2021 BMW R18 Dragster : LIVE YOUR LIFE A QUARTER MILE AT A TIME.
2021 BMW R18 Dragster Guide.
The renowned custom bike designer Roland Sands stripped down the BMW R 18 to create a straight line dragster featuring the iconic and massive boxer powerplant. The result: the R 18 Dragster. He and his team have created a unique masterpiece built around the impressive 2-cylinder Big Boxer, giving their creativity free reign in the process.
Roland Sands’ personal story served as a source of inspiration for his work on this bike. “With an engine that’s so visibly the center piece, I immediately thought of muscle cars. My family has always been into going fast and my dad was a drag racer, so I thought it made sense to strip the bike down to the essentials and shape it to go fast on a straight track,” the designer explains.
The new BMW R 18: a cruiser rooted in history.
With the new R 18, BMW Motorrad presented the brand’s first series production bike for the cruiser segment in April 2020. Like no other
BMW motorcycle before it, this model stands entirely in the tradition of historical BMW motorcycles – both technically and with regard to its design. It is based on illustrious models such as the BMW R 5 and shifts the focus back to the motorcycle essentials: purist, no-frills technology and the boxer engine as the center of riding pleasure. The “Big Boxer” continues the line of traditional air-cooled boxer engines that have offered inspiring riding since BMW Motorrad first began production in 1923.
The new R 18 invokes our history and the iconic hallmarks of our brand which we have worked very hard on. The result: a cruiser that is full of character boasting a boxer engine with the most displacement that we have ever built as well as timeless design features, such as the white double striping on the R 18 First Edition.
We have counted on the boxer since 1923 – by conviction. The 1802 ccm two-cylinder boxer engine of the R 18 is the boxer with the most displacement that we have ever built. It delivers its maximum torque of 158 Nm at 3000 rpm. From 2000 rpm to 4000 rpm, it always delivers over 150 Nm, meaning a consistently high torque with the typical running characteristics of a boxer. At 4750 rpm, the Big Boxer delivers 67 kW (91 hp). Thereby combining its core tradition with modern technology. For pure emotion on the road.
2021 BMW R18 Dragster Totalmotorcycle.com Key Features
The R 18 Dragster custom bike in detail
- The frame has been modified completely removing the rear suspension for drag racing.
- Front and rear fenders have been slightly modified utilizing the stock sheet metal parts in order to keep the classic R 18 silhouette.
- The headlight has been taken from the original R 18 and is highlighted with the headlight bezel from the design collection of milled aluminium parts.
- The standard exhaust has been replaced with a hand fabricated Stainless Steel twin megaphone system utilizing the exhaust tips from the milled aluminium parts.
- The hydraulic front brake and clutch master cylinders are from Roland Sands Design.
- The tank has been taken over from the original R 18.
- The paint finish is a two tone metallic blue with classic white BMW pin-stripes by Roland’s long time painter Chris Wood.
- The fork has been taken from the BMW R nineT.
- The front braking system has been taken from the BMW S 1000 RR superbike.
- The seat has been built from scratch and is a RSD custom seat by Saddlemen.
2021 BMW R18 Dragster Totalmotorcycle.com Features and Benefits
The technical design process used by Roland Sands.
Roland Sands always starts by sketching his ideas on paper. This allows him to figure out the basics of the shape and what the stance and the geometry of the bike could look like. “In the end, the real magic happens when we bring the sketch to life”, Roland explains.
More than any other motorcycle, the new R 18 offers a highly customizable design. It features an easily removable rear frame and a simple-to-dismantle painted parts set. This gives the customer a high degree of freedom for easily converting the rear end of the new R 18 to suit personal preferences. In addition you can also change the paint finish to suit your personal taste. “The electronics were definitely the most difficult task we had to deal with as we put in nitrous oxide, stripped out the stock exhaust and changed the intake drastically. It was a bit of an experiment, but we dialed it in! The final product is impressive and characterised by a high level of craftsmanship, as can be expected from BMW Motorrad. Right from the beginning, I couldn’t wait to get customizing!” Roland points out.
For the the R 18 Dragster, the team around Roland Sands retained the stock neck geometry of the R 18, removed the bike’s rear end and turned it into a drag racer. Moreover, they chose to modify the front and rear fender to fit the modified frame. The whole customizing process took about three and a half months. The bike then headed to the workshop for final assembly and a day at a drag strip.
“Every bike needs different sources depending on the build, special materials or parts. Every new bike concept is a bit of a learning process even after having built over 200 bikes. We always want to understand the genre of the bike we are building in, it’s the key to keeping it authentic and functional,” explains Roland Sands.
