I've been a HD tech for over 13 years. I don't say that to boast, it's context. At this point I've ridden thousands of motorcycles, all brands, but most being Harley's. I'm a Road King guy through and through, and more so am a firm believer that HD makes THE best cruiser on the market, and from a point of working on them with my hands, the parts quality and are incredible. Regardless of what people say about breaking down, HD motorcycle are more than capable of going for many, many miles. No matter the make, it comes down to maintenance and following the service procedures that need to be done throughout ownership. I work at a BMW Motorcycle shop. We have several R18 models on the floor. They are truly stunning and are very refined. I'm looking forward to taking some out. I have no doubts it's an incredible touring bike. The seating position is very similar if not exactly like Goldwings, and we know the cult following of those things. There's a really market for these R18's if they were just given a chance. I love motorcycles regardless of brand. We live in a time where any of the major motorcycle manufacturers are putting out incredible things these days. Obviously BMW is know for refinement. I'd rock transcontinental all day everyday. Sharp bike. REAL sharp bike.
The deals on the R18 are sick.. dollar for dollar blows away Indian and Harley for price.. they feel heavy at first.. but ride really nice... the cell phone app thing if the new bmws is terrible.. I want to ride not be plugged into my phone.. I want an independent nav.
Timex verses Rolex. BMW designed in a wind tunnel with artistic influence is well worth the money. Engineering is the best. Thank You for the review and open-minded attitude. You nailed it saying you wouldn't change a thing. Too many darley owners aren't happy from the beginning so they head to the after market to change their bike to what they want. It's a shame darley has turned to crap while other manufacturing companies give the rider what they want. I've 137,867 miles on my 02 electric glide with one engine rebuild. It's my long distance dream bike for solo travel, but I've made minor changes to be comfortable. New bikes do not do it for me but this BMW is on my mind. You all are in my prayers Hoka Hey
R18 is stunning. I don’t even normally like these kind of bikes but it’s so nicely finished. I’ve seen a r18 transcontinental with the galaxy finish and it’s stunning in the flesh. I’m not so keen on keeping gloss Black clean. Always drove me nuts with previous bikes in the past. The r18 is such a fun bike imo. Engine is glorious. It made me feel happy when I rode a demo.
Having the side cylinders comes in real handy when it's cold out. The warm air coming off the cylinders heads str8to your feet. Atheist, on my gl1000's the heat always helped keep my feet warm in the cold. Also, when riding long distance I would put my feet right on top the cylinders. They were not hot at all. It was very comfortable. I would put my foot or feet on the cylinders. Then I could rest my elbow on my knee, it was pretty nice actually
I like both blinkers on the left hand. Using the throttle and trying to hit the turn signal button at the same time is too much for my old thumb to handle. What a gorgeous bike and I'm 6'2" 180 so seeing how well you fit on this sweetie is making me think seriously about an R18.
I traded in my Honda Fury for the BMW r18 classic today, it is weird not seeing the tire out in front of me, the bike I had before the Fury had a 8inch over front end and the Fury itself had a nice rake, I am 6' and quickly adjusted to finding the shifter and rear brake with my boots on, I love the braking it will stop very quickly and smoothly without much squeeze. The only thing I noticed is I am use to blipping the engine on downshifts, it rocks this bike so much that I quickly just learned to shift down at the proper speed for the gear while using the brake and no blipping the rpm. I am amazed the seat did not kill me since I had a low back fusion back in 2006, but the seating and everything with pegs was very comfortable for me. Well they say the BMW auto is the ultimate driving machine, this BMW r18 is not quite the Ultimate riding machine but it is real close.IMO. Adam thanks for the great content you always put out. One of these days I'm going to take a trip so I can camp at your campground!
My favorite feature on this bike is the reverse gear, I am a vertically challenged guy reverse would really come in handy on my Road Glide. I am just not sure I could learn to like the Boxer motor but I would expect it to run well BMW does make good bikes.
I've only seen one in the flesh here in England and it had pegs on it's crash bars so the rider could still go foot forward but obviously without any controls. I've no idea where he got them from though. It looked amazing, not many bikes make my Kawasaki Versys 1000 look small but the R18 is a bloody big bike.
