Hello from a mile-up, as Asphalt & Rubber is in sunny Denver, Colorado to ride two bikes from the BMW Motorrad lineup: the BMW R18 B bagger and the BMW R18 Transcontinental dresser.
Two birds of the same feather, both bikes are built off the BMW R18 platform, which means that they have a mammoth 244-pound air-cooled boxer-twin engine at their core.
Built to tackle the American v-twin touring scene, the BMW R18 bikes have Harley-Davidson squarely in their sights.
Can the Germans take on one of America’s most iconic brands? That is what we are here to find out, with a day’s ride through The Centennial State.
Per our new review format, I will be giving you a live assessment of the new BMW R18 B and BMW R18 Transcontinental right here in this article (down in the comments section), and I will try to answer any questions you might have about this exciting motorcycle.
However, BMW has embargoed our riding impressions until Monday morning (booo!) of next week, so I may not be able to answer everything you want to know about the bike just yet.
Still, here is your chance to learn what it’s like to ride the BMW R18 B and BMW R18 Transcontinental, before even our own proper review is posted. As always, if I don’t know an answer, I will try to get a response from the BMW Motorrad personnel. So, pepper away.
You can follow our thoughts on the bike live via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and you can see what our colleagues are posting on social media by looking for the hashtag #BMWR18 #BMWR18B #BMWR18TRANSCONTINENTAL
Spec-Sheet Comparison of Relevant Models to the 2022 BMW R18 B:
| BMW R18 B | Harley-Davidson Street Glide | Indian Chieftain | Yamaha Star Eluder | |
| Torque | 116 lbs•ft | 111 lbs•ft | 119 lbs•ft | 120 lbs•ft |
| Fuel | 6.3 gallons | 6 gallons | 5.5 gallons | 6.6 gallons |
| Weight | 877 lbs (wet) | 829 lbs (wet) | 823 lbs (wet) | 875 lbs (wet) |
| Engine | 1,802cc / Air Boxer-Twin | 1,753cc / Air V-Twin | 1,811cc / Air V-Twin | 1,854cc / Air V-Twin |
| Price | $24,095 | $21,999 | $21,999 | $22,499 |
Spec-Sheet Comparison of Relevant Models to the 2022 BMW R18 Transcontinental:
| BMW R18 Transcontinental | Harley-Davidson Ultra Limited | Indian Roadmaster | Yamaha Star Venture | |
| Torque | 116 lbs•ft | 122 lbs•ft | 126 lbs•ft | 120 lbs•ft |
| Fuel | 6.3 gallons | 6 gallons | 5.5 gallons | 6.6 gallons |
| Weight | 942 lbs (wet) | 917 lbs (wet) | 909 lbs (wet) | 963 lbs (wet) |
| Engine | 1,802cc / Air Boxer-Twin | 1,868cc / Water-Air V-Twin | 1,890cc / Air V-Twin | 1,854cc / Air V-Twin |
| Price | $24,995 | $28,699 | $29,999 | $26,999 |
Photos: BMW Motorrad
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