R18 or R18 Bagger

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jollygreen24

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Hello all,

I test road a couple of R18 yesterday and I was impressed. I had test one earlier this year during a dealer demo day and walked away thinking that it was the worst bike I had ever ridden. Turns out, pretty sure they had it in the shipping suspension setting when they had it out for test rides.

I liked it this time so much I am going to buy one, I am just not sold on which one yet. I road the R18 and R18 Bagger. I am not considering the R18 Classic because I really don't like stand alone windshields and the dealership by me doesn't have one with alloy wheels. I am not the biggest fan of the spoked wheels. Both of the bikes I am looking at are discounted so I am kind of limited to either the regular R18 or the Bagger.

I love the bike in general, the regular R18 for some reasons and the Bagger for others.

I was hoping to get some advice on these models.

On the bagger, I did notice that I could corner more sharply than the regular R18 without the footpegs scraping. Definitely a perk. The additional tech and storage is a really nice perk too, but not a necessity. My biggest criticism on the bike was I got pretty bad buffeting from the stock windscreen (at 6'3 with a 32 inch inseam). I prefer more air hitting my helmet in general, as long as it is clean (I dont want to go to a bigger screen). Has anyone used the sportier wind deflectors instead of the stock windscreen? Did this provide better clean air hitting your helmet in reduce buffeting?

On the regular R18, the weight difference was noticeable and the R18 was a bit peppier of the line, a nice perk. My only criticism was the footpegs were much easier to scrape when cornering. I am just curious if anyone has found a way to make this better? Would adjusting the preload help with this (the suspension was not set up for me, though significantly better than the first I've I road it)? Has anyone found any aftermarket footpegs that have helped with this?

I appreciate any advice on these two subjects. Mainly it would be just me riding the bike, though I will have the bike set up for two up riding in case my wife wants to go out for an afternoon. Both are great bikes to ride, just in different ways. Such a characterful motorcycle in general.

Again, thank you so much for any advice, I really do appreciate it.
 
Worse dilemmas to have huh?

I think you’ve identified most of the pros and cons between the two. Regardless of which you get, you will scrape IMO. I had the floor boards on my R18 and now my bagger and both scrape on occasion. It’s fun and the feelers are replaceable so not a major issue really. They certainly don’t scrape all the time, but if you’re coming from a more conventional bike and not other heavy cruisers, you will need to adjust your riding style to suit. The bagger only has marginally more ride height despite having extra rear suspension travel but the reduced rake and revised geo of the frame make it handle incredibly well.

Ideal world I’d have both but I and a few others here have moved up from the R18/ Classic to the bagger/ TC which will probably give you an indication. The base definitely needs a better seat on it to be comfortable for any amount of time over 45mins/ 1 hour IMO even with preload adjusted correctly.

Buffeting for me is the only real ‘issue’ but I’m comparing it to a batwing from a Street Glide Special which made that bike virtually unrideable with the headshake it generated. The R18B is much, much better in this regard but there is still a little there. I think the short screen/ wind deflector as BMW call it is what I need. I also don’t really want a bigger screen, though I am sure the TC screen would solve it. I’m going to try riding with the screen removed and see how it feels. I suspect it will be better and if it is, will order the low screen.

I think your wife will appreciate the extra comfort offered by the bagger and although I enjoyed the simplicity of the R18, the extra comfort and tech on the bagger, particularly the active cruise was what sealed the deal for me.
 
Don’t think you can go wrong with either model. Depends what you want from the bike really and whether you have any specific needs (like cruise, baggage, fishtails etc). I went for the FE because of purity, price and availability. Relative lack of slow speed cornering ability and perhaps comfort /practicality is not something that bothers me, I just slow things down a bit. I bought the bike for pure pleasure on short-ish local run outs so some of the inherent shortcomings of a big unfaired cruiser don’t really matter (to me), there are way more practical and cheaper bikes out there for mile munching. I didn’t want that. I wanted the R18. I will not be looking to swap it out for another version but they look equally beautiful.
 
