Since taking delivery, I've put on a few hundred miles and I have some first impressions.
I don't have much to compare the R18 to, as a cruiser, except to my old 2005 Suzuki Boulevard M50 which was my first bike. So this will be more of a stand alone first impressions with a few comparisons to other BMWs I've been accustomed to riding.
The fit and finish is fantastic. Enormous attention to detail. It's mostly a metal/steel bike. Fenders, side covers, tank, etc. A few pieces seem to be plastic. Like the intake air tube guards, air filter cover; there may be more. It's definitely a looker and much more compact than I expected (especially compared to my longtime dream bike Suzuki M109R).
The paint is beautiful, white strips are well done, shapes are classic, a bit too much chrome for my taste but it’s growing on me.
The engine is the center piece. It is large and protrudes massively from side to side. It's not as wide as the handlebar which makes gauging in tight spots easier.
The front blinkers, as well as rear blinker-brake-tail lights, are stylish and bright.
The headlamp is classic in design, but houses bright LEDs. Cornering lights don't seem bright enough but to be fair I haven’t really seen them at night.
The dash is minimalistic. Classic design. Most of the dash is taken up by the speedometer. You can have the digital display at the bottom show different things including the engine speed (50 rpm increments), current gear, time, various averages and such. I would rather tach as the center piece and have a digital speedometer but I suspect by law speed may need to be displayed always.
The exhaust is very stylish. They are sleek. I like them a lot.
Overall, it's a great package. Looks phenomenal in person.
Ergonomically, the bike is spot on once you acclimate to it.
Initially I didn't know where to place my feet. But I was able to find a spot quickly enough. Naturally the feet angles from horizontal and the right foot hovers just above the brake pedal comfortable. The left foot hovers over the shifter. I found that you can also take a wider stance on the pegs and "man spread" extremely comfortably. With the narrower stance, legs will wrap around the bike on both side air intake tubes which have guards for that exact purpose. With the wider stance, nothing touches or gets in the way.
Interestingly, I can fully stand upright on the bike. Great for stretching or going over bumps and railroad tracks.
The seat is a bit hard but initially more comfortable than the GS's was before being broken in. The seat is grippy enough that I could seat close to the tank if I wanted to for more of a GS seating position.
Seating on the cupped part of the seat (all the way back) makes me lean forward a bit for the reach, particularly at full lock. Doesn't stress my back and allows me to stay comfortable at high speeds with the wind pushing me back.
The handlebar is super wide. Personally, I like wide bars like that of the first gen S1000XR. Wires are running inside the bar for a clean look. Only things coming off the handlebar are the brake and clutch lines.
All the controls are mostly the same as other BMWs. Unlike others, the R18 doesn’t have a whiz wheel and the mode button is on the left side. I am finding that it's nice to not have to reach with my control hand to change modes.
Grips are too big for my preference but the controls are still usable.
The clutch and the brake levers are tall (thick up up and down). It was strange at first but the way they are shaped, you can slide up and down the lever with your fingers very intuitively due to their shape. I have to 3 finger the clutch and 2 finger the brake (I usually 2 finger clutch and 1 finger brake).
Grip warmers have 4 settings including off. Works as expected.
Riding modes were unexpectedly different. Drastically different in fact. In “Roll” mode, it seems to give you all the power gradually. It smooths out throttle input and ramps it up slowly. Doesn’t feel lazy. It’s difficult to describe but it is well suited for cruising around. In “Rock” mode, the throttle response is direct. Akin to a performance bike particularly the KTM Super Duke. For me, it would require effort to cruise in Rock mode as it's not very calming. I’ve ridden most of the miles so far (90+%) in Roll.
Modes don't seem to change the exhaust, as there are no flaps that I can see. But my perception is that the exhaust sounds louder and more aggressive in "Rock" mode due to how the power is delivered. Exhaust is deep and throaty. I found myself wanting it to be louder as I can't hear it at all just cruising with my noise cancelling earphones.
The bike has great handling. Wide bars and it's low center of gravity at work. The long wheel base makes it feel quite stable as well.
Brakes feel different from other BMWs I’ve ridden (S1000RR, S1000XR, R1250GS). It requires a lot more force/pull to make it stop but it stops well. The first 2/3 of the pull has very little braking power. The last third requires quite a bit more pressure to use and that's where most of the stopping power is. The rear brake is really good on this bike. Unlike the front, it feels more progressive through the entire range. Makes it easier to do low speed maneuvers. It’s hard to compare the actual performance. The bike is so low that it’s harder to judge compared to a tall bike like the GS. It makes speeds and distances seem different as well.
The clutch lever pull is a lot heavier than on the GS. Holding it down for 2+ mins at a stop light will start to cause discomfort. The friction zone is quite wide and coupled with a heavy fly wheel - slow maneuvers are a breeze.
The reverse gear is interesting. It took a few tries to get the hang of it, but it works well
The last thing I want to touch on is the engine character. It twists the bike to the left when started. While idling it rumbles but once it gets going, it's very smooth. With a large throttle input, particularly in "Rock" mode, the bike will slightly torque to the left still. It's charming in it's own way and I really enjoy it.
Overall, it serves it's design and purpose very well.
TLDR: Looks great. Comfortable. Good for cruising. Good for low speed. Enjoyable.
