I got mine yesterday and i have no regrets after owning harley baggers for 20 years. Nothing does it more justice then seeing it in person. Its a work of art and indescribable on riding it. Ill never get rid of it. I am the only one in Delaware to have one....be safe, ride hard....

I rode one this week. Really enjoyed it and it’s basically the bike I would buy if I wanted a Harley in my later years . Not really my kind of bike to purchase however but beautifully finished. Loads of torque too! My dealer told me that they do a more expensive blacked out version with different exhausts. It’s £30,000 however.

I’d love one of those in my garage, it’s a stunner and I even thought the exhaust note sounded good. BMW have got another winner in their lineup 👍

I think BMW got the inspiration for this from their museum. Those cylinders remind me of the BMW radial aero engines, beautiful. Be great to see the quality materials and simpler design filter down to the non-Hardly competing range.

The only thing I don't like is the tail pipes. Otherwise it looks incredible. A great alternative to HD and Indian.

Was only when I saw it in the flesh sat on really appreciated the detail that's gone into this bike absolutely stunning

You deserve more subscribers, dude, this stuff is great. Not to mention that the camera work and production quality is out of this world.

Took that exact bike out for a spin today in torrential rain. Have to say it put a big smile on my face. Perfect balance, nice smooth power and stunning to look at.

I'm in Australia & waiting on mine to arrive!!! I can't wait!😍🤤 Owning 2 boxer BM's I can say they are extremely comfortable to ride over long distances regardless of what other cruiser riders will say, without having ridden one! Upwards of 500km/310 miles a day is a doddle. Nice short review & I'll wait for your extended version. Cheers from "Down Under"👍🏻🇦🇺

This is a 80/20 motorcycle!!! 80% cleaning and staring,20% ridding it

Maybe the best looking bike made for a decade

Brit living in Rhode Island, US. On the subject of strict noise laws effecting exhaust note. Our village has a sign up the road asking motorcyclists not to enter with modified or straight through exhausts- which is 100% completely ignored. My last bike over there was a Yamaha XS650 US Custom.... with straight through pipes. Apparently my dog would go nuts when I got within 7miles (sorry, freedom measurements) of the house.

20k and no fuel gauge! Nice bike, but that's taking the piss.

Sat on it yesterday!!! STUNNING Motorcycle!!! No Cruise Control is a deal breaker and scraping pegs is not my thing!!!! But WOW is it Beautiful!!!!!!!

Why would BMW, a company that makes bikes that are too big and too expensive, copy Harley Davidsons that are too big and too expensive?🤔 Seems to me I'd always worry on this bike that I'd be taken for a fool.😬 For $20,000 my big bore of choice would be the Yamaha VMAX or the Triumph Rocket III; either of which would undoubtedly eat the Beemer for lunch.😘 Have any of you, BTW, checked out Vermont vlogger Jedz Moto's modified VMAX? A big bore pavement ripper that can corner like a Rocket III.🤭

Pictures and videos just Don’t do the R18 justice . In real life it’s captivating and you just keep looking at it and finding more amazing quality BMW features … so much so that I had to buy one and I can’t get the smile of my face

I like the way that when you start it up it makes approaching cars disappear. I'd pay 20 grand for that alone.

BMW have a winner here, it is going to be massive. No one bike will ever satisfy all tastes, and it is that simple fact that makes motorcycles exciting, I love them all. I have a Harley as well as an R nine T graced with a Lambretta, so there you go. Those exhausts will make an awful lot of sense on a long ride, you will arrive with a fresh head and not a headache, trust me, I know. Great bike, love it, great review, thank you.

-Beautifully composed and edited videography & infectious enthusiasm . . . your journalism is a pleasure. I love the countryside looks you do. The contrast of machine against lush nature is striking and does very good service to the display of the bikes.

Don't worry about the lack of fuel gauge - go by mileage on the trip meter, it's easy and accurate, and when it's your bike, you know you can rely on it.

Great reviewing again. Really good to find someone who knows how to provide good reviews both verbally and visually.

Was patiently waiting for you to review this bike...once again an excellent in-depth review with beautiful videography to boot. Kudos

Great vid, beautiful machine but I find myself thinking “close but no cigar”...

My favorite brand my favorite bike 😍😍😍

BMW doesn't need this bike it need this bike with half the displacement and price. I like it.

