BMW R 18 (2025) - Technical Review

It’s been six years since BMW first teased the upcoming R 18 and revealed its massive 1802cc boxer twin engine in concept form and five since the production version took a bow in 2020 – and while the range has grown to five models since then it’s not surprising to that the original and the spin-off R 18 Classic are being revamped for 2025.

The changes are accompanied by a revised version of the engine, updated for extra torque and to meet the latest Euro5+ technical regulations, applied across the entire range including the R 18 Transcontinental, R 18 B, and R 18 Roctane.

Pros & Cons

2025 BMW R 18 - Prices & PCP Deals

The 2025 BMW R 18 range starts with the base R 18 at £17,480 – the same as the previous year – with the R 18 Classic coming in a step higher at £19,540. The R 18 Roctane, largely unchanged other than engine tweaks for 2025, is next at £22,100, followed by the R 18 B at £22,450, while the range is topped, as before, by the Transcontinental tourer at £25,160.

That’s before you dip into the vast array of options, of course, which can substantially increase the total – a quick play with BMW’s online configurator can add thousands more to any of them, particularly if you select the high-end ‘Option 719’ packages.

2025 BMW R 18 - Engine & Performance

BMW’s 1802cc engine might not be the biggest motor on a production bike – that prize goes to the Triumph Rocket 3’s 2458cc triple – or even the biggest twin on the market thanks to the number of 1900cc-plus V-twins from the likes of Harley and Indian, but it’s surely the most imposing with those vast cylinders jutting out on either side.

If you think 91hp doesn’t sound like much from such a big lump, you’re right – when it comes to power-per-cubic-centimetre, the R 18 is nothing to write home about – but that’s not the point. The real target is torque, a bottomless pit of it, starting from idle, and the 2025 version gets even more than its predecessor.

The peak torque figure rises from 116.5lbft to 120.2lbft, and peaks at only 3000rpm. What’s more, there’s more than 110lbft all the way from 2000rpm to 4000rpm, by which time you’ll already have reached for the next gear to ride the wave all over again.

The increase comes courtesy of revised electronics, which also ensure the motor now complies with the latest Euro5+ emissions standards, which don’t alter the outright emissions limits but introduce additional monitoring and longevity requirements.

As before, the power goes through a six-speed box that’s separate to the engine, with a shaft drive to the rear wheel.

On the standard R 18, the engine now breathes through a new exhaust, with circular-section silencers instead of the awkward-looking, oval-shaped design used on the previous model.

2025 BMW R 18 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Like the engine, the basics of the chassis is unchanged, with a combination of a steel tube frame, telescopic forks rather than any of BMW’s weirder designs, a hidden rear monoshock and an exposed shaft drive to the rear wheel.

There are updates, though. On the standard R 18, the rear wheel has been swapped from a 16-incher to an 18-incher as standard, wearing a 180/55-18 tyre instead of the previous 180/65-16. The wheels themselves are a new design, cast alloys with seven double spokes rather than the previous wires, giving a substantially different appearance. The front keeps its 19-inch diameter and 120/70-19 rubber.

The previous wire wheels, including the 16-inch rear paired to a 19-inch front, are now an option.

The front suspension might be unchanged internally, but on the outside the forks lose the sleeves that covered them in their previous incarnation and gain a ‘rough look’ finish. At the back, the monoshock has revised spring and damper rates to suit the different wheel and tyre size of the 2025 model.

The R 18 Classic also gets a change of wheel size, but this time it’s the front that’s different. Where the previous version used a 16-inch front wrapped in a 130/90 tyre, the 2025 variant gets a 19-inch version.

2025 BMW R 18 - Comfort & Economy

For 2025 the standard R 18’s comfort isn’t only improved by its revised rear spring and shock tuning but a redesigned single seat with thicker padding and revised contours. That seat is claimed to be ‘significantly more comfortable’ than its predecessor, and unlike the earlier version is removable via a push button under the side cover.

To suit the new wheels, the bike’s bodywork is also revised, with new front and rear fenders that are more heavily sculpted than before, with a raised centre section intended to mirror the upper surface of the fuel tank.

On the R 18 Classic, there’s a redesigned, longer and more enclosed front mudguard, and both the R 18 and R 18 Classic get new side covers with more pronounced contours.

The rest of range continues largely unchanged, but for new colour options and the addition of ‘Blacked Out’ options on the R 18, R 18 Classic and R 18 B, matching the existing Blacked Out variant of the R 18 Roctane, with black components replacing chrome or aluminium-finished ones wherever possible.

2025 BMW R 18 - Equipment

Changes to the equipment levels are limited to standard-fit daytime running lights and a new USB-C charging socket on the R 18 and R 18 Classic, but the bikes are already well-equipped with a trio of riding modes – the cringingly-named Rock, Roll and Rain settings – as well as ABS and traction control, even though it’s not lean-sensitive.

2025 BMW R 18 - Rivals

BMW’s R 18 has always faced an uphill battle to score scales successes against the default choice in the cruiser segment, Harley-Davidson, and although sales started fairly encouragingly in the UK when the bikes were new, they tailed off a bit in 2024 – with fewer than 100 R 18s of all variants sold in the first three-quarters of the year. While the BMWs turn plenty of heads, Triumph’s Rocket 3 does the same but also adds substantially more performance into the mix.

Triumph Rocket 3 Storm| Price: £23,195

Read more

Power/Torque

180bhp / 166lb-ft

Weight

317kg

Harley-Davidson Fat Boy | Price: £22,695

Read more

Power/Torque

94bhp / 114lb-ft

Weight

317kg

Indian Chief Dark Horse | Price: £17,495

Read more

Power/Torque

89bhp / 119lb-ft

Weight

304kg

2025 BMW R 18 - Verdict

Not exactly a huge seller, the initial big R 18 cruiser range from BMW was a 2020 production bike that flirted with a £20k price tag but the “dramatic cruiser” tugged at our road tester, Chad’s, heartstrings. He said, “Yes, it’s heavy, yes it rocks from side to side and vibrates at high revs, but that is what I wanted… some soul” before applauding the German marque’s first venture into the cruiser market.

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2025 BMW R 18 - Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.