R18 is quite enjoyable : my opinion

valkraider

valkraider

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I know that forums tend to be heavy on discussion about problems. Most people don't take the time to seek out and log in to a forum, to simply talk about the simple good parts of a product.

This is fair, I understand trying to get info to solve problems. It is perfectly OK - and I think people just need to realize that a discussion forum can give a negatively skewed viewpoint of a product.

So I wanted to share my positive opinion.

I have just passed my run-in period with my R18 TC, and I am enjoying quite a bit it thus far. I know I don't have enough miles to truly give any real long term assessment - but I do have a lot of experience to relate it too.

Currently in my stable I have three bikes, two which I ride regularly. The R18 TC and a Triumph Tiger 1200.

I have thoroughly loved my Tiger, in fact it is my second one! I had one for a few years, traded it on another bike, then missed it and went back and bought another Tiger 1200. So it's a great bike IMO. It could not be more different than the R18 if you wanted it to. And that works out OK.

I have decided that my Tiger is more fun.

My R18 is more enjoyable.

Comparatively - even though the Tiger 1200 is a big adventure bike - it feels like a sport bike. It is super nimble, quick revving, and super fun to just zoom around on. (And after riding the R18 for a while, seems like it is so smooth I almost thought it didn't start, as I was so used to the R18 thunderous startup). The Tiger is comfortable, and ergonomic - I have ridden it for more than 15 hour days many times. It has OK wind protection and is decent on most surfaces of road, only really being too big for serious off-roading. I have ridden it in as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit height and as warm as 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Rain, snow, and sun. So pretty good range of experience.

My R18 I have only so far ridden in the mid 40s to the mid50s Fahrenheit - so I don't know how it will be for me in the heat. I have had it in rain and dry weather. It is big and stable and kind of slowly meandering. It is very relaxing and enjoyable. Super comfortable (1 or two up) and just a nice sensation, with torque across the whole RPM range it requires very little thinking about which gear I am in. It just rolls on the power any time I need it. It is beautiful to look at as I walk away from it and back towards it. It sounds really nice - not too loud (I abhor super loud vehicles) but still really strong and throaty. It has great smooth air protection for me and passenger, and it just is an incredibly nice experience riding it.

Yes, the R18 TC is a big bike. It also has almost no lean angle, I scrape the floorboards just thinking about cornering. But it's not supposed to be sporty - it's supposed to be *nice* and *enjoyable* in my opinion. And it nails it.

I have lots of experience with big bikes, I have owned a Honda Valkyrie Interstate, a Triumph Rocket III Touring, and a DCT Honda Goldwing. I have owned lots of low slung cruisers, several V-twins, and a few sporty bikes too. None of them small. I have been riding for over 40 years, and seen technology change drastically over that time.

Yeah, the R18 TC has a few things that I am not the most fond of (I wish they would adopt CarPlay - that would make it way way better).

But I am so far very happy with it. Let's hope that stays true! Enjoy your ride!
 
The qualities and/or characteristics we value in a motorcycle are very subjective. Your Triumph obviously works for you but it’s a bit like apples and oranges with your TC. I think it’s important when choosing a bike to be honest with yourself about your actual ability and specifically what you want to use it for. If we get those two things right the ownership experience has a good chance of meeting expectations.

If I buy a Fireblade for example, having never raced, done a track day, or got my knee down even once and all I want to do with it is tootle about country lanes I’m pretty sure it’s not going to work out.

Like many on the forum I’ve been through a stupid number of bikes, of all sorts and makes, mostly getting it right but sometimes not.

When I saw the R18FE I just knew I had to get my hands on one. I like the fact it’s quite rare. The other variants do offer a lot more practicality but I don’t need that. It suits the roads around me and what I want it for. 18 months in it’s been everything I hoped it would be. Sometimes I make myself a drink and go into the garage, take the cover off, pull up a stool…….. and just look at it.
 
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I must say I love my R18B!!! Going between that and my K1600GTL, they both have their own highlights. I have however ran into an issue caused by me, took the tank off a couple times doing modifications and now the fuel line will not stay connected. I have a new one on the way but it is coming from Germany so I may be down for a few weeks :( But I cant wait to get it back on the road!!!
 
