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BMW gives up the R18 !!!!

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John Bennett said:
I hate to be negative,
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then don´t be.

As I observed; if the R18 woúld be discontinued then we´d have even móre classic bikes. It does not affect their outstanding quality/qualities and makes them more literally outstanding.
Ergo the ´negative´ is a positive no?!
 
Petrus said:
Ergo the ´negative´ is a positive no?!
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No.

The longer a production run a motorcycle has, the longer Owners are able to find both OEM and Aftermarket repair parts and accessories.

Example 1: Harley-Davidson produced the Evolution platform from 1984 - 1999. Even after being out of production for 25 years, repair parts for them are plentiful and moderately priced.

Example 2: Visit the R1200C forums and witness the great difficulty Owners currently experience finding ECU's, fuel pumps, ABS modules, input shafts.
 
Bikes come & go. The R18 has been a bit of a slow burn yet despite a difficult launch and a fair amount of negativity initially it’s found it’s niche and there are many very happy owners all over the world. I personally don’t worry about parts going forward, manufacturers have to provide aftercare for 10 years (by law so I read somewhere) and second hand parts are already turning up now at breakers. Should be fine. I’ve only ever seen one R18FE out in the wild over the last 3-4 years, and I’ve just looked on our DVLA website, there’s roughly 55 Roctanes taxed in the UK, not many at all. I like that.
 
John Bennett said:
No.

The longer a production run a motorcycle has, the longer Owners are able to find both OEM and Aftermarket repair parts and accessories.

Example 1: Harley-Davidson produced the Evolution platform from 1984 - 1999. Even after being out of production for 25 years, repair parts for them are plentiful and moderately priced.

Example 2: Visit the R1200C forums and witness the great difficulty Owners currently experience finding ECU's, fuel pumps, ABS modules, input shafts.
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So it is basically BMW bashing while shining positive light on HD. Hmmm. There is a thread about that :ROFLMAO:
 
John Bennett said:
Example 2: Visit the R1200C forums and witness the great difficulty Owners currently experience finding ECU's, fuel pumps, ABS modules, input shafts.
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It's no different with the Triumph Thunderbird cruisers, a bike I also own (a 2012).

For some reason, I now have 2 orphaned bikes. :oops:

They're both awesome though and no regrets.
 
LBV said:
It's no different with the Triumph Thunderbird cruisers, a bike I also own (a 2012).
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and loads of other models from a score of manufacturers incl. HD to name but one.

With motorbikes we are actually spoiled with longevity of models. Car models have a lot shorter life cycles before the next generation, is launched. That a model náme is continued is marketing strategy meaning just about nothing for continuity of technology. Even if the ´same´ engine is inherited it most likely has just about no parts commonality. Case in point is the VW Scirocco. Three nothng in common generations and even in the last one most parts are VERY limited model year. The headlights of mine are 2 years only p.e.
With the current rise of hybrids/EVs it is a dimension worse still.
I remain that this whole thread is questionable, intentions and consequences even more.

About the latter for mé personally, I can only hópe to still be riding in 10 years and secondly we will then be in 2035 with no doubt lots of restrictions/discouragement for the use of ICE vehicles.
 
Petrus said:
So it is basically BMW bashing while shining positive light on HD. Hmmm. There is a thread about that :ROFLMAO:
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No again.

I'm stating the simple economic facts of long-term classic motorcycle ownership.

A longer production run equals better long-term parts availability and thus longer, less costly long-term ownership.

BMW excels in that regard compared to most other brands because of their typically longer production runs for most models and their willingness to supply parts for longer than the 10-year mandated minimum like Yamahonkawazuki do. Please stop being discourteous with the straw-man fallacies.
 
LBV said:
For some reason, I now have 2 orphaned bikes.
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Man I hate to hear that. This is why I want to get rid of my FJR. Parts for older ones are growing more difficult to acquire. Plus, it's growing too top-heavy for my ageing body. Time to graduate to Cruiser Life. :)

I'm old enough to remember when bikes could almost be kept running forever. The new planned obsolescence / disposable Economy is wasteful and degenerative.
 
John Bennett said:
BMW excels in that regard compared to most other brands because of their typically longer production runs for most models and their willingness to supply parts for longer than the 10-year mandated minimum.
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so what was the problem with discontinuing then?

Untill there is an official statement this thread is only speculation and future spare parts situation even more so.

On a side note I think we are quite fortunate in that all models use the same engine in the same spec.
 
