BMW’s motorcycle-building division encourages tuners and builders to view the R18 cruiser as a blank canvas for customization. It’s been turned into a dