A Bavarian Soulstory - Episode 1: The roots of the R 18

[@rrobertschopper]

Even though I have a couple Harley's in my garage I still have my old 1976 BMW R90/6. This bike was originally my mother's bike. It is by far one of my favorite bikes to go out and run the back roads on. If I was going to go buy a brand new bike it would definitely be a BMW.

[@highlevelcut9054]

The last missing piece in the BMW-Motorrad lineup. Making the family perfect. As a BMW and BMW-Motorrad enthusiast since I bought my first-ever car, an 1999 740i, I NEVER wanted a BMW vehicle like now... the soul, the story behind it, the form and the link to their own history. MAN, this is a BOMB of a bike. The last missing piece in the BMW-Motorrad lineup.

[@hankgs]

As someone who absolutely LOVES the Boxer motor and has had eight (8) R-Bikes, and DOESN'T have a Hipster hairdoo, BMW Motorrad SHOULD have picked me for this video promotion....!!!

[@wonneklops]

Was soll ich sagen... Ein fettes Stück Deutschland. Stark, hart und überzeugend, aber mit Seele!

[@JackieTreehoorn]

That R7 at 7:13, when they list all the bikes in the room, is a piece of art. Owned plenty of HD’s & no BMW’s, makes me we want 1; old & new

[@ryanwittmann6368]

I work as a marketing analyst, where I evaluate marketing campaigns every day, and I have to say...this video series is great! Not only are you telling the BMW story in an updated way, connecting it to a younger generation who may not know the story, but also linking it to a product launch! I ride a Ninja and can't wait for the R18!

[@bmwmotorrad]

Happy to hear that you like it! 🙌🙂

[@adriantamblyn-watts7308]

Marvellous video. The R18 is cause for excitement. Open shaft drive ... awesome.

[@shikantaza]

Fascinating story, excellent commentary. Love the R 5, a true classic bike, and the 5 icons that have inspired the design of the R 18. Think the open shaft drive is amazing!!! At a time when 'retro' inspired designs are so prevalent, it's remarkable to see BMW's latest offering.

[@bmwmotorrad]

Happy to hear that Edward! 💯

[@Birb_of_Judge]

Subscribeing to this Newsletter was SO WORTH IT

[@bmwmotorrad]

And there will be a lot more to come! 🙌

[@Birb_of_Judge]

@@bmwmotorrad very excited for it and looking forward to riding the final product

[@fireoil]

Open shaft drive damn . Awesome video. Im so happy to have a 2014 r 1200 r witch is the last soul bmw with the classical engine, old controls and telelever from 90’s era. Can’t wait to visit the museum one day.

[@Kwhopperfan]

Absolutely beautiful craftsmanship and history. Glad they are sticking with their signature designs

[@sugarcoatltd]

Enjoyable storyboard, looking forward to the next chapters ....

[@bmwmotorrad]

There are some more enjoyable episodes to come! 👌

[@HugoRenaultFilm]

Awesome Tommy! You're the man! Great fan of Butterscotch here and i'm so glad you made it. Cheers to BMW for inviting you!

[@31276965lmm]

Head south into the Alps ... this was great, I’ve been having a really shit day and this has made me smile. I’m a very proud GSA 2018 owner ... I can’t wait to see the fully developed bike ... Ganz liebe Grüsse aus der Schweiz 🇨🇭

[@bmwmotorrad]

Hi Shane, we are happy to hear that! Ganz liebe Grüße zurück aus München (and much fun at the Apls)😉

[@bertraminc9412]

I am so excited to go test drive the R18 when I’m home and order mine! Such rich history and quality design and manufacture.

[@dkslackmaster]

I just picked up my first edition r 18 . One of the first to be taken from the dealer here in Alaska. After years of watching and waiting I'm still amazed.

[@juliopinedo2654]

I love it! , great video and fantastic bikes, looking forward to see more! Thank for sharing

[@richardmarkham8369]

Found this after seeing a fully restored R51 and now here comes the R18! Amazing!

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

Excellent video - good presenter and some achingly beautiful motorcycles. I'm amazed that the R18 is going ahead - an absolute showstopper.

[@bmwmotorrad]

Nice to hear that Ian! You'll like the upcoming episodes 😊

[@kellyco4139]

A beautiful and magnificent piece of machinery

[@FTW1717]

Sehr gut aufgebaute Videostory uns als Fans auf die Reise mitzunehmen zum Serienmotorrad..Hoffentlich wird man als Newsletterabonent auch bei der Bestellung bevorzugt zum Rest der Welt.

