Rate the R18 Please ! ! !

buellwinkle

buellwinkle

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Dear Friends I bought my R18 this past April.... So after owning it four months of winter weather here in Oregon... I must say I LOVE RIDING THIS BIKE Like No Other.... I hope the rest of you are near my satisfaction with your big Beamer ????
 
D04011 said:
It's definitely better than a swift kick to the nuts... :D

Actually, I like it a LOT! First boxer I've owned and I'm really enjoying it (after replacing that POS stock seat with a Weekender)...
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I actually love the seat but then again have not spent more than an hour on it !! !
 
buellwinkle said:
Dear Friends I bought my R18 this past April.... So after owning it four months of winter weather here in Oregon... I must say I LOVE RIDING THIS BIKE Like No Other.... I hope the rest of you are near my satisfaction with your big Beamer ????
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I have 4 other bikes, so my miles are split, but a significant percentage are spent on the R18, it’s even with my GSA on miles this year, the other bikes are much lower.

My favorite thing about the R18 is rolling on the throttle between 2500 and 3500 rpm. There is a sound and an immense feeling of torque accelerating you that makes me laugh out loud every single time…. It feels like an old piston aircraft. All my worries melt away when I’m on the bike and I have a smile the whole time.
 
nielsm said:
I have 4 other bikes, so my miles are split, but a significant percentage are spent on the R18, it’s even with my GSA on miles this year, the other bikes are much lower.

My favorite thing about the R18 is rolling on the throttle between 2500 and 3500 rpm. There is a sound and an immense feeling of torque accelerating you that makes me laugh out loud every single time…. It feels like an old piston aircraft. All my worries melt away when I’m on the bike and I have a smile the whole time.
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I have yet to explore the RPM ranges you comment on !! !!
 
buellwinkle said:
Dear Friends I bought my R18 this past April.... So after owning it four months of winter weather here in Oregon... I must say I LOVE RIDING THIS BIKE Like No Other.... I hope the rest of you are near my satisfaction with your big Beamer ????
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A bit of a read.

I've owned BMW products in the past, never a motorcycle; had a 1990 M3, etc. I've owned several make/models of motorcycles over the years. Frankly, never cared for a boxer engine. I always thought they would be uncomfortable and looked hideous. I purchased a 2021 BMW R18 Classic about a month or so ago, and regret nothing!

The last bike I had was a triumph, '16, scrambler. It was ok and all, but I didn't really care for the high exhaust. Frankly, the majority of the bikes that I've had were meh to me because of the simple of notion of having the engine up against my privates; all of the heat, etc., just made the experience meh for me. But I always enjoyed to certain degree owning a motorcycle. Sold the scramblers several years ago and told myself I was done with bikes. Sold a boat, too, and told myself the same. (The latter, I don't see myself going back to; it's a money pit in the water.)

Then recently I was looking at Cycletrader (just bored and just seeing what was out there in the motorcycle world) and came across the R18. What a rabbit hole. The more I dug, the more I became interested in it. My wife had zero idea of what I was doing until I told her that I wanted a bike. Some can imagine where that went... blah blah blah. Then while doing the research, I came across the finance deal offered by BMWFS. That closed the deal for me; in part. Never test rode the R18, etc. Applied for the loan, got approved, got a couple of local dealers to compete for my business. I was stuck on a number and bought a brand new unit, '21, at $16k out the door. After riding it off the lot and back home for over 100 miles, I asked myself why I never considered buying a bmw boxer engine powered bike before. Like I said before in another post, I don't care about comfort, etc. If I want comfort, I stay at home laying on the cough. But just the fact that the engine is down low, it sealed the deal for me. The rest it's all cream and icing on the cake. What a motorcycle. Regret nothing; not even the crappy saddle!

Love it!
 
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I've had my C since February although recently, the 100+ degree heat makes it tough to find ride time. What I enjoy about the R18 is the simplicity of the instrumentation, the stock exhaust note and the striking style. The ride is what I wanted and expected. The stock seat is adequate for shorter (>200 mi) rides and could use an upgrade. For me, the Classic has been a joy to ride. Sometimes I just roll it out of the garage, go over it with a damp cloth and take in the style. IMO, better looking than any HD or Indian out there.thumbnail.jpg
 
I'm lucky enough to currently own four bikes (R1250GSA, Tenere 700, an R18 Classic, and a YZ450FX). I have owned more motorcycles than I can remember in my lifetime. 80% have been BMW's, and over half of those have been GS/GSA's. I am drawn to the R18 in a way that I have never been with other bikes. For me, motorcycling is about being immersed in an experience that makes everything else fade away; if only so you can catch your breath. When I ride the R18 I'm hypnotized by the sound, the torque, its character, and the way it makes me feel cooler than I am just being the pilot. For a while at least, I am immersed; and I can catch my breath. Yeah, I like my R18C.
 
