BMW announces five new heritage models

R 18 CLASSIC
The R 18 Classic adds a windshield, auxiliary LED lights and vintage-looking leather-like saddlebags to create a basic touring model. The Classic features a 16″ front wheel, different from the First Edition’s 19″ front. Both wheels are tubeless, with BMW’s well-known “outside the bead” wire spokes. While the R 18 runs a 120/70 radial or bias-ply 19 tire on the front wheel, the Classic runs a 130/90 B 16 up front. With two 16″ bias-ply tires on it, the Classic will no doubt behave much more like a traditional cruiser on the open road.

The centerpiece of the R 18 Classic is, of course, BMW’s largest boxer engine ever, a massive 1802 CC beast putting out 91 crank horsepower and 110 foot-pounds of torque. Suspension and electronic features and specifications are unchanged from the initial version of the R 18.

The Classic features straight mufflers rather than the First Edition’s fishtail mufflers. Because it’s important for a motorcycle aimed at the touring market, the R 18 Classic also comes standard with cruise control. Also on the Classic are rider floorboards and a heel-and-toe shifter.

Riders can now get an R 18 or R 18 Classic in either standard, basic black or First Edition livery, which adds chrome accents and BMW’s iconic thick-thin pinstriping to the fuel tank and rear fender.

R NINET
On the R nineT side of the Heritage lineup, BMW Motorrad is updating the models to EU-5 emissions standards and adding new color schemes to previously-existing variants, the R nineT, Pure, Scrambler and Urban G/S.

Performance is only minimally changed, as the R9T engine now puts out 109 crank horsepower compared to the previous generation’s 110 HP. Torque output is unchanged at 86 ft-lbs. BMW claims better performance in the 4,000 to 6,000 RPM range thanks to the redesigned cylinder heads, which now have swirl the fuel-air mixture to improve combustion and raise torque.

BMW adds a number of previously optional features to the R9Ts as standard, including ABS Pro with Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), Rain and Road riding modes, and a new shock absorber with travel-dependent dampening to enhance riding comfort and ease adjustment of spring preload. LED lights are now standard as well, and BMW have added a USB charging port.

Other riding modes are now available as options: Riding Modes Pro (with new mode Dyna) for the 9T and Pure, plus Dirt for the Scrambler and Urban G/S.

Available color schemes for the updated bikes are:

• R nineT: Blackstorm metallic/brushed aluminum is standard; optional schemes are Option 719 Aluminum, Option 719 Mineral White metallic/Aurum, and Option 719 Night Black matte/Aluminum matte (w/red frame)
• R nineT Pure: Mineral Gray metallic is standard; optional schemes are Teal Blue metallic matte, Option 719 Blackstorm metallic/Racing Red (w/red frame) and Option 719 Cosmic Blue metallic/Light White
• R nineT Scrambler: Granite Gray metallic matte is standard; optional schemes are Kalamata metallic matte (with yellow pinstripes), Option 719 Blackstorm metallic/Racing Red (w/red frame), and Option 719 Cosmic Blue metallic/Light White
• R nineT Urban G/S: Alpine White with blue/dark blue/red stripes and gold anodized wheels is standard; optional schemes are Option 719 Blackstorm metallic/Racing Red (w/red frame) and GS 40th Anniversary (black with yellow accents and gold anodized wheels)

BMW did not release any details on pricing or when these bikes will be available; contact your nearest BMW Motorrad dealer for more information or to put down a deposit on one of these new models.