2022 BMW R18 Transcontinental Review: Better Than A Harley?

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[@Yankeeman1954]

I own a 2019 HD RG Ultra and a 2022 Transcontinental. Both are great bikes. Both excel in different areas. The tech and sound system on the BMW are significantly better. The riding position, access to the foot controls and luggage capacity are far better on the Harley. Wind protection, highway comfort, handlebar controls are different but equally easy to use. Power bands, torque and top speeds are similar. BMW comes with active cruise control, which is a gamechanger as well as a reverse gear similar to a Harley trike. BMW also offers different riding modes, similar to a HD Pan America. Buy a Harley and have access to hundreds of dealers. By the BMW and hope that you have one or two dealers in your state. Harley (and after-market) provide for endless, but expensive customization. BMW customization is far more limited. Pricing is comparable.

[@centurionnutcracker4691]

Your thoughts on quality of ride when comparing the two? I own a 2016 Street Glide CVO. I like the engine character. I don’t enjoy the suspension so much. I’m suppose to go test ride R18 TC tomorrow. I’m considering to buy it. Was wondering what your thoughts were and any other advice you might have. Thanks.

[@bethhodge9724]

Watching this video it looks like part of the engine is almost in the left foot, I want to be able to have foot pegs to stretch out on , on long hauls. This bike looks like you would always have to ride upright.

[@Yankeeman1954]

I think the lower center of gravity gives it a solid road feel and better overall handling through the twisties. I don't have much experience yet with two-up riding but feedback so far is that the two bikes are comparable in comfort for the passenger. I have Legends suspension on the Ultra and it still isn't as good as the stock TC.

[@TheBritishMotorbiker]

This bike is bonkers! I loved the R18 Classic, so I can’t wait to try this one. Great review, fella!

[@chep5958]

Hey mate. Loving your content. Keep up the good work 👍🏼

[@johnrice8313]

I absolutely love BMW. Never was a HD Fan Boy. And I am not married to one brand. I was looking at Goldwing GL 1500 and 1800 up to 2010 (not the ones produced in Japan 2011 and on) and discovered the BMW because I wanted to prove that they were way more expensive than a HD to a co worker. I was wrong, not only are they less expensive but the upgrades are mostly done from the factory which is a big money saver. All in all I am totally loving the BMW K1600 and R18 touring packages. Thanks for the video.

[@747Antman]

I love the colour. A wish for my older self. As a music lover, the stereo has me drooling. Great vid as usual. 👍

[@carlosbenitez6438]

Awesome review as always

[@byronruhter1480]

Thank you for that good review. My favorite is the R18B. I just love the looks of this bike.

[@jimtomstimpson1477]

I love this bike , I own a Roadmaster. The only thing I'm shocked about is, they didn't equip it with a power windshield??? Especially since they offer that feature on other models, it should be on this touring machine for sure.

[@samestuffdifferentday5712]

Which is better ? The Indian road master or the bmw transcontinental?

[@Jeff034]

The ACC is where the windscreen adjuster would be. Give me active cruise control any day

[@MrAndrew1953]

I love the colour scheme. Built for two. Fly self and secretary to BMW headquarters, Berlin and ride over to see my brother in Switzerland stay with him/partner at their B & B chalet. He has an old KTM 1190 bonkers machine. This makes more sense.

[@peterconnell3162]

A Harley riding motorcycle journalist friend of mine got to test one of these bikes for the weekend. His review was that the brakes, suspension, handling and feel was not better than his Street Glide Special, and the riding position was less comfortable. I like the looks and the engineering but I don’t think it will convert many Harley or Indian riders.

[@johnjacob8168]

I own a R18 and a Harley Ultra. My Harley wins hands down. My 1250GSA on the otherhand is a bike on its own.

[@theonlyredspecial]

Not my usual kind of bike but it's a work of art

[@bmxbrows4112]

My 27 yr old kid just bought a 2022 HD Road King. Super nice bike. I’m not a HD guy. Not sure why, but this bike has left me wanting. Love my 2011 Vic XC tho. 🤔 Love your review! Even if your not in the right country. 😁 your expressions / slang are proper good.

