One from Milwaukee, WI and the other from Berlin, Germany?
Same father, different mother? H-D Heritage Softail and BMW R 18 Classic
- Thread starter emgarciax
- Start date
kate_brett
Active member
Squint and the position of the cylinders is the only differential feature.
Not quite.... a Heritage Classic has 4.5" of rear travel, the BMW has 3.5. And I can tell you, that extra inch of travel in the rear makes a big difference in comfort. I own a Softail Sport Glide, and it too had a 3.5" rear travel shock... I bought a used 57mm "Long" Showa rear shock off of a Fat Bob (same as on the Heritage) and that's been the single best modification I've made for comfort ( along with a Saddlemen Explorer seat ) to the bike.
Also not sure if his Heritage is a 107 or a 114... The 114 with the 10.5 : 1 compression ratio is pretty darn peppy.
Also not sure if his Heritage is a 107 or a 114... The 114 with the 10.5 : 1 compression ratio is pretty darn peppy.
FWIW, BMW did ensure the Transcontinental model had 4.7" of travel in both the front and rear. But not only that, the rear is auto-adjusting. On railroad crossings where I normally need to raise off the seat...I still do out of habit, but I've also ridden over in saddle and this suspension soaks it all up, unlike my 04' r1150rt.
I'm really getting the picture that the naked R18 is the art bike, and the Bagger and TC are the rider bikes....and yes, I would LOVE to add a naked R18 to my stable some day!
Mike
From my perspective, as a rider.... BMW won't get my business on a Classic until there's a 120mm travel rear shock on the bike. We have a lot of neglected 2 lane canyon roads and mountain ranges around where I ride. 3.5" out back just isn't enough at my advanced age.
The heritage is a fine motorcycle. I considered one but I just liked the R18 better. As far as rear travel I have had no issues yet, but I know those with a Wilbers upgrade say it really changes the bike. It’s probably less about the travel length than it is about how it’s managed.
Mr. Efficiency
Active member
BMW openly discusses the soft tail slim as inspiration for the R18. I really liked the soft tail slim; it was one of just a few Harleys I really think capture some old Harleyness. Now BMW wanted a true plunger frame and it dropped the bike another inch. The plunger frame is one of the things that makes the R18 so beautiful but as another poster said, you pay the price in your lower back because of a much shorter suspension travel.
The R18 captures a lot of BMWs heritage… and cosmetically its not even a close contest. BMWs engineers wanted seamless, clampless perfection. But to fit a human on it they had to make it long. The Slim out runs it in every possible way and does have a better suspension… but really, in a cruiser the better braking of the BMW is nice.
There are little BMW things that just make the R18 so much prettier. The coffin tank top and cockpit view make you feel like you’re really riding a vintage bike, even at 80 mph down the freeway. The pin striping and exposed driveshaft and the deep glasurit style black paint… they really nailed it. Performance wise the Harley kicks the daylights out of it and it costs 5,000 bucks less than an R18… but BMW got the cosmetics and feel right, even with the harsh suspension
The R18 captures a lot of BMWs heritage… and cosmetically its not even a close contest. BMWs engineers wanted seamless, clampless perfection. But to fit a human on it they had to make it long. The Slim out runs it in every possible way and does have a better suspension… but really, in a cruiser the better braking of the BMW is nice.
There are little BMW things that just make the R18 so much prettier. The coffin tank top and cockpit view make you feel like you’re really riding a vintage bike, even at 80 mph down the freeway. The pin striping and exposed driveshaft and the deep glasurit style black paint… they really nailed it. Performance wise the Harley kicks the daylights out of it and it costs 5,000 bucks less than an R18… but BMW got the cosmetics and feel right, even with the harsh suspension
A +20mm Wilbers shock does that for $1k...... I ride those type of roads 90% of the time after spending $1.5k on the suspension..... it is an amazing bike now....so my R18 FE is everyday art now.....
