Near-production ready BMW R 18 cruiser spied

Team OD Published: March 27, 2020, 08:05 PM IST

BMW's upcoming cruiser, the R 18 is no longer a secret as the German automobile manufacturer has already shown the concept at the 90th anniversary Concorso celebratory event. Since then, the cruiser has been spied at various occasions until BMW made an official announcement of the unveiling of the production ready model on April 3, 2020. With the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, we are not sure if BMW Motorrad will continue with its scheduled unveiling or delay it. While we await an official word from the company, here are new images of the BMW R 18 Cruiser. But this time, it is of the no frills basic variant.

While BMW is clear that they are not trying to replicate the poster boy of cruisers, Harley-Davidson, one can see that the R 18 will definitely lock horns with the HD's Heritage line-up. As soon from the images, this particular version of the BMW R 18 is equipped with a tall touring screen that can be detached, circular instrumentation with analog display. Further, it is reported to have 16-inch front and a wider rear, which draws resemblance with the Triumph Bobber. Additionally, the test mule of the R 18 also has a pillion seat and bagger styled panniers, which could be a part of the accessory package.

BWM has still not released the exact specifications of the engine but has mentioned that the R18 will get a flat-twin engine, which will be the highest capacity boxer motorcycle ever produced. The engine will be an 1,802cc unit that is expected to make over 90PS and 158Nm, the construction of which takes inspiration from the yesteryear BMW motorcycles such as the R5/R51.