Hello! Thinking of the R18C for First Bike...

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KenJr

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Hey Folks,

Ken here from Austin, TX.

I don't have a lot of riding experience - rode dirt bikes for years as a kid as most of us did, I'm sure.

I completed the MSF course and feel like I did really well. I'd say I'm pretty comfortable on a bike (the Harley's we used in the MSF course were 500cc's) and didn't have any problems with low speed maneuvering, turns, U-turns, etc... and never dumped the bike. It was actually a blast!!

I was initially considering a Heritage Classic but then ran into the R18 looking at various alternatives. And of course, fell in love with this amazing machine.

I haven't been able to ride one yet - but curious what folks opinions are on this bike as a first bike? I'm 6' tall and 200lbs and in good shape. I have ridden a Heritage for a short ride in my neighborhood and didn't find it overly difficult to control...but didn't spend a lot of time in a parking lot doing low speed stuff...just went up and down the street a few times.

I've found a killer deal on a R18 Classic 719 package and am considering pulling the trigger...but thought I'd say hello and see if there was anyone else on here with a similar experience. Obviously, worried about practicing and possibly dumping the bike and making a mess...that would suck. If I did get it - I'd spend hours on non-busy streets in my neighborhood and in the parking lot at a school nearby practicing before getting out on the open road. I'd also consider getting the engine guards as well just for added protection just in case.

Anyway, thanks in advance!
 
Congratulations on your qualifications. Now that you have passed it is time to get a machine in your garage. I am sure you have gathered that none of the R18 are light bikes and therefore command a bit of more respect when riding. Once you get used to the bike, the characteristics and behaviour then you may push the envelope a bit more without taking too much liberty otherwise it may bite you in the trunk.
Look, I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer here. Most cautious people will advise to get a hair dryer first with a few cc, max 500 and trash the thing until you gain experience before jumping on the big boys league and there is a lot of sense in that. Not only because your safety but think about your insurance premiums if you buy one of these with very little experience.

Some other people will say hell with the experience, pull the trigger, YOLO, and ride carefully until you get comfortable.

As you can see both sides have valid arguments but the only person that knows your abilities and limitations is you.
If you think you are ready then go for it and take it very easy until you have mastered the bike.
If you think you want to buy it because it is beautiful and a good deal I would say wait a bit, you may even get a better deal una few months, unless you really like this one in particular and you don’t want another buyer to take it from you.
Think carefully and follow your instincts.
 
Anibal said:
Congratulations on your qualifications. Now that you have passed it is time to get a machine in your garage. I am sure you have gathered that none of the R18 are light bikes and therefore command a bit of more respect when riding. Once you get used to the bike, the characteristics and behaviour then you may push the envelope a bit more without taking too much liberty otherwise it may bite you in the trunk.
Look, I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer here. Most cautious people will advise to get a hair dryer first with a few cc, max 500 and trash the thing until you gain experience before jumping on the big boys league and there is a lot of sense in that. Not only because your safety but think about your insurance premiums if you buy one of these with very little experience.

Some other people will say hell with the experience, pull the trigger, YOLO, and ride carefully until you get comfortable.

As you can see both sides have valid arguments but the only person that knows your abilities and limitations is you.
If you think you are ready then go for it and take it very easy until you have mastered the bike.
If you think you want to buy it because it is beautiful and a good deal I would say wait a bit, you may even get a better deal una few months, unless you really like this one in particular and you don’t want another buyer to take it from you.
Think carefully and follow your instincts.
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I agree with everything here, I'd just add the following: if you start with the R18 as your first bike, are you comfortable with the possibility of dropping it? Because it is very likely you'll drop it a few times. You might as well look into the cost of repairing the bike in case you drop it. If it's above your budget, start small and move into the R18 later when you're more confident :)

If you feel you can handle the R18, I'd recommend getting crash bars to help mitigate the risk of damage with low speed drops.
 
I started riding when I was 50. Started on a 250cc, then a 650, then a 1200, then a 1600, then progressed to the R-18. I don't know that you need THAT many intermediate steps, but I'm sure glad I started small until I got my confidence level up. Maybe try a 650 first, get really comfortable on that, then go up? No way in hell I would recommend STARTING on an R-18.
 