I own both a 2019 Harley RGU and a 2022 BMW R18 Transcontinental. Agree with your pro and con comments. Although the TC weighs more, it handles better and provides a comparable or slightly better long touring ride. Tech is far superior as is the sound system. Luggage capacity is a negative and finding a BMW dealer if you're outside a large metro area can be a challenge. Fit and finish on the BMW are outstanding and the bike is about $10K-15K less than a similarly equipped HD. Overall, very different bikes and I wouldn't part with either one.
I've test ridden the R18 classic, bagger and transcontinental multiple times. BMW is the best company for test rides in my experience. Take advantage of it. FWIW, My son and I had big grins after every test ride. I'm seriously considering a new transcontinental for 2023. My son would like one as well.
Good review! Have had my eye on these BMW bikes for a while - they are cool looking - BMW fit and finish are second to none! Love my Harley’s, but after you got your R 18 First Edition, I called BMW Motorcycle of North Dallas and ordered a R18 B - you gave me that little extra nudge to pull the trigger - just BUY THE DAMN MOTORCYCLE!👊🏼
Good review Adam !! I have liked the look of those cruisers since I saw the first one. My first concern is technical support. I live in Central TEXAS and the nearest dealer is 36 miles. I would guess the dealers on a road trip would also be few and far between. Otherwise I like the bike. THX for sharing !!!
Tech support is a call away. I live on the Southern coast of Texas and my nearest dealer is 145mi away. A great excuse for a trip. I am looking real hard at the R18 but I don’t have room for a 4th bike. 😢 2006 Moto Guzzi Breva 1100 115,000mi 2020 BMW K1600B 8,000mi 2021 Honda Rebel 500 700mi
Thanks for the honest, objective review! The BMW is certainly a jewel and beautiful too! Very nice looking bike that’s well equipped. Ride safe brother!
Good review. I just picked this up and traded my 2021 Road Glide. The foot space is not an issue at all. Just takes a few rides to get used to. The bags are small if you’re used to HD but this bike rides great.
Great video! 100% loved your foot peg comment. I’m 6’3” and tilting my pelvis forward is much better. Test road one with the high pegs and problem solved for those who want to stretch out.
Great review. Im going to go ride one this week and see if I want to part with my Road Glide. These bikes look so much better in person than they do in pictures or on video.
Fantastic review. I do not like forward controls. I am more comfortable also placing feet on passenger pegs. Also nice to stand up occasionally with mid controls especially if see a bump.
I test rode an R18B and thought it handled very well. She was really confidence inspiring in the corners and had plenty of grunt. I also test rode 4 Indians that day and felt that only the Challenger with stage 2 was equal or more in power. I personally would not buy any R18 model as my only bike as it's not versatile enough but sure would like to rent one for a week or 2. Cheers
Hi Actually there is a difference in the suspension geometry between the R18 and the R18B . They changed the rear for the Bagger and TC. To me that’s the whole irony. For me the R18 FIrst Edition is my favourite but its rear suspension is too harsh . They should upgrade the rear geometry of the classic to match the B and TC models . The reason i did not go for the 18 was the rear suspension.
The Boxer engine would take some getting use to, but German technology is in the very top of best. Discovery channel gave BMW cars their highest score. I expect no less from their bikes. Of course I'm a Harley head and will stay that way, but if I had the money I would buy one if I liked it enough.
@@imbologna Yeah that price Adam flashed on the screne really caught mt attention. Right now in Georgia where I'm from a HD like that would cost around 25-30k, and you know that BMW rides like a dream.
HD? Ugh....so, soooo common...and aside from being beautiful, way overrated. But my hat is off to them. They are one of the first production motorcycles, and along with Indian, created early styling cues that are all copied today. I just have to be different personally. Technologically HD has always been on the lower end of the spectrum.. and until you ride a modern, water cooled machine, with performance in mind, minus hard care sport bikes, you really don't know what a good handling bike with smooth power is like until you get something OTHER then an HD! Soo many people new to motorcycles don't know this. However, the Vrod platform was fantastic! Arguably one of the greatest motorcycle engines ever made.... HD just fell short on the chassis they mounted that wonderful drive train. Take that Vrod motor, punch it out to like 105" or so, put it in a Street Glide chassis...HOLY *HIT, that'd be insane!