[@alanbacon4722]

Can't wait for this bike to come out. As soon as the pre orders begin in USA I'm on the list. I have a BMW S1000rr now. But I have been waiting on the retro cruiser to come out......so excited!

[@Bubbyis12]

Some of the best bikes, historically reliable. I love the creativity

[@jeffmorrissey9562]

Love the R5, the R18 looks like it is going to be a great looking bike as well.

[@stillbreathing9146]

Excellent video really enjoyed it, great commentary. Very excited about the R18 and further news updates. Thank you.

[@bmwmotorrad]

Thanks Michael! Stay tuned for the next episodes 😎

[@DeraRides]

Amazing footage😉 now we have to wait for the r18😍

[@kalbaniskickdrum]

Oh man.... this is truly looking like the homerun that I was suspecting. Sagenhaft!

[@ateliermerlin]

Great video get the chance to see the R18 in Como and this make me even more love the old BMW we get in our workshop a BMW R 25 for restoration and unbelievable how advance the bike was for 1950 like some of the R80 and R100 in the 80' and I am sure that the R18 will open the door on the same way and we will look at this bike in 30-50 years and people will say WOW what a style 👍🏻

[@JunDLasco]

BMW nailed it this time around and again !

[@MotoMichelle]

Excellent video and Beautiful Bike

[@haroonkhan8179]

Great presenter!! Looking forward to the series

[@bmwmotorrad]

Tommy will love to hear that :) Stay tuned for further episodes!

[@krishnaprasad7666]

Awesome, looking forward to the rest of the story

[@barraviejo]

Woow! That spining enging look like a diamond!! Love it!

[@rumporridge1]

Definitely gotta visit my favorite motorcycle manufacturer in Germany. And the new concept is smoking.

[@kevskibiz]

Really looking forward to seeing one of these babies on the road 😎👊 love BMW Heritage bikes !!

[@dustunrosdail3583]

Keep the information coming. I'm in, can't wait to see more...

[@jeromeflohner8009]

You could see, that he felt a bit embarrassed once he realized, that he shouldn‘t speak about this 😄 best man Edgar Heinrich 👌🏼 looking forward to see, how you solved the open shaft drive 🤩

[@Luimotohq]

we can't wait to see this bike come to life and on the road.

[@jaguar6680]

Any Rider here in the USA is wishing they were in your shoes! Opportunity of a Lifetime! I had a rare unique opportunity to have a private tour Of Mercedes Benz in 1997 that to this day I still feel amazed to see the cars and prototypes they had tucked away from the normal Public's access...I will follow this series closely..It is fascinating! And of course the possibility you may have confirmed the production of the R18 makes my head spin! I will certainly be a Buyer! Great video from the heart...

[@bmwmotorrad]

Thanks, dear!

[@tomazkarlin]

Great video. Great bike. Can't wait to see more!!!

[@bmwmotorrad]

Nice to hear that Karlin! You'll like the upcoming episodes 😉👍

[@neustace]

First time I have really wanted something so different to my normal sport bike ride.

[@frednouvertne4216]

I'm loving my 16 HD Vrod. Narrow and quite fast. I pulled 100mph in second gear. Plus it's HD/Porsche engine. Quite a different engine from 6k to 9k rpm.

[@HugoRenaultFilm]

Can't wait for episode 2.

[@peterlukaszyk6024]

That bike has bigger engine then my van.dont know why but im loving it

[@Roddy_Zeh]

Epic! Cannot wait for this to be released! Way to go, BMW Motorrad! :D

[@bryanschefman6562]

Looking forward to learning more. Drove a Triumph Rocket III for many years, but this concept bike is going to be very cool.

[@richardsmith3963]

What a fabulous looking bike...…….excellent video, I really want to ride the R18 now.

[@rogerreeves6305]

A super tantalising video. The brief cameo snip of the new R18 was highly subliminal - and extremely seductive. WOW!

[@DDFFFFDDFDFD]

Love bmw bikes (and cars) what a refreshing change to see a production so closely matching the concept! Might have to sell my RnineT for a deposit on one of these 🤤 Thanks for the interesting video!

[@msjj000]

Congratulations BMW Motorrad!

[@Kalsino]

What a fantastic video, thanks for that. I can´t wait too see the next one. It´s absolutely a huge icon that the open shaft drive is on the R 18. The design is as it should be no argument about that.

[@bmwmotorrad]

Happy to hear that you liked it! Stay tuned for more episodes 🙌

[@Visian]

I love the open shaft drive and BMWs strategy of emphasizing its heritage. Not to be Dougie Downer, but the USA is highly litigious and product liability lawyers are among the wealthiest of the legal profession.

