R18 Roctane

Mr Si said:
The Roctane is a clear shot at the Road King Special niche, they look pretty much the same. With a price lower than the RKS and much better engineering, this could be a good strategic move from BMW in the short term to eat off a chunk of the HD market share in the US, but I doubt it's a wise decision in the long term, they won't be able to develop a loyal customer base if they copy other manufacturer's bikes, even if the copy is better than the original.
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The design of the bags give up cargo volume to follow that stale HD style.
Indian fell prey to the same influence when they changed their bags from the beautiful curves of the original for the cheap look of their gen 2 bags.
 
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I would also like to know if the Roctane has the same engine as the R18?
 
HanseDavion said:
Can someone explain to me what exactly the difference is between the R nineT and the R 12 nineT?
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After posting what I did I went back and looked at it and Im trying to decide that too....
At first glance I thought they put the 1250 motor in it which is why I got excited, but they didnt and now Im not. lol
I think maybe shape of certain things like gas tank changed slightly.
idk....I kinda like the original one with speedo and tach.
 
VARG said:
The short FB video showed a steering damper, one might infer that it's got cruise control of some type, perhaps the A6 is an electronic shifting solution?
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Thought I read somewhere, not that it makes it true, that the steering damper bmw puts on is pretty much useless as it does little to control ‘damping’ if that is a word to use in this context. Though I am coming from an old /5 with manual plastic knob on top that you could actually turn to tighten damping.
 
nielsm said:
But, it is a throwback to older BMWs. The speedometer in the headlamp is the same design as on my 1972 BMW R75/5.

The chassis appears to be similar to the Pure/Classic with 3.5” travel. It’s about 20lbs heavier than a Classic, most likely due to the hard bags, bigger seat & front fender. The big difference is the wheels. The Classic is 3x16 front & 5x16 rear, while the Roctane is 3.5x21 front & 5.5x18 rear. 180/55 rear tire means lower profile than the 180/65 on a Classic, so expect it to be even rougher ride over bumps, but potentially a bit more “performance” feel.
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It is not good if it has the same lack of rear travel as a base R18/Classic. A swing and a miss big time I would ’feel’ :)
 
MilwDave said:
The design of the bags give up cargo volume to follow that stale HD style.
Indian fell prey to the same influence when they changed their bags from the beautiful curves of the original for the cheap look of their gen 2 bags.
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Would have hoped it would increase storage volume not decrease it since not bag speakers it seems. Read this on the Rider article though would have to check to see if that is more or less then the B with speakers.
They offer 27 liters of storage capacity on each side. Plus a ‘miss’ not bumping up the tank to say 5 gallons else something that increased it 1 gallon more then base/classic is my thought.
 
MilwDave said:
I want to get a closer look at the heat shields and see if the flare was eliminated.
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Good call keep us posted.

It would be simple enough for someone to make a proper shield, and I am surprised nobody has. The correct shield would allow some cool options without them ‘flaring’ out in the rear. I a NOT a fan of that. There are SO many bad adaptations with a poor transition out there

Thanks for looking into this
 
I can’t get beyond me needing that headlight bucket/gauge cluster on my FE. I always hoped it would come like that ala my /5. Wonder how much that baby will cost, never mind how to make it fit
 
MilwDave said:
The design of the bags give up cargo volume to follow that stale HD style.
Indian fell prey to the same influence when they changed their bags from the beautiful curves of the original for the cheap look of their gen 2 bags.
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BMW sacrificed volume to be able to show off some of the exposed driveshaft on the B/ TC imo which was a mistake if they were serious about the touring market and one of the few things they got wrong imo. The stretched bags I had on my street glide special were a more useful shape and size when it comes to loading for sure. I struggled to get my laptop bag in the case on my B whereas it slid in no problem on the HD. I can’t comment on the Indian, can’t say I’ve ever seen an Indian bagger on UK roads, I only ever see Scouts
 
www.cycleworld.com

2024 BMW R 18 Roctane First Ride

BMW’s latest R 18 model, the Roctane, hits all the right notes for a touring hot-rod cruiser.
www.cycleworld.com www.cycleworld.com
(quote)
"...and there are countless factory accessories available to ensure you configure your R 18 Roctane just so.

All of that adds up to a well-balanced and thoughtful evolution of the R 18. The apehanger bars, bagger luggage, and larger-diameter wheels especially help make this the best riff on the R 18 we’ve ridden. Long-distance comfort is improved along with cornering ground clearance—and there’s a freshness to the way it goes about its business when the roads become more involved. It should also be noted that mere photographs and video struggle to convey the impact this machine has on the places it passes through. It’s an immensely charismatic motorcycle that hits the mark for cruising coolness."
(unquote)
 
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estoma said:
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(quote)
"...and there are countless factory accessories available to ensure you configure your R 18 Roctane just so.

All of that adds up to a well-balanced and thoughtful evolution of the R 18. The apehanger bars, bagger luggage, and larger-diameter wheels especially help make this the best riff on the R 18 we’ve ridden. Long-distance comfort is improved along with cornering ground clearance—and there’s a freshness to the way it goes about its business when the roads become more involved. It should also be noted that mere photographs and video struggle to convey the impact this machine has on the places it passes through. It’s an immensely charismatic motorcycle that hits the mark for cruising coolness."
(unquote)
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I thought the countless accessories line was pretty hilarious.
 
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