Tag Archives: R18

BMW reveals R 18 Big Boxer details

Details of the Big Boxer engine in the new BMW R 18 cruiser have finally been revealed in Munich overnight.

The air/oil cooled boxer will have 1802cc of capacity and develop just 67kW (91hp) at 4750rpm, but a whopping 158Nm of peak torque at 3000 revs.

More than 150Nm will be on tap from just 2000 to 4000 revs.

Despite the enormous pulling power, BMW says the “generously sized flywheel mass” will provide “exemplary running smoothness”.

It will idle at a lumpy 950rpm and hit the limiter at a lazy 5750rpm.

However, we still don’t know what the final appearance of the bike will be.

Following two independent custom shop R 18 concepts, BMW Motorrad unveiled their Concept R 18 at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in May 2019 and a second concept, the more modern R 18/2, was unveiled at EICMA earlier this month.

There have also been some spy shots, but not a full reveal which is expected early next year.

Even before a production model R 18 cruiser has rolled out of the Spandau factory gates, BMW Motorrad Australia is taking orders and deposits and has set up a dedicated site.

Big Boxer detailsBMW R 18 Big BoxerBMW R 18 Big Boxer

BMW says the Big Boxer engine will have overhead valves and a separate engine and transmission housing, but otherwise the same structural features of their first boxer which had laterally controlled valves.

It is BMW’s highest-capacity twin-cylinder boxer engine in motorcycle series production.

The Big Boxer weighs a hefty 110.8kg and has a 107.1mm bore and 100mm stroke.

Other features are large ribbed cylinders and heads with a vertically split aluminium engine housing.

Unlike their classic air-cooled two-valve boxer engines, the crankshaft is forged from quenched and tempered steel.

It has an additional main bearing at the centre, which is necessary to prevent “undesirable bending vibrations of the crankshaft”.

Like the crankshaft, the two connecting rods with I-shaft are mounted on plain bearings and are also forged from quenched and tempered steel.

They accommodate cast aluminium pistons with two compression rings and an oil wiper ring. The running surface of the light metal cylinders is coated with NiCaSil.

Lubricating and cooling oil is supplied by a wet sump lubrication system with a two-stage oil pump via sleeve-type chain driven by the crankshaft.

Two camshaftsBMW R 18 Big Boxer

Modern features include four valves, dual ignition, a modern combustion chamber architecture, intake manifold injection and the BMS-O engine management system for optimum torque and to meet Euro emissions targets.

However, it uses the classic OHV configuration for its valve drive of the legendary R 5 to R 51/2 from 70 years ago.

2016 BMW R 5 Hommage
2016 R 5 Hommage concept

As in the historical role model, the two camshafts are positioned to the left and right above the crankshaft in the Big Boxer.

BMW says the advantage of this “twin camshaft boxer” is shorter pushrods which reduces moving masses, minimises deflections and lowers linear expansions for a stiffer valve drive with improved control precision and higher speed stability.

In the traditional BMW Motorrad boxer design, the two pushrods actuate one pushrod per cylinder side for the intake and one for the exhaust side, guided in a sealed pushrod tube on the top of the cylinders. The two intake and exhaust valves in the cylinder head are actuated in pairs via fork toggle levers.

In contrast to today’s widespread engine technology, valve clearance compensation is not effected by means of hydraulic elements, but – as was the case in most classic air-cooled BMW two-valve boxers for decades – via one adjusting screw with one lock nut for each valve.

As was formerly the case in the classic two-valve boxers, valve clearance adjustment (0.2 – 0.3 mm) in the R18 Big Boxer is also quick and easy. The valves are made of steel, with a disc diameter of 41.2mm on the inlet side and 35mm on the outlet side. The valve angle is 21 degrees on the inlet side and 24 degrees on the outlet side.

TransmissionBMW R 18 Big Boxer

It is married to a constant-mesh six-speed transmission and self-reinforcing single-plate dry clutch with anti-hopping function to prevent rear-wheel lock-ups on rapid downshifts.

