The BMW R 18 is already one of the world’s favorite bikes when it comes to custom jobs being carried out. From day one the R18 has been used by famous custom shops to bring out its full potential. With that huge engine right in the middle of each project, creative approaches were needed. The latest two versions to join the club come from Italy and they have been unveiled this past weekend at the Verona Motor Bike Show.
The BMW R 18 M was developed by Italian Magazine LowRide and built by American Dreams. The source of inspiration for the BMW R 18 M project is the following: the idea is to give the BMW Cruiser a more streamlined and sportier look, avoiding exaggerations and especially without forgetting the reference to the BMW R 18 retro lines.
“Stability, long wheelbase and readiness of the 1800 cc big boxer instigate lightning starts and deserve, in our opinion, a sporty and retro look. In the R 18 M design, we find suggestions from BMW Motorrad tradition and cues from the four-wheelers: M stands for Motorsport” as Giuseppe Roncen, director of LowRide and a great expert of the world of specials, described the BMW R 18 M project.
The work has focused on chassis, suspension set-up, bodywork, and accessories, leaving mechanics and electronics unchanged as the natural strengths of the R 18. Lightened and with a different riding position, the BMW R 18 M promises to be even more fun to ride: “We remain curious to experience its potential. Significantly lightened, the bike should also be easy to handle due to its riding position, which is more compact and forward loaded, without exaggeration.”
On the other hand, the BMW R 18 Aurora was designed and built by Garage 221. According to Pier Francesco Marchio, from Garage 221: “the lines of the new BMW cruiser, innovative and at the same time faithfully traditional, deserved complementary elements and an even more Heritage spirit, starting from the soft lines of the tank to the characteristic shapes of the boxer.”
The project initially focused on the study of the different sections of the bike, keeping in mind the need to connect the new elements in a unique harmony of lines, taking inspiration from the cruisers of the 1970s, which have always particularly involved Pier Francesco “for their impressive aesthetic fluidity.” Distinctive elements of the BMW R 18 Aurora by Garage 221 are the wraparound fenders and adherent to the wheel, like the “batwing”, to leave space and thus highlight the central area of the bike.
