BMW R 18 Dragster: Big boxer with a focus on straight ahead

BMW R 18 dragster

Big boxer with focus on going straight ahead

BMW also wants to appeal to the custom bike scene with the new R 18. Designer Roland Sands has converted an R 18 into a dragster for BMW, more or less as a blueprint for all converters.

D.he new BMW R 18 combines a lot of engine with little technology around it. And because BMW carefully designed the R 18 with an extremely easy-to-convert architecture, the Big Boxer is predestined for customizing. With its R 18 variants and the versions commissioned by other customizers, BMW itself has shown what is possible. Now scene star Roland Sands was allowed to let off steam on the R 18. The result is a dragster – a bike with a reduced look and a new mission: to drive straight ahead as quickly as possible. Because suspension is obsolete on the perfectly flat quarter-mile route, the Roland Sands team welded a new rear frame for the R 18 – without suspension. The front fork of an R nineT was fitted.

Boxer with nitrous oxide injection

The drop tank of the original was retained, the front and rear fenders were heavily modified. A wide dragster tire sits on the rear wheel rim, because grip is everything. So that it really gets going, the 1,800 boxer was doped with a nitrous oxide injection. The storage container sits in the cleared frame triangle. There is also an absolutely open intake area and a very revealing stainless steel exhaust system.

Bmw

A nitrous oxide injection provides a portion of extra power.

Sands and BMW do not mention performance data. The special seat with powerful support suggests a lot of power. The handlebar stubs are mounted well below the upper fork bridge, the footrests are just in front of the rear axle. The driver, who is practically lying down, is supported by a pad on the tank. In the cockpit, the standard round instrument with analog and digital displays sits enthroned above the round side headlights.

Milled parts – also for series production

Bmw

In parallel to the dragster, milled parts were also developed for the R 18 series.

Parallel to the construction of the R 18 Dragster, Roland Sands also developed various aluminum milled parts for BMW, which should be available for the series model with the market launch of the R 18. To the "Machined"- and "2-tone black"-Scopes include front and rear wheels, for example. In addition, the range of these milled parts extends from the speedometer housing to handlebar clamps, handlebar risers, handlebar grips, hand levers or mirrors to engine housing trim strips, fuel caps, airbox covers and much more. Some of these parts can already be admired on the R 18 dragster. The dragster conversion, which was completed in three and a half months, is rounded off by a metallic blue paintwork with classic white double stripes.

Conclusion

BMW is doing its best to land in the middle of the custom scene with the new R 18. Delicious conversions should whet the customer’s appetite to open their wallets for the in-house range of accessories.

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