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Value only matters to you who buys it. If you like the R18 100th anniversary and you think the price makes sense for you, buy it. I assume any bike I buy has zero resale value, so I have to cover the full purchase price in my personal valuation. By never assuming it will have any value, I...

If you are only traveling 8 miles, my hunch is the heating elements didn't have time to get up to temp yet. A seat is a larger surface area than grips, so it will take longer to warm up. Also, your hands are much more sensitive than your seat area, so you'll notice the temp faster with your...

Agree. While anyone can appreciate a good deal, I think of the delta in cost amortized over the financial life of the bike. I assume the financial life of a bike is 5 years. That means I expect that the acquisition costs are amortized over the first 5 years fully. If I can't afford that or...

I've rested my legs directly on the cylinders before, this shouldn't be that much worse than that, with the added benefit of being able to do so longer since it won't get hot as quickly. This rest is only about 1" above the cylinders, so you should be able to try resting your legs direct on...

Keep in mind RON95 is equivalent to 91 in the US, so comparing the octane method in your locale is critical.

I'd concur the Clearwater are great add-ons. I have a set of Ericas on my GSA and at full tilt on a backroad they turn night into day. Huge benefit over the stock fog lights.

Yes, since the spacing from the grip to your hand/glove is different, the apparent heat will be less with the grip puppies installed. I had them on my S1000R & found that while they did reduce some of the buzzing at highway speeds, the negatives outweighed the positives & I removed them. I...

That’s fair. I’d wrongly assumed the concern was the effort to do it yourself. If you have to schedule service while out on the road, I could see that being more challenging if you are doing so many miles a year. Longer service intervals would be an advantage in that case. My hunch is BMW is...

Having done my own work on a few boxers over the years, I think they are much easier than inline motors for service (especially with a fairing). I can change the oil & do the valve check on my old /5 airhead in 30 minutes. With the additional covers and dual spark plugs it would be a bit more...

My local Bikes & Breakfast is mostly dominated by classic BMWs and MotoGuzzis. I have friends with both & I've considered adding a V7 to the fleet. There are a ton of similarities between the makes. Both have shaft drive & the cylinders out in the air flow. Both tend to have a mechanical...

I’ve used the various Kriega US bags on mine. Fully waterproof & available in multiple sizes and they can combine together. I have the 20L & 2 of the 10L to use across my bikes. On the R18, I’ve found the 20 with a 10L on top fits easily on the rear rack. That gives me nearly the same...

The variation in circumference between a new tire at correct pressure and a worn tire at a low pressure can be significant. If we consider a 180/65 B16 tire, the nominal circumference is ~64” & the tire height is ~4.6”. A 10% change in circumference is only a 2” change in overall tire...

BMW is a European brand & sells more bikes in Europe than in USA. As a global brand, the bikes need to fit all the regulations in all countries, so they aren't going to do completely different engineering for each market. Cars are higher volumes than bikes, so customizing per market is more...

In the US, vehicles must abide by section 393.82 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2005/08/15/05-14259/parts-and-accessories-necessary-for-safe-operation-general-amendments Section 393.82 requires that every bus, truck, and truck-tractor be equipped with a speedometer indicating speed...

I have my chargers hooked directly to the battery along with heated gear leads on all my bikes but the R18. The R18 battery access is very tight, so it is much easier to use the Powerlet plug and a Canbus charger. I also use the Powerlet plug for my heated gear and in warmer weather a USB...

I’d considered an Indian and Harley before I got my R18C. The Indian handled better than the Harley, but both had my butt hurting in 15-20 minutes from the feet forward setup. At 6’4”, all the pressure was on my tailbone and I was leaning back with the handlebars having such pull back. The R18...

Tubeless is much easier than tubed. I could see changing a tube on a dirt bike & maybe a lighter adventure bike on the side of the road/trail, but the weight of any of the R18 models & the lack of a center stand would make it more likely a flatbed is the way to address a flat.

I have the BMW OEM Weekender with the Wunderlich pillion rack. The rack mounts where the pillion would go, so it should work with any seat that still supports a pillion seat.

In order to be able to not require tubes, both the tire & the wheel must be able to be tubeless. While the OEM tires of the R18 support being tubeless, both the Pure & the Classic have spoked wheels which are not a tubeless design. Most spoked wheels require tubes since the spokes aren’t...

The servo brakes BMW had on earlier ABS systems did require special procedures for bleeding the brakes. But modern ABS like on the R18 is just like pre-abs. Very fast to do on any bike now. Biggest thing to watch for is avoid splashing the brake fluid on the paint while you have the cap off...