Thanks folks! I hear you all - I went and sat on a R18 FE that my local shop had today. Really cool bike. I also sat on a Scout Chief bagger they had as well...didn't feel that much different honestly sans the riding position/forward controls and I know quite few folks that started on Scouts/Chiefs/HD Heritage style bikes. I just hate the buying and selling aspect of any motor vehicle. It's such a pain and in most cases you ended up wasting/losing money along the way.

Big decision to make. The R18 I have a bead on is a decked out 719 Classic and they want $13,995 for it. Out the door and shipped to my house it's $15k and change. The Scout Chief I sat on today was a 2022 and they wanted $20k for it. By the time I pay fees and taxes and everything else I'm in it for double the price of the R18. Just nuts...

The sales guy I talked today affirmed that they are having a hard time moving the R18's. He's got 4 in stock including a 2021 First Edition that he can't sell and several 2023's. So, like someone said - I'm certain there will still be deals to be had in the next year or two.

A neighbor of mine has a Honda Shadow 750...did a couple laps up and down the street on that a while back...great bike and a good used one can be found for $5k. Maybe that's the right path...grab one of those for cash...ride the piss out of it...then move up.

Decisions....decisions....
 
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KenJr said:
Thanks folks! I hear you all - I went and sat on a R18 FE that my local shop had today. Really cool bike. I also sat on a Scout Chief bagger they had as well...didn't feel that much different honestly sans the riding position/forward controls and I know quite few folks that started on Scouts/Chiefs/HD Heritage style bikes. I just hate the buying and selling aspect of any motor vehicle. It's such a pain and in most cases you ended up wasting/losing money along the way.

Big decision to make. The R18 I have a bead on is a decked out 719 Classic and they want $13,995 for it. Out the door and shipped to my house it's $15k and change. The Scout Chief I sat on today was a 2022 and they wanted $20k for it. By the time I pay fees and taxes and everything else I'm in it for double the price of the R18. Just nuts...

The sales guy I talked today affirmed that they are having a hard time moving the R18's. He's got 4 in stock including a 2021 First Edition that he can't sell and several 2023's. So, like someone said - I'm certain there will still be deals to be had in the next year or two.

A neighbor of mine has a Honda Shadow 750...did a couple laps up and down the street on that a while back...great bike and a good used one can be found for $5k. Maybe that's the right path...grab one of those for cash...ride the piss out of it...then move up.

Decisions....decisions....
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I started riding at age 13...have owned bikes steadily all the way up to now...at 62... I couldn't see myself without one! I wouldn't recommend it for your first bike. Learning to ride safely takes some practice, hell I am still learning things! The biggest issue you will encounter is how the bike behaves on different surfaces...and truly mastering the clutch/throttle relationship. This just takes experience and practice to know... The R18C is a very heavy motorcycle, and as such, can be quite unforgiving if you make mistakes. I definitely suggest a much lighter bike...say in the 4-600lb range... Honda Shadows are excellent machines. I owned two, both of them were very easy to ride, and extremely reliable with very little maintenance... Good luck and welcome to motorcycling!
 
Honestly this sounds like a great plan. The R18C is my first and only bike at the moment, and while amazing, I truly understand where they say to work your way up to a bigger bike instead of getting one right of the bat. It's a lot easier to learn, practice, and drill the fundamentals of riding on a smaller bike.

It's not impossible to learn on the R18, and it is an incredibly forgiving machine when doing so. So much so that I was supposed to learn on an older bike, but family rode the R18 and was like nah this will be much easier and better for me to learn on. If you do decided to go the R18 route, crash bars are a must.

Personally though I feel like I would be a much better rider had I started on and purchased a smaller bike first and worked my way up to the R18.

