American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 240 July 2019 | Page 12

BMW sets the stage for
BRIEFS a Harley showdown
NEWS
Harley-Davidson was in seventh
place in German
market share terms
for the first five
months of 2019
with 5,455 units
registered for a
6.22% market share. Harley's
best seller YTD in Germany has
been the Street Bob (581 units
sold), followed by the Sport
Glide (514 units sold).
In line with its “Grow Our Business
Without Growing Our Environmental
Impact” strategic objective, Harley
has set a fleet average fuel mileage
target of more than 50 miles per U.S.
gallon by the year 2027. Future
initiatives to help achieve this may
include tech such as variable valve
systems, smaller engines, direct
injection, forced induction, and
reductions to friction and weight.
Harley says its fleet average fuel
economy for 2018 was 44 mpg.
Indian Motorcycle continues to
build on its first appearances on
the motorcycle manufacturer
market share tables for
Germany with 529 units sold for
a 15th spot for the first five
months of 2019 - albeit with
sales marginally off compared
to the first five months of 2018.
Indian is assembling CKD kits
for its Scout models (from the
Spirit Lake, Iowa facility) at its
Poland ATV/UITV factory; FTR
1200 kits are due to start being
assembled in Poland by
the end of
2019.
The 2019 FIM International Six Days
Enduro, the 94th edition of the
event, is being staged at Portimao,
Portugal, November 11-16. Over 650
riders from more than 30 nations will
tackle more than 1,500 km of
gruelling terrain and technical tests.
Australia won in Chile in 2019. This
will be the 13th time the event has
been staged in Portugal since its
inception in 1913. In 2020 it will
move to Italy (Piedmont/Lombardy)
for the first time since Sardinia in
2013
BMW Motorrad says it has seen
global sales continue to grow
strongly, with year-to-date
deliveries to the end of April
2019 up by +7.7% to 57,014
units. In April a total of 18,408
(+7.7%) BMW Motorrad
motorcycles and maxi scooters
were delivered to customers
around the world.
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Contrary to many reports, the much
hyped BMW R18 cruiser, the biggest
story to come out of the (BMW
sponsored) Concorso d'Eleganza Villa
d'Este, on the shore of Lake Como in
Italy in May, is more than simply a wish
list concept, with the production
version likely to be unveiled at EICMA
later this year, and on sale in 2020 as
part of a range of cruisers that look set
to build on the custom sector
confidence BMW has gained from the
success of its R nineT line-up.
Described as a tribute to the original
1936 R5 and more recent R5
Concepts, BMW describes the R18 as
an "engaging alternative for a time
that is being increasingly characterized
by rapid technological change" and as
transporting "the essence of the big
BMW Motorrad classics into the
modern age, or in other words, it is
taking a historical motorcycle design
and giving it a modern, custom
attitude."
Roughly translated from corporate
media speak, that likely means
"Harley-Davidson, we are coming
after ya!"
Dr. Markus Schramm, Head of BMW
Motorrad, said of the design: "With
this dream bike, BMW Motorrad
presents its own version of an
emotional and authentic offer for the
large cruiser segment."
Edgar Heinrich, Head of BMW
Motorrad Design, is quoted as saying:
"With its clear aesthetics openly on
display, the Concept R18 embodies for
me what motorcycling, at its core, is
really about. It is all about feeling
instead of thinking, and not using
technology for self-staging, instead
giving space for imagination. This
concept bike appeals to something
deep down – you just want to get on
it and ride off. But when you get off it
again, you don't just put it in the
garage and walk away – you turn
around again and give it a final parting
glance."
Yep, BMW is going after Harley-
Davidson alright!
Bart Janssen Groesbeek, designer of
the concept bike, says: "The biggest
challenge in the design is to render
everything visible. Every part has a
functional purpose. There are not many
who would dare to take such an
absolutely honest approach."
The BMW Motorrad Concept R18 is
immediately recognizable as a
genuine BMW: Boxer engine, cradle
frame, exposed universal shaft and
drop-shaped fuel tank, with its black
paintwork and hand-applied contrast
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - JULY 2019
lines interpreting typical design icons
of BMW Motorrad classics, "while
displaying confidence along with
modern-style linearity. The balanced
proportions are reminiscent of classics
like the BMW R5, and convey – even
from a distance – the timeless beauty
that comes about whenever things are
consistently reduced to their bare
essentials."
BMW
discovers
'Naked
Bikes'…shock, regardless, as a
Teutonic 'Monster' it will be another
welcome addition to the party. "The
frame and tank create a common line
all the way from the steering head to
the rear wheel hub and lend a flowing
elegance to the side view. The large
spoke wheels (front 21 inch, rear 18
inch) provide a secure stance and
perfectly balance the dominant power
unit."
The newly designed, two-cylinder
1800 cc Boxer engine is consciously
reminiscent of the flat twin engines
that BMW Motorrad used to build up
until the end of the 1960s – but with
a considerably bigger displacement
and modern air/oil cooling. The engine
block and transmission are made of
glass bead-blasted aluminum, with
hand-polished aluminum components
such as the belt guard and valve
covers, while the Solex dual
carburetors are said to "hark back to
the brand's construction history and
add a final touch to the bike's visual
authenticity."
An exposed, chrome-plated universal
shaft connects the back wheel to the
drive, and there are no further covers
anywhere on the motorcycle - "which
serves to keep its engineering clearly
visible. Similarly, the electronics of the
concept bike are reduced to no more
than starter and lights, underlining its
purist design."
This is the third in-house interpretation
of the large-capacity Boxer engine to
come from BMW - last December the
'Departed', created by the Japanese
customizer CUSTOM WORKS ZON,
was presented at the Yokohama Hot
Rod Show, taking the 'Best of Show
Motorcycle' award, and that was
followed up by the interpretation of
Austin, Texas based Revival Cycles'
'Revival Birdcage' with a specially
developed titanium frame giving an
unobstructed view of the engine and
drive from all angles - a star turn at the
Handbuilt Show this year.
In 2018 BMW sold more than 165,000
motorcycles worldwide.
www.bmwgroup.com