[@_audacerider3838]

As an Ex BMW R1100S owner I really like the whole R18 line but out of the current lineup I'm a bit torn cause I would like to see R18 Classic with the same head stock angle as the R18B aka the Road King equivalent so HD touring frame but no wind protection = less weight = more fun in the corners. So Baysicly an R18B with the windshield of the R18 Classic. Cause the R18B and R18Trans also get more suspension travel in the back so that helps with the overall ride comfort.

[@drodNY]

Guys the boxer engine design layout itself will be enough to deter any buyers comings from the American Vtwin market. My buddies and I test road the bike recently in Americade. We're coming from Indian and Harley bikes so it was a nice comparison. The bike looks amazing from a distance. But once on it, everything changes. They all walked away scratching their heads. Lots of side to side vibration due to the boxer horizontal head design. You can't see where your placing your foot, and there's no room to rest or move your feet around on long trips because it's resting on a foot peg versus a traditional floorboard. You have to wedge your foot between the cylinder heads and the pegs so larger boots will have issues. Finally there's the heat issue with having those heads so close to your legs. Again it's a great bike but the boxer design in my opinion kills an otherwise very nice package.

[@IanTheEarlobe]

Would you have bought it if it was a V twin?

[@Dee-ih2yf]

Yup! For a guy with knee replacements in each leg, the boxer engine has always kept me away from BMW. Great review!

[@ivoperic3992]

@@Dee-ih2yf don't tell us you knees are aching. 😂😂

[@JelleM3]

Bullshit

[@michaelcarpenter3563]

Great review. Thank you

[@jasonk7072]

What a big, daft thing this is. I love it 😍

[@theonlyredspecial]

Well said and yes I agree !

[@clobbyhops]

Me To 👍😃

[@tibork3845]

Although I'm not a cruiser fan (I ride an RS) I have to admin this bike does look very nice. Good job BMW!

[@Heavywall70]

The leg rest would be needed to maximize comfort on a an American transcontinental. I’ve ridden coast to coast on faired and unfaired bikes and that big fairing is requisite in the Midwest plains states. Cruising across Nebraska at 80mph the bugs hit like rocks I’m looking at the bagger model in a few weeks.

[@Will-jd2br]

This configuration is where the R18 will shine. The classic version has an upright seating position but no windscreen making it a no go for long distance touring. Love the passenger accommodations and tech. It’s very much needed in this market category.

[@smbutte]

Good on ya MotoBob, your reviews are concise, informative, and well-articulated. I've seen some real chumps doing similar reviews of this beautiful motorcycle and I tend to lose interest after the first five minutes. We've come to know and like your format for reviews and you steer clear of annoying imperial measurements....yes 427 kg means more to the wider world than 940 pounds. And please don't start me on gallons. Just one favour, is there any chance you could convert miles to kilometres just to round off the understanding to the metric world, well at least here in Oz? Keep up the great content and GO THE TRIUMPHS!

[@pierresicard4733]

miles x by 1.6=kilomerters

[@Petesv321]

Nice bike but sparse dealer network in the States. In fact a local dealer near me in Pittsburgh has closed, and if it’s anything like the K bikes dealer maintenance will be stupid expensive. I really like BMW motorcycles, but they are just too hard to find near most smaller cities

[@2Sticks]

Inside word is that these are not selling at all in Australia, which is a big Cruiser market. BMW already make so many excellent tourers. I can imagine the Beemer engineers receiving the brief from management looking for growth “ FFS really, do we have to??” That said, I like the R18First Edition & Classic lines but I’d like to see the hard tail style in a smaller size, maybe based around the R9T 1200. That would be a very individual bike and much more in line with the early classics.

[@Jimmy0331]

Just bought a 2018 fully loaded with only 5K miles, gets delivered this Tuesday.

[@nordfaen]

Thank YOU very much 😁

So what about a durability of this BMW?