KenJr said:
A neighbor of mine has a Honda Shadow 750...did a couple laps up and down the street on that a while back...great bike and a good used one can be found for $5k. Maybe that's the right path...grab one of those for cash...ride the piss out of it...then move up.
Click to expand...
 
aicpjim said:
I started riding when I was 50. Started on a 250cc, then a 650, then a 1200, then a 1600, then progressed to the R-18. I don't know that you need THAT many intermediate steps, but I'm sure glad I started small until I got my confidence level up. Maybe try a 650 first, get really comfortable on that, then go up? No way in hell I would recommend STARTING on an R-18.
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Same here. Rode in 20s. Then marriage, kids…etc. Picked it back up mid 40s. Got a used 250 then new 400 then jump to R18. Smaller bikes are much more forgiving of mistakes. That 250 was a blast to ride and I wish I kept it. (Super Sherpa)
 
If money isn't a huge obstacle, take advantage of the unreal sales promotions and buy your R18, but then also fork out a couple thousand cash for a Honda Shadow. Ride the shadow and have the R18 ready to go after you get a year of riding under your belt.
 
Don’t sweat anything. Likely what ever you will buy you will not own in a couple years as your tastes and understanding of what you really want matures.

Buy something, ride it, smile like hell and see what comes
 
Scott Semone said:
Find a left over 2022 R18 B for 0% financing, 4 months worth of payments covered and call it a day; it's a look of technology & bike for the money...
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I think that's what I'm going to do. I FREAKIN love the R18...went and sat on one at a dealer yesterday and it's even more beautiful in person that I imagined. But, even though I'm a decent sized guy (6' - 200lbs) and didn't really have a problem handling the bike off the stand...It does feel big...and I could tell the low speed maneuvering would be a challenge for a newbie. The last thing I'd want to do is drop the bike because I just wasn't ready to handle it yet and god knows how much that would cost to repair. I'd be pretty pissed at myself. So, I've got a beat on a killer 2011 Shadow Phantom with low miles and I'm going to ride the piss out of that until I feel like I'm ready for the next thing. And who knows....maybe BMW will be doing the same or better offers trying to get rid of the 2023's that are sitting stagnant in showrooms right now...

Thanks folks!!! I have a feeling I'll be back soon!
 
My first bike was a 2009 R1200 GSA. I spent all summer riding it only on trails around New Hampshire. After 1000 miles of trails, I started riding roads and then took my first 3000 mile road trip 4 months after riding. I did 15K miles that first 12 months of ownership.

You CAN get a bike bike as your first bike but prepare to do a lot of practice with it at slow speed and expect to drop it often but your slow speed drops on pavement that cause damage will be WORTH it because you’re investing in yourself long term.

This is why most people say get a cheap, low, smallCC bike first That’s already beat up. Then you can throw it around and practice without fear of depreciating its value. The R18 is beautiful and if you’re okay with buying a spare head cover and bar end covers, then buy one and have a blast! Just don’t ride it though without practicing evasive maneuvers and slow speed drills. Ignoring those for teh sake of not having to replace parts on your bike could kill you. $2-3K in expensive German parts with a summer of practice could save your life.

I think people shoudl buy any bike they want so long as they intend on dropping it in a parking lot a few times before opening it up.
 
Welcome and congratulations to adding a new problem to your life.... "what bike do I buy next?" ;) 🍻

Riding the dirt bikes you enjoyed doing is one of the best activities for learning what motorcycles are all about IMO. The safety courses like you completed have done a great job over the years in getting riders off to a good start and the advanced programs are also a fun way to stay sharp as it's always worth while to see if bad habits have developed, etc. If you had no issues with the HD I don't see the R18 being any more of a handful. That all said, I've ridden all sizes and styles of motorcycles for almost 60 years and I still do "parking lot drills" all the time and certainly when I go from one type of platform to another e.g., Adventure to Sport-Touring and/or Bagger/Touring, etc. You can be stupid on any size motorcycle and crash where weight-size and power are certainly big contributing factors, but essential problems areas are having poor skill sets in the use of throttle, brakes, etc. and head up ass syndrome being the things that need to be in check full time regardless what your riding. Practice your drills and then practice them some more and I think you will develop the muscle memory and desired smoothness on your new R18 as "easily" as any other option out there and have fun! And remember, pictures or it didn't happen. (y)
 
Can I jump in and say...get an R18 as a "second" first bike, but a smaller REAL first bike first??? ;)

Why do I say that?

