IIN3RDYII
New member
Nice to finally been accepted into the forum!
Been riding for over 15 years, first bike was a 1985 Honda CM400, then had Vstroms, Kymcos , to chinese scooters with a GY6 engine to Monsters and Vulcans.
I am now a happily BMW owner and rider. Picked up this 2021 FE R18 last summer. It was a leftover demo and I got it for what I thought was a steal (it seems the prices keeps going lower on these) so far I have clocked 3k on the dash and I couldn't be happier. Originally got it as a commuter and daily rider, I was hesitant at first given the massive boxer engine, the mid controls and the fact that it's a new engine by a large company, but after riding it for a little while in the crazy busy streets of Philadelphia.I finally understand what BMW is trying to accomplish with this bike and it's definitely not to compete with Harleys or Yamahas in the cruiser department.
The R18 is an animal of it's own, this bike tackles and fits a specific niche, both in the looks department as well as riding experience. I often tell my friends that the bike is in between a 150cc scooter (roll mode) to crazy torque behemoth (rock mode) with just a click of a button. I often find myself enjoying the handling and boring throttle response of the bike in roll mode, and while this sound counterintuitive or a negative statement, it's actually rather a huge compliment for my needs and where I ride.
My commute is over 75 miles round trip every other day, I hit a combination of inner city driving, with stop and go high way driving and full blown 80mph highway speeds in between, I bought this bike ahead of it's competitors because all reviewers; specially American ones, where constantly sh**ting on the bike due to its silly and boring throttle response on roll mode and riding suspension, tons of them comparing it to Harleys or Indians, one of the things that stuck to me is how one well known YouTube reviewer called this bike "boring, predictable and not as inspiring as a Harley" and that's exactly why I wanted one.
The bikes amazing, boring and predictable suspension and breaking handling has saved my life more than once in the busy Philly streets. More often than not, I have found myself slamming on my breaks and dodging merging vehicles on 95N. Most recently, I had a vehicle turn on red while I was merging, i found myself slamming on my breaks before hitting her head on, with the ABS responding without issues and that weird (H) coming on stabilizing the weight of the bike in the process. The smooth and amazing suspension has made the grueling process of merging from Northwest Philadelphia to 76 Blue Route a simple joy, even though it's just stop and go traffic on a two lane major interstate highway, connecting a major city and suburbs on a damn hill. The R18 has excelled and surpassed my expectations of boring, predictable and most importantly safe and that's exactly why I love it.
My only gripe so far has been at the lack of aftermarket parts and how horrendous the stock seat is, I did however just acquired the Day Rider seat, a windshield from Revzilla and the Wunderlich back rest. Will post updated pictures and a full review on them when they arrive but as of now, the R18 is hands down BMWs hidden gem that can only fully be appreciated when owned long term in an urban environment. I can't wait to keep adding more miles and seeing the future of the massive engine and amazing shaft drive.
Been riding for over 15 years, first bike was a 1985 Honda CM400, then had Vstroms, Kymcos , to chinese scooters with a GY6 engine to Monsters and Vulcans.
I am now a happily BMW owner and rider. Picked up this 2021 FE R18 last summer. It was a leftover demo and I got it for what I thought was a steal (it seems the prices keeps going lower on these) so far I have clocked 3k on the dash and I couldn't be happier. Originally got it as a commuter and daily rider, I was hesitant at first given the massive boxer engine, the mid controls and the fact that it's a new engine by a large company, but after riding it for a little while in the crazy busy streets of Philadelphia.I finally understand what BMW is trying to accomplish with this bike and it's definitely not to compete with Harleys or Yamahas in the cruiser department.
The R18 is an animal of it's own, this bike tackles and fits a specific niche, both in the looks department as well as riding experience. I often tell my friends that the bike is in between a 150cc scooter (roll mode) to crazy torque behemoth (rock mode) with just a click of a button. I often find myself enjoying the handling and boring throttle response of the bike in roll mode, and while this sound counterintuitive or a negative statement, it's actually rather a huge compliment for my needs and where I ride.
My commute is over 75 miles round trip every other day, I hit a combination of inner city driving, with stop and go high way driving and full blown 80mph highway speeds in between, I bought this bike ahead of it's competitors because all reviewers; specially American ones, where constantly sh**ting on the bike due to its silly and boring throttle response on roll mode and riding suspension, tons of them comparing it to Harleys or Indians, one of the things that stuck to me is how one well known YouTube reviewer called this bike "boring, predictable and not as inspiring as a Harley" and that's exactly why I wanted one.
The bikes amazing, boring and predictable suspension and breaking handling has saved my life more than once in the busy Philly streets. More often than not, I have found myself slamming on my breaks and dodging merging vehicles on 95N. Most recently, I had a vehicle turn on red while I was merging, i found myself slamming on my breaks before hitting her head on, with the ABS responding without issues and that weird (H) coming on stabilizing the weight of the bike in the process. The smooth and amazing suspension has made the grueling process of merging from Northwest Philadelphia to 76 Blue Route a simple joy, even though it's just stop and go traffic on a two lane major interstate highway, connecting a major city and suburbs on a damn hill. The R18 has excelled and surpassed my expectations of boring, predictable and most importantly safe and that's exactly why I love it.
My only gripe so far has been at the lack of aftermarket parts and how horrendous the stock seat is, I did however just acquired the Day Rider seat, a windshield from Revzilla and the Wunderlich back rest. Will post updated pictures and a full review on them when they arrive but as of now, the R18 is hands down BMWs hidden gem that can only fully be appreciated when owned long term in an urban environment. I can't wait to keep adding more miles and seeing the future of the massive engine and amazing shaft drive.