[@markhardy6738]

bmw when designing their trans continental bike they had the autobahn on their mind and the boxer engine looks like it can keep some of the rain water off your boots.

[@chadkline4268]

Totally awesome!!!

[@PapaDougsAdventures01]

That head cover is a miss. They could have added a decorative cover. It looks like a protective item you would find under the outer attractive cover.

[@allanmason7544]

fantastic looking bike

[@russellnewcomb8542]

Great review but saying that Harley and Indian are not expensive in the U.S.A is way off base. A full dressed Harley will start at the high 20 k and go up to over 40 k depending on what you get. Indians are in that same price area. My local shop sells that same BMW in that color for just over 32k.

[@bitterlifes]

Simply PERFECT

[@morrisdennis]

That's absolutely a homerun!

[@morrisdennis]

The current hd ceo is a German, he's kicking ass, bringing German precision to hd. A good move for hd. So both brands are great imo...

[@lex1945]

Looks like a great machine, big boxer engine, luxury cruiser/bagger/hd-inspired touring machine. Totally out of my budget and I myself am more an RT boxer man. Lots of electronics on these new bikes. Bit scary for me, especially in a few years when used bikes are going to hit the market. Dunno how to do anything yourself on these digital monsters. For the moment, I guess i am staying with my old trusty oilhead R1150RT. This is a bike I still understand when something goes wrong, LOL!

[@CVO_MAN]

After 6 HD Touring bikes in a row from 2015 to 2021 (Road King, CVO Street Glide, CVO Limited, Road Glide Ultra, CVO Street Glide again, CVO Road Glide) this year I bought an R18 Transcontinental full optional to try for something new and different. I must admit I was skeptical at the beginning due also to the many not so positive videos and comments I found on KZbin, mainly from the US. In reality this bike is much better than it was "tested" by some wannabe reviewers who decided to give judgements after a 30 minutes test ride: ridiculous. The R18 Transcontinental has a Torque, in REAL life and not just numbers on paper, that is definitely in line with a 114 ci V-Twin engine. And the engine? The first time I saw, by the Dealer, this 1800 cc Boxer I understood it was like a sort of mechanical Piece of Art: it's Statuary and nothing similar can be found on the market. Handling in winding roads or hairpin bends is way better than with an HD Touring bike: when I see a "test ride" made on large straight roads it makes me lough... Suspensions are from another league with respect to HD ones even with Ohlins shocks as I always installed on my HDs. The 10.5 TFT can't even be compared to the small 6.5 TFT of an HD. The Audio system by Marshall is hands down better that the Boom Audio 2 by HD. The level of detail and attention to quality is, well... at BMW levels. The adaptive Cruise Control can only be dreamed of on an HD as it doesn't exist there. I was forgetting to mention the weight: it's EXACTLY the weight of a an HD Limited with full tank and, not on PAPER but in REAL life, You move an R18 TC with engine off in a parking lot a tad easier than an HD Limited. The rear gear is a nice tool but I never used it: I'm 5:10 or 178 cm and I'm 73 kg (not exactly Schwarzenegger...). I still love my CVO Road Glide and HD in general but... an R18 B or Transcontinental are GREAT bikes. Don't trust the many videos You find on youtube by people who tested these bikes for a 10 minutes Test-Ride or as HD fan-boys. One thing is loving HD bikes (as I do) another thing is being a childish HD fan-boy. MotoBob was fair and honest in his review.

[@brianmcmanus4690]

Such a badass bike, cheers to BMW! I just don't know about the feet placement with those big ole cylinder heads in the way. So sexy tho!

[@bartdevreese382]

Niets voor mij, de cilinders zitten waar ik mijn voeten wil hebben!! Moest bmw een v cilinder bouwen in dit model zodat je forwards controller kan plaatsen of toch op zijn minst verder naar voor kan om te schakelen en remmen dan zou ik het willen proberen. Om lange afstanden af te leggen kan ik zo niet rijden met mijn benen en ik ben helemaal in voor forwards control

[@JerichoImprovizedMoto]

what will happen to the speaker if rain pours down

[@manuhonkanen2111]

Is the R18 the Rolls Royce of motorcycles with its power reserve gauge?

