Ulrich
Well-known member
Very cool .. I am so glad you got it done!!! and yes the plate is a nice touch !!!
What did you do to your R18 today?
- Thread starter TodkaVonic
- Start date
Airborne62025
Member
I had some Armour Shield IX leftover that I used on our cars. Came out pretty nice. I hope it protects it from rock/debris chips.
Ulrich
Well-known member
I wanted a luggage rack but they seem to be quite spendy and just not exactly what I had in mind ... then I found this inexpensive alternative.
Luggage Rack on Amazon
It seemed cheap enough to give it a try. It came and I was pleasantly surprised that it is quite sturdy. Made from 10 mm solid round stock.
It fits good too ... no fine-tuning needed.
But it looked a bit 'unfinished' when I mounted it.
.. i think there it is time for some 3D printing.
A spaced for the front and one for the back.
Much better.
I like it ... and yes it is 'matte' but IMO that fits to the color of the seat and saddle bags.
There ya go .. thats is what I did to her today
Luggage Rack on Amazon
It seemed cheap enough to give it a try. It came and I was pleasantly surprised that it is quite sturdy. Made from 10 mm solid round stock.
It fits good too ... no fine-tuning needed.
But it looked a bit 'unfinished' when I mounted it.
.. i think there it is time for some 3D printing.
A spaced for the front and one for the back.
Much better.
I like it ... and yes it is 'matte' but IMO that fits to the color of the seat and saddle bags.
There ya go .. thats is what I did to her today
Alex-B
Active member
Ceramic coating doesn’t stop chips or scratches. You need PPF for that.
D
Deleted member 1344
Guest
I got mine from Revzilla. They look great and took only a few minutes to install. Killer looks.
R18Holan
Well-known member
adamchandler
Well-known member
Date night last night with the wife. Took the big girl.
R18Holan
Well-known member
Scott Semone
Well-known member
It turns out NJ has a vanity plate program.. however, it comes with lots of rules that require the use of three letters and no numbers between 1 thru 20; all limited to five characters. Not sure if the below will even be approved. The obvious choices were already taken..
Last edited:
Kanzig
Member
I designed and installed some custom grip covers for my R18 Custom. I only rode once with them so far, they certainly feel different than the stock grips. Mostly wanted something just a little thicker than stock and with some sort of contoured shape so I can twist the throttle easier.
Attachments
This is what I did to my R18 RIDER today... ;-) 
Okay how much and where?
58 bucks, sterling silver. Found it on eBay. Just type BMW ring as a search.
Although the installation is complete I have not had the opportunity to ride the bike. Because of winter weather and salt on the roads it may be some time before I am able to report on the effects of the new shock and seat. My apologies for not being able to answer your question.
Caveman
Active member
Finally had time to install the DNA air filter. The instructions caution against over tightening the screws and BELIEVE THEM! I stripped one of the rear ones but since the screws are only about 1/4" longer than the hole in the mounting plate I only stripped the first couple of threads. I replaced it with one about 1/2" longer than the one supplied by DNA and it's all good. I decided not to replace the inlet hoses. I didn't see any benefit to reinstalling them and in my opinion they would restrict airflow.
The OEM placement and mounting of the air filter is pretty stupid. It keeps the bike clean looking but doesn't lend itself to quick servicing. Fortunately the service interval is 9000 miles. It took me about an hour to figure out how to get to the filter, replace it and put it all back together. It wasn't difficult but not the easiest air filter to service by a long shot. When it's time to service it again it's probably only about a half hour job now that I know what I'm doing. I did enjoy my time in the barn wrenching on my bike and listening to some music though.
The weather was reasonable so I was able to take it for a quick ride. I only rode about 20 miles on back roads but I did get it up to 70 a couple of times. It's also the first time I rode the bike more than 4-5 miles with the Bren Tune. All in all I'm very pleased with the performance of the tune and the air filter. Made quite a bit of difference IMO. I ride my bike in Rock mode all the time and my seat of the pants tells me the throttle response is noticeably smoother, idle is more stable and the engine pulls noticeably better than the stock tune and I was a fan of the stock tune. I thought it was perfect for a cruiser but the Bren Tune really does make a difference. I guess the best way to describe it is the things I liked about the stock tune are now even better and the minor things I didn't like (rough idle and flat spot) are gone. It's not life changing but the whole effect makes the bike significantly more fun to ride. It's better in all the right ways with no downsides that I noticed in my short ride.
