Photo: BMW Motorrad
Out in the open since 2020, the BMW R 18 is slowly making room for Motorrad back into the world of cruisers. Now available in four variants, all packing the most “powerful 2-cylinder boxer engine ever used in motorcycle series production,” the family is really expected to take off starting this year.
Starting in March in Costa Rica, BMW will organize something called the Great Getaway, an on-the-road get-together of R 18 riders that will move to Portugal in June and the U.S. in August.
As everyone can figure, BMW would not have done this if there were just two or three R 18s out there. That means the bike maker is confident there are enough of them to make for a sizeable event – no sales numbers for the model were released so far, so we don’t know.
But assuming there are plenty of them on the roads already, the natural question is: where are the custom ones? Did so few buy the R 18 and have it modified to their own taste?
Apparently, not, and probably seeing how there’s not enough exposure on the custom market for the model, BMW tasked two Italian shops to handle the build of an equal number of very special machines.
The one we have here is called R 18 Aurora, was put together by Garage 221, and shown this week at the Verona Motor Bike Expo. We don’t know why this name was chosen, but we do know this thing is a collection of bits and pieces coming from other BMW two-wheelers, and inspired by some BMW four-wheelers.
A nod to the design of 1970s cruisers, the Aurora uses batwing supports adapted from a 1982 R 100, bits of the rear frame come from a 1991 K 75, and the body color was inspired by the 1983 RT 100. The rider sits on a saddle taken from a 2005 1200 C.
There are a host of full custom bits on it as well, including the front and rear fender supports, saddle supports, and license plate holder arms. The oil cooler grille, also custom, is meant to remind people of the cars BMW was making back in the 1960s.
The Germans did not say how much the bike cost to put together like this, but we’re willing to bet the company is hoping this build will put the R 18 on custom shops’ radar. And we kind of hope the same thing.
As everyone can figure, BMW would not have done this if there were just two or three R 18s out there. That means the bike maker is confident there are enough of them to make for a sizeable event – no sales numbers for the model were released so far, so we don’t know.
But assuming there are plenty of them on the roads already, the natural question is: where are the custom ones? Did so few buy the R 18 and have it modified to their own taste?
Apparently, not, and probably seeing how there’s not enough exposure on the custom market for the model, BMW tasked two Italian shops to handle the build of an equal number of very special machines.
The one we have here is called R 18 Aurora, was put together by Garage 221, and shown this week at the Verona Motor Bike Expo. We don’t know why this name was chosen, but we do know this thing is a collection of bits and pieces coming from other BMW two-wheelers, and inspired by some BMW four-wheelers.
A nod to the design of 1970s cruisers, the Aurora uses batwing supports adapted from a 1982 R 100, bits of the rear frame come from a 1991 K 75, and the body color was inspired by the 1983 RT 100. The rider sits on a saddle taken from a 2005 1200 C.
There are a host of full custom bits on it as well, including the front and rear fender supports, saddle supports, and license plate holder arms. The oil cooler grille, also custom, is meant to remind people of the cars BMW was making back in the 1960s.
The Germans did not say how much the bike cost to put together like this, but we’re willing to bet the company is hoping this build will put the R 18 on custom shops’ radar. And we kind of hope the same thing.
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