[@neilmackinnon3371]

Not my cuppa tea at all, but you have to love the style. I actually saw a guy on an R18 on the sea front at Weston-s-Mare and he didn't look like a vlogger or a road test jockey, so, maybe these new models will sell... just, not to me.

[@davehahn5639]

I have not seen them in person however by looks alone I think the saddlebags and tourpack (panniers and trunk) seem to small

[@SmartRiderBob]

If you buy a R18, aren't you consciously or unconsciously buying an American cruiser by proxy? So why not buy one directly? BMW is entering a market segment in decline, it's very risky... I still wish them a lot of success.

[@theonlyredspecial]

This is a heritage bike to BMWs past. Not Harley’s past. That’s what a lot of people are missing. There is quite the story and heritage behind the r18 if you look into it.

[@SmartRiderBob]

Not relevant to my comment

[@theonlyredspecial]

Your comment was split into two points. ‘R18 owners should just buy an American cruiser.’ The r18 has enough heritage to stand on its own two feet. My reply had nothing to do with the second point in your post which I agree with.

[@mrcyclee9997]

really want to test ride one.

[@budowens6478]

Awesome bike

[@TheKldeep04]

Maybe I missed it but how tall are you etc I would like to try this bike but I'm 6'5 I think my legs would not like this

[@bulpitas]

What's the song? Can't find it anywhere.

[@dave8549]

The 2 wheeled sparkled Sea Cow. A mammal this bloated could only survive in an aquatic environment. Buy one now and hang it from the ceiling like a Brachiosaurus skeleton so children can marvel at the colossus that once roamed the earth.

[@nicholasjheinz7461]

Check out Robert Simmons review of the R18. He explains how BMW missed the mark and should go back to the drawing board!

[@morrisdennis]

Im thinking about buying one 🤔

[@conceptofthemind5877]

Beautiful

[@leeeby2719]

Great ride just very heavy

[@6thwatergateplumber]

I demo'd both of these bikes here in the states. Both looked great. The TC did feel a bit bulky to me, but I'm only 5'9". The bagger was my first choice, but I was told the bagger can't be fitted with the TC's passenger backrest. I think it may have been the fact the bikes didn't seem fully ready to demo because the foot shifters didn't feel right, my foot seemed a little jammed under the engine, and I noticed on both bikes some type of clicking while clutching. The rain mode felt very mushy to me, and I wondered if I wanted that much slowness in that mode on a rainy day. I ultimately decided on the Harley Street Glide as it felt more solid to me, the seat position, and bars felt right, and the feel of the ride overall came through a bit better. However, for the money, I get less in terms of tech, like that rippen TFT dash, among some other things but that's the trade-off I had to make when I chose the HD. Good luck to everyone trying these out. Stating the obvious - none of these bike have a problem running 128 kmh /80+ mph down the freeway in undeniable comfort!

[@MrRichiban]

Why on earth is the gearbox so big on BMW boxers? In any other bike if you decided to hang the cylinders out to the left and right that would free up a bunch of space inside the bike for something else, but on a BMW it doesn't because the transmission housing is simply enormous. What gives?

[@markmadad1]

This bike looks amazing and I’m sure it’s way better than a Harley in every department. BUT I could not ride it for long with the rider foot pegs in the straight down fixed position. I can ride my Electra Glide for 100’s of miles as I have multiple foot positioning options with forward controls and hwy pegs. Shame as I’d love one.

[@feloniousmonk3049]

One thing for certain... BMW has tuned this bike to have a MASSIVELY flat torque curve on this bike from 1800 -3500 rpm. There is nothing else like it in the Harley Davidson lineup, especially compared to my much lighter Harley Davidson 1750 Sport Glide. The BMW's torque is almost flat line... and really noticeable how you can pull it off, not having to down shift, coming out of a corner. It's a very fun, economy of needing to shift type of riding while cruising like an old man in the twisties, here in the mountains and canyon roads of Southern California, USA. Short shift it, leave it in a taller gear, 1800 to 2700 rpm seems to be the sweet spot, IMHO.

