BMW R18B and and Transcontinental up on the site

[fourteenfour]

 

 

 

22-24k  and 877lbs ready to ride

https://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/en/models/heritage/r18-b.html

 

25k-27k  and 942lbs ready to ride

https://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/en/models/heritage/r18-transcontinental.html

 

 

Oh well, seems Cycle World was correct, they are stupid overweight

[Skywagon]

Calling Terry....it need a better windshield

 

[Ponch]

Man, are they expensive or will be. Fully outfitted it's like 30k and 34k. No dealer will have base models in black. Who wants black anyway...Crazy. 

[fourteenfour]

17 hours ago, Skywagon said:

Calling Terry....it need a better windshield

 

 

 

A fixed windshield is not something that should have ever happened on a BMW of this price point

[Ponch]

On 7/30/2021 at 4:29 AM, fourteenfour said:

 

A fixed windshield is not something that should have ever happened on a BMW of this price point

 

Windshields are tough. If one falls outside the normal range more than a little, chances are the windscreen has to be changed. 

[hopz]

Well, friends... all I can say here is that I am confused.

I was on Harleys for decades and then went to BMW because... well... they were better- in so many ways... Now BMW is trying make a better Harley?

I suppose they will but will it still be a BMW? Can't tell but, frankly, trying to copy the loser is not a great way to be the leaders.

 

Now, I have said it... 

 

[Miguel!]

To grow a business, you either create new market opportunities or take market share away from someone else. HD is the largest motorcycle manufacturer that rivals BMW's products price-wise. So even if you take just a portion of their market, you make money. So taking emotion out of it, it makes business sense to me. Just my two cents...

 

Miguel

[hopz]

Miguel... I can agree with that.

My comment was a personal reaction. I do like BMW as a company and if they want to make that bike series- great for them. Businesses need to take care of their business. No problem with that. 

 

[AZgman]

It would be hard to make the R18 bagger look more like a Harley. Good luck to them.

[fourteenfour]

On 8/2/2021 at 2:47 PM, Miguel! said:

To grow a business, you either create new market opportunities or take market share away from someone else. HD is the largest motorcycle manufacturer that rivals BMW's products price-wise. So even if you take just a portion of their market, you make money. So taking emotion out of it, it makes business sense to me. Just my two cents...

 

Miguel

 

I fully agree that to grow a business you need to expand your markets but its painfully obvious BMW is a bit tone deaf in their attempt.  I just think they focused too much on the social media influencer area with bike customization shops that do not have a big presence in either market; BMW or Harley. Then came their videos which seemed to be full of Vogue like models, all white too, who were more dressed for a runway than a ride. Their color choices for the two new bikes are pretty boring and the purple fade doesn't pay homage to any BMW; it might have been better to have a Orange fade similar to Daytona color scheme. The probably could have used a White instead of that "gold" like color which probably works better on a bass boat.

 

Then when it comes to existing BMW riders they offer us a vastly overweight motorcycle with a fixed windscreen and limited options in suspension. We also get some cringe worthy names for the standard ride modes.

 

I do plan to demo a R18B on the off chance the weight is well managed but to put its weight into perspective, the Harley and Indian equivalents are both over fifty pounds less. With regards to the Transcontinental it is between twenty and forty pounds heavier than its competition.  All this weight from a motorcycle where they revealed the weight of the engine and transmission was 243lbs... so they managed to add over 600lbs to arrive at a Street Glide clone.

 

[fourteenfour]

my dealer is trying to push his out by discounting the demos, 200-800 miles each.
 

• R18 First Edition, 207 miles for 15,883 (22,015 MSRP)
• R18 First Edition, 871 miles for 15,761 (22,015 MSRP)
• R18 Classic First Edition, 213 miles for 18,999 (24,015 MSRP

 

This still leaves him with quite a few new ones which are ten percent off or more, I bet he still has a few in crates

[fourteenfour]

Review day is August 30th as the press blackout ends then

[fourteenfour]

Revzilla Review

 

Asphalt and Rubber review

 

Motorcycle dot com Review

 

For the most part....

 

• There is a clutch issue that may get ugly
• Overweight 
• Under powered
• Weak brakes 
• Lot more shifting required than one would expect with a bike with so much torque
• Too much vibration
• Fixed windscreens are hit and miss based on your height
• Touches down to quickly in curves
• Foot control issues, namely use and placement though they are adjustable
• The big TFT screen is nice but the software is atrocious
• ACC is amazing
• Great looking bike

 

I really hope my dealer has one for test rides, the B model, but seeing that this time around they are taking deposits I am betting they will only have one if BMW requires it or puts money up for it.

 

 

That weight is just inexcusable, the B model compares to the Indian Chieftain and Harley Davidson Streetglide, the B is over fifty pounds heavier than either at 877 pounds. The Transcontinental is twenty five to fifty pounds heavier depending on which full dress Harley or Indian you compare it to. Also interesting is that to get enough shock travel BMW had to raise the seat height to over twenty eight inches

[Rob Nowell]

On 8/8/2021 at 4:13 PM, fourteenfour said:

This still leaves him with quite a few new ones which are ten percent off or more, I bet he still has a few in crates

I stopped at a few dealerships on my summer trek and saw several R18s on the floors.  Not quite a hot seller...