Thinking of an R18

[andys]

I'm here hoping to get some guidance from long term owner's, especially in regard to a shortcoming I encountered on a recent test ride.
Currently own a 2017 R Nine T Racer, a 2000 R1100RS and a 2003 Moto Guzzi California EV1100.
I'll post up my queries in the relevant forum

 

[Anibal]

The R18 in my personal opinion is an awesome machine, particularly the Bagger, but of course, I am biased. Seriously, the bike is one hell of a bike and priced a lot lower than the competition. Some bikes out there have had issues with the adaptive headlight and some others have now the optional reverse gear module disconnected as apart of a recall, but the fix will hopefully come next spring and compensation has been offered. It depends what you are looking for on a motorcycle but for me the R18B tick all the boxes. Fairly cheap and easy to maintain, in my opinion it was built to last and the attention to detail and finish is awesome.
I have had mine for 2 years and I don’t have any regrets.

 

[BER18 100]

The R18 is in my estimation a very good cruiser. The bike is mechanically sound. The only tweak I needed was changing the handle bars. When the bike arrived it seemed like I was reaching.

 

[LockieP]

There is a recall on the reverser so if you’re buying from BMW Motorrad it will probably already have been disconnected. There is a fix in the pipeline rumoured to be ready in the new year. Mine is going for its first MoT on Monday & the reverser will be disconnected. I don’t use the reverser much but it’s handy in certain situations as these bikes are fuck off heavy. I mainly use it to get the bike out of the chock stand I use. I use a chock stand to keep the bike upright in my garage as they only have a side stand & there have been reports of the left cylinder smoking probably because of the oil settling as the left cylinder sits lower when in the side stand.
I find BMW grips too skinny & uncomfortable so very BMW I’ve had I put Grip Puppies on to fatten up the grips.
My R18 is a first edition Classic. I’ve got a day rider seat which I find comfier than the stock seat. I’ve bought a new front mudguard which is like a Harley one as the stock mudguard is too small & ineffective. Aesthetically I think the bigger one looks better too. It’s plastic, Chinese & cost £70 on eBay but the paint quality is good & it fitted perfectly.
If you remove the side panels for any reason make sure they are secure when you put them back on. They secure old school style with rubber grommets & my rhs one went awol & cost me £100 plus another £100 to get painted.
I only ever use E5 petrol. They will run happily on E10 but I prefer to use E5. On a long run cruising at 70 I get c50mpg which is pretty good. The tank isn’t very big but I get around 140 out of it. No petrol gauge but you get a warning at around 40 miles left.
I love my R18. It’s plummeted in value but I bought it to keep & to ride & I’ve had it 3 years now.
Enjoy!

 

[physiqo]

I'm here hoping to get some guidance from long term owner's, especially in regard to a shortcoming I encountered on a recent test ride.
Currently own a 2017 R Nine T Racer, a 2000 R1100RS and a 2003 Moto Guzzi California EV1100.
I'll post up my queries in the relevant forum

What was the shortcoming you found? I haven’t owned mine for long so I won’t comment much. My strategy was to test ride a couple different models. I thought the Classic felt the smoothest with the big tire up front but the Roctane was too beautiful to pass up imo.

 

[emgarciax]

+1 for the Classic.

 

[Noelpolar]

What was the shortcoming you found?

See https://www.r18forums.com/threads/thoughts-appreciated.3707/#post-50511

 

[scout29]

Ride them all the best one will stand out to what fits you the best. Taking consideration that you may want more than a cruiser down the road but maybe a transcontinental for touring. Good luck and enjoy. I love my continental

 

[Majunior]

It’s a lot of bike form very little money, considering all the deals available. The build quality is top notch. If you maintained your Nine T you’ll find maintenance even easier on the R18 in some ways **cough air filter cough battery cough*.

 

[Star-Lord]

I've been super happy with my 2022 First Edition R18 B (~13,000 miles); I was previously looking to jump off of my 2008 GS Adventure (96,600+ miles) which had zero issues, and purchase a 2022 HD Street Glide ST or Road Glide ST.

Once I saw the R18 B and the price, I was basically sold on the idea in comparison to the HD models. My Model B is still stock, minus some little "bling" items; however, I did add a bunch of the TC Wind Management attributes to my model B (Fairing Winglets, Lower Leg Wind Protection and the front Auxiliary Lights and Directional) which are stock on the Transcontinental.

I love the sportier look of the Model B, and the Black Color throughout vs the gun metal grey color typically found on the TC.

One of, if not the BEST attribute of the R18; is the ability to self maintain the platform annually and or every 6,000 miles or so. Performing the maintenance on the bike is one of the most rewarding attributes of ownership, it allows me to become extremely knowledgeable of the bike and presents an opportunity to clean the hard to get areas on the bike from time to time.

Happy 2025 New Year and good luck on your search..

 

[DonC]

I'm here hoping to get some guidance from long term owner's, especially in regard to a shortcoming I encountered on a recent test ride.
Currently own a 2017 R Nine T Racer, a 2000 R1100RS and a 2003 Moto Guzzi California EV1100.
I'll post up my queries in the relevant forum

Being a rider for 60 years I have ridden and owned many bikes. I have absolutely loved many of them, and others not so much. There is so much right about my R18, and so little not right, that it is maybe my favorite bike overall. Of course, no bike meets “the best” criteria for every rider but if you like large displacement cruisers, there is really very little to criticize in the R18.

 

[BER18 100]

The R18 machine is a work of art. I got the right seat, handlebars, and other tweaks to make it mine.
From an optics point of view, the R18B with Galaxy Dust paint scheme is gorgeous.