[@morrisdennis]

I luv bmw and hd. Bmw has a poor dealer network, why i left them for hd.

[@Desmo904]

I have to disagree with you on the sound system being great. Living in the States I unfortunately see quite a lot of Harley style bikes with loud stereos. It's damned annoying having someone blaring music sitting at the lights outside where you live. Great video review though, I'm not having a pop at you! Not a fan of the bike though.

[@lex1945]

I am so greatful my BMW R1150RT doesn't have a soundsystem. I hate sound systems on bikes, LOL!

[@chadkline4268]

@@lex1945 stereos on bikes are for idiits.

[@mbrang00]

as opposed to some asshole running around with 4 12'a and a million watt bass setup that you can feel 3 miles away...that's what you decide is annoying, a motorcycle with sound system?

[@chadkline4268]

@@mbrang00 motorcycles are really not the place and time to be enjoying music. IMHO. Do as you wish.

[@theonlyredspecial]

Motorcycles are really the time and place to enjoy whatever you want. It’s freedom.

[@EmanDoank79]

Mantap bro 👍

[@SuperGdhf]

Anybody else love how the bike just about shakes itself off the kickstand on startup?

[@smileybat]

The seating position suck just like the seating position in the Goldwing, the big engine in the middle prevent you from having a better comfy position for your legs. im not being picky but it is what it is. I have a Vulcan Voyager and I can't see why cant BMW make that kind of bike

[@morrisdennis]

I ride a harley, but am thinking of buying one?

[@abdulrehmanalyafei3708]

Beauty and high quality and luxury is better than the Harley according to me

[@morrisdennis]

Bmw was the 1st to add fuel injection & abs to motorcycles.

[@stevewalther2293]

There is a channel that let's you hear what the R18 sounds like.....some where.

[@johna1160]

Not once did this presenter give us his height and weight, even when discussing ergonomics and handling. A crucial factor to take into account when comparing your potential comfort and riding experience as opposed to that of the reviewer. At 6'3"/250 lbs, my guess is I would have a different take than this (apparently) diminutive Brit.

[@playtime.5526]

For transparency what did BMW sponsor ie accommodation, meals, flights, etc. Disclosure what BMW paid for.

[@monkeydink9933]

Did you say it's a little "Germanic" or "demonic"?

[@tvdg93]

This is more like a general question for the community, but I can't get over the BMW badge. It doesn't fit the bike in my humble opinion. Do you thing BMW should start a sister brand where this sort of bike fits more.

[@andromedach]

This bike and the B model are even more DOA than the original two R18 models. Dealers this time around are not ordering more than the required floor models unless a customer puts a deposit down. Over weight, no powered wind screen, no electronica adjustable suspension, and they did not update the clutch for the weight! the R18 will be gone in five years if it makes even as far as three.

[@JelloThatsMellow]

Has this channel actually ever rated a motorcycle badly?

[@skippyyoung7872]

BMW has folded and entered the Harley look alike contest along with most other manufacturers.. Drum roll! "and the winner for best Harley look alike contest goes to" !!!....????

[@meattooth1303]

buying one of these over HD and Indian is like buying a BMW chromed out pick up truck.

[@IanTheEarlobe]

Terrible analogy

[@meattooth1303]

@@IanTheEarlobe spot on analogy

[@andron967]

I ride a 1975 R90/6. Not a Harley fan all. So what's up with building another Honda Davidson with a funny looking engine. I give the styling an F. I give the weight an F. BMW needs lo lead in design and not just follow. For styling maybe it should take another look at it's R69/S.

[@morrisdennis]

Bmw has been around along time...

