BMW R18

[tommymck]

Cool. Is it a beast torque wise?

I've never been really adept at "feeling" torque directly. From the standpoint of anywhere between 2K and 4K in any gear, if you twist the throttle, the thing gets up and goes no questions asked, and you always seem to be naturally in the right gear.... Yes, it seems to have plenty on tap. And I have the sense that I could pull a tree stump out with the thing. But it's no acceleration demon, which is more the sort of thing that you "feel" directly. It's plenty for me in any case.

Hey, Tommy, was there a lot of heat on your shins? Or was it manageable?

The heads are cool enough that you can lay your bare hands on them without any discomfort at all. They are warmer than the ambient air, but not by all that much. Temperature isn't a problem in the slightest.

The R18 is interesting to say the least. I think it was smart for BMW to offer the "classic" version without the fishtail pipes as I can see why some (including myself) would find them unappealling. They are certainly getting a lot of attention in the press and people are sure talking about them.

On the other hand, for half the price you could pick up a leftover Moto Guzzi Eldorado 1400; at least right now as Guzzi has discontinued the big block 1400s for 2021. Yes, it's 400 CCs less and lacks the BMW prestige and overall better dealer network that BMW offers, but for half the price!!......a no brainer to me. The Guzzi is over 50 lbs. lighter, will out handle the R18, and looks far better IMO. But to each his own. Guzzi couldn't give away thye 1400 Californias in the US but that's a completely different story.

No question that the R18 isn't as cost effective as lots of other options. There's no question that if you like the looks / vibe of the Guzzi, it's a way better deal. I play guitar, and have always liked Les Pauls. They definitely aren't best from a bang for the buck perspective, and a PRS SE single cut will arguably sound as good, be set up as good or better, and some like the looks better....for less than half of the price. Still and all though, the Les Paul is just more fun for me to play, and I play it better just because I like it better. The R18 is the same sort of thing for me.

In 2019 the local Triumph dealer salesman left and went to work for the local BMW dealer. It was only a matter of months when he came off his GS, pulling the cylinder the head clean off and spilling the oil all over the roundabout. It was a low speed accident but the bike was written off. Two Lessons from this episode 1) flat twins need engine bars and 2) once a Triumph salesman....

Imagine how wide this bike is going to be with engine bars, do they do them as an accessory? Oh, the salesman is now back working for Triumph, I wonder why?

I've had three other BMW boxers, and to date I haven't dropped a single one, or had any damage to the heads or anything else on the bikes. Engine guards are available, but ruin the looks to me. I know it's like the saying for pilots who fly single engine retractables. There are those who have landed gear up, and those who will. As GO says, the plan isn't to drop the thing though, and in any case, I'm not sure that the odds of mechanical damage (as opposed to cosmetic damage) is any greater with a boxer than with any other bike.

And as to the financing stuff, you guys are definitely correct that it's a better deal to take the loan, but the amount over...say...a 5 year period doesn't justify the hassle of having an outstanding loan for that period for me....but again that's more my weirdness about not liking loans unless they are really necessary. Definitely not a sound financial strategy, but the numbers are small enough that I can justify it...