Photo: BMW Motorrad
As 2022 was about to end, German bike maker BMW Motorrad unloaded a wealth of custom projects into the world. Put together in Poland and Germany by the company’s local partners, the R 18-based machines came here to send a clear message to Harley-Davidson, which is preparing to celebrate its 120th anniversary in 2023: the Germans are coming, and they target the custom segment.
The last batch of R 18 custom cruisers was revealed by BMW at the beginning of December, and after already talking about the Edition #01, Tansanit Titan, Daytona, Iron, and Steelbody, we’re nearing the end of the list. Aside from the motorcycle we have here, the so-called BMW R 18 fifty-seven, there are only a couple of other German cruiser-based customs left to discuss, so you’d better get the most of it before it's over, as one never knows when BMW will have such a coordinated effort in place again.
The fifty-seven was a stock R 18 before being handled by a German crew going by the name Motorradzentrum Helmig & Sohn. Just like the others of its kind, it’s a one-off, a herald of things to come. Unlike the others though, it didn’t need tens or hundreds of hours to be made, but just 18, which might be a sort of record if you ask us.
The idea behind the build was to create a “sporty, modern chopper,” and for that to happen, it seems, not much work was needed. The shop installed new front and rear fenders and then topped that with a bobber-style seat and handlebars supplied by Hardcore Bar.
That’s about it, really, at least as visual upgrades are concerned. Oh, there’s the issue of the paint. We’re talking about a shade called Nürburg Green, a throwback to the hue allegedly used quite a lot by BMW in the 1970s, and generously sprayed over the bike’s most visible body parts, the fuel tank and side panels. Sadly, we are not allowed a clean look at it as the pics the shop provided to BMW for further distribution are simply awful.
Mechanically, the bike rocks in its frame the stock Big Boxer engine that got BMW all worked up a couple of years ago. Displacing 1,802cc and rated at the standard 158 Nm of torque, it is aided in this application by a new, stainless steel, custom exhaust system provided by Hattech.
The choice of name for the modified cruiser was not explained, so we’re left guessing about what fifty-seven is supposed to mean in this particular case. Another aspect shrouded in mystery is the cost of the build, but whereas we can find some hope the meaning of the name might sometime be revealed, there’s little chance of that happening when it comes to the magical number that spells cost.
The fifty-seven was a stock R 18 before being handled by a German crew going by the name Motorradzentrum Helmig & Sohn. Just like the others of its kind, it’s a one-off, a herald of things to come. Unlike the others though, it didn’t need tens or hundreds of hours to be made, but just 18, which might be a sort of record if you ask us.
The idea behind the build was to create a “sporty, modern chopper,” and for that to happen, it seems, not much work was needed. The shop installed new front and rear fenders and then topped that with a bobber-style seat and handlebars supplied by Hardcore Bar.
That’s about it, really, at least as visual upgrades are concerned. Oh, there’s the issue of the paint. We’re talking about a shade called Nürburg Green, a throwback to the hue allegedly used quite a lot by BMW in the 1970s, and generously sprayed over the bike’s most visible body parts, the fuel tank and side panels. Sadly, we are not allowed a clean look at it as the pics the shop provided to BMW for further distribution are simply awful.
Mechanically, the bike rocks in its frame the stock Big Boxer engine that got BMW all worked up a couple of years ago. Displacing 1,802cc and rated at the standard 158 Nm of torque, it is aided in this application by a new, stainless steel, custom exhaust system provided by Hattech.
The choice of name for the modified cruiser was not explained, so we’re left guessing about what fifty-seven is supposed to mean in this particular case. Another aspect shrouded in mystery is the cost of the build, but whereas we can find some hope the meaning of the name might sometime be revealed, there’s little chance of that happening when it comes to the magical number that spells cost.
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