The BMW Motorrad R 18 is a cruiser motorcycle from BMW Motorrad. It has been discontinued (production ended around 2024). Mechiee still services it at your doorstep. Cruisers are built for relaxed riding, typically with a low seat, a laid-back posture and an engine that pulls from low revs. With a 1,802 cc engine it sits in the big-bike, 800 cc-plus class.
Power comes from a 1,802 cc twin-cylinder air- and oil-cooled fuel-injected engine that makes 91.09 PS at 4,750 rpm and 158 Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm. Peak torque arrives low in the rev range, at 3,000 rpm, which makes it relaxed to ride in traffic. Its bore is wider than its stroke (107.1 mm x 100 mm), a short-stroke layout that generally favours higher revs. Divide power by kerb weight and it has about 264 PS per tonne; by that measure, it is genuinely fast, well beyond everyday traffic speeds. The claimed top speed is 180 km/h. It has electric start.
It has a 6-speed manual gearbox with a 1-down, 5-up shift pattern, and a shaft carries drive to the rear wheel. It uses a dry clutch.
It is built around a Double-cradle steel frame with screwed-on underbeams frame. Suspension is by telescopic fork 120 mm at the front and steel swingarm with central shock strut 90 mm at the rear. Braking is by a 300 mm disc at the front and a 300 mm disc at the rear, with dual-channel ABS. ABS on both wheels keeps either tyre from locking under hard braking. It rides on 19-inch front and 16-inch rear spoke wheels with tubeless tyres — 120/70 -19 at the front and 180/65-16 at the rear.
The seat is 690 mm off the ground, which is low and makes it easy to put your feet down. It weighs 345 kg ready to ride, which is heavy, so parking and tight U-turns need care. It is 2,440 mm long, with 1,731 mm between the axles. Its 16 L fuel tank and claimed mileage of 17.8 kmpl work out to roughly 285 km per tankful on paper; real-world range is usually lower.
Equipment includes an analogue instrument console, an LED headlamp, call and SMS alerts, gear position indicator, riding modes, average speed indicator, daytime running lamps, low oil indicator, slipper clutch and adjustable rear preload. Safety equipment includes low fuel indicator.
The manufacturer's warranty is 3 years/Unlimited kms. For the BMW Motorrad R 18, Mechiee offers a fixed ₹17,999 doorstep service.
It is best suited to relaxed riding and unhurried weekend trips. Its low seat also makes it approachable for shorter and newer riders. With this much performance, it is better as a step-up bike than a first bike.
Its shaft drive is nearly maintenance-free; the final-drive oil is changed at long intervals.