My boss rides a BMW he calls it a "gentleman's motorcycle" and always tries to convince me to switch. I'm a Harley man to my core though so its hard for me to get into this. That plus I own too much Harley clothes to switch now 😂
I like the slim mufflers on that touring model. Now you just have to get rid of the bulbous mufflers on your R18 cruiser and replace them with the ones from them touring model.
Test drove the R18B last year. Absolutely fell in love. Unfortunately I bought another bike this year as the R18B has a severe lack of accessories available..... A simple driver backrest was impossible to find. Wish BMW supported accessories and after market better. Would definitely sell a ton of them if had more accessories (or atleast the basics !)
I test rode one in Sturgis a couple years ago. I owned a R 1200 GSA then and wasn’t about to trade. My wife and I are 72 years old. She quit riding with me about 5 years ago. If I had a sidecar on this, she’d ride with me. (When we were in high school, she used to ride my Harley with me.) She’s my best bud. ♥️😎🏍️💨🏁
Adam, Nice review. I like look of the BMW R18 both Models you’ve shown on here. It’s a Motorcycle from BMW that I immediately thought was very cool looking. I’m a shorter person so my feet would be right by the pistons that stick out. Would be okay on cooler days/evenings. Thanks for the review.
Regarding the Blinker switch BMW used to have the blinker controls on the left and right of the bars. It was to appease those moving from Japanese bikes to BMW that they stopped using the left and right switches and now use that single switch
It's a great video. My opinion it's like him. Just going and get a test. For me, I prefer this position than the forward controls. But every person are different. The important thing is enjoying the bike
Haven't ridden one, but sat on one. There was a VMAX17 right next to it. I thought my legs would be cramped (same height as you) bent like sportbikes, but it was the opposite. Surprised me with having such a low seat height. The comfort was impressive, would like to take one for a test ride to see if it's the same on the street. Hopped on the VMax, and then hopped right back onto the R18. Definitely a lot of, "It looks liked it'd be...", "Probably isn't...": etc, and not a lot of people actually riding them and then having an opinion to talk about.
Good review. I ride the R18C coming from a 2008 Road Glide. I wanted something more maneuverable and less top heavy. The center of gravity on my Classic makes it very easy to handle. Comparing the R18 to a HSC or Road King isn't quite apples-to-apples. The foot position for me is better vs forward controls that put too much stress on my lower back. One issue during test rides has been dealers who did not adjust the suspension out of "shipping mode" (locked down). Once you read the manual, make some adjustments on real world riding, the suspension is fine. Seats are always subjective. I find the stock seat is fine for 100-200 miles. To your point, it's a stunning machine and all but the HD elitist see the beauty in her. Be safe.
I commented on the R18 when you test rode one at the Long Beach MC show. Glad you got to ride the R18 B, which is the one I test rode at Sturgis last year. No denying BMW's craftsmanship & styling. It is well designed & the finish is second to none. My Sturgis ride was 20 miles, so it was a good introductory ride. My wife and I went with a BMW guide and there were a few things that I noticed: 1. This MC is heavy, almost 900 lbs. 2. 1st gear is very high. Both the guide & I killed the motor a couple times on the way to the freeway. I assumed with all that torque, you could just give it minimal throttle to get underway, but that's not the case. You have to give a fair amount of throttle, being careful with your clutch engagement to get a smooth start. & 3. Did I mention the BMW is heavy? On our return to the parking lot, I engaged the side stand and as I leaned the bike over, I couldn't hold it for the last couple inches. Gravity and weight took over. I'm 6'2" and weigh 200 lbs, so I'm not a small guy. It was a little disconcerting. The ride, power, suspension & ergonomics were excellent when underway. I've never owned a BMW and am curious how the bike is selling. Haven't seen that many at the Rock Store. The owners I've spoken with seemed to enjoy the R18. Keep on testing bikes for us Adam. We appreciate your "real world" viewpoint.