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My thoughts are as a person that only did a few test rides on the R18s and purchased a left over 2021 R18FE with Cruise and the other options offered (headlight turns into turns...in a manner of speaking). In no set order

  • I have other bikes and more importantly, if touring matters, I have a 2019 goldwing tour DCT so did not want to get anything but the basic (pure) R18 base model.
  • The base model is the cheapest R18 you can get and my price was around 11k plus but less then 12k. That price takes into account bmw .09% finance rate, no pays for 90 days, and bmw making 6 payments (they only pay up to I believe $333 a month so if you do the bmw finance at .9% for the base then you want to have your monthly payment as close to that figure as possible to get closest to that total of $2k that bmw offers to pay for that 6 month period). Meaning your 60 month note might be more like 40 months...just saying.
  • You really really really should take your wife for a ride on the various models. A guy on the forum found out after purchasing a R18 Classic that his wife did not like riding on it and he moved to a TC.
  • Is it your only bike...if so I feel the R18 line is a compromise: the base is not good enough imho to be an only bike (limited rear end suspension, lean angle, engine vibs at and over 80mpg, weight) and the bagger/tc models are good for touring but too heavy and limited ease for around town riding (for certain others on the forum will not agreed with this thought and I never owned a bagger/tc thus my thought my not be worth anything here or to you).
So why did I buy the bike...
Bmw was my first bike and the R18 might be my last, I am 65. I loved the R1250R and looked at a used 2020 model but the cost was simply too much vs the .9% rate bmw was charging for the r18 and it is a boxer engine (my first bike was a 71 r750/5).
Have the wife ride on back then go from there.

My guess, and I can be wrong is the following:
1. maybe 20% that get a base more up to a higher trim model
2. some that buy a R18, any flavor, later elect to sell it due to some limiting factor of the bike. I think a bmw r1250rt does it all...aka in town and touring...a all in one bike if you will. I have an old 05 r1200rt also.
3. all/many of us that purchased a R18 trim did so because we fall for the look of the bike (many of us current or former boxer engine owners). Hoping/thinking most keep it or moved up a trim because the positives outweighed the drawbacks in our mind (I won't get my delivered until end of Sept or first week of Oct).
4. I can be wrong though feel bmw will end the R18 line within 3 to 5 years like they did the R1200C/CL line. For the same reasons...just different.

Good luck on your search, share with us your thoughts as you sort it out and feel free to ask anything even if it is after your next test ride :)
 
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Model-B:. Adaptive Cruise Control, Reverse, Sound System, Navigation, Comfortable, looks great and handles very well...

I'm 5'9" and installed TC Winglets to reduce buffeting.. clean wind catches the top leading edge of my helmet.
 
I threw it away already but I had made a spreadsheet. I listed out the door price on Base, Classic, Bagger and TC and ended up with Bagger. Sort of, if you can go through what you get with each new model and find out that sweet spot between what you're willing to pay and what features you want.

The B/TC are MUCH better than the base two models but those MUCH better features may not be things you want.. I'm thinking of a few areas:
  1. Longer suspension
  2. better rake for stability
  3. longer frame
  4. Luggage
  5. tachometer
  6. gas gauge
  7. speakers
  8. TFT
  9. heated seat
  10. radar cruise control
  11. tubeless tires

If those things don't matter to you for the extra $3-4K, then stick with Pure/Classic.

Between B & TC, there are even more things the TC has for about $2500 more. again, these may not mater to you

Higher seat
  1. more speakers
  2. more front & rear lighting
  3. top case
  4. engine guards, less wind turbulence
  5. larger foot pads front & rear
  6. larger windscreen
If you want a B/TC and those don't matter to you get a B.
 
Not a fan of the Gray Color accents on the TC. I love the Black Color Engine, Fork Sleeves, Dash, Low Profile Seat and Black Wheels on the First Edition Model-B; however, I also like the TC Auxiliary Lights, Winglets and Lower Leg Wind Protection...

In short, I added the TC Auxiliary Lights and Winglets on my Bagger... Now I love it long time...
 

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Scott Semone said:
Not a fan of the Gray Color accents on the TC. I love the Black Color Engine, Fork Sleeves, Dash, Low Profile Seat and Black Wheels on the First Edition Model-B; however, I also like the TC Auxiliary Lights, Winglets and Lower Leg Wind Protection...

In short, I added the TC Auxiliary Lights and Winglets on my Bagger... Now I love it long time...
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Long time, haha...whatcha get for 2k? Anything you want...Anything? Anything!
 
Hello all,

I appreciate everyone's responses and you all helped me with my decision. I kept on going back and forth on which one to choose, taking all of your experiences into consideration.

I road them both again and came to the conclusion that I like the regular R18 better. The lean angle isn't as bad as I originally thought (I think I watched too many reviews on youtube) , the regular R18 is peppier than the bagger, and once I came to these conclusions, the choice was much easier.

I should have said in my original post that the R18 isn't my only bike. I have a R1250GS as well. Whenever i took into consideration some of the limitations of the R18: storage, longer suspension, long range comfort, wife's comfort, sporty riding, or commuting, i found myself saying "I have a GS for that". For bopping around town feeling like a badass with something unique, that I love for what it is, that is what the R18 is for. For that purpose, I just didn't need the bagger.