I have to say I was very critical how the ballon fish tail exhaust looked like on the bike when I saw pictures of it and how the cylinder heads looked just too big and out of proportion. But when I saw the bike in person today, wow! It looked breathtaking and the exhaust and cylinders blended so well with the overall style of the bike.

That’s a fantastic review Motobob, been watching the development of this bike from when it was announced....my one arrives in December and i cant wait. Ive been used to riding Harleys with forward controls and i think the R18 is just different and not an issue. I have tested the R18 and it rides beautifully.....certainly makes me smile. Thanks for the brilliant first impression, kind regards.

Remember, that 91HP Figure is at the crank. Shaft drive losses can equate from 15 to 25% loss to the rear wheel. And for anyone saying "only 91hp from 1800cc?!" yeah that's how big twin engines work. They make ass tons of torque at low RPM and dont rev high. Revving high is where you get HP, but you sacrifice low end torque. Cruisers need low end torque for good cruising.

Beautiful bike with that '40s look you will never forget

Singularly the most beautiful motorcycle I have ever seen

It’s a great looking bike 😎👌🏼

No, there is no heat issue. 800 miles and 2 months on mine and it has proven itself to be a pure motorcycle, a true riders bike. Doesn't look like a stupid insect. I'm so over bikes that look like insects. My 6th BMW.

Good heavens that rear brake master cylinder is lush. How often do you see those detailed?! (also, what is wrong with me)

Someone who’s 6’2” with big legs I can comfortably tell you this is a great bike to ride

Thanks great review so refreshing to see something besides Harley-Davidson engine upgrades to make it go my problem that's a long distant or no faring no bags no fuel but all on the lock

That was a Quality video! I’m not a cruiser fan but I really like this bike

I actually love the look of the fishtail exhausts, something different from all current bikes for sure. Sounds good on the gas too eh?

The reverse is like a Goldwing's, but just like the older ones. My 1994 GL1500's reverse uses the starter motor when running in neutral as well.

Absolutely agree that lack of a fuel gauge is an inexcusable omission on a bike this premium !

The Goldwing NON DCT model uses the Starter Motor like the R18

I really think that’s the bike for me. The bobber seat and the leg rests seem to solve the riding position issues. At least for me The bike is beautiful and most importantly SIMPLE Motor, wheels, bars and a seat. That’s all a bike needs to be.

The left rock is characteristic to any Boxer engine, my GS rocks left but not as much as you showed on the R18. My 2017 Goldwing rocks left too, but very, very little.

The exhaust is offputting but it looks great none the less.

They made a 1200 cruiser years ago (Pierce Brosnan/James Bond) which never really sold, interesting if this will ?

Comparing this one with the goldwing is just a bmw marketing excuse. You should remember that you sit far back on the gold wing from the engine. So you're shin is not as much close on the goldwing as here. That makes a lot of difference I think

It is a work of art. Always been a Harley rider but wouldn't bat an eyelid to jump on that. I would imagine the powers that be at Harley are just nonchalantly chomping on their donuts saying "meh!" 😅 But they should be a bit more concerned about the market as a whole. BMW don't do things on a whim, they're German, so that means they're meticulous. Just had a thought, could you imagine if BMW decided to do a v twin in that frame with those pots?! Woah! 😮👀😏

Not sure how the silencers got the green light, they'd have to go, but that aside, overall looks nice. Think it'll be a rare sight on the road though, can't see many buyers

I guess one question of this bike would be why is it 340kg? Not that long ago, a 1200-1300cc bike would be tipping the scales around 240kgs! An extra 100kgs is a HUGE amount of extra weight. The service intervals of @6000 miles are strangely frequent for what is an understressed engine nowadays. As usual, the first thing to go would be that exhaust 'building' that's tacked on. Euro 5 thanks! Those brake and clutch master cylinders look cheap-chrome and nasty! The bike as a whole is pretty nicely styled but I don't think I could ever buy one (money issues not withstanding!)

P.S. BMW needs to make this engine in 8 cylinders and turbocharged fuel injected. Perfect for aircraft use.

Unfortunately, it still sounds better that my R3 Rocket lol. Aftermarket needed for sure..... love the R18. Keep this in mind if my Mrs allows a second ride.

Great review as ever Rob, nice one

Great review. I think those big chrome cylinder would take a pounding over time.

