BMW Motorrad unveils R20 concept

MANILA: BMW Motorrad officially took the covers off the R20 Concept bike at the 2024 Concorso D'Eleganza Villa d'Este classic car show in Italy. 

While the R20 concept showed off BMW’s engineering chops, it is also touted by the brand as a mechanical art piece that’s suitable to fit classic tastes. 

Front and center on this concept bike is the fuel tank which was sculpted with a combination of eye-catching angular lines and a slick overall shape. This piece is combined with a rear that the brand described as “essentials” as commonly seen on other classic-inspired cafe racer-style rides.

The bike’s single seat, however, is upholstered in black Alcantara and fine grain leather. It likewise uses a modern LED headlamp that comes in the shape of a 3D-printed aluminum ring.

Further making the R20 eye-popping is a hot pink paint job for its tank, color-coordinated head covers, belt covers, as well as air intake funnels made of polished and anodized aluminum. 

All the aforementioned elements of the R20 concept are nestled in a black-colored double-loop main frame made out of chrome-molybdenum steel tube backbone equipped with a 17x6.25-inch rear wheel and a 17-inch front wheel. The latter two are provided with black-colored spokes.

For its swing arm, the R20 uses BMW’s dual-arm Paralever made out of chrome-molybdenum steel that’s paired with a Paralever strut hewn out of aluminum. According to BMW, all of these bits showcase kinematics designed in such a way for balanced torque delivery. 

Ride quality and handling for the R20 meanwhile, are provided by fully adjustable Ohlins Blackline front and rear suspension systems. Braking power is handled by six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers from ISR. 

The centerpiece of the R20 concept is its 2,000 cubic-centimeter Big Boxer engine. This particular powertrain is air-cooled whilst sporting a new cylinder head, a new belt cover, and a new oil cooler. All of these components, according to BMW Motorrad, were specifically developed for the R20 in order for the concept bike to sport partially hidden oil pipes. Like the BMW R18,  the R20 concept also uses an exposed driveshaft. But the one on the concept bike, BMW shares, was shortened in order to fit its architecture. 

When viewed from the side, the bike displays its open intake funnels, throttle bodies, and cylinders. As per BMW, these were arranged in such a way that an on-looker’s vision would flow the same as how air flows through the bike’s powertrain. And to create the characteristic big boxer sound, the R20 concept gets sizable megaphone tailpipes. 

For now, the company is yet to reveal the performance specs of the R20’s Big Boxer engine. 

Photos from BMW Motorrad

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