Aside from the R 18 Dragster custom bike, Roland Sands also created two different design collections of milled aluminium parts for the launch of the R 18 Cruiser: “Machined” and “2-Tone-Black”. The “Machined” and “2-Tone-Black” ranges include front and rear wheels available in different dimensions than the standard sizes. In addition, the range of these exclusive milled parts includes speedometer housings, handlebar clamps, risers, handlebar grips, hand levers and mirrors as well as engine housing trim elements, filler caps, intake silencer covers and much more.
For the R 18 Dragster, Roland Sands used the milled parts design collection “2-Tone-Black” to customize levers, wheels, valve covers, breast plate, headlight and gauges. The front end was taken from the BMW R nineT. The seat as well as the exhaust were created from scratch.
Roland Sands: The man behind the designs
By his own account, Roland Sands basically grew up on a motorcycle and motorcycling is in his blood. His dad was a drag racer who built custom bikes and parts. As a result, Roland was brought up surrounded by cool bikes. It wasn’t long before he, too, was riding dirt bikes, taking them apart and rebuilding them. He had a racing career of his own that spanned ten years.
Today Roland is a world famous designer of custom bikes and motorcycle apparel with customers in all corners of the world.
The designer is best known for combining styles and creating new genres in the process. “Combining a racing aesthetic and function with a custom style – this is what we are probably best known for. We like to make stock machines perform better,” says Roland.
For Roland Sands, motorcycling is not simply a job. “It’s really hard to describe in a few sentences. Riding a motorcycle to me is like becoming one with the machine. My motorcycle is my life, it’s everything, it’s what I do.”
2021 BMW R18 Dragster – Totalmotorcycle.com USA Specifications/Technical Details
US MSRP Price: $ Concept Model USD
Canada MSRP Price: $ Concept Model CDN
Europe/UK MSRP Price: £ Concept Model GBP (On The Road inc 20% Vat)
2021 BMW R18 Dragster is a concept model. The specs below are for the normal BMW R18 for reference.
Engine
Design
Air/oil cooled two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine with two chain-driven camshafts above the drive shaft.
Bore x stroke
107.1 mm x 100.0 mm
Capacity
1,802 cc
Nominal capacity
91 hp at 4,750 rpm
Max. torque
116 lbs-ft at 3,000 rpm
Compression ratio
9.6 :1
Fuel preparation
Electronic intake pipe fuel injection, BMS-K+ electronic engine management with overrun cut-off and twin-spark ignition.
Emission control
Regulated three-way catalytic converter
Mileage / consumption
Maximum speed
over 111 mph
Fuel type
Super plus lead-free (max. 15% ethanol, E15) Gasoline (min. 90 AKI Octane Rating, max. 15% ethanol content)
Electrical system
Alternator
Permanent magnet generator 600 W (nominal capacity)
Battery
12 V / 26 Ah, maintenance-free
Power transmission
Clutch
Single-disc dry clutch
Gears
6-speed transmission
Secondary drive
Shaft drive
Suspension / brakes
Frame
Double-cradle steel frame
Front suspension / spring elements
Telescopic fork
Rear suspension / spring elements
Steel swingarm with central shock strut
Spring travel, front / rear
4.7” / 3.5”
Wheelbase
68.1”
Castor
5.9”
Steering head angle
57.3°
Wheels
Spoke wheel
Rim dimensions, front
3.5″ x 19″
Rim dimensions, rear
5.0″ x 16″
Tire, front
120/70 R 19
Tire, rear
180/65 B16
Brake, front
Twin disc brake, diameter 300 mm, four-piston fixed callipers
Brake, rear
Single disc brake, diameter 300 mm, four-piston fixed caliper
ABS
BMW Motorrad Integral ABS (partially integral)
Dimensions / weights
Seat height, unladen
27.2”
Rider step length, unladen
64.2”
Usable tank capacity
approx. 4.23 gal
of which reserve
1 gal
Length
96.1″
Height (excluding mirrors)
44.3″
Height (above mirror, at DIN empty weight)
48.5″
Width (with mirror)
38.0″
Unladen weight, fully fuelled/road-ready
761 lbs
1)
Max. permitted weight
1,234.6 lbs
Max. load (with standard equipment)
474 lbs
1) As defined in EU directive 93/93/EEC, filled with all operating fluids, fuelled to at least 90% of usable tank capacity
2021 BMW R18 Dragster – Totalmotorcycle.com Canada Specifications/Technical Details
2021 BMW R18 Dragster is a concept model. The specs below are for the normal BMW R18 for reference.
Design
Air/oil cooled two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine with two chain-driven camshafts above the drive shaft.
