You might not notice it on first glance, but if you know BMW Motorrad's current output, then the name should give it away. Inside the one-of-one BMW Vision K18 sits the 1,800cc, inline six-cylinder engine that many already know and love.
But of course, it's the swooping, sweeping, elongated acres of brushed aluminum that will catch everyone's eyes first. That is, unless you happen to be staring directly at the tail of the Vision K18. If you are, then what you'll likely see first is the glowing red rocket taillight clusters that must surely look like vanishing car taillights out of Batman: The Animated Series if you're seeing this thing winding down a hilly country road somewhere.
This is Futuristic Art Deco: The Motorcycle, if ever such a thing existed.
What inspired this creation? According to BMW, inspiration ranged from long-haul aviation to vintage Formula One cars, and it's not a stretch to see elements of both types of elongated forms in this design. Equally, it's also not difficult to understand why BMW immediately noted that this is a one-of-one creation. Ready for mass production, this isn't.
Therefore, it won't surprise you to learn of small, precise touches involved in its creation, like the fact that many body parts were hand-formed. It also won't surprise you to learn that the suspension is hydraulically adjustable.
Gallery: BMW Motorrad Vision K18
The six tailpipes, taken in context with the shapes and proportions of the taillight clusters and the swoop of the rear end of this bike as a whole, lend both weight and elegance to the assertion that this is a one-of-one roadgoing rocketship.
We may not all get to shoot up into space, but if you're BMW, you can still dream of the stars from your place on planet Earth. Isn't that enough? After all, as Carl Sagan once said, we are made of star-stuff, and surely that "we" must include BMW, as well.
