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.
Mike was called to be the Vicar of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Wickenburg, AZ, and started this call on February 1, 2024. Before taking a call as clergy, Mike worked in IT for almost 25 years, variously working as a back- and front-end web developer, database developer and manager, and as a business analyst. If he’s not engaged in the work of the church, you can find him on a motorcycle, enjoying the ride, or training for an upcoming BikeMS ride.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical History from Seattle Pacific University, and a Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. He attended Sewanee School of Theology for a year of Anglican Studies in the Fall of 2022, and graduated in May of 2023. Mike was ordained as a Transitional Deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona on January 20th, 2024, and will be ordained to the priesthood on July 27, 2024.