BMW R18 Bookings Open Unofficially In India: Launch Expected Late This Year Or Early Next

While BMW hasn't made anything official in India yet, deliveries in international markets are expected to begin later this year, after the Covid-19 situation has been handled. Expectations are that the motorcycle will be launched here at the end of this year, or early next.

The industry also speculates that the BMW R18 could arrive in limited numbers, and will arrive with two variants — Standard, and First Edition. The BMW R18 is a classic that has been inspired by the brand's R5 motorcycle model.

The R18 features a tear-drop shape fuel tank, conventional 49mm forks at the front and a rather cleverly hidden cantilever mono-shock at the rear — giving the R18 an almost ‘hard-tail' appearance.

The motorcycle features some chrome, exhaust pipes with fish-tail tips, old-school valve covers, a round LED headlamp, and the wire spoke wheels. The motorcycle does fit the part of a heavyweight cruiser.

BMW Motorrad's R18 cruiser arrives with a 1,802cc air/ oil cooled boxer-twin engine that produces 91 brake horsepower and 157Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a six-speed gearbox, and uses a final shaft drive instead of a chain or belt drive. A low speed reverse gear is also available as an optional.

The motorcycle is priced at Euro 22,800 (roughly Rs 18.51 lakh) in Germany, and at USD 18,499 (roughly Rs 14.13 lakh) in the United States. While the company hasn't revealed prices for the R18, expectations are that it will be priced at roughly between Rs 18 lakh and Rs 25 lakh ex-showroom, India).

Thoughts About The BMW R18 Launching In India This Year And Dealers Taking Bookings In Advance

While most BMW motorcycles do well for the brand, we're unsure about their cruiser model. One really doesn't see too many BMW cruisers on the streets. Of course, BMW Motorrad knows their target markets better than anybody else, and we hope the R18 does well for them.