I also recently installed an 18" LRS windshield and this was my first real ride with it and it's better than the OEM windshield. Buffeting is less and it looks better IMO. At speeds above 70mph you'll be disappointed if you're looking for smooth air but I like the improvements and I'm glad I bought it. If wind buffeting is a serious issue for you I think adding lowers might be helpful.
The most unexpected difference is the sound. I'd read on here that the tune and air filter made a big difference but I admit to being a sceptic. I've never been happier to be wrong. I was considering some way to modify the stock sound a little bit. I don't like loud pipes but a little bark when you get on the throttle is nice. I've heard that the more miles the bike gets the better the pipes will sound so I was waiting bit to decide whether I wanted the V&H. One problem is I really like the look of the stock pipes. So much that even if the sound didn't change with age I probably would have still kept them. Well, that issue has been completely solved with the tune and air filter. My bike now sounds amazing! A gentle rumble when cruising but a nice growl/bark when accelerating even mildly aggressively. Absolutely love it and I have zero plans to alter the stock exhaust now.
Bottom line: The Bren Tune and DNA air filter are both worth the money and I highly recommend both of them. The LRS windshield is more of a personal thing. I like it and I recommend it but it may not work for you. YMMV.
The OEM placement and mounting of the air filter is pretty stupid. It keeps the bike clean looking but doesn't lend itself to quick servicing. Fortunately the service interval is 9000 miles. It took me about an hour to figure out how to get to the filter, replace it and put it all back together. It wasn't difficult but not the easiest air filter to service by a long shot. When it's time to service it again it's probably only about a half hour job now that I know what I'm doing. I did enjoy my time in the barn wrenching on my bike and listening to some music though.
The weather was reasonable so I was able to take it for a quick ride. I only rode about 20 miles on back roads but I did get it up to 70 a couple of times. It's also the first time I rode the bike more than 4-5 miles with the Bren Tune. All in all I'm very pleased with the performance of the tune and the air filter. Made quite a bit of difference IMO. I ride my bike in Rock mode all the time and my seat of the pants tells me the throttle response is noticeably smoother, idle is more stable and the engine pulls noticeably better than the stock tune and I was a fan of the stock tune. I thought it was perfect for a cruiser but the Bren Tune really does make a difference. I guess the best way to describe it is the things I liked about the stock tune are now even better and the minor things I didn't like (rough idle and flat spot) are gone. It's not life changing but the whole effect makes the bike significantly more fun to ride. It's better in all the right ways with no downsides that I noticed in my short ride.
I also recently installed an 18" LRS windshield and this was my first real ride with it and it's better than the OEM windshield. Buffeting is less and it looks better IMO. At speeds above 70mph you'll be disappointed if you're looking for smooth air but I like the improvements and I'm glad I bought it. If wind buffeting is a serious issue for you I think adding lowers might be helpful.
The most unexpected difference is the sound. I'd read on here that the tune and air filter made a big difference but I admit to being a sceptic. I've never been happier to be wrong. I was considering some way to modify the stock sound a little bit. I don't like loud pipes but a little bark when you get on the throttle is nice. I've heard that the more miles the bike gets the better the pipes will sound so I was waiting bit to decide whether I wanted the V&H. One problem is I really like the look of the stock pipes. So much that even if the sound didn't change with age I probably would have still kept them. Well, that issue has been completely solved with the tune and air filter. My bike now sounds amazing! A gentle rumble when cruising but a nice growl/bark when accelerating even mildly aggressively. Absolutely love it and I have zero plans to alter the stock exhaust now.
Bottom line: The Bren Tune and DNA air filter are both worth the money and I highly recommend both of them. The LRS windshield is more of a personal thing. I like it and I recommend it but it may not work for you. YMMV.
adamchandler
Well-known member
This is what you bought, Caveman? https://www.e-dnafilters.com/produc...A-Air-Filter-P-BM18CR20-01?source=w_dnafilter
I don't see a service interval listed there. Just follow OEM service intervals which I thought were 6K. $100 every 6K miles is a lot of money for me. I think OEM will run about $20.
Caveman
Active member
I bought the kit from Moto-D that includes a mounting plate and replaces the stock airbox cover. The instructions that came with it recommend a 15000KM service interval and you don't replace the filter you clean it, oil it and reuse it. It has a lifetime guarantee. Buy once, cry once. About $140 IIRC.
adamchandler
Well-known member
Perfect, thanks! I have oil filter cleaner & lubricant already so that's nice. I'll read more into it. I need to change my air filter on my R18 soon.