The R18 is a work of art, and you'll be DEVASTATED if you tip her over...and, as a new rider, you WILL! R18's are NOT light bikes (900+lbs).

Secondly, they don't corner well, expect to scrape foot pegs doing corners that you can do in normal bikes, so the cone weaving test on the MSF course??? I've never done it on an R18, but I'd be very reluctant to try.

Thirdly, the R18's OEM handlebars are low and thusly, aren't physically shaped for low-speed maneuvering. Unless you get higher bars, or third-party offerings, the OEM bars are made generally for long stretches of road cruising.

Fourthly, if you do scrape something, expect to pay $$$ for it. Currently, our bikes are still new and not many pick and pulls to choose from yet at the junkyard (hopefully!).

Fifthly, get a cheap 1980's Japanese motorcycle...or something that won't make you cry if you tip over that's light and nimble enough for you to gain confidence on SLOW parking lot maneuvers! I can't emphasize this point enough...just like in golf, it's not just the long shots, make sure you focus on your puts as well!

A small motorcycle (that won't scrape the footpegs) will help you build the muscle memory and skills in the parking lot because...to be honest...ANYONE can point a Boss Hoss down the highway and let 'er rip, but a lot of riders can't successfully do a U-turn in a 20' space.

That being said, I do hope you buy an R18, put her up, keep her chrome nice and shiny, but also get a beater in the meantime and practice on that.

Just my .02.

Mike
 
I vote R18 B, see if you can find a First Edition leftover 2022 before they are all gone; hopefully you can get the 0% financing and the $3,000 incentive + plus 4 months worth of payments... You've been riding dirt bikes, you know what it's like to dump a bike - you won't dump it... Don't be a ROOKIE..
 
I'll ask an indelicate question.. How old are you? My first inclination is to say that a bike is a bike, and you'll get used to the R18 in short order whether it's now or later. When I started riding, I'd ride pretty much anything. Never really understood the hand-wringing associated with light vs. heavy bikes. I was in my teens and 20s though. Maybe I'd feel differently if I picked it up today? If Nixon's presidency pre-dated you, I'd bet you'll be fine. Otherwise, might be worth thinking on....old dogs-new tricks and all that....
 
As others suggested.....Buy the R18 due to the incredible offers but spend another $1500-$2000 on a solid Metric 500-750 class and get a good six months to a year of experience then sell the metric for what you paid for it and then you will be ready for the big bike......If you jump right on an R18 I hate to say it but you WILL drop it. Not maybe.....YOU WILL...

Craig
 
tommymck said:
I'll ask an indelicate question.. How old are you? My first inclination is to say that a bike is a bike, and you'll get used to the R18 in short order whether it's now or later. When I started riding, I'd ride pretty much anything. Never really understood the hand-wringing associated with light vs. heavy bikes. I was in my teens and 20s though. Maybe I'd feel differently if I picked it up today? If Nixon's presidency pre-dated you, I'd bet you'll be fine. Otherwise, might be worth thinking on....old dogs-new tricks and all that....
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Tommymck, it's not a "handwringing" issue, it's about building riding confidence. Yes, I know OP rode dirt bikes as a kid and used a 500cc on the MSF course...which is a VERY small bike in comparison to our R18's.

That's why I say, if OP's really committed to buying an R18, he should take advantage of BMW's excellent financing incentives and pick one up now, but also pick up a cheap beater bike that he can practice LOW speed maneuvers in first.

Again, anyone can point a Boss Hoss down the highway and let 'er rip, but when it comes to slow speed cornering, that's where a LOT of riders tend to lack in skill.

If I were OP, I'd get the two bikes, then use the beater to just practice slow speed maneuvers until I CAN'T get them wrong! I don't need to get the same skillset as motorcycle police officers, but if I can do a U-turn in the space of two parking spaces coming from both left and right, over and over, and over, and over...(in addition to figure 8's and other low speed maneuvers), then I'd feel confident enough to pull the R18 out for a maiden voyage.

Mike
 
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