Hello everyone! Purchased a dealer demo R18 First Edition back in November from BMW Motorcycles of Detroit in Rochester Michigan. Bike only had 234 miles on the clock when I took delivery, of which 30 miles were put on by me. Was fortunate that we had a stretch of fantastic weather for a week, so was able to put about 600 miles on before tucking her away for a long winter here in Michigan. I had a Yamaha Maxim 550 while in college 30 years ago, then a Suzuki GSXR 750 for a few years before taking a 25 year break from riding and taking the role of husband and father. We are a boating family, so the "toy budget" has been directed toward various boats over the years with nothing left over for a bike. I got back on the saddle three years ago with a 1998 BMW R1200C. A dream bike really, but at 20 years old, I lack the mechanical skills and desire to maintain and work on that old of a bike. I work 60 hours a week and simply want to jump on, hit the starter button and ride without any worry of mechanical problems. I participated in the Chromeheads.org forum, dedicated to the R1200C bikes and gained tremendous admiration for the passion and mechanical skill that most members display. While I loved the C, I knew I needed something newer and more reliable. I ended up buying a leftover 2017 Indian Chief Classic and absolutely adored that bike. It oozed style, heritage and had loads and loads of torque. I had that bike for a year when my dealership closed out of the blue with no announcement in advance. It scared me to have such a limited dealer network in my area, so I traded it in for a 2019 Harley Road King Special. Harley dealers are everywhere, so felt like that would be a better fit. I loved the RKS as well, but not the Harley lifestyle. I didn't fit into that crowd. Comparing the Indian Chief to the Road King, I consider them extremely comparable. Both smooth as silk, comfortable and loads of torque. Truly equal bikes in my opinion and both fantastic. That said, my wife just didn't like the Harley image and really didn't know anything about the history of Indian. She always told me I made a mistake in getting rid of the BMW. LO and behold, when the R18 was introduced, I showed her pictures of the bike and she said "you should really get that bike". Never having had that level of support for me having a bike, I was thrilled. Unfortunately, in the midst of the Pandemic, all thoughts of the bike drifted away until I was driving by the BMW dealership back in September and glanced over and saw the "Holy Grail". I was in business attire, so arranged a time to come back dressed properly for a test ride. I fell head over heals in love with the style and history and knew I had to have one. The demo would not be available for sale until November, but when I expressed the desire to buy the demo, my salesman more of less put the bike on the shelf for further test rides and delivered it to me in November in like new condition. I am very grateful to him for that. I was worried about the mid controls versus the stretched out foot position of the Chief and Road King, but am pleasantly surprised that I actually like the mid controls better. I feel far more in control of the bike. I'm not a small guy at 6" 2" and 265 lbs, but am extremely comfortable on the bike. Do not feel cramped in the least bit. I love the looks and performance. I might get bags for the convenience sake, but adore the look of the bike stock and don't real want to mess with the existing look. Glad to have found this forum!