Bore x stroke
107.1 mm x 100 mm
Capacity
1802 cm³
Nominal capacity
67 kW at 4750 rpm
Max. torque
158 Nm at 3000 rpm
Compression ratio
9.6 :1
Fuel preparation
Electronic intake pipe fuel injection, BMS-K+ electronic engine management with overrun cut-off, twin-spark ignition: BMS-O with e-gas
Emission control
Regulated three-way catalytic converter
Mileage / consumption
Maximum speed
over 180 km/h
Consumption per 100 km based on the WMTC
5.6 l/100km
Fuel type
Super plus lead-free (max. 15% ethanol, E15) ROZ 95 90 AKI
Electrical system
Alternator
Permanent magnet generator 600 W (nominal capacity)
Battery
12 V / 26 Ah, maintenance-free
Power transmission
Clutch
Single-disk dry clutch
Gears
6-gear shifting claw transmission in separate transmission housing
Secondary drive
Shaft drive
Suspension / brakes
Frame
Double-cradle steel frame with screwed-on underbeams
Front suspension / spring elements
Telescopic fork
Rear suspension / spring elements
Steel swinging fork with central shock strut
Spring travel, front / rear
120 mm / 90 mm
Wheelbase
1731 mm
Castor
150 mm
Steering head angle
57,3°
Wheels
Spoke wheel (front only)
Rim dimensions, front
3,5″ x 19″
Rim dimensions, rear
5,0″ x 16″
Tire, front
120/70 R 19
Tire, rear
180/65 B16
Brake, front
Twin disc brake, diameter 300 mm, 4-piston fixed callipers
Brake, rear
Single disc brakes, diameter 300 mm, four-piston fixed calipers
ABS
BMW Motorrad Integral ABS (partially integral)
Dimensions / weights
Seat height, unladen
690 mm
Rider step length, unladen
1630 mm
Usable tank capacity
approx. 16 l
of which reserve
approx. 4 l
Length
2440 mm
Height (excluding mirrors)
1126 mm
Height (above mirror, at DIN empty weight)
1232 mm
Width (with mirror)
964 mm
Unladen weight, fully fuelled/road-ready
345 kg
1)
Max. permitted weight
560 kg
Max. load (with standard equipment)
215 kg
1) As defined in EU directive 93/93/EEC, filled with all operating fluids, fuelled to at least 90% of usable tank capacity
2021 BMW R18 Dragster – Totalmotorcycle.com European Specifications/Technical Details
2021 BMW R18 Dragster is a concept model. The specs below are for the normal BMW R18 for reference.
Engine
Design
Air/oil cooled two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine with two chain-driven camshafts above the drive shaft.
Bore x stroke
107.1 mm x 100 mm
Capacity
1802 cm³
Nominal capacity
67 kW (91 hp) at 4750 rpm
Max. torque
158 Nm at 3000 rpm
Compression ratio
9.6 :1
Fuel preparation
Electronic intake pipe fuel injection, BMS-K+ electronic engine management with overrun cut-off, twin-spark ignition: BMS-O with e-gas
Emission control
Regulated three-way catalytic converter
Mileage / consumption
Maximum speed
over 110mph
Consumption per 100 km based on the WMTC
5.6 l/100km
Fuel type
Super plus lead-free (max. 15% ethanol, E15) ROZ 95 90 AKI
Electrical system
Alternator
Permanent magnet generator 600 W (nominal capacity)
Battery
12 V / 26 Ah, maintenance-free
Power transmission
Clutch
Single-disk dry clutch
Gears
6-gear shifting claw transmission in separate transmission housing
Secondary drive
Shaft drive
Suspension / brakes
Frame
Double-cradle steel frame with screwed-on underbeams
Front suspension / spring elements
Telescopic fork
Rear suspension / spring elements
Steel swinging fork with central shock strut
Spring travel, front / rear
120 mm / 90 mm
Wheelbase
1731 mm
Castor
150 mm
Steering head angle
57,3°
Wheels
Spoke wheel (front only)
Rim dimensions, front
3,5″ x 19″
Rim dimensions, rear
5,0″ x 16″
Tyre, front
120/70 R 19
Tyre, rear
180/65 B16
Brake, front
Twin disc brake, diameter 300 mm, four-piston fixed calipers
Brake, rear
Single disc brakes, diameter 300 mm, four-piston fixed calipers
ABS
BMW Motorrad Integral ABS (partially integral)
Dimensions / weights
Seat height, unladen
690 mm
Rider step length, unladen
1630 mm
Usable tank capacity
approx. 16 l
of which reserve
approx. 4 l
Length
2440 mm
Height (excluding mirrors)
1126 mm
Height (above mirror, at DIN empty weight)
1232 mm
Width (with mirror)
964 mm
Unladen weight, fully fuelled/road-ready
345 kg
1)
Max. permitted weight
560 kg
Max. load (with standard equipment)
215 kg
1) As defined in EU directive 93/93/EEC, filled with all operating fluids, fuelled to at least 90% of usable tank capacity
Manufacturer Specifications and appearance are subject to change without prior notice on Total Motorcycle (TMW).