Great Video , Adam! BEAUTIFUL machine and the floorboards are very "goldwingish" or even Valkarie-ish but NOT a deal breaker for me. I though I was the only one that used the rear pegs when my back hurt......lol. All in all..... beautiful bike and I bet it would be an awesome travel bike!! Ride safe and enjoy,,, Dude!!
Great review. I have a 12 RKC bought new and 60,000 miles now. Thought it might be my last-forever bike. I am now going to take a test ride on this. Between your vid and her two wheels adventure, it might fit in my garage! Thanks Adam.
I currently ride a 2014 Moto Guzzi California Custom, but if I get a new bike, the R18 B would likely be what I would choose. As far as the foot rests are concerned, I think that the "Harley only" crowd wants the forward controls for the way it makes them look on the bike. Then seem to think that having your feet under you while riding makes you look like a dork.
Finally an American traditional V twin baggers rider who recognises the perfection by the name of BMW. Plus this is just their latest exploitation, they have been ruling motorcycle scenes in EU for decades. Boxer twin and drive shaft is king if you ask any serious EU rider. BMW is on top in manufacturing cars and bikes in this world, and that is old news. Just to mention your comment about preferences when it comes to blinker switch gear on the bikes and how two side set up is standard… Well it maybe standard in the US cruiser crowd, just like forward controls, but in fact this is the standard set up in the rest of the world. I prefer this setup any day. Anyway thanks for being honest an EU rider appreciates it.
when i test road that BMW it was significantly heavier than my Harley Street Glide Special with tour pak and my Chieftain, and not as balanced as a 2019 Indian Chieftain. The BMW is fun for running around town but never for long distance travel i.e. 6-8 hours a day in the saddle.
Sorry if I disagree but it's exactly the opposite. I own a CVO Road Glide with Tour Pack and an R18 Transcontinental. An HD Touring bike feels heavier than an R18 TC: when you move it in a parking lot and when you ride it in short turns or even in hairpin bends for hours and hours.
I think the mid footboards would be fine. I have an old Lowrider (1988), back when HD had mid footpegs, I don't get forward controls, restricts you movement on the bike, as in standing up for hard bumps, or shifting your weight sideways (I have a sidecar, that I ride solo, so need to move my weight in corners when going a bit faster).
BTW, I test rode a R 18 B at Sturgis a few weeks before the Bike fest, in July 2023. Rode up to Deadwood and back. Average speed ( hit a few stop signs and a few red lights) while Cruising ( taking it easy) was 47 MPH on the trip meter. Average MPG over 23 miles with engine warm up, stopped for 20 minutes in Deadwood and back to the PowerSports dealer, was 53.7 MPG. This is on an unbroken in motor. Let's just say this.... Own a Sports Glide and I'd REALLY like to get the R 18 B. I just don't need the capacity or weight of the Trans Continental.
About those saddlebags. I was rear ended with 500 miles on my Transcontinental. It took 13 months and $3200 to replace 1 Right saddle bag. Love the bike but, the luggage is way over engineered and not in a good way. The ridiculous over engineering takes a great deal of storage space from the bags and trunk.
Adam, welcome to the BMW Motorad, the R18 is a bike of personality, ride each of the different models and you'll feel a different ride on each. I own both a R1200RT and a K1600 and each is totally different... The R18 is the King of Torque and Rumble, and get Ashley on an R1250RT or the fairing version of the R18.
Good review, at first I didn't care all that much about the looks of this bike. It has been growing on me though. I'm considering a K1600 or 1250rt but now I think I'll check these out too.
I took an opportunity to take one out for a test ride. From a shorter person perspective…. It felt really heavy coming off the kickstand than other touring bikes I have ridden, Road Glide and Indian Chieftain. Low speed maneuvering I felt indifferent about. Riding on both city and highway I really enjoyed both. The suspension on some rough city streets was still very comfortable. My biggest discomfort besides the weight coming up from kickstand was the floor boards, but more that they dug into my skins when I put my feet down. With that said though I realize that a a shorter leg issue, I couldn’t really move my legs to any other position to not have the floorboards in my shins.
