BMW Motorrad had showcased the retro designed Concept 18 at the Concorso d’Eleganza in the Villa d’Este at Lake Como in the early summer of 2019. Six months later, they have come up with a follow-on concept called the BMW Motorrad Concept 18/2. The bike is inspired by the boxer engine BMWs from the 1960s.

This particular bike caters to the needs of the customiser in each buyer. The bike has a low custom cruiser shape with a large 19″ wheel at the front and a smaller 16″ wheels at the rear giving it a dragster shape. The entire bike from the front to the rear is one sweeping line which tugs at the heart. It has a retro round headlamp in a bikini fairing similar to the bikes raced on the tracks at the time. The line continues into a teardrop shaped tank which then follows a sweeping seat and ends in a short rear wheel cover. The handle bar is minimalist keeping with the design theme.

The bike has been painted a metallic Candy Apple Red. The colour has been chosen because it plays excellently with the lights and shades and seems to change colour depending on the direction of the light from a bright red to a near black. Another striking feature is created by the graphic lines on the painted body parts. The lines extend from the side and top of the fuel tank to the wheel cover and are visually prolonged across the seat.

The bike is powered by a large 1,800 cc twin cylinder boxer engine. Continuing with the typical BMW tradition, the power is transferred from the engine to the rear wheel through a shaft drive. The engine has both air cooling as well as oil cooling and is finished in a warm grey colour. The integrated breast and valve covers are painted in a contrsting glossy black colour. Further, high-performance Brembo brake calipers and Hattech stainless steel tailpipe system reflect the close attention to detail with which the BMW Motorrad Concept R 18 /2 was designed.

Bart Janssen Groesbeek, BMW Motorrad Vehicle Designer for the Big Boxer Concepts explained, ” After the BMW Motorrad Concept R 18, our aim with the Concept R 18 /2 is to demonstrate how flexible the basic engine and suspension are as a starting point for customisation, and how easy it is to authentically realise different styles. And I have to admit: we were very impressed at how it was possible to bring this boxer concept forward from the 30s via the 80s into the 2020s.”


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