improve comfort .
THE LOW DOWN Overall , the BMW R18 First Edition is a truly magnificent looking , very large cruiser . Dynamically , it is quite capable and can by
ridden fairly briskly . Road clearance is decent and more than acceptable for this cruiser style machine . The rear shock performance is the only real aspect that compromises comfort , mostly because of our poor road surfaces . Stopping power is good for a big machine , but I believe larger front discs would be of benefit . The cruiser style in general is well-suited to the shorter rider and the R18 is no different . Reverse is a fun novelty and genuinely helpful too , after all , the R18 is a big machine and I wouldn ’ t recommend it to the weak or inexperienced rider . In the right conditions the R18 is a fantastically rewarding ride , the engine has wonderful thrust that is a joy to experience . Yes , pick the right conditions and few things match the feeling of this awesome beast of a ride .
KIWI RIDER 63