2023 BMW R 18, nineT celebrate BMW Motorrad's 100th anniversary

MANILA: In honor of BMW Motorrad's 100th anniversary, BMW Motorrad USA is pleased to announce the 2023 BMW R 18 and BMW R nineT 100 Years Editions. Each model will only be produced in 1,923 units worldwide, which corresponds to the year BMW Motorrad was established.

In December 1922, BMW chief designer Max Friz put the first full-scale BMW motorcycle on the drawing board. At its heart was a 494 cc, 8.5 hp, air-cooled two-cylinder, four-stroke boxer engine. The first BMW motorcycle, the R 32, was unveiled in September 1923 at the German Motor Show in Berlin.

Production began that same month in an area of the BMW engine works on the edge of the Munich’s Oberwiesenfeld airfield. Just 56 motorcycles were built that first year. Those humble beginnings of BMW motorcycle production launched an unprecedented success story that would span a century.

The manufacture of motorcycles for 100 years and BMW Motorrad's steadfast devotion to the boxer engine have influenced the design of the 2023 BMW Motorrad R nineT. A small tank and an upright seating posture are the foundation of the traditional roadster design formula, which also includes high-quality components and fashionable aesthetic features.

Thanks to several special features, the new R nineT 100 Years is transformed into a distinctive anniversary edition. The 1,170 cc, two-cylinder, air/oil-cooled, 109 horsepower engine remains the heart of the vehicle. The iconic engine is complemented in the anniversary edition by chrome and Option 719 components, such as paint-on-chrome surfaces and expertly machined pieces and wheels.

Paint finishes in combination with chrome surfaces also have an almost 100-year tradition in motorcycle production. Chrome surfaces, usually consisting of a copper, nickel and final chrome layer are known for their hardness and resulting high durability, very good protection against corrosion, but above all by their radiant, mirror-like shine. This made chrome a common stylistic device for designers, from the late 1920s onwards. The BMW R 75/5 with its chrome-plated tank sides and side covers, for example, is legendary within BMW Motorrad enthusiast circles. With the new BMW R nineT 100 Years and R 18 100 Years and the Classic Chrome surface finish, BMW Motorrad is reviving this incomparably beautiful and sophisticated interplay of paint and chrome.

The 1,802 cc, 91 horsepower boxer motor, the largest displacement engine ever mounted in a BMW motorcycle, is the obvious focal point of the 2023 BMW R 18 100 Years.

The BMW R 18 returns attention to the core elements of motorcycle riding: purist and no-frills, with the boxer engine at the center of the riding experience. It does this both technically and aesthetically by drawing inspiration from classic BMW models like the 1936 BMW R 5. Numerous unique elements and subtleties enhance the huge boxer.

Similar to the anniversary model of the R nineT, the R 18 100 Years has a Classic Chrome paint treatment that mixes black painting with high-gloss chrome surfaces, as well as white double-pinstriping and a 100 Years insignia. The rear fender likewise has double-pinstriping in white and a paint-on-chrome Classic Chrome finish. White double-pinstriping on the front fender contrasts with the black paint on the front fender and the side covers. The Option 719 seat has diamond embossing and is covered in the two-tone fabric black/oxblood red.

Black is a symbolic and traditional BMW Motorrad color and also adorns the engine, transmission housing and rear axle drive. The exact designation of the color is Avus Black - a nod to the legendary 12.1-mile-long high-speed racetrack running through the Grunewald Forest, West of Berlin, where BMW Motorrad once celebrated great racing successes and where the AVUS monument with BMW Motorrad factory rider Ernst Henne still stands today. Berlin is also home to the BMW Motorrad production plant. The plant, located in Berlin-Spandau, is the lead plant for BMW Motorrad’s international motorcycle production.

The R 18 100 Years Edition is complemented by numerous Chrome design parts. The durable galvanic surface coating can be found on: The handlebar fittings, gear shift and foot brake levers, handlebar clamps, handlebar weights, mirrors, brake master cylinders, brake calipers, engine cover, cylinder head covers and intake manifold covers.

A chromed Akrapovic rear muffler with BMW logo-shaped perforated tailpipe trim is another characteristic of the BMW R 18 100 Years. ASC Automatic Stability Control, Headlight Pro, cruise control, and heated grips guarantee comfort and safety.

Photos from BMW Motorrad

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