BMW has taken the option of offering personalisation for its all-new R18 custom cruiser to the next level as it tries to keep hold all of the money owners might spend on modifying their motorcycles.
The German brand has always managed to be canny when it came to offering owners the option of specifying their bike how they might choose to make it look, but the new R18 options from launch are on another level. And BMW is promising this is just the start of what will be offered for the new custom bike.
The new model is BMW’s attack on the large-capacity cruiser market which, globally, is dominated by Harley-Davidson and Indian. It’s a brave move by BMW, as the 1800cc boxer engine in the R18 has been hugely expensive and time-consuming to develop and won’t be of much use beyond this cruiser category; albeit it will no doubt appear in multiple derivatives in years to come.
The return to the cruiser market is especially brave for BMW as the last time the firm gave this class a go was with the R1200C and that bike, even being charitable, can only be regarded as a total sales flop. Not even starring as a James Bond 007 bike in Tomorrow Never Dies was enough to save it. The bike was built between 1997 and 2004 before being quietly killed off. Few mourned that moment!
The R18 has definitely been built under the American cruiser rule of ‘bigger is better’ with a thumping great 1800cc boxer twin that melds new technology like riding modes and LED lighting with old school engineering like air/oil cooling and OHV technology, but it’s the choice of accessories available from new on the R18 that make it stand out, and the idea is to try and head off aftermarket accessory makers and keep the cash within BMW’s manufacturer and dealer network.
There are three types of accessory handlebars available from Beachbar and two types of Apehanger bars. This is on top of the standard handlebars, which can be modified with a choice of different height bar risers.
BMW’s press release states: “More so than virtually any other motorcycle, the new R18 offers a highly customizable design – a focus even in the early design phases of the basic vehicle layout. As a result it is fitted with an easily removable rear frame and a simple-to-dismantle painted part set.
“This allows a high degree of freedom for conversion of the rear end of the new R18 to suit personal preferences with comparatively little effort and change the paint finish in line with personal taste.”
BMW has also worked hard to try and ensure making changes to the bike are as easy for owners to do themselves. This is a concept that was first introduced with the R nineT model in 2014. It had an easily removeable subframe, numberplate holder and indicators along with other parts that could be moved or junked by home custom builders.
The BMW information explains: “Carefully conceived connections for the hydraulic lines of the brake and clutch as well as the cable harness allow for an entirely problem-free installation of higher or lower handlebars in conjunction with longer or shorter hydraulic lines and cable harnesses.
“The matching mounting kit is available for all handlebars in the Original BMW Motorrad Accessories range. In addition, the valve covers and the belt cover are designed in such a way that they are located outside the oil chamber, making them very easy to change.”
The removable subframe idea is a first for BMW, but is an idea carried over from rivals like Harley-Davidson. Up until now, BMW has linked up with top-end firms like Akrapovic for exhaust systems but anything else has been designed by BMW but manufactured as BMW parts by other firms.
For the R18 there are links with Mustang Seats and Vance&Hines exhausts with American designer Roland Sands Design creating a range of both ‘Machined’ and “2-Tone-Black” parts that allow the owner to choose a style they like best.
“Machined” parts are milled from aluminium and feature a colour contrast between black and silver. In order to achieve this, the parts coated in black are milled and then polished again at specific points after the initial milling process in order to lend emphasis to the original aluminium look and create the colour contrast.
BMW’s press information explains the “2-Tone-Black” parts as ‘a design collection that consists of components which are also made of high-quality milled aluminium but feature a double black anodised surface with glossy and matt textured areas’.
Both the option of parts include front and rear wheels available in different dimensions from the standard sizes; all the way up to giant 21in front wheels for a true chopper style. There are loads of other parts to choose from including speedometer housings, handlebar clamps, risers, handlebar grips, hand levers and mirrors as well as engine housing trim elements, filler caps, intake silencer covers and much more.
BMW is also offering a large selection of luggage, footrests, seats and there’s a whole load more on the way too!
The legend was always that Harley-Davidson made more from accessories than it did from selling bikes and it’s clear BMW fancies taking a slice of the action! Let’s just hope the R18 gets a bit more love from the motorcycle world than the R1200C!