Rufus said:
Sometimes I make myself a drink and go into the garage, take the cover off, pull up a stool…….. and just look at it.
Click to expand...
Thank god you do that as well. I thought I was alone doing this. Please tell me you also sit on it whilst enjoying your brew and admire the controls, the lines and take it of the side stand to feel the weight and low centre of gravity!
My girlfriend thought I was weird or was a bloke’s thing to do, the first time she walked into the garage and saw me doing this 😂😂😂
 
I like all of this.

Also, I do often just sit in the garage looking at the bike. Its beautiful.

As a related comment, I was in New Orleans recently and in an art gallery on Royal street they had an R18 heritage edition in with an art exhibit as part of the art.

So clearly, we are not the only ones who think its nice to gaze upon.
 
Anibal said:
Thank god you do that as well. I thought I was alone doing this. Please tell me you also sit on it whilst enjoying your brew and admire the controls, the lines and take it of the side stand to feel the weight and low centre of gravity!
My girlfriend thought I was weird or was a bloke’s thing to do, the first time she walked into the garage and saw me doing this 😂😂😂
Click to expand...
Me, with every bike I’ve owned.
 
valkraider said:
I know that forums tend to be heavy on discussion about problems. Most people don't take the time to seek out and log in to a forum, to simply talk about the simple good parts of a product.

This is fair, I understand trying to get info to solve problems. It is perfectly OK - and I think people just need to realize that a discussion forum can give a negatively skewed viewpoint of a product.

So I wanted to share my positive opinion.

I have just passed my run-in period with my R18 TC, and I am enjoying quite a bit it thus far. I know I don't have enough miles to truly give any real long term assessment - but I do have a lot of experience to relate it too.

Currently in my stable I have three bikes, two which I ride regularly. The R18 TC and a Triumph Tiger 1200.

I have thoroughly loved my Tiger, in fact it is my second one! I had one for a few years, traded it on another bike, then missed it and went back and bought another Tiger 1200. So it's a great bike IMO. It could not be more different than the R18 if you wanted it to. And that works out OK.

I have decided that my Tiger is more fun.

My R18 is more enjoyable.

Comparatively - even though the Tiger 1200 is a big adventure bike - it feels like a sport bike. It is super nimble, quick revving, and super fun to just zoom around on. (And after riding the R18 for a while, seems like it is so smooth I almost thought it didn't start, as I was so used to the R18 thunderous startup). The Tiger is comfortable, and ergonomic - I have ridden it for more than 15 hour days many times. It has OK wind protection and is decent on most surfaces of road, only really being too big for serious off-roading. I have ridden it in as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit height and as warm as 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Rain, snow, and sun. So pretty good range of experience.

My R18 I have only so far ridden in the mid 40s to the mid50s Fahrenheit - so I don't know how it will be for me in the heat. I have had it in rain and dry weather. It is big and stable and kind of slowly meandering. It is very relaxing and enjoyable. Super comfortable (1 or two up) and just a nice sensation, with torque across the whole RPM range it requires very little thinking about which gear I am in. It just rolls on the power any time I need it. It is beautiful to look at as I walk away from it and back towards it. It sounds really nice - not too loud (I abhor super loud vehicles) but still really strong and throaty. It has great smooth air protection for me and passenger, and it just is an incredibly nice experience riding it.

Yes, the R18 TC is a big bike. It also has almost no lean angle, I scrape the floorboards just thinking about cornering. But it's not supposed to be sporty - it's supposed to be *nice* and *enjoyable* in my opinion. And it nails it.

I have lots of experience with big bikes, I have owned a Honda Valkyrie Interstate, a Triumph Rocket III Touring, and a DCT Honda Goldwing. I have owned lots of low slung cruisers, several V-twins, and a few sporty bikes too. None of them small. I have been riding for over 40 years, and seen technology change drastically over that time.

Yeah, the R18 TC has a few things that I am not the most fond of (I wish they would adopt CarPlay - that would make it way way better).

But I am so far very happy with it. Let's hope that stays true! Enjoy your ride!
Click to expand...
I had a lot of problems and I still enjoy the retro feel of the R18.
 