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

Is it much more dangerous than a chain? I'm not sure tbh - it's not an area of expertise for me.

[@nilsberger4987]

A Historian allowed to use his knowledge to create something new. Great!

[@sammspeed]

To BMW: you guys did an amazing job 👍🏽 wonderful bike 😍 Please bring it to production exactly the way it looks right there. I will buy immediately and put it next to my 51/3 and my 75/5.

[@rodruchi]

Just Stunning

[@michaelschmitt9366]

I’m officially obsessed

[@Gr1mSkull]

Curious about the implications on the maintenance. But very cool look with the open shaft drive. Hope they go for function over form concerning the tank size/fuel capacity though. Peanut tanks are not super practical when cruising.

[@jakestrain4761]

Oouiuk hi kkkuuukkkkuumkkoo I’m yoooo

[@kayoss662]

Yee-Haa! The R 18 is modern history.

[@ericrossmann1674]

What a very cool new video series from BMW Motorrad--Looking forward to future episodes.. I don't own a Boxer yet but do absolutely Love my Red/Yellow 1990 BMW K1....

[@marlonb5939]

Really glad to see BMW going back to their roots, I hope to see more. I love all the technology they currently use in their latest models because you have to move forward. But, personally, I prefer a simpler unencumbered experience with my machines. Would love to see a whole line up of R bikes with the R18 influence, great job BMW!

[@andrewcarpenter7805]

If I could choose ownership of ANY bike on earth, this R18 concept would be the one!

[@MoraleHazard]

Yeah, open shaft drive has me drooling. I so have to get to the museum the next time I'm in Munich.

[@bmwmotorrad]

Definitely! You'll love it. 😊

[@rossstanford316]

Great video. Looking forward to the rest of the series. Now tell me, when will the R18 be available, promise I will keep it a secret.

[@bmwmotorrad]

Hey Ross! We'd love to tell you, but you'll have to wait a few more month. You will get more and more information with the upcoming episodes 🙌

[@jojomama4787]

My'54 is one of the bikes I never should have let go...open shaft!

[@rajm2309]

I will highly consider the R18 in addition to my Sportster 48.

[@dimazarinchuk8033]

Awesome 👏

[@cavebeastdemon3631]

Love the open shaft drive. Wish I could afford one. It wish I could buy this bike and the Triumph Rocket III. If I had to decide it would be the triumph though.

[@jerrywinder7052]

Where do I sign?

[@PIETROMACMOTO]

LOVE IT ....

[@WeAreDigitalNatives]

OPEN SHAFT DRIVE!!!! 👏

[@donniebaker5984]

A chrome open drive shaft WITH A CHROME U-JOINT -!!! back in 1965 i worked at M&R cycles... mark royer was the owner and customers would ask mark " what about that drive shaft on that thing ..and mark would say " got a minute?" then mark would go back in the parts room and drag out tthis crusty old wax covered cardboard box that said BMW on it with a brand new complete drive shaft from the 1930's and tell the customer " i really dont know much about their drive shaft ..BMW made me buy this one back in 1935 as it came with the orginal parts when i payed for the dealership ... And nobody has needed one yet !" this thing with 5 gallon bucket size jugs is your beamer bobber from the 60's minus those 5 gallon jugs sticking out ...

[@fourmidablecenturions2498]

great story, donnie

[@donniebaker5984]