It was probably a fun exercise for the BMW engineers, but ultimately it's a show bike? If the vibes are that bad, and there's no cruise control (on a "cruiser") and you can't go feet forward... it's a weekend toy! Which I'm not saying is a bad thing, just not a serious thing. Harley have nothing to worry about. Another great vid Bob! 👍

Excellent video (as normal) . This bike looks like a work of art, I was surprised it only has 90 BHP, but I don't guess that's what this bike is really about. Personally I prefer Triumph's Rocket 3 take on the ridiculously large engined cruiser bike. You can get cruiser pegs on a Rocket 3, along with cruise control, more power than you really need and the triple sound. Triumph do need to do the reverse gear thing like this and the Gold Wing have. Apart from me not having a spare £20K and a suitable garage for a Rocket 3, pushing 320 Kg (wet guesstimate) of Rocket 3 backwards is a bit off putting.

Like the way you introduce the bike. Great job.

Wish it came with a centerstand. Repairing tires, and aligning is much easier with one.

The riding position is NOT like the Goldwing. I’ve ridden both. Seat height on GW is 29.3”. Seat height in R18 is 27”. Seat on the R18 is also quite bad and uncomfortable. Engine vibrates a lot.

As I said it on Ur Instagram post about this bike I'm happy to see BMW making an Uber Boxer engine! My first motorcycle was an ex BMW R1100S and I have a soft spot for the boxer engine configuration! I know the riding position is a non issue. As U said Goldwing Guys have been munching big miles for decades with no complaints!! Now back to the R18 I think yes not having a cruise control is a big mistake! Especially when U can get one on the S1000RR?! And I know that the BMW wanted to make it as authentic as possible all the looks like metal is metal but 350kg is a bit to much but then I know that BMW are very good at hiding the weight of their bikes!! So once above 10 miles weight won't be an issue!! And for the parking well one will need to get the reverse gear! Or alweys remember to back your bike in to a parking spot!! I want to test ride the R18 to compare it with my Big Block Moto Guzzi California Audace 1400. A bike that is very similar to it with transverse V-twin and shaft drive 3 power maps veloce (sport) turismo (normal) and pioggia (rain) tracion control and cruise control(1-0 for the Moto Guzzi) but no reverse gear (Guzzi 1-1 BMW) but my Flying Hippo is 315KG kerb weight so a bit down on the BMW but I recon it won't make that much difference. What will make the difference is the Guzzi is making more power (5bhp) and can rev to 7000rpm but has less torque 122NM at 2750rpm so much less then the BMW 168NM. The interesting thing I tested the HD Fat Bob 114 witch has similar torque as the BMW and my Guzzi pulls harder on acceleration and roll on.

that is by far the ugliest tail pipe in the history of all motorcycles

The low slung seat doesn't look quite right to me, a springer seat with a more situp'n'beg position like it's R5 inspiration would be better, in looks and for the foot peg position.

I would most definitely put one in my collection. Straight up a class act... i believe i get it BMW🕶🏍

Nice intro. Look forward to seeing a longer review. 👍

It looks awesome. I would be waiting for a day 2 model though, if I had the money and inclination to buy such a bike. Great review pal!

Hello Bob, always like your reviews, unlike some reviewers you have good technical knowledge and it seems you usually take the trouble to read the manual or maybe get an explanation from the shop about how a bike operates. So many reviewers don't do this and as a result make repeated mistakes or simply don't know all the controls etc. I think the R18 looks great though possibly the width might be a problem on our UK roads, especially in towns. I get that it's a cruiser but even so you have to go through towns on almost every ride at some stage in this country. Hard to understand why there's no cruise control (on a cruiser!) or fuel gauge, but what do you expect for a lousy £20 large? I get the stripped down styling idea, which in general I like, but those two items don't detract from that. Triumph manage to include a fuel gauge on their single clock models like the Bobber etc. Would I buy one? Possibly yes as I actually prefer the look and intended riding style of this to the R3, which I regard much more as a naked muscle bike and not a retro style cruiser. Must be hard to hang on to an R3 if you really give it some wrist and it encourages that sort of riding, whereas the R18 encourages laid back gentle cruising. As for forward controls, they are an abomination for several reasons and not missed though I understand why many Americans like them and see their omission here as a potential deal breaker. But that's cos they have vast long roads where you have nothing to do for huge mileages, which we don't. People who claim to like forwards, in the UK or Europe, do so essentially as a triumph of fashion over function I think. They render a bike much more difficult to control, especially in towns and traffic.

