• Welcome to the BMW R18 Forums. Member registration disables ads and allows you to post and share. Register Here.

What did you do to your R18 today?

  • <i class="fa--xf fal fa-check "><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" role="img" aria-hidden="true" ><use href="/data/local/icons/light.svg?v=1758297946#check"></use></svg></i> Discussion starter Discussion starter TodkaVonic
  • Start date Start date
Sharkroad exhaust went on and the bike spent the weekend at the shop. State inspection and two new tires. I was genuinely surprised at how much rubber was left on the rear tire. Fron was at the wear bars. Rear was pretty flat in the center. I figured the rear was close to showing the wire. Sawed into it the tire 2-3mm and still didn't hit metal. Lots of rubber on these Shinko SR999 tires.
 

Attachments

  • 20250407_182245.jpg
    20250407_182245.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 26
  • 20250407_175804.jpg
    20250407_175804.jpg
    2.4 MB · Views: 26
First photo shows the cuts I made into the bald center section of the tire digging for threads and wire. Second photo shows a bit of the chicken strips on the tire. Definitely not made to carve corners, but she's getting pushed to the limit.
 

Attachments

  • 20250407_154803.jpg
    20250407_154803.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 28
  • 20250407_154805.jpg
    20250407_154805.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 28
New tires, service bulletin on shaft spline lubrication, air cleaner (was feeling lazy), reverse recall complete, valves and spark plugs, brakes flushed.
 
I was considering shopping around and finding the best deal I can for carbon fiber versions of the intake tube covers, valve cover covers, breastplate, battery cover, tool cover...and so on. The stock valve cover covers and breastplate were pretty chipped and scraped up from 10,800mi of riding. Their condition has me thinking about those carbon parts, getting stock stuff powder coated, and other various options.

Went the cheapest possible route first. Had to do an oil change anyways....so I pulled the valve cover covers off, then an extra bolt or 10. Next thing you know, I had removed the brake side frame piece, the breastplate, the intake tube covers, scuffed them up good, primed them, and hit them with two cans of the good ol VHT Wrinkle Paint.

This is not the final version...but it works for now. Definitely looks better than brushed aluminum, scuffed and scraped to hell.
 

Attachments

  • 20250418_160344.jpg
    20250418_160344.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 45
  • 20250418_165245.jpg
    20250418_165245.jpg
    404.3 KB · Views: 45
With 2 years of R18 ownership under my belt, and never having used the horn, I decided I needed to have a louder one.

Job done.... wife thinks it was a case of applied "perfect male motorbike logic"

My reply was.... "one day I might need to give a 'roo a proper hurry up"

20250417_090745.jpg
 
The blue/white logo looks weird because my colors are olive green, black and brown. So I matched the tank logos in the same old school bronze ones as on the engines covers. Then the fender one kept annoying me so I fabricated this :) Way better. It's the details.

logo-replace.jpg
 
Last edited:
I went with a much cheaper solution - a generic plastic fender extender that adds about 8" of length to the fender. Not too ugly, in my opinion, but it serves its purpose well to keep mud and road grime off the engine case and oil cooler. Used high-strength double-sided 3M tape to install.

View attachment 17683

Nice! Where's you get that one? I'm thinking of this one - DK Design.

 
Back
Top