Excellent thread. I also do the garage bonding, with both the TC and the GS.
The TC is motive art and very comfortable for us, either solo or two-up. The GS is the ugly-beautiful of form-following-function and very comfortable for me 😊, but not for her.
I've put well over 90,000 wonderful miles on the GS, including multiple long-distance rides, both on-road & off-road. I don't off-road any longer: my strength, balance and recuperative properties aren't what they were.
The TC has only 9,000 miles so far and only 2 long-distance rides, which account for over 6,000 of those miles. For me, it only needed a few minor tweaks: shifter and handlebar positioning. It has been a joy to ride!
 
Anibal said:
Thank god you do that as well. I thought I was alone doing this. Please tell me you also sit on it whilst enjoying your brew and admire the controls, the lines and take it of the side stand to feel the weight and low centre of gravity!
My girlfriend thought I was weird or was a bloke’s thing to do, the first time she walked into the garage and saw me doing this 😂😂😂
Click to expand...
Ohhhh .. I am so glad that you all came out with this ... every so often I get hammered and then I mosey out in the shop and just admire my rides ... the 'Ol' Girl' ('66 Shovelhead very chopped) and of course Uschi my R18 ! Now I feel much better ... and in good company!

As_good_as_it_gets.jpg
 
Other than my Triumph Daytona 500, which I road my last two years of high school i have ridden nothing but BMWs for the last 50+ years. And, luckily, my big brother's friend was a motorcycle mechanic. Gauges, ignition cylinders losses, primary chain case issues....... This was followed by selling it for college and traveling east from WI with a 62 Beatle which broke a lot. When I returned to Madison, I decided even in WI, I'd rather a new bike than a used car and paid about $2,100 for a 1971 R60/5. The deciding factor was the BMW drive shaft vs maintaining a chain again. Various events required the current bike to fund something else but The closest I came to not buying a BMW was when the traveling nurse asked if he could bring his Bike from PA. I was then riding , last April, a 2009 R1200RT I had bought 2 years earlier with 70,000 miles but a clean and complete dealer history. It was a very nice bike escept for seat height. Coming in closer to 5'4" from my original 5'6"(rounded up),

With the lowest BMW seat for the bike and one pair of shoes, I could get a bonus two balls of my feet to the ground. I sat on his 2022 heritage classic and both feet went flat to the ground and I was that close to buying a Harley. Lucking, a saw a TC which my dealer said he could do good things with. So up I went to North Hampton NH. and signed papers that day
for my current 2023 R 18 classic. It is a more exposed ride than I have had in many of my bikes but the extra 150 pounds for the TC was a stopper.

So I will turn 72 this may and in 56 years of riding have never been so happy to have both feet planted. I did 2,300 miles in two years with the RT which was uncomfortable and cramped from the low seat/foot peg positions. Did 4,000 this years around the back roads of MA, RI and CT.

This is my 6th BMW and this one is by far the most beautiful bike I have ever seen. With 2 bikes and two cars and other things like my Snap-On tool box, compressor, and big ass snow blower no room for a chair but tempted. Mine is all black and I adder the Wunderlich pinion and tank chrome racks, it is definitely a piece of art. This is down to every nut and bolt. The Harley it shares a garage with for now is a pretty bike(say a 7) the R 18 is a (12) :) I have to post a couple pics from my Mac later as my PC is too stupid to easily access my phone.

1965 Trimph Daytona 500, 1971 R60/5(slvr), 1974 r90/5, 1987 K100RT, 1971 R60/5(blk), 2009 R1200RT, 2023 R 18 Classic.
Bill
 

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FYI I can see your 2 pictures. One with the R18 and a tan hat on the right mirror and another one with a HD, Pensilvania number plate 😉
 
beantownbt said:
Other than my Triumph Daytona 500, which I road my last two years of high school i have ridden nothing but BMWs for the last 50+ years. And, luckily, my big brother's friend was a motorcycle mechanic. Gauges, ignition cylinders losses, primary chain case issues....... This was followed by selling it for college and traveling east from WI with a 62 Beatle which broke a lot. When I returned to Madison, I decided even in WI, I'd rather a new bike than a used car and paid about $2,100 for a 1971 R60/5. The deciding factor was the BMW drive shaft vs maintaining a chain again. Various events required the current bike to fund something else but The closest I came to not buying a BMW was when the traveling nurse asked if he could bring his Bike from PA. I was then riding , last April, a 2009 R1200RT I had bought 2 years earlier with 70,000 miles but a clean and complete dealer history. It was a very nice bike escept for seat height. Coming in closer to 5'4" from my original 5'6"(rounded up),

With the lowest BMW seat for the bike and one pair of shoes, I could get a bonus two balls of my feet to the ground. I sat on his 2022 heritage classic and both feet went flat to the ground and I was that close to buying a Harley. Lucking, a saw a TC which my dealer said he could do good things with. So up I went to North Hampton NH. and signed papers that day
for my current 2023 R 18 classic. It is a more exposed ride than I have had in many of my bikes but the extra 150 pounds for the TC was a stopper.

