BMW R18 Transcontinental and the R 18 B are two beautiful cruisers destined for the highway

BMW MOTORCYCLES

BMW R18 TRANSCONTINENTAL AND THE R 18 B ARE TWO BEAUTIFUL CRUISERS DESTINED FOR THE HIGHWAYS

| BY SOMNATH CHATTERJEE

The vast highways of America are tailor-made for a relaxed cruiser and its engine burbling away while you soak up the views all around you. A cruiser motorcycle is perhaps the best way to see a country and experience it at a relaxed pace in luxury and comfort yet still enveloped in the sensations that a motorcycle wraps you in. The new R18 Touring models from BMW are made exactly for those kinds of journeys and feature the ‘Big Boxer’ engine. The R18 Transcontinental is a Grand American Tourer being ideal for long-distance rides in an ‘American riding style’. There are many features added in for touring including a front fairing with a high windshield, wind deflector, and flaps. The cockpit comes with a set of classic analog round instruments and a 10.25 inch TFT color display, Marshall sound system, engine protection bars, cases, top case, seat heating, chrome trim, and an engine in Silver metallic. The R18 B “Bagger” is a more traditional touring machine and comes with a classic look without a top case and, in the style of a “bagger”, offers a low windshield, a slimmer seat, and a matt black metallic engine. As mentioned before, both motorcycles feature the massive 2-cylinder boxer engine aka the “Big Boxer”. It is the most powerful 2-cylinder flat twin engine ever built in motorbike series production and develops an output of 67 kW (91 hp) at 4 750 rpm. In the 2,000 to 4,000 rpm range, it delivers more than 150 Nm of torque at all times as well as effortless pulling power and a sonorous sound-track. Both also get an array of technology like DCC electronic cruise control (Dynamic Cruise Control) and Active Cruise Control (ACC). In keeping with its cruiser ethos, the R 18 Transcontinental and R 18 B feature a “mid-mounted footpeg” position of the footrests. Hence it affords a more relaxed riding position. The R 18 Transcontinental especially comes with a comfortable seat and seat heating as standard while having wider footrests also. Of course, with touring you need music, and here the R 18 Transcontinental and R 18 B feature a sound system developed in collaboration with the British manufacturer Marshall, featuring 2-way speakers integrated into the front of the fairing. Black cover grilles with white Marshall lettering round off the classic look too. Prices and a release date have not been revealed yet but suffice to say, BMW Motorrad has hit the bullseye with its newest R18 cruisers and we cannot wait to hit the highway with these two machines!