BMW Blechmann R 18 Custom Bike In Pictures

Renowned custom designers have been working their magic on the gorgeous BMW R 18; here's a closer look at one such custom creation

The BMW R 18 is one gorgeous motorcycle and serves up as a blank canvas for custom bike builders the world over to showcase their reimagination of the heritage bike. One such creator is Bernhard Naumann, also known as Blechmann in the custom bike world and here is his creation: The Blechmann R 18.

While the BMW R 18 is designed as an old-school cruiser, the Blechmann R 18 is styled as a cafe-racer. It gets a half fairing, clip-on handlebars and a single scalloped seat with a rear cowl. 

For the custom bike, Blechmann took a reverse approach starting from the end of the motorcycle. The artist says this helps him better envision the proportions of the motorcycle. the aluminium unit encloses a tail lamp from Kellerman. 

The motorcycle features narrow bodywork which is further accentuated by the narrow fuel tank. it features deep knee recesses for a more comfortable crouching riding position. 

The single seat gets a brown leather cover with a dark stitch. It gets unique straps mounted at both sides of the rear cowl. 

The fairing is a work of art with its curves and smooth lines which were designed around the unique headlamp. While designing the headlamp Blechmann envisioned a kidney shape after the famous BMW kidney grill. The headlamp gets a central filament shape which defines the kidney shape. It gets LED lighting that is covered with a period-correct yellow tint. 

Blechmann has left the R 18's underpinning and powertrain untouched. It gets a massive 1802cc air-cooled parallel-twin motor that puts out 91PS and 158Nm of torque. Underpinnings include a dual cradle frame with a telescopic fork and a hardtail looking frame with a monoshock hidden under the seat. One design element left untouched is the fishtail exhaust.  Blechmann and his team spent a total of 450 hours customising the bike. 

While we won't be seeing the Blechmann R 18 in our shores, BMW will be launching the R 18 in India next month. Stay tuned for more details.