I don't have much to compare the R18 to, as a cruiser, except to my old 2005 Suzuki Boulevard M50 which was my first bike. So this will be more of a stand alone first impressions with a few comparisons to other BMWs I've been accustomed to riding.
The fit and finish is fantastic. Enormous attention to detail. It's mostly a metal/steel bike. Fenders, side covers, tank, etc. A few pieces seem to be plastic. Like the intake air tube guards, air filter cover; there may be more. It's definitely a looker and much more compact than I expected (especially compared to my longtime dream bike Suzuki M109R).
The paint is beautiful, white strips are well done, shapes are classic, a bit too much chrome for my taste but it’s growing on me.
The engine is the center piece. It is large and protrudes massively from side to side. It's not as wide as the handlebar which makes gauging in tight spots easier.
The front blinkers, as well as rear blinker-brake-tail lights, are stylish and bright.
The headlamp is classic in design, but houses bright LEDs. Cornering lights don't seem bright enough but to be fair I haven’t really seen them at night.
The dash is minimalistic. Classic design. Most of the dash is taken up by the speedometer. You can have the digital display at the bottom show different things including the engine speed (50 rpm increments), current gear, time, various averages and such. I would rather tach as the center piece and have a digital speedometer but I suspect by law speed may need to be displayed always.
The exhaust is very stylish. They are sleek. I like them a lot.
Overall, it's a great package. Looks phenomenal in person.
Ergonomically, the bike is spot on once you acclimate to it.
Initially I didn't know where to place my feet. But I was able to find a spot quickly enough. Naturally the feet angles from horizontal and the right foot hovers just above the brake pedal comfortable. The left foot hovers over the shifter. I found that you can also take a wider stance on the pegs and "man spread" extremely comfortably. With the narrower stance, legs will wrap around the bike on both side air intake tubes which have guards for that exact purpose. With the wider stance, nothing touches or gets in the way.
Interestingly, I can fully stand upright on the bike. Great for stretching or going over bumps and railroad tracks.
The seat is a bit hard but initially more comfortable than the GS's was before being broken in. The seat is grippy enough that I could seat close to the tank if I wanted to for more of a GS seating position.
Seating on the cupped part of the seat (all the way back) makes me lean forward a bit for the reach, particularly at full lock. Doesn't stress my back and allows me to stay comfortable at high speeds with the wind pushing me back.
The handlebar is super wide. Personally, I like wide bars like that of the first gen S1000XR. Wires are running inside the bar for a clean look. Only things coming off the handlebar are the brake and clutch lines.
All the controls are mostly the same as other BMWs. Unlike others, the R18 doesn’t have a whiz wheel and the mode button is on the left side. I am finding that it's nice to not have to reach with my control hand to change modes.
Grips are too big for my preference but the controls are still usable.
The clutch and the brake levers are tall (thick up up and down). It was strange at first but the way they are shaped, you can slide up and down the lever with your fingers very intuitively due to their shape. I have to 3 finger the clutch and 2 finger the brake (I usually 2 finger clutch and 1 finger brake).
Grip warmers have 4 settings including off. Works as expected.
Riding modes were unexpectedly different. Drastically different in fact. In “Roll” mode, it seems to give you all the power gradually. It smooths out throttle input and ramps it up slowly. Doesn’t feel lazy. It’s difficult to describe but it is well suited for cruising around. In “Rock” mode, the throttle response is direct. Akin to a performance bike particularly the KTM Super Duke. For me, it would require effort to cruise in Rock mode as it's not very calming. I’ve ridden most of the miles so far (90+%) in Roll.
Modes don't seem to change the exhaust, as there are no flaps that I can see. But my perception is that the exhaust sounds louder and more aggressive in "Rock" mode due to how the power is delivered. Exhaust is deep and throaty. I found myself wanting it to be louder as I can't hear it at all just cruising with my noise cancelling earphones.
The bike has great handling. Wide bars and it's low center of gravity at work. The long wheel base makes it feel quite stable as well.
Brakes feel different from other BMWs I’ve ridden (S1000RR, S1000XR, R1250GS). It requires a lot more force/pull to make it stop but it stops well. The first 2/3 of the pull has very little braking power. The last third requires quite a bit more pressure to use and that's where most of the stopping power is. The rear brake is really good on this bike. Unlike the front, it feels more progressive through the entire range. Makes it easier to do low speed maneuvers. It’s hard to compare the actual performance. The bike is so low that it’s harder to judge compared to a tall bike like the GS. It makes speeds and distances seem different as well.
The clutch lever pull is a lot heavier than on the GS. Holding it down for 2+ mins at a stop light will start to cause discomfort. The friction zone is quite wide and coupled with a heavy fly wheel - slow maneuvers are a breeze.
The reverse gear is interesting. It took a few tries to get the hang of it, but it works well
The last thing I want to touch on is the engine character. It twists the bike to the left when started. While idling it rumbles but once it gets going, it's very smooth. With a large throttle input, particularly in "Rock" mode, the bike will slightly torque to the left still. It's charming in it's own way and I really enjoy it.
Overall, it serves it's design and purpose very well.
TLDR: Looks great. Comfortable. Good for cruising. Good for low speed. Enjoyable.
