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New BMWs, OMG!


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On 10/10/2020 at 12:52 PM, nhchris said:

It is a bruiser for sure.  I wonder how much of that 750 lbs the head assemblies account for.  They are MASSIVE!

Upside... low center of gravity!  (as long as they don't touchdown before the foot pegs. :)

head.JPG

Man, there is enough room on the engine to put a tea pot and a skillet for eggs. I wonder what that thing weighs......

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21 hours ago, Michiel900GT said:

I think BMW isn't copying HD. They don't have to as they have enough heritage of their own.

Just look at the BMW R5 from 1935 and you'll see where the R18 inspiration is coming from.

I agree, it’s definitely BMW’s own heritage they’re calling upon, all the way down to the awkward fishtail exhaust.   

What I don’t understand is the almost cartoonishly large scale.

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Yeah, I get that there's this engine size = manliness thing going on with cruisers, but it seems patently absurd to me to continue packing ever larger engines into bikes that weigh so very much that you still don't get particularly great performance and - due to the insane weight - end up being kind of slow anywhere but in a straight line.  

I mean, this 1.8l beast of an engine is going to be walked by a Tracer.  So... just... why?   Not that a cruiser styled bike is bad, of course, but just packing a larger engine to have a larger engine but provide no performance advantage at all is just baffling to me.

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As a dyed-in-the-wool Beemerista from way back, I can only echo what the general feeling seems to be about this behemoth. 

I have a bet going with AN Other that I will never see one on the road except maybe near a BMW dealership offering test-rides! 

I think my money's safe.

Edited by wordsmith

Riding a fully-farkled 2019 MT-09 Tracer 900 GT from my bayside home in South East Queensland, Australia.   

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I think the R1800 motor is pretty. I wish they could put this (or maybe a slightly smaller version) into something more standard. Give it less fork rake and a higher tractor seat and it would be a true R5 homage, IMO. Alas, long-and-low is the retro/cruiser formula that everyone except me seems to prefer.  

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11 hours ago, wordsmith said:

... I will never see one on the road except maybe near a BMW dealership offering test-rides! 

I saw one in the wild yesterday in California when I parked my bike. I was shocked.

1980 Yamaha 850 Triple (sold). Too many bikes to list, FJ-09 is next on my list
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27 minutes ago, Lone Wolf said:

I saw one in the wild yesterday in California when I parked my bike. I was shocked.

Shocked good, or shocked bad?   

<Off topic>:  Is that an XS750 in your profile pic?   The spiritual forefather of the CP3...  

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Well, it's the exhaust on that new BMW - the word "hideous" comes to mind. 
So that was the initial shock factor, like wow, someone bought one of those.

The bike is not butt ugly, if you changed the pipes it would be tolerable. Not my thing.

BMW R18 2020 Retro Cruiser Revealed (11).jpg

Yeah the profile pic is my 1980 Yamaha 850 Triple that I kept through 1996. 
That was a great bike, tons of torque, shaft drive.
I have been riding an XSR900 and my old Honda 750, will be getting a Tracer or used FJ-09 when an opportunity arises.

Edited by Lone Wolf
1980 Yamaha 850 Triple (sold). Too many bikes to list, FJ-09 is next on my list
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  • 4 months later...

I got to sit on one of these this weekend. It's absolutely hot garbage.

I'm 6'3, and I couldn't bend my legs back far enough to even sit on the bike.
I fit better on a yamaha R3 or a grom than this turd.

I honestly can't believe this bike made it to production. I mean max 20-30 degree lean angle if that, by my eye.

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Man, from Flying Brick to Flying Cement Truck.  I don't mind the aesthetics, but yikes that's a big block of metal.

2015 FJ-09 / FJR touring bags / oil plug mod / Evotech rad guard / SW Motech bash plate / VStream touring windshield / Seat Concepts:  Sport Touring / Vcyclenut ABS rings (speedo correction) / Cosmo RAM mount

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2 hours ago, kilo3 said:

I got to sit on one of these this weekend. It's absolutely hot garbage.

I'm 6'3, and I couldn't bend my legs back far enough to even sit on the bike.
I fit better on a yamaha R3 or a grom than this turd.

I honestly can't believe this bike made it to production. I mean max 20-30 degree lean angle if that, by my eye.

Did the dealer have any German get back whips?

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30 minutes ago, whisperquiet said:

Did the dealer have any German get back whips?

I honestly felt a little sad for the salesperson. You could tell they've hear my concerns before. They had two standing proud right in the front door. They do look much better in person and have exquisite fit and finish. Just shit ergonomics.

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