Great review, as usual Bob. Now, what about footpeg drag? Zach, now of Revzilla's Daily Ride fame, experienced that as a major issue, even with rather mild leans.

Looks so much like r60/r69 , just classic

I think it sounds great!

so i sat on one last week, cant legally ride it here in the us yet although ive been for almost a year, and i like the floorboard better than the pegs. with the pegs i felt that my feel kept slipping forward. I would love to ride it. That engine is beautiful, but i dont think its the best fitting sound for a cruiser. i think more burbly sound fits a cruiser better but thats just me.

If they’d kept the engine size around 9-1300cc (at lower prices), it would’ve peaked a lot more riders interest maybe?

cylinders just centimeters above your foot will transfer heat big time specially in slow traffic warm hot days.Another minus clearance almost all reviewers were scraping foot pegs even on moderate bends.BMW should of made this 2inch higher seat.Not sure 20k bike that will toast my feet and I can't ride on twisties faster then snail pace... If you like to point and ride and have small feet then its fine I guess...

I need one here in Florida, wouldn't want it in Norfolk but here perfect !

I own the Classic version. Love it. One flaw. The windscreen is abhorrent. Horrific wind buffeting. Shame on the design engineer who should be fired. Abysmal failure. However, there is a fix, at a very reasonable price. Clearview Shields (Fort Collins, Colorado). Multiple heights, widths, and curvature to redirect wind. Impressive, and a great price. 36 years making windscreen and shipping worldwide.

Thanks. I'm waiting for the R18/2 and bagger versions. That's when the platform will start to get interesting. This should do well in the US as the dissatisfaction with Harley grows but Indian may be the company to watch as they build upon their PowerPlus 108 engine. BTW, you can get after market highway pegs for the Goldwing like the Kuryakyn Ergo II Footpegs.

Great review but we really want to know what boots you are wearing?!! 👍😉

Dude..... what are those boots!? I need them.

Ok, I gotta say it, bikes, cars, boats, etc. do NOT have cockpits. Boats have the helm, cars have dashboards, and bikes are where you jump on the seat and look at the gauge panel. If you want to use the term cockpit, then get your Pilot's license. There's nothing cockpit like either, just sit in an airplane and it makes more sense. Everyone wants to pretend they're a Pilot 😜

Glad that there is aftermarket exhaust. Would look ok in any color but black. Black sucks and so does the headlight. Cruise control, gas gage. It's a bike dude, not a car.

Love it. Except for that pipe.

Surprised you didn't mention the 200mph speedo making the gradients unnecessarily small.

It looks like a vehicle coming from the 40's specially made for a certain army

As long as the clock includes a trip odometer, who cares if there’s a fuel gauge or not?

I am biased due to owning 2020 R3, but this one looks a not-very-agile weighty lump... personal taste, I reckon... good review, as always.

And no fuel gauge?

You must have gone down the B1000 about a dozen times given how often your position reset and yet you seemed to always be travelling north!

It seems people under 60 years old have forgotten how to remove the petrol tank cap, put ear to the hole and wiggle the bike from side to side while listening for the sloshing sound which tells you how much petrol is still in the tank.

From Morocco here, I love your videos. If you don’t mind doing a helmet setup, like gopro and mic. Thank you

Great video as always! What boots are those?!?

I think this bike will sell more in its second year once people see what mods end up coming out.

When I become a millionaire I shall add an R18 to my stable. Love the look

Great review as always dude. I've been eagerly anticipating you thoughts. Maybe its just me, but you didn't seem super excited about the bike apart from its obvious visual appeal, which is undeniable. Did I miss read that, did it move you? Or is it simply that it does what its meant to do without drama?

Customized it could look awesome

GW looks like it's 10x more fun to blast around on. How much is this boxer delivered in the USA 🇺🇸?

Great vid

If i was a rich collector with a building to fill up with bikes I would buy one . But my only riding bike ...no way. For what the BMW cost I could have a used Harley and a used sport bike together and ride whichever one my mood desires .

Can you guys tell me what the headlight lens was made plastic or glass . Thank you !

BMW needs to release tha service manaul

Lovin my rt1150 rt . Cruz!!

Hey Bob, I still can’t get over that it’s 50kg heavier than a Rocket 3 but great review. On another topic spotted a Beeline Moto on the R18s bars are you going to do a review?

I noticed you were using a beeline navigation device. Any chance you could do a review one time please?

Great review!