Photo: BMW Motorrad
Back in 2020, the cruiser motorcycle segment heated up. It was then when Harley-Davidson began feeling cold drops of sweat running down its spine, its presence on the cruiser motorcycle segment threatened by a newcomer called R 18.
BMW Motorrad is the company responsible for the arrival of the R 18, a major comeback in the segment after the discontinuation of the R 1200 RC in 2004. The bike also brought with it the “most powerful 2-cylinder boxer engine ever used in motorcycle series production,” the mighty Big Boxer.
A new bike and a mighty new engine are enough of a threat to Harley's supremacy, but if you add the fact BMW is sending the R 18 into combat on the custom bike battlefield as well, things do not look all that great for the Americans.
In fact, BMW previewed the R 18 in custom form before releasing the production version, and soon after introduction, a coordinated effort to make the two-wheeler a constant presence in custom shops began.
These past two months alone, BMW released a number of customized R 18s to show it means business. We’ve already discussed a number of them, but we’re not nearly that with that.
Today’s treat is called BMW R 18 Daytona and was imagined in Germany by Klaus Mayer GmbH. It’s a build supposed to harken back to the R 90 S, a short-lived sport bike of the 1970s.
That particular bike was offered in a two-tone color (with red pinstriping) called Daytona Orange. The hue was spread on the front fender, fuel tank, and side panels, and it’s exactly on these pieces of hardware it’s flaunted when it comes to the R 18 as well.
Just like on the machine it’s meant to honor, aluminum brushing and white trim lines are in place to highlight the main paint job, and a black leather seat offsets all these elements combined.
The paint job is not the only modification Klaus Mayer made to the R 18. Also different from stock, but still from BMW’s own inventory, come the wheels slapped on the ride. We’re dealing with contrast-cut forged wheels, sized 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear, and both wearing Metzeler Marathon Ultra tires.
The customizer fitted the machine with Rizoma Club S turn indicators and dropped the entire rear section a bit to make the R 18 look more aggressive. At the opposite end, a smoke grey windshield is clearly visible, while the sides are dominated by chrome bits over the exhaust system.
Like all other custom R 18 bikes BMW showed in November and December, this one too is a one-off and comes to light with no info on how much it’s worth.
A new bike and a mighty new engine are enough of a threat to Harley's supremacy, but if you add the fact BMW is sending the R 18 into combat on the custom bike battlefield as well, things do not look all that great for the Americans.
In fact, BMW previewed the R 18 in custom form before releasing the production version, and soon after introduction, a coordinated effort to make the two-wheeler a constant presence in custom shops began.
These past two months alone, BMW released a number of customized R 18s to show it means business. We’ve already discussed a number of them, but we’re not nearly that with that.
Today’s treat is called BMW R 18 Daytona and was imagined in Germany by Klaus Mayer GmbH. It’s a build supposed to harken back to the R 90 S, a short-lived sport bike of the 1970s.
That particular bike was offered in a two-tone color (with red pinstriping) called Daytona Orange. The hue was spread on the front fender, fuel tank, and side panels, and it’s exactly on these pieces of hardware it’s flaunted when it comes to the R 18 as well.
Just like on the machine it’s meant to honor, aluminum brushing and white trim lines are in place to highlight the main paint job, and a black leather seat offsets all these elements combined.
The paint job is not the only modification Klaus Mayer made to the R 18. Also different from stock, but still from BMW’s own inventory, come the wheels slapped on the ride. We’re dealing with contrast-cut forged wheels, sized 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear, and both wearing Metzeler Marathon Ultra tires.
The customizer fitted the machine with Rizoma Club S turn indicators and dropped the entire rear section a bit to make the R 18 look more aggressive. At the opposite end, a smoke grey windshield is clearly visible, while the sides are dominated by chrome bits over the exhaust system.
Like all other custom R 18 bikes BMW showed in November and December, this one too is a one-off and comes to light with no info on how much it’s worth.
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