John Bennett said:
I'm old enough to remember when bikes could almost be kept running forever.
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I have my motorbike license for half a century now.

My first motorcycles were british 50s-60s bikes and spares were a nightmare already a few years after production. Tolerances meant parts were not all that simply interchangeable even in the same production batch and forget about the next model upgrade. Keeping them running was mainly by the grace of after market manufacturing which was ample because of demand/necessity.

On the other end of the spectrum is my 1939 Nimbus Type C. This model has parts commonality from the 1938 model untill the last mid fifties one. When several years later parts production was also stopped the manufacturer donated the original drawings to the Danish owners club. Spares are thus still available.

The Nimbus btw highlights the biggest issue with big bikes: The users are literally dying out. This creates a structural problem as not only the market for new bikes shrinks. The number of úsers shrinks even faster. Less buyers for used bikes etcetera. The only upside is less buyers of spares thus longer lasting stock.
This grey factor affects the whole of the motorcycle industry. Even superbikes. Cruisers are just a bit further up the age road.
 
It's Sunday, Dec 7th, 2025... Yesterday, BMW was out with the big shipping truck doing demonstration rides with all their different models of bikes. They were pushing the R9's and R12's a little bit, and the 1300 GS and GSA models. There were no R or RS 1300 models to test... I did test ride a 2023 R18B which they are still trying to sell, and someone else tested a 2023 R18 TC in black. Off of the moving van was a very prominently place 2025 R18 B in the gorgeous red color, complete with the very practical new 18" rear wheel, that actually lets you now add air to the rear tire without squeezing like a contortionist to get at the valve stem. I think that's a move in the right direction.

The R18 is quite impressive with torque from 2000=3500 rpm. I am not fond of "Rock" mode. It causes pulsating of the clutch lever when the clutch is pulled in, against your hand. The bike oscillates sideways, such that sometimes it makes it feel like the whole front end feels "loose" and not tightened and torqued with everything to the right specifications. I am really kind of curious what kind of MPG the folks running US gallons get on the R18 B, the on board computer on this bike showed 132 miles and 33.4 MPG, which I thought was appalling, or someone is riding the piss out of the bike.

That's the first 2025 R18 B I've seen, all year, still 2023 and 2024s new for sale.
 
Pork Rind said:
It's Sunday, Dec 7th, 2025... Yesterday, BMW was out with the big shipping truck doing demonstration rides with all their different models of bikes. They were pushing the R9's and R12's a little bit, and the 1300 GS and GSA models. There were no R or RS 1300 models to test... I did test ride a 2023 R18B which they are still trying to sell, and someone else tested a 2023 R18 TC in black. Off of the moving van was a very prominently place 2025 R18 B in the gorgeous red color, complete with the very practical new 18" rear wheel, that actually lets you now add air to the rear tire without squeezing like a contortionist to get at the valve stem. I think that's a move in the right direction.

The R18 is quite impressive with torque from 2000=3500 rpm. I am not fond of "Rock" mode. It causes pulsating of the clutch lever when the clutch is pulled in, against your hand. The bike oscillates sideways, such that sometimes it makes it feel like the whole front end feels "loose" and not tightened and torqued with everything to the right specifications. I am really kind of curious what kind of MPG the folks running US gallons get on the R18 B, the on board computer on this bike showed 132 miles and 33.4 MPG, which I thought was appalling, or someone is riding the piss out of the bike.

That's the first 2025 R18 B I've seen, all year, still 2023 and 2024s new for sale.
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I on average do 22 kms per liter and that is two up.
 
Hey i,m in agreement , i sorted my classic with memphis shades on the forks and and a screen extension , gunfighter seat with backrest and i can ride it all day what a machine , 13000 mile now and no problems at all , best touring bike i,ve ever had .
 
Petrus said:
My first motorcycles were british 50s-60s bikes and spares were a nightmare already a few years after production.
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I empathize. Here is a photo of me and my Father's 1972 Honda CL175.

I learned to ride on this bike when I was 9 years old in 1975. I couldn't reach the ground, so my Dad would hold me up and set me loose in this parking lot (Google Maps), then catch me when I wanted to stop. It was one of my fondest childhood memories.

cl175.webp

Later while riding it high school when I was 14 in 1981 I crashed it and broke the aluminum throttle housing.

The Honda Dealer literally laughed at me when I visited their parts counter and asked for a replacement.

Lesson learned. :sneaky:
 
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