Not long ago, I reviewed BMW’s lovely, old-fashioned R 18 cruiser that sported a monstrous 1. 8-liter twin-opposed boxer engine that featured air-cooled pushrod valves and miles of style. Even though his stocks seemed to be able to drive into the pavement at the slightest turn, the big Beemer was a nimble and comfortable companion. Congratulations, as always, on the technical prowess of BMW Mottrad.
Today, the R 18 is still in the range, and the “100 Years” edition with the vintage double stripes and fishtail mufflers is still my favorite big BMW boxer shorts (I personally have an “oil head” R1100RS from 1994). Now, with the R20 Custom, they’ve gone even bigger, bringing the engine to 2,000 cm3, or two litres. He drove cars with smaller displacements. Only one other mass-produced motorcycle, the large 2,458cc Triumph Rocket 3 triple, has more hubs.
For now, the R20 is a one-off model, but wonderful old boxer concepts like the R18 have come to fruition, so why not?The R 20 is designed as a “roadster” with the minimum of equipment: an individual seat, a fuel tank, as well as lights and controls. For the more sensitive, the fuel tank is bright pink, so it’s hard to miss this motorcycle.
It also sports a spoked front wheel with huge dual-disc brakes held in place via six-piston calipers and a slotted, blacked-out disc-type rear rim with a 200mm wide tire. The tubes on the concept bike look short and noisy and will probably be puckered through the regulators, so expect any production device to have something a little muted, decibel-wise.
It is first and foremost a pilot, a photographic object. BMW has released a video of the R20 on the road, with a faked look from minute 1:15:
Other items come with an LED headlight with DRL mode that the design team created on a 3D printer, as well as fully adjustable Öhlins Blackline parts at the front and rear for highly adjustable driving.
The “floating” single seat is upholstered in Alcantara and the tail light is incorporated into the rear of the seat to create a blank profile; There will be no hikes for two here. Like the R18, the R20 is driven by a shaft, with the drive shaft and guide trunnion rotating in the breeze (below).
The exposed driveshaft and linkage are hidden on most other BMW models.
This is one of my favorite elements on the R18, giving the bike a strong mechanical character that matched the push rods above the jugs with giant fins that protruded like crankcase wings. Good product.
“The R20 concept is an ambitious interpretation of BMW Motorrad’s DNA,” said Alexander Buckan, head of design at BMW Motorrad, in a press release. “It combines modern technique with a vintage roadster design. His oversized proportions and minimalist aesthetic make him an unmistakable character.
Like the R18 before it, the large displacement of the 2-litre boxer engine results in giving the bike truncated fenders. And yet, you’ll be stuck with unexpected enthusiasm.
BMW hasn’t said whether the R20 will be produced or what its value would be if it did, and it will most likely come with DOT items like mirrors, license plate holder, turn signals, and more. to make it road-legal. But that’s what teams are for.
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