The New BMW R 18 Classic Is A Big-Bore Boxer Tourer

Super-customization program also announced.

By: Sabrina Giacomini

Oct 22, 2020 at 1:01pm ET

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When BMW announced that it would unveil five new heritage motorcycles, we had a little idea of what the House of Munich had in the works. One of our theories was that we’d finally get one of the touring-friendly versions of the R 18 that have been spotted several times over the past year or so.

Sure enough, on October 22, 2020, BMW Motorrad introduced the R 18 Classic—or what happens when the maker slaps a few touring-friendly goodies on its muscle cruiser.

The test mule spotted in the spy shots we shared with you a few days ago showcased the new R 18 Classic (or what we referred to as the “Touring” at the time) a slew of trim specific features, including a large touring windscreen and a set of straight pipes. That’s not all the Classic has to bring to the table, however. As we found out during the debut event, the new model also receives an LED headlight, auxiliary lighting, a pillion seat, standard cruise control, floorboards, and a pair of saddlebags.

While on the base R 18, the wheels are asymmetrical at 19 inches in the front and 16 inches in the back, on the Classic, both wheels are now 16 inches.

In addition to the new Classic trim level, BMW Motorrad announced a new expansive customization program. Expansive may be an understatement. The manufacturer teamed up with some of the biggest names in motorcycling including Roland Sands, Mustang Seats, and Vance & Hines to offer owners an impressive selection of components to customize their R 18. Everything from seat materials and colors, gas caps, headlight bezels, and wheels to gauges, grips, levers, and engine covers can be personalized.

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BMW also offers two Roland Sands Design customization collections dubbed Machined and 2-Tone Black.

According to the information shared by BMW in the comments section of the live stream, the new 2021 BMW R 18 Classic will be available in February 2021. Pricing for the base R 18 is set at $17,495—BMW has yet to announce pricing for the Classic.