Just got to ride one today in Daytona @ Bike Week 2023. The mid controls was a bit to get use to being on a Victory touring bike. I couldn't find the brake pedal to start with, I was trying to find it to far away. LOL Kind of the same thing with shifter, I am so use to pull up with toe to shift, and just cant do it because I couldn't get my toe under it. But overall I liked the bike. I think the boss liked it too, but would want the one with trunk. And we tried to get 2 3/4 helmets in the trunk and its not happening. But good review.
Didn't we see the same video yesterday? Was a good review and I like your honesty. I also appreciate anything with 2 wheels or 3 in modern times. Have also dusted off the bicycle this year. Staying stubborn and a fan of A.S. 👍👍🏍🏍🏍🙋♂️
I guess the bike seems so balanced because BMW bikes have a lower center of gravity, therefore the stability and handling. I own a BMW and it's a monster in handling, stability, and torque. Love BMW bikes.
The bike actually performs quite well with a few tweeks. First of all due to emission standards, the bike needs to be Brentuned. Then the bike runs the way it should. You can also add more performance by upgrading to a less restrictive air box by DNA stage 2. In addition this bike NEEDS 92 octane fuel! The bike has some of the widest 02 sensors available so it's constanly adjusting for optimum performance. In addition, although it can handle up to 15% ethanol in the fuel, it really like pure gas. Do all of this and this bike runs GOOD. I smoke HDs with ease, and with it's tall, 6 speed gearbox...can cruise strong and SOLID at 110mph with plenty of throttle left. Also, I had the dealer deep six the stupid floor boards, and replaced them with pegs. I can corner quite steeply without dragging the pegs. It is important to ensure the rear suspension is set properly! It's very easy to do btw, that is setting the preload. I feel no heat on my feet dude! Btw 2, the bike has 4.5" of rear travel. So while I agree the bike is a looker with soul, it also performs well!
You've been smoking something good, alright. US model taps out at 117 MPH. For reasonson unknown, for a 1800 cc displacement bike, this sucker sucks down the gas. 42 43 mpg is what I'm reading most people get. Not sure if it's the shaft drive sucking down the fuel with more drivetrain resistance or what it is, but it seems to be a gas hog.
You mentioned around 3:30 that it’s a parallel design, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a boxer twin. Parallel twins have the cylinders beside one another. The boxers are directly opposed to one another.
The R18 is fantastic but the large TFT display caused me a lot of problems. Random disconnects, music stops, blank screen. I couldn't ride more than 15 minutes without something going wrong and altogether it was just very distracting. I hady heart set on an R18 Classic, but then I rolled in a 2022 S1000XR and I fell in love.
When I rode the transcontinental in Daytona it felt like a woman’s vibrator buzzing thru the frame. my girl 2up said same thing. Didn’t feel that on the stripped down one. Also feet hitting the cylinder’s when braking and shifting were a concern, maybe you could get use to that. Build quality looks great and I bet you can get a great deal on one to look at.
My issues are probably the same as everybody's, love forward controls, and those massive jugs sticking straight out just look messed up. I will be testing one this year and ....we'll see. Thank you for the awesome review, nice Jon.
The heat off my R18 cylinders is not noticeable on my feet, my legs or mid body. On 36 degree "C" days, my Moto Guzzi Griso does throw off a lot of heat on my legs and mid body. On days that are at 36 degrees "C" and above, it is uncomfortable to ride the Guzzi Griso but the R18 is remains OK. Have two other boxers, R1100 and R1200 and never experience heat from the cylinders or the heads. Engine heat is not an issue on a R18. Perhaps if stuck in traffic, as with all air cooled engines, excessive felt engine heat is likely.
Let's be real, the Garmin gps on the Harley can be SHIDDY. One wrong turn and it has you going from the fast track to Zion national park to rerouting you to the chicken ranch in Navada.