The transmission is located in a dual-section aluminium housing and is designed as a four-shaft transmission with helical gear pairs.

The gearbox input shaft with lug dampers drives the two gearbox shafts with the gear wheel pairs. An output shaft is provided to bridge the distance and reverse the direction of rotation. A reverse gear is available as an optional extra. This is driven by an intermediate gear and an electric motor and can be shifted manually.

As in all BMW motorcycles with boxer engines, torque is transmitted from the gearbox to the rear wheel in the R 18 via a propeller-shaft or universal-shaft drive with universal joint, shaft and rear-axle drive with bevel and ring gear.

The propeller shaft and universal joint are classically nickel-plated and open, as used by BMW Motorrad in models up to 1955.

A so-called tripoid joint is applied on the gearbox side for length compensation.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

BMW set for big 1800cc R18 cruiser?

A third BMW R18 cruiser concept model seems to confirm that the German company is returning to the cruiser market with an 1800cc boxer engine.

In December, a Japanese custom shop wheels out an R18 with a mysterious new BMW engine and last month a second cruiser concept with the engine was rolled out by a Texan custom shop.

Concept R18 cruiser

Now BMW Motorrad has revealed its Concept R18 cruiser at the 90th the Concorso d’Eleganza show at Lake Como in Italy.BMW Concept R8 cruiser

Surely this confirms that BMW will return to the cruiser market it abandoned 15 years ago.

BMW built the R 1200 C cruiser from 1997 to 2004. It was a flop, but in recent years has become a collector and customiser favourite.

BMW R 1200 C R18 cruiser
BMW R 1200 C

Concept R18 cruiser was built for BMW Motorrad by Unique Custom Cycles of Sweden, so it’s not the final version that BMW is expected to release.

This is a simplistic model with minimalist design.

No doubt the Germans will give it some Bavarian hi-tech and quirky design as they did with the R nineT after Roland Sands designed the Concept 90.

The R18 cruiser will be powered by the biggest boxer engine they have produced, believed to be 1798.4cc in an over-square configuration (107 x 100mm) which means the pistons are wider than they are long.

Otherwise, the heads would hang out so far you couldn’t lane filter!

It also means it should rev better than other big-bore cruisers.

Interestingly, it is not liquid cooled, but is likely to be twin spark to meet Euro 5 emissions standards coming in 2020.

Don’t be fooled by the Solex carburettors. They may just be dummies like when Triumph’s Bonnevilles went EFI.BMW Concept R8 cruiser

As for the rest of the Concept R18 and a likely BMW production model, we should regard these words from BMW:

The BMW Motorrad Concept R18 is immediately recognizable as a genuine BMW: boxer engine, cradle frame, exposed universal shaft, and drop-shaped fuel tank with its black paintwork and hand-applied contrast lines interpret typical design icons of BMW Motorrad classics, while displaying confidence along with modern-style linearity.BMW Concept R8 cruiser

Will BMW build it?

The market is ageing and mature riders love their cruisers.

Yet BMW has been reaching out to younger riders over the past 15 years with its adventure models, S 1000 derivatives and trendy R nineT.

But why should they not pay in a sector that continues to attract riders?

Over the years I have asked BMW executives whether they would return to the cruiser market and they have never said they wouldn’t.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Listen to the awesome 1800cc boxer Beemer

Hopes of BMW building an R18 with an 1800cc engine have risen with this new video showing a wild Japanese custom BMW “Departed” R18 in action.

Doesn’t it sound absolutely awesome?

1800cc Boxer

There is no reference to it being an 1800cc engine, but the R18 nomenclature seems to suggest it.

Although, it was first rolled out in December 2018, so it could just be a reference to the year.BMW R18 custom concept 1800cc

We don’t think so. That deep, guttural sound seems to come from a big-capacity engine.

Let’s hope the normally conservative Bavarian company really is considering an 1800cc boxer engine.

At the end of the video the Japanese custom builders from Custom Works Zon speculate on what type of bike BMW will build around the engine.