@@fourmidablecenturions2498 hehehe, if you're talking about the "jugs" ..to me is the first part of this new beamer bobber that stands out from the crowd of boxer beamers ...in the mid to late '60s through summer vacation from high school i worked for a BMW , Ducati, Moto Guzzi , Norton, Suzuki , and Vespa Motorscooter Dealer Ship ..i was 17 years old at that time and mostly into two stroke dirt bikes and choppers ...but there was a select group of ol' timers who cruised into our beamer shop on early BMWs of the time they had earl's front forks , hard tail frames with spring loaded rear axles and an open drive shaft ..as these boys from wwii were the orginal beamer bobbers who bobbed beamers to a state of the art cafa racer ..with a 500cc beamer boxer tuned to rival any ton up ace cafa ..so the other day when BMW smacked us with a round house punch in the face dropping a factory overkill beamer bobber thermal nuclear fat man bomb jugs hanging out both sides ...i thought of those ol' timers and their chopped bobbed shaved clean and tuned beamer bobbers that done the ton ...and those guys today would crawl out of their graves to get a load of this retro bobbed beamer with almost 4 times the displacement , something you would expect to see from Hitler's 3rd Reich Gestopo with demons from hell dressed in nazi uniforms riding in formation .and my main ride was a 1967 suzuki "120" single cylinder , Bates leather solo seat , bobbed front and rear finder ,clubman cafa racer bars 118cc two stroke "dirt bobber chopper" bored and ported, shaved , jetted ,and polished with a tuned gutted high pipe and knobby tires ..altogether she would do 82 miles per hour that put me well ahead of twin jet 100cc yamahas , 125cc ducatis , 106 Sears All State , honda super 90s, 125cc two stroke kawasaki and in league with a Honda Twin 160 Hawk and a Suzuki 150cc Two stroke twin , and yes i was the bad ass of the neighborhood , Until one day one of Jack Penton's riders moved in and there went the neighborhood ...im talkin bout the famous 125cc two stroke Penton six day trials championship winner that was a motocross/cross country/ scrambles / enduro race bike ...as one day im doing bout 75 on a country dirt road and all of a sudden braaaap what the fuck was that ? And its a brand new two stroke Penton 125cc ..later that week to find out my local honda/triumph shop bought them and the brand new 250cc single two stroke huskys ..each one costing the same as a triumph bonneville 650 "TT" of $1200 bucks compared to my now at that time became a slowzuki 120 i paid $450 bucks brand new ..so my heart was broken beat up stomped on and blew away into the weeds ..no longer king of the block ...in bout 1984 i worked for a harley repair shop rebuilding all years and models of mostly 10 years and older harleys that nobody else around wanted to have to deal with ..and once a year the boss would take anyone who wanted to the after market dealer parts and tooling motorcycle show in ohio in an indoor arena with distributors of everything made for all types brands and years of motorcycles ...and today it still haunts my memory of a shop from somewhere who specialized in bolt on DIY turbo kits single and dual for R100 BMW's and one of the older 750's from the 60's .at their booth were to examples installed on two different BMW custom show bikes sitting on display stands sparkling under the over head lighting inside on the arena main floor drawing the attention of my diehard harley boss ...now imagine what you can do today with a self tuning EFI throttle body and variable displacement turbo with ecu controlled two and three stage boost controllers and the various wide band solid state tuners available that auto tunes your electronic capacitor discharge ingnition timing with your electronic fuel injection system controlled by the readings of a wide band oxygen exhaust sensor that will keep the air to fuel ratio in the sweet spot of performance 24/7 of every split second with boost like a Subaru WRX STI World Champion Rally Race Car that of USA Team Subaru As an example of serious horse power that has to change elevations and atmospheric pressures at wfo throttle positions at high speeds in very short time up and down like an airplane without melting the pistons ......awh im outa breath on that one ....and with all the above and looking at 5 gallon bucket size jugs on this nazi storm trooper boxer beamer from the movie "iron sky" wwii nazi occupation of the far side of the moon .....(by now you should know were we are going with all this right?) and tada a 200 horsepower retro beamer bobber that will beam and bob the living daylights out of and the tails off of everything else for many miles of happy motoring ..and have a lovely day !

[@martinarmesto122]

Looking forward to watch additional material about this new bike, but specially interested in knowing when will be available for sale in Mexico. R18 it's amazing!!!

[@PhilGoldblum]

Great Video and exciting Bike. Open Shaft Drive - Yes Please. (I might even get to the u-joint maintenance my R1200 never gets :-) ) Thanks for keeping the boxer alive and well! Looking forward to getting my order in.

[@johnjohnsson4733]

Thanks for the inspiration - derottone

[@peerkuusch]

Ja, ich will! Die R18 ist die erste Machine wofür ich meinen Harley aufgeben würde. Absolute Klasse! I will have one! This is the first bike that I'm willing to give up my Harley for...

[@bmwmotorrad]

Na worauf wartest du? Nur noch ein bisschen Geduld! 😉 Viele Grüße, Moritz vom BMW Motorrad Team

[@jeromeflohner8009]

Worauf wir warten? Ganz einfach: Die Verkaufsfreigabe! Und das Serienbike, welches hoffentlich auf der EICMA stehen wird...

[@JC_CASIRAGHI]

Really enjoyed it, i've been waiting to know about the shaft drive good to know it's staying open!! oohh god, i can't wait to drive it here on the mexican twisty roads along with my RnineT

[@bmwmotorrad]

The R 18 will give you a very good time on these mexican roads 💯

[@raydreamer7566]

Much more difficult to customize and change final drive ratios with the shaft drive. But what a clean installation.

[@christucker7688]

I will buy the R18 the day it comes out.