[@ever-eddy8541]

👍

[@colingoldthorpe5918]

It’s just too heavy. I drove to the Edmonton AB BMW dealer to buy this bike. After seeing it in person and sitting on it I struggled to get it off its side stand. I’m only 52 😁 in great shape but this bike is just massive and extremely heavy. Everything else is perfect but the engine weight is just all in the wrong place. BMW should have made this a V-Twin and it would have been an instant hit in North America. These bikes are still at the dealership, they haven’t sold one bike yet which says a lot with motorcycle shortages, that maybe they missed the point with this bike🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ I was so looking forward to this bike but the weight was a killer for me. Fit and finish was incredible, but the thought of having the wife sat on the back loaded down with gear touring it would be close to 1400 lbs. so now I’m waiting to see what they have done to the K1600B for 2022 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@sangwoo78]

Much better than the Harley. Im sure^^

[@paulharris3149]

5000000 times better than Harley Davison

[@jeffross8400]

Probably a pretty good bike....not sure about those jugs sticking out of the side....I need to move my feet around when going long distance... Anyways, the one thing that I have seen on the reviews of this pretty bike: Harley is old tech with a pushrod motor...The R18 is a modern pushrod engine....go figure.

[@josetres333]

This bike makes Harleys look as funky as they are, why would you buy a hog?

[@morrisdennis]

Harley ppl tend to respect bmw

[@sangwoo78]

Just different with the harley

[@nalendraalif1116]

Still more HP than a harley

[@ivanbrasla]

Marshall is famous for their guitar amplifiers, but the speakers in their cabinets are made by celestion. Guitar speakers are also awful for anything that's not a guitar. I don't know what am i supposed to expect with the marshall branding, screams like a poser thing because i doesn't make any sense otherwise

[@boxofmoles4057]

It doesn’t take much to be better than a Harley. Every rendition of the R18 annihilates every version offered by Harley-Davidson. Plus, H-D salesperson are old-school, greasy, sleazy, shuck & jive con artists.

[@lallumanohar4107]

Hell no, if it is free still wont buy a 427 kg motor cycle

[@darrellthornton589]

.

[@hellslayer9638]

noone , absolutely noone can beat the vtwin because with vtwin you don't have to compromise with uncomfortable mid position foot gear . and harley and indian are both iconic brands beating these gaints at their own game is suicide for bmw 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@morrisdennis]

I bet harley Davidson is shitting themselves! I might go back to bmw, I've had 3 of them and 1 hd...

[@casefarley5744]

Overweight, overpriced, and slow. If it survives into a second generation I will be surprised.

[@mbrang00]

The lack of placement options for hwy pegs will make it uncomfortable on long hwy rides..in effect..its a blvd hwy cruizer. Props to BMW for the attempt, but the big jugs on the side, (while cool looking) will be a turn off for serious riders

[@timsapper8030]

Still Too much money & Tech for me I’m afraid

[@julianwhite4855]

Way over the top bike, heading toward 1/2 ton in weight. Drop it and you’ll be going nowhere.

[@josephandreuccetti7270]

Non one drops bikes unless you can’t ride and it picks up

[@distancejunkiemonkey4491]

I ride 18K miles per year, commute, day trips, and a long trip or two a year . I have a 2019 H-D Ultra Limited with the 114 engine. BMW had an opportunity to really nail it, and we’ll they missed the mark. BMW brought to market a bike that suffers from power and lean angle, which is exactly what the Ultra Limited suffers from. Unfortunately to get a traditional looking touring bike with ground clearance, great brakes, and sufficient two up power you still have to spend a lot of cash on modifications. lkmcadventures on Instagram

[@brumbywal8432]

You need to be a big Bloke, big Bloke for a bike Bike.

[@MrViolaracer392]

Comparing this bike to a Harley is settting the bar pretty low. Just about any bike is better than Harley. Perhaps better comparison would be to an Indian. A bike that actually has some modern tech and decent fish and finish.

[@northerniltree]

I own a Hayabusa. My bike will eat this pugnacious pig for lunch, spit it out, and do endless burnouts in the puke.