New Delhi: BMW Motorrad India has launched their flagship cruiser motorcycle in two variants, Standard and First Edition. The BMW R18 will set you back by Rs 18.9 lakh, while the First Edition will cost you Rs 21.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). This is the first attempt by BMW to bring a traditional cruiser bike to India.
The BMW Motorrad R18 First Edition gets extra chrome elements, a Blackstorm metallic paint shade, and a seat badge with a ‘First Edition’ clasp on the chrome cover. It also includes intricate additions like a tank emblem with copper letterings, copper screws, a pair of gloves, as well as a screwdriver to fix the emblem on the tank. Additionally, the First Edition will also feature hill-start assist, heated grips and cornering headlights.
The BMW R18 looks stunning and, in many ways, resembles the 1936 BMW R5 cruiser. Parked side by side, the design inspiration is clearly visible in its round LED headlamp, tear-drop-shaped fuel tank and the swooping rear fender. Period-correct details like the exposed drive shaft, front fork covers and the rear monoshock hidden inside the frame architecture, highlight the meticulous attention to detail.
The new BMW R18 cruiser is powered by a brand new 1,802cc, air and oil-cooler engine and it is the biggest boxer engine that BMW has ever manufactured.
It develops 91hp at 4,750rpm, which may not seem as much considering its size, but crucially, it produces 158Nm of torque at 3,000rpm. A fat chunk of that torque, 150Nm to be precise, is available between 2,000-4,000rpm. BMW claims a 0-100kph time of 4.8sec and a top speed limited to 180kph.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via an exposed drive shaft that is inspired from the old BMW cruisers.
BMW Motorrad is offering an array of customisation options. This includes custom-made seats, exhausts, side panels, and even a handlebar. You could fix a Bobber-style floating seat, replete with a side-mounted number plate holder, and also fit a variety of handlebars to convert the R18 from a cruiser to a Bobber, Bagger or even an Ape-hanger. BMW says that replacing these parts was made easy by using plug-and-play type clutch and brake lines, as well as the handlebar wiring.