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Those two look so much alike that they installed the engjne protection bars on the wrong one......
Which Harley costs $5k less than the R18?
For me, the Transcontinental model seemed like a steal, beating both HD and Indian in price in the full dresser market.
Mike
Ulrich
Well-known member
I was wondering about the same thing ... 'round here at the Harley Stealership a used one costs more than I paid for mine new with all the extras ...
Mr. Efficiency
Active member
The bike that BMW used for its inspiration was the soft tail slim. It was a very retro Harley and it was $16,000. Cycle world did a great comparison of the two bikes. Yes, the First Edition R18 had a sticker of $21,780 ! They sold about 4 of them at that
. But still, even deep discounted at the time, my first edition was 17,000, with a set of bags on it. The Slim was a stripped down low riding soft tail. It wasn’t expensive enough so Harley stopped selling it.Now the GS is my favorite touring bike of all time… but if I was going to have a bagger it would be probably be a Road Glide. I love the R18 in naked format, it is a beautiful design. The baggers just don’t do it for me; they simply underperform the motor company offerings. It’s a moot question because the GS is still my touring ride; mayhaps I just don’t like anyone’s bagger
I would buy a Miata first. Because I view it differently, A cruiser is fun, a bagger is heavy and the GS is THE rider’s bike.
I am excited to get my Wilbers on this winter… but a passable rear shock shouldn’t have cost me an extra $815
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Mr. Efficiency
Active member
I am excited to get my Wilbers on this winter… but a passable rear shock shouldn’t have cost me an extra $815
I always expect to do stuff around the seat/suspension/pegs/bar reach/luggage etc if the bike is to be a keeper.... at least I am over playing with exhausts these days. I'm hoping to keep the R18 for 10 or so years..... thats about my expected life span!
Hammo
Member
Hammo
Member
Across the pond here second hand models give you a good bargain , i purchased the 2022 Classic , i was worried about the weight as i,m an old duffer, but riding it now i think i would of purchased the Transcontinental what a smart machine and a great bargain .
Mr. Efficiency
Active member
My first road bike was an old R60. I saw the R18 and said if my feet fit under the jugs I want it. I bought a demo and it was reasonable and it came with the great waxed cotton messenger bags. I do not like the baggers at all but I love the R18. The Wilbers… I already have a good windshield for trips over 500 miles, the Vance and Hines and a Weekender seat. I can go cross country just like that. I do have my GS as a touring bike.
The GS shocks were good; I put the Ohlins on at 100,000 miles
Oh, just the base model then?The bike that BMW used for its inspiration was the soft tail slim. It was a very retro Harley and it was $16,000. Cycle world did a great comparison of the two bikes. Yes, the First Edition R18 had a sticker of $21,780 ! They sold about 4 of them at that
Now the GS is my favorite touring bike of all time… but if I was going to have a bagger it would be probably be a Road Glide. I love the R18 in naked format, it is a beautiful design. The baggers just don’t do it for me; they simply underperform the motor company offerings. It’s a moot question because the GS is still my touring ride; mayhaps I just don’t like anyone’s bagger
Because I view it differently, A cruiser is fun, a bagger is heavy and the GS is THE rider’s bike.
I am excited to get my Wilbers on this winter… but a passable rear shock shouldn’t have cost me an extra $815
Because BMW smartened up and underpriced the TC in comparison to its rivals. IMHO, the TC is the one to beat in terms of value and bang for buck. The cruiser is an "art" bike, whereas the B and TC's are riders.
Mike
Mr. Efficiency
Active member
The GS is a rider’s bike; The TC has neither the cosmetic beauty of the R18 nor the performance of a Harley Bagger. If I wanted a Road Glide, I’d own one
The GS is more comfy, faster, lighter and handles poor road surfaces better. I can ride my GS across the continent… or may R18 first edition, faster than on a bloated “bagger” I’m definitely not a fan