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The harmonics generated by the engine are mesmerizing, the R18 is almost paradoxical in its sublime packaging of a brutal powerhouse. I find myself fascinated by the manner in which BMW masterfully delivered a tamed beast for our riding passion. My R18 mileage is well over 12,000 miles, in the same period I've logged about 4,000 on the GSA and about 500 on the R12C... the R18 has presented a whole new dimension to my riding experience, and I can't get enough of it.
 
Would you rate the R18FE a better choice over a R18B? If you had to do it all over again would you still get the R18FE over a R18B? I realize the extra weight is a factor on the R18B and to me it is a hand full trying to do a slow turn or change direction when stopped to go the other way (did a test ride). Maybe a trade-off of R18FE looks vs better rear travel with the R18B models.
 
Well, I am switching horses it seems. Was putting a deposit down on a used 2020 NineT /5 model ($10,199) and now have changed my mind and put one down just now on, what seems to be the last R18FE Factory Custom (V3) they have over at Charlotte NC BMW shop. Waiting on bill of sale information now. Seems it has 104 miles on it.

Another user on this forum got one there just the other week V2 (which had nicer chrome head covers and headlight trim, this V3 has black on those two pieces) and that made me reconsider what to buy...plus .9% financing and bmw making the first 6 payments.

Time will tell if I hate myself for getting it instead of a R18B though want the lighter weight of a R18 vs rear shock comfort. Plus the Factory Custom bits make it look nice. Hope the brown seat is better then the stock one. I have a 05 r1200rt so figure that sort of might feel like a NineT engine wise. Love my 05 bike.

Would still have a 19 goldwing dct airbag that I could use for travel out of State if wanted.

Apology for jumping into this thread since I don't yet own this bike. I recall test riding one prior and honestly was not that impressed for some reason...maybe the limited rear shock travel. I did liked a R18B I did a demo ride on much later but like the R18FE look, might even grow to like the oversized exhaust also. It is the same engine in both, different front in rack I believe.

Will just look for smooth roads to ride the R18FE on and watch for pot hole I figure and hope I will be happy with it. I do very much like the 1800 engine and ok using the sweet spot rev range (or higher if wanted).
 
The R18TC is a gorgeous bike. I like its low rpm nature also. Ever since I replaced the stock footboards with much longer ones, I am in love with the bike .
 
0x0000000e76 said:
^This. I've seen some people on the Tubes revving this thing past 3500 and I always asked myself... 'why?! WTF are they doing?' There's no need for that. This thing isn't a GP bike.
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Your WTF would you is matched by my WTF would you not use the engine's range where it is appropriate and also very fun. It's not a GP bike, but it is a great motorcycle that was engineered to be operated across the available RPM range depending on circumstances. Everyone's circumstances are different to a degree, but your limitations applied to My circumstances would be similar to someone saying why would you use more than a few gears or only partial throttle and stay within 1200-2400 RPMs and you're crazy if you exceed that. I do not "blip my throttle" nor "rev" my engine in any circumstances, but I do enjoy this big "roadster" on endless twisty mountain roads where riding the torque curve allows great acceleration and engine braking resulting in a very smooth and enjoyable pace with RPMs going from 2Ks to upper 4Ks. The engine is happy, I am happy and adding or attempting all the extra shifting at an artificial RPM ceiling would quickly become a pain in the ass, busy work that only detracts from the smooth transitions. Everyone should enjoy their ride and I do enjoy how versatile and competent the R18 really is.

🍻
 
BobW said:
Your WTF would you is matched by my WTF would you not use the engine's range where it is appropriate and also very fun. It's not a GP bike, but it is a great motorcycle that was engineered to be operated across the available RPM range depending on circumstances. Everyone's circumstances are different to a degree, but your limitations applied to My circumstances would be similar to someone saying why would you use more than a few gears or only partial throttle and stay within 1200-2400 RPMs and you're crazy if you exceed that. I do not "blip my throttle" nor "rev" my engine in any circumstances, but I do enjoy this big "roadster" on endless twisty mountain roads where riding the torque curve allows great acceleration and engine braking resulting in a very smooth and enjoyable pace with RPMs going from 2Ks to upper 4Ks. The engine is happy, I am happy and adding or attempting all the extra shifting at an artificial RPM ceiling would quickly become a pain in the ass, busy work that only detracts from the smooth transitions. Everyone should enjoy their ride and I do enjoy how versatile and competent the R18 really is.

🍻
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I agree with this. 2500-3500 is the sweet spot of the motor, but it is not by any means the only usable range of the motor. Break in says a max RPM of 4000, so you've got more window even during the conservative break in period. Redline is 5750 on the R18. Peak torque on my S1000R is 9250 and redline is 11,000, so yes, I won't rev my R18 as high as my S1000R, but there is no problem using it to 5000 rpm if you desire.

Maybe the opposite is true though. If one always short shifts the R18 before 2500 rpm, one is missing out on the best of the engine & I might think WTF are they doing? There's no need for that... this thing isn't a small scooter. ;)

The R18 has a great motor with a ton of character throughout the rev range. I'd encourage everyone to explore it all, you might be surprised how many smiles are hiding in rev ranges you may not have tried yet.....
 
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