[@BMWrider42]

Chris Tucker Me Too‼️

[@harrytrattner2287]

I can't wait to see one in person ,love this bike

[@bmwmotorrad]

Hi Harry, let us know what you think when you see it in person!😊

[@harrytrattner2287]

BMW Motorrad yes i will

[@harrytrattner2287]

BMW Motorrad Will dealerships have a demo bike so we can ride one? Prior to purchasing

[@bmwmotorrad]

Hi Harry, the market launch of the BMW R 18 will be in fall 2020. From then on, the bikes will be available for test drives at the dealer. 🙂

[@harrytrattner2287]

BMW Motorrad thankyou

[@ten54]

just waiting for the orderbook to open and I'm in ... already have an R nine T in the family

[@terrylewis4617]

The open shaft drive is sweeeeeeeeeet! Might have to trade in my R1200CL. Hope some fool wearing loose clothing doesn't get caught up in it and screw it up for everyone.

[@yayagazab4449]

An open shaft drive is a safety concern because things (e.g. fingers, loose clothing, etc) can get snagged or caught in exposed moving parts. This is why chain or belt drives at least have protective guards. It may be retro cool, but could be a liability for the company. Also, the elements will find their way into internal parts which may mean more maintenance. Otherwise, really good looking bike. I can see the same bike without the push rods in the engine though.

[@richardjerothe9541]

Awsome! Very cool bike!

[@chriselhardt3264]

Currently have and ride an R-80, R9T, and K-100RT. R-80 is the favorite, despite being carbureted. I second the suggestion that a 500cc version would be plenty for street riders, since there are only limited places one can demand the 110hp of the R9T. Remember, too, that the cheapest thing on a BMW motorcycle is the rider.

[@Twinstarrider]

Hey- great vid. Thanks for sharing - my love for BMW is in the direct line with its history. I love this concept bike but sadly would not purchase it. I personally do not need 1800cc Bring one smaller say 800 and same concept and yes- I would be one of the first to order. I prefer smaller displacement bikes... again. Beautiful bike. Great concept. And simpler is better . I await another instalment of this video series Danke

[@bmwmotorrad]

Hi there, thank you very much for the feedback! 👌

[@gastramp]

Can't wait. I'm sure it will be costly but I'm very tempted.... 😎

[@MikevanDijk]

I do hope the final design will stay close to the last concept bike, so that the shaft will remain open is a very promising sign. :) If so I have decided that this will be my "heropstapper" bike

[@ashwanitomar2643]

THIS IS AMAZING

[@andreidumitru9192]

I Love BMW 003, awesome engine & technology ! ✈💪🏻😎 #luftwaffe

[@DavidLee-vu2bc]

Unless I missed it, all i heard was shaft drive going into production. However, will they be making a R 18 cruiser as it is shown in the video. If the exact concept is going in production (shaft drive or not) - I'm buying!!!

[@allanyoung3012]

Really can't wait to see/ride an R18, but I'd quite like an R5 now as well..

[@bmwmotorrad]

Both bikes are pretty amazing! 💯

[@bmwmotorrad]

Good for you!

[@elnadini1221]

So coooooooooooool !!!!!!!

[@bmwmotorrad]

Happy to hear that you like it, Nader! 🙌

[@FK-2all]

Great bikes BMW,

[@bmwmotorrad]

Thanks dear!

[@prof.m.ottozeeejcdecs9998]

A showman and beauty-queen? Looks like a standard coiffure worked on him! Tying hard to look cool, without achieving that goal! ha ha The R18/2 is beautiful, especially in the cruiser configuration!

[@matthewclark8721]

Fantastic. Can’t wait to see this cruiser range. No need to continually clarify that Munich is in Germany though! 🥴

[@rkt4984]

Amazing!

[@ricardolibertad]

Amazing ! Waw!

[@Senior-Busa-Rider]

I love this new bike 🦅🇺🇸🦅👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@bmwmotorrad]

Hi Kim, we love to hear that!😊

[@duplennefrancois7985]

Si Motorrad pouvait m’en prêter une pour test quelques jours, welcome

[@joestrickland5153]

BEAUTIFUL BIKE BMW YOU ARE LEADING THE WAY FOR OUR CULTURE WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO RELEASE THE SELF BALANCING BIKE

[@robertsheehan2527]

It would be interesting if BMW offered the R18 in two versions: Cruiser and Classic. The Cruiser would resemble the concept bike, whereas the Classic would approximate the R5 with a higher saddle, useful fenders, and... a center-stand! Or, offer the saddle, fenders, and stand as accessories.

[@superdinops]

Germans are amazing! I love them. Slow play everthing no matter how great it is!