Love this bike! Thanks again for the advice!
 

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Man, I very seriously considered the galaxy paint. If I could have found one specced how I wanted and gotten it thrown in for free, I would have done it. Sadly it's not common on dealer floors. I went with the bagger to chew up highway miles, have storage, and keep the wife comfy. I feel like the lean angle thing is pretty hilarious for real users. Sure, the professional reviewer who rides sport 90% of the time is going to drag a peg turning right at a stop light, but I attribute that more to not knowing how to turn a cruiser than max lean angle. Folks who don't get 30+degrees on a Panigale in the canyons aren't really going to even push the limits of damn near any bike.

I once had a pretty hilarious conversation with some dudes at a biker bar when I was on my R9T. Tehy were like "do you ever have a problem with getting to close to the pistons sticking out the side in a lean?" um..... no. I don't drag knee so I think i'm good :ROFLMAO:
 
I rode the R18B and was impressed with the handling and smoothness. I tried the Classic and it was a little more difficult at low speed. I don't care much for the speakers in the side cases and they were a little small. The price was a little too high for me. Seems the wife put her foot up her husbands ass over the purchase and it was on consignment, so I guess the price isn't coming down. The salesman said they changed the front end on the bagger.

Question: Does the Roctane have the same front end as the bagger? Can anyone actually see the speedo sitting on the bike?

Unfortunately the classic I rode had a warning light. The speedo was stuck at 80 mph. When I noticed it I was on a 45 mph road and thought "damn this thing is smooth, feels like I'm going the speed limit." But alas the speedo was broken. This was a dealer bike and they said it was just flashed, which is why I waited for 45 minutes. Wasn't a good sign to be on a dealers bike and weird things like that happening. The brakes made a horrible noise. Instant turn off. The heel toe shifter was odd and hard to shift. The bagger wasn't as bad.

There's a lot of these on the market with low miles and the depreciation seems to larger than expected. I'd prolly get a used one.
 
I have the '21 R18FE. Amazing deal for a piece of art. Constant positive comments. It is a keeper, clean, lean and tough! Or as they say: "Simple, yet elegant to the nth degree". You made a great decision!
 
anglojaxon said:
I rode the R18B and was impressed with the handling and smoothness. I tried the Classic and it was a little more difficult at low speed. I don't care much for the speakers in the side cases and they were a little small. The price was a little too high for me. Seems the wife put her foot up her husbands ass over the purchase and it was on consignment, so I guess the price isn't coming down. The salesman said they changed the front end on the bagger.

Question: Does the Roctane have the same front end as the bagger? Can anyone actually see the speedo sitting on the bike?

Unfortunately the classic I rode had a warning light. The speedo was stuck at 80 mph. When I noticed it I was on a 45 mph road and thought "damn this thing is smooth, feels like I'm going the speed limit." But alas the speedo was broken. This was a dealer bike and they said it was just flashed, which is why I waited for 45 minutes. Wasn't a good sign to be on a dealers bike and weird things like that happening. The brakes made a horrible noise. Instant turn off. The heel toe shifter was odd and hard to shift. The bagger wasn't as bad.

There's a lot of these on the market with low miles and the depreciation seems to larger than expected. I'd prolly get a used one.
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I think all the variants are awesome machines and the models were made to cater for a wide type of riders and their needs, from the naked pure to the fully dressed and top heavy battle cruiser TC.
All of them are functional and very capable machines, not to mention gorgeous and very unique on their own rights. If you liked the way the Bagger rides then by all means do another test drive to ensure you are absolutely happy with it. You can get them without the sound buffer in the panniers as these are an extra. Personally I like the sound and resonance I get from them.
Not sure if you are aware of the adaptive head light issue. Long story, this particular extra has failed prematurely in a number of bikes and I am not aware of a ETA for the recall although BMW is aware now thanks to owners in NAM filing complaints with the appropriate regulatory entity.
This seem to affect the TC and B fitted with this optional extra. Not to be confused with the Headlight Pro which I believe does not have the adaptive mechanism.
Not sure I follow the front end question. The Roctane has just the headlight with the clock on top and the Bagger has a TFT display and 4 analog gauges. Plus the B has the bat wing fairing.

The bike was not everyone’s cup of tea and there are a few specimens out there fully dressed and at a very low prices, especially if you compare the original purchase price a couple of years ago with the second hand market. Mine was just that, a demo bike with only 260mls on the clock and I snapped her.
Good luck with whatever you decide to go for. 👊👊👊
 
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