BMW R18 custom concept 1800cc 1800cc

BMW says: “Further details about the engine and its possible future use will be communicated at a later point in time.”

The Bavarian company has a history of handing over custom builds to outside design houses that eventually turn into production models.

A prominent example is the R nineT which started as the Concept Ninety by Roland Sands Designs in LA.

BMW Concept Ninety Roland Sands Designs customised r18 1800cc
RSD Concept Ninety

R18 custom

This time, BMW has handed over an unidentified boxer pushrod engine to Custom Works Zon who built an entire bike around it.

Unlike the new R 1250 ShiftCam models, it doesn’t appear to have liquid cooling, but oil and air-cooled heads.

BMW R 1250 GS and RT r18 1800cc
BMW R 1250 with CamShift

Click here for Aussie pricing on the new R 1250 models.

The heads are chromed on the outside and have a similar fin design to the 1960s boxer engines from BMW. Although that could just be for aesthetics and could be masking liquid-cooling tech.BMW R18 custom concept 1800cc

The custom R18 project is pretty wild and we don’t expect BMW to produce a bike with such a small tank to go with an 1800cc engine.

However, we remain ever hopefully of a big 1.8-litre Boxer!

BMW R18 custom concept 1800cc

Other confronting design elements include 21” and 26” wheels, solid aluminium girder forks, steel pipe swingarm or concealed Softail-style suspension.

Nostalgia

The R18 follows the equally wild Nmoto Nostalgia based on the R nineT.

Nmoto has now started producing a limited number of these retro R nineT customs.

Nmoto Nostalgia BMW R nineT r18
Nmoto Nostalgia

Like the Nmoto, the R18 draws heavily on BMW models from early years.

Retro and nostalgia bikes are big business at the moment.

Triumph is having enormous success with its Bonneville dozen-model range, Ducati’s Scrambler has become their top seller, Kawasaki has won hearts with its Z900RS and BMW has had enormous success with its R nineT.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Does BMW R18 hint at a 1.8-litre Boxer?

This wild Japanese custom BMW R18 seems to hint that the normally conservative Bavarian company may be considering a 1.8-litre boxer engine.

BMW has a history of handing over custom builds to outside design houses that eventually turn into production models.

A prominent example is the R nineT which started as the Concept Ninety by Roland Sands Designs in LA.

BMW Concept Ninety Roland Sands Designs customised r18
RSD Concept Ninety

This time, BMW has handed over an unidentified boxer pushrod engine to Custom Works Zon of Japan who built an entire bike around it.

R18 customBMW R18 custom concept

The fact that it is called an R18 seems to indicate that it may be a 1.8-litre boxer unit.

Unlike the new R 1250 ShiftCam models, it doesn’t have liquid cooling, but oil and air-cooled heads.

BMW R 1250 GS and RT r18
BMW R 1250 with CamShift

Click here for Aussie pricing on the new R 1250 models.

They are chromed on the outside and have a similar fin design to the 1960s boxer engines from BMW.BMW R18 custom concept

BMW says: “Further details about the engine and its possible future use will be communicated at a later point in time.”

The custom R18 project is pretty wild and we don’t expect BMW to produce a bike with such a small tank to go with a 1.8-litre engine.

Other confronting design elements include 21” and 26” wheels, solid aluminium girder forks, steel pipe swingarm or concealed Softail-style suspension.BMW R18 custom concept

Nostalgia

However, the R18 follows the recent equally wild Nmoto Nostalgia based on the R nineT, so maybe BMW is developing some designer mojo.

Nmoto Nostalgia BMW R nineT r18
Nmoto Nostalgia

That would be welcome considering BMW tends to lean toward more conservative designs.

Like the Nmoto, the R18 draws heavily on BMW models from early years.

Retro and nostalgia bikes are big business at the moment. Triumph is having enormous success with its Bonneville dozen-model range, Ducati’s Scrambler has become their top seller, Kawasaki has won hearts with its Z900RS and BMW has had enormous success with its R nineT.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com