BMW R 18 Roctane Review - Cruiser Quick Test 

BmW R18 is a fantastic looking machine....... would i seel my suzuki hayabusa 25th anniversary gen 3 for this bike?? .......nnnnnnope.

Good balanced review - thanks for that. I took one out last Saturday for a decent test ride. The comments here about the flatness of the power delivery are spot on... very different to my Guzzi Griso SE (naturally) and surprisingly similar in character the 1993 R80 I had for a while. I was surprised by the vibes - even more than the Griso, which is quite an achievement. I have to say the vibes were a bit intrusive, until I found the sweet spot, and then it was magic carpet. By the end of the ride, I was thinking of the bike's flaws as 'character' and really didn't want to hand it back. Overall, it was a beautiful thing.

test rode this 4 Sept 2024 front brake very weak, no feel from the lever, and it was nearly touching the handle bar !!! rear brake very difficult to apply pressure, downwards with floorboards fitted. the speedometer was built into the headlight, nice feature but its too flat, and difficult to see (its not pointed at the rider, its pointed at the sky) at 80 to 90 speed, the wind was very turbulent, and plenty of wind noise (same the crash helmet on the HD Sport Glide and similar speed, very quite and clean air, not turbulent) suspension was very hard at the rear, and not forgiving at all. NOT recommended by me!!

The old R and K bikes were very good. After 2000 things went to crap. I've owned 4. Never again.

A beautiful and magnificent piece of machinery 😎

I have to say it, this guys high pitched teenager voice ruins the clip...... not a voice over guy.

I owned 2 K1600, One new, one 2 years old. The bad taste BMW gave me when it comes to reliability, parts availability, labor rate, cost of parts. These bikes are crazy when they break down. Just a PITA !!!! Code reader a must have cause you will run to the dealer all the time. Never again. The only one I would maybe look at, is the RT1250. I just don't want to own BMW anymore. When the R18 came out, I took one for a ride. 1) The bike vibes heavy when idle. 2) if you are a 6' or taller, you will not be comfortable on longer rides. By the time you get this bike fully loaded, out the door, I spent a bit more and got a new Goldwing DCT Tour. What an F pleasure. The best machine ever, in 35 years of riding. The only nice thing about the R18 is the beautiful drive shaft. That is a work of art. If anybody buys a BMW bike first time, MAKE SURE, you have a dealer close by.

GOOD LUCK WITH A NEW ONE JUST WAIT TILL ITS A FEW YEARS OLD AND THEN STAND BACK AND SEE HOW B.M.W. TREAT YOU WITH ANY B.M.W. MACHINE ...OVER RATED OVER PRICED PILE OF SHIT IN MY HUMBLE OPINION SO DONT GO BY WHAT THESE FOLK SAY HAVING BEEN GIVEN A BIKE TO BUSLLSHIT ABOUT !!