BMW launched the R18 to general acclaim back in the late summer of 2020.
This minimalist, retro-style cruiser is powered by BMW’s biggest ever engine – an 1802cc pushrod, two-cylinder, four-stroke boxer, which churns out a massive 116 ft lb of torque at 3,000rpm and never falls below 110 ft lb.
The R18 looks fantastic, has superb build and finish quality, and is a joy to ride.
The R18 was soon followed by the R18 Classic.
This added a fatter, 16in front wheel, a screen, spotlights, a pillion seat and cruise control – and was clearly designed to take on Harley’s big cruisers in their own back yard.
Now the range has been further expanded with the addition of the R18B and the Transcontinental, both of which we are looking at here.
The most notable differences initially are the big, wraparound front fairing and the solid bagger-style panniers – hence the B in the name.
The Transcontinental has a top-box and super comfortable armchair-like backrest.
Both bikes have the same engine as the R18, but the frame has been redesigned for more strength, and the fork rake steepened so that the wheelbase is actually slightly shorter.
The new bikes also have a little more ground clearance, although I still found it pretty easy to scrape the footpegs.
The rather cool looking open driveshaft is still there, although it’s a bit more hidden away by the add-ons.
One rather special feature both models have is a sound system by legendary Brit firm Marshall Amplification.
Jim Marshall began building amps in the early 60s after guitar customers at his family-run music store in London complained of not getting the tone they wanted from existing products.
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The first model, the JTM45, built by Jim, son Terry and engineer Ken Bran, attracted 23 orders on its first day in the shop in September 1962.
The rest is history, with demand pretty much exceeding supply ever since and almost every major rock band and star making use of Marshall Stacks ever since.
Jim sadly passed away in 2012, but the business continues to go from strength to strength, with new lines including speakers, headphones and drum kits under the Natal brand name.
And now the Marshall name can be found on these two BMWs.
The R18B comes with the Marshall Gold Series Stage 1 set-up, with two speakers in the fairing and an 180 watt booster.
The Transcontinental has the optional Stage 2, which adds two speakers built into the backrest and two subwoofers.
The system is operated from the huge 10.25in TFT screen which sits below four traditional round analogue clocks in the cockpit.
This includes SatNav via an app on your phone – which you pop into a container on the top of the tank where it is prevented from overheating by a cooling system
There are three ride modes – Rock, Roll and Rain, automatic stability control, cruise control (with optional active cruise control), engine brake control, a hill starter and a reverse gear.
The latter is a boon as these bikes are somewhat heavier that the standard R18.
That weight has a small effect on the performance of the engine and the handling, but both bikes are still a delight to ride.
The suspension is actually improved due to extra travel at the rear and auto pre-load.
And the bucket-loads of torque on tap making powering forward in almost any gear a doddle.
Both these bikes cater to something of a niche market for large cruisers but, if a bagger’s your bag, they certainly give Harley a good run for their money.
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