R18 Roctane

[HanseDavion]

Tomorrow they debut it seems -

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1387030432079096

BMW R18 Roctane and BMW R12 NineT. The shape of the R12 looks like a R18/R nineT hybrid.

 

[Alex-B]

Looks like a BMW Road King Special

The pic didn’t attach

 

[dominance]

The pic didn’t attach

damn it looks cool!

 

[Puck]

Yeah. I like it.

 

[Luis]

The pic didn’t attach

looks like an improvement of the base R18: More comfortable handlebar, cushier seat, hard (and lockable?) saddlebags, functional front fender...

 

[cabanza]

 

[R18Holan]

Roctane - only the lamp housing is new. the rest adopted from other models of the R18 family

 

[Puck]

Roctane - only the lamp housing is new. the rest adopted from other models of the R18 family

Agreed. As a classic owner it’s not exactly an upgrade more of a side grade. Still it’s a good looking bike.

 

[jp R18T]

Moi , je la trouve très belle cette bécane, très réussie .

 

[PaulP]

It's... a less classic Classic?

 

[ZogJones]

I’d love to know if those hard bags could be fitted to a Classic. I’m guessing that getting them to match the FE paint would be cost prohibitive.

 

[PistolPeteSTL]

Looks like a BMW Road King Special

Agreed- looks like the R18 version of a Road King Special or Springfield Dark Horse. Good looking bikes, all three.

 

[adamchandler]

I’m glad the Roctane exists. Lower MSRP than a bagger, great one-off paint finish, higher bars, throwback speedo and hard bags that lock.

 

[nielsm]

Roctane - only the lamp housing is new. the rest adopted from other models of the R18 family

But, it is a throwback to older BMWs. The speedometer in the headlamp is the same design as on my 1972 BMW R75/5.

The chassis appears to be similar to the Pure/Classic with 3.5” travel. It’s about 20lbs heavier than a Classic, most likely due to the hard bags, bigger seat & front fender. The big difference is the wheels. The Classic is 3x16 front & 5x16 rear, while the Roctane is 3.5x21 front & 5.5x18 rear. 180/55 rear tire means lower profile than the 180/65 on a Classic, so expect it to be even rougher ride over bumps, but potentially a bit more “performance” feel.

 

[Frank Bullitt]

That new R Nine T (whatever the name) is seriously beautiful. I really miss my one.

 

[Mr Signore]

The Roctane is a clear shot at the Road King Special niche, they look pretty much the same. With a price lower than the RKS and much better engineering, this could be a good strategic move from BMW in the short term to eat off a chunk of the HD market share in the US, but I doubt it's a wise decision in the long term, they won't be able to develop a loyal customer base if they copy other manufacturer's bikes, even if the copy is better than the original.

 

[evomind]

Ok, nice.
Hardly a "new bike."

Im more excited with the R12/9T.
Though for some reason doesnt catch my eye the way the R9T.
We'll see.

 

[VARG]

I’d love to know if those hard bags could be fitted to a Classic. I’m guessing that getting them to match the FE paint would be cost prohibitive.

I was wondering the same thing, but I suspect would not fit right onto the Classic. The Roctane cases look like the same form as the B and TC, which would mean the rear frame is different than the classic, seems would makes sense with a long rear fender. When we see the fiche we can compare the mounting hole locations with these for inference. Also in fiche will see details on the lower bag support bar.

 

[HanseDavion]

Can someone explain to me what exactly the difference is between the R nineT and the R 12 nineT?

 

[MilwDave]

Roctane - only the lamp housing is new. the rest adopted from other models of the R18 family

I want to get a closer look at the heat shields and see if the flare was eliminated.