It’s good to see you test a different class of bike and I’m glad you enjoyed the R18. I ride an S1000RR and a Honda Goldwing. They’re completely different but they’re both loads of fun to ride. Looking forward to additional reviews of diverse bikes. Keep up the excellent work.
Technology wise, BMW is ahead of it's time. Every other motorcycle brand eventually catches up to BMW, but by that time, BMW has already left all other competition in the dust with new technology. BMW spends more money on R&D(research and development) than any other motorcycle company !
@@GSMicrobe no, the multistrada V4 got it first. lets not turn this into a 'BMW v Ducati thing' . Its just facts - not love for a particular brand. Remember Audi / vw own Ducati. All this car tech filters down.
@@theonlyredspecial my dude, with all respect. Give me some evidence to prove Ducati was first. I'm telling you, the 1250RT launched first, BMW even made a RU-vid video on july 8 2020 about the ACC technology
My good brother, you just confirmed what my mind was needing. From a Ducati Diavel to a BMW R18 Transcontinental will keep the 2 wheels moving Da Soul! Thank you!!!
I'm a diehard sportbike guy, but you know, this is a cool bike. I could see it as a second (or what for you 650, 19th....) bike. It would sort of be nice for a long ride, all day, or touring. Just sort of cool. Lots of character.
Well buddy you know you’re getting up there in age. I noticed when you got the bmw to trek in the woods, I said to myself, “my friend is…is getting old.” Those teenage years of late night club hopping and back twerking has finally said “Hey there big fella, it’s time to come home.” Then came the BUSA. His ass cheeks have never thanked him enough. That one ride made life for it reminisce on days of huggies, and pampers. And now….his ass is madly in love with the heavily cushioned seat of this newly found beast of a motorcycle. Enjoy it buddy. Enjoy it. You’ve earned this seat cushion. After all those hot ass Ducati thigh burning days, you need this in your life!! Love the content as usual brother lmaohahahahaha
Heated seat and heated grips should have their own buttons. Terrible design that you have to go through the Menu options. My GSA had a seperate button 5 years ago!
Is it really that power in it? i drive AIH Slammer, on the back wheel i have 106Hp 188 torch. And i also drive BMW K1600GT with lots of power. How is the Transcontinental compares with these? I love the looks of the 1800 Trans. But the power? …think i have to try one out😎
Local BMW dealer, has 4 of the early release cruiser versions of this machine. The touring versions might have more interest, however at those prices the competition is pretty tight.
bagger racing and smack downs are fun bc we all pretty much on an even playing field. me and my club bros all on cruisers and baggers now and we still get after it on the slab like we used to when we road sportbikes
I don't know how is it in USA, but in Germany there is an option to reduce this motorcycle power to 35 kW! so that beginner with A2 driving license can ride this bike. Later on you can reprogram it back to full power, when you get A class license, or you are over certain age. Btw, nice review, nice bike!
Can you see the road from the seating position on that bike ? It seems like the seat is so low that your actually looking at the dash so you cant actually see the road.
Hey awesome to see you trying cruisers. It’s pretty cool looking bike. But can Bmw get the Harley audience buying it ? That’s the question !! Harley owners are very loyal to the brand.
@@TypicalMT yeah watched it. I know the r18 isn’t selling at all where I live in Ireland as the dealers are offering huge discounts and free finance. But American market will be critical as it’s a very strong cruiser market.
BMW is not trying to take harley buyers to BMW R18. But instead it is aimed at the custom cruiser market, for people who want to be different, and dont want to be like everybody else. That is what this motor cycle is for. By popularity BMW made the classic, bagger, and transcontinental. People asked for it, and they get it. in the past they didnt sell any cruisers, like the bmw 1200c was a flop. So this is already a win for bmw. the fact that it is in ist 3th year says alot. But then again this motor cycle is not for harley fans, but for people who dont want to be like everybody else, and wanna be different. The question should be : is this a good try for the american cruiser market. And the answer is yes.
Sweet bike. Suits you well too ib. You'd think with all the tech they have on they'd install a back up cam for that beast of a screen to see where you backing it up to without turning your head..
@@nymetsfan912 you're missing the point here looks like..its not about being lazy but it's about convenience especially on a huge bike like that because I'm sure you wouldn't like scraping your expensive pipes or bags on the curb you're backing to..to park!
@@650ib Neither did the dealer. I had to show them. Coming from a Harley Davidson FLHTKL, my major complaint about the BMW R18 Transcontinental is that it has no rack on top of the Tour Pack. The R18 Bagger has no rear fender rack or back rest available either. It limits the amount of luggage you can carry, especially if you are travelling with a passenger. The Bluetooth is a little obtuse if you are using the phone for music or streaming (I use rewound radio) & navigation & a Cardo/Other Bluetooth intercom. Otherwise, you are correct it is an extremely high quality "AWESOME" bike (so far).
You should use those scales you have to weigh the front to rear weight distribution of you on your sportbike hunched over full tuck versus upright riding
A fully spect Transcontinental will cost you somewhere in the region of 40,000 dollars, pretty much the same as some of the biggest Harleys. Question: If you can afford that kind of money, why would you buy a HD? The BMW is an engineering orgasm with reliability being the number one attribute followed closely by looks and Wow Factor. HDs are nice bikes but well over priced for what you get.
Great review, but not really sure i agree with your estimate of 99% of people installing an aftermarket exhaust. I've seen more then 20 of these used, on the road & as trade ins at the dealers & have yet to see one with an after market exhaust. & even before my purchase I've found another dozen plus on market place & again not one had an after market exhaust. with that said, i really thought you did a great job on this review, a lot of good info here, thanks for the time & effort! DBCracker
Brotha 650ib, I test road the R18 at my local BMW a month ago and the torque on that thing is down right ridiculous...lol...it doesn't have the horsepower sitting below you, like my 2022 Hayabusa, but it was a great ride and I didn't have to worry about it being a 'willy monster'....haha
I hope BMW will make a lighter Touring Bagger with the 1250 Boxer Engine. Including me, many people don't care about a 1,800 cc, 1,000 pound bike. The sweet spot would be the same weight as the K 1600, more nimble version of this bike.
Cruise control on a motorcycle so you can take you hands of the handlebars and do something else. Mmmm. Had it on my previous motorcycle, the MT-10. Used it only once or twice.
Hi buddy from South Africa 🇿🇦 . Test rode one and unfortunately I walked away feeling a lot less enthusiastic than yourself. I felt the brakes very "weak" and spongy. Also I couldn't handle the vast amount of vibrations that came through the mirrors and foot rests. I understand that the rumble and shaking is part of the characteristics of the R18, but buzzing and vibrations like that on a R500k (South African rands) bike ? Personally I would rather buy 3 bikes for that kind of dough, a new busa, a used gs and still have change leftover...
Just test rode the Trans Continental on the weekend. I'm shocked that BMW would release such a miserable bike onto the world. It doesn't turn at all, as soon as you stop forcing it into a turn it wants to stand up and go straight. It vibrates like a massage chair at anything over 3000 rpm and there is no possible way you could ride it at cruising speeds for more than an hour at a time. Its astoundingly heavy and feels like it with sluggish acceleration. Its riding position is surprisingly cramped. That ridiculous sideways torque that you get from any horizontally opposed twin is really noticeable on this bike. I was looking forward to ordering one, but after the test ride I wouldn't buy it at any price and urge anyone considering it to ride it before plopping down your hard earned cash on this pig.