So I will turn 72 this may and in 56 years of riding have never been so happy to have both feet planted. I did 2,300 miles in two years with the RT which was uncomfortable and cramped from the low seat/foot peg positions. Did 4,000 this years around the back roads of MA, RI and CT.

This is my 6th BMW and this one is by far the most beautiful bike I have ever seen. With 2 bikes and two cars and other things like my Snap-On tool box, compressor, and big ass snow blower no room for a chair but tempted. Mine is all black and I adder the Wunderlich pinion and tank chrome racks, it is definitely a piece of art. This is down to every nut and bolt. The Harley it shares a garage with for now is a pretty bike(say a 7) the R 18 is a (12) :) I have to post a couple pics from my Mac later as my PC is too stupid to easily access my phone.

1965 Trimph Daytona 500, 1971 R60/5(slvr), 1974 r90/5, 1987 K100RT, 1971 R60/5(blk), 2009 R1200RT, 2023 R 18 Classic.
Bill
Click to expand...
Try going back to your post that has the pictures, and select "edit"; (3 dots w/ arrow pointing down) once there, select "insert" on the picture and choose "full image"

Screenshot_20240211-215909.png

Screenshot_20240217-171612.png
 
beantownbt said:
Other than my Triumph Daytona 500, which I road my last two years of high school i have ridden nothing but BMWs for the last 50+ years. And, luckily, my big brother's friend was a motorcycle mechanic. Gauges, ignition cylinders losses, primary chain case issues....... This was followed by selling it for college and traveling east from WI with a 62 Beatle which broke a lot. When I returned to Madison, I decided even in WI, I'd rather a new bike than a used car and paid about $2,100 for a 1971 R60/5. The deciding factor was the BMW drive shaft vs maintaining a chain again. Various events required the current bike to fund something else but The closest I came to not buying a BMW was when the traveling nurse asked if he could bring his Bike from PA. I was then riding , last April, a 2009 R1200RT I had bought 2 years earlier with 70,000 miles but a clean and complete dealer history. It was a very nice bike escept for seat height. Coming in closer to 5'4" from my original 5'6"(rounded up),

With the lowest BMW seat for the bike and one pair of shoes, I could get a bonus two balls of my feet to the ground. I sat on his 2022 heritage classic and both feet went flat to the ground and I was that close to buying a Harley. Lucking, a saw a TC which my dealer said he could do good things with. So up I went to North Hampton NH. and signed papers that day
for my current 2023 R 18 classic. It is a more exposed ride than I have had in many of my bikes but the extra 150 pounds for the TC was a stopper.

So I will turn 72 this may and in 56 years of riding have never been so happy to have both feet planted. I did 2,300 miles in two years with the RT which was uncomfortable and cramped from the low seat/foot peg positions. Did 4,000 this years around the back roads of MA, RI and CT.

This is my 6th BMW and this one is by far the most beautiful bike I have ever seen. With 2 bikes and two cars and other things like my Snap-On tool box, compressor, and big ass snow blower no room for a chair but tempted. Mine is all black and I adder the Wunderlich pinion and tank chrome racks, it is definitely a piece of art. This is down to every nut and bolt. The Harley it shares a garage with for now is a pretty bike(say a 7) the R 18 is a (12) :) I have to post a couple pics from my Mac later as my PC is too stupid to easily access my phone.

1965 Trimph Daytona 500, 1971 R60/5(slvr), 1974 r90/5, 1987 K100RT, 1971 R60/5(blk), 2009 R1200RT, 2023 R 18 Classic.
Bill
Click to expand...
Excellent synopsis of a very full life, with bikes. Love the pics of these 2 great bikes in your garage.
 
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