When BMW Motorrad unveiled the new Concept R18 at the concorso d’eleganza, I thought it was fantastic: a nostalgic, retro looking machine that would pull people like me who ride both the F800GS and the S1000R back onto another cruiser (I used to ride a Yamaha Bolt).
But then, fast-forward to the next EICMA and you get the Concept R18/2. The R18/2 is the version that is closer to what will be the final production model, apparently.
But, I have to admit, when I looked at the new R18/2, I lost interest in the bike. BMW Motorrad took a bike that was reminiscent of the R5 and the 1930’s look and feel, and turned it into a cruiser that looks like 99% of other bikest. Other than the distinctive boxer engine, the /2 looks like almost every other cruiser on the market.
Apparently BMW was hoping to showcase just how customizable the cruiser can be, so I hope that they will provide more customizations for the R18 than just this new /2 version. Hopefully both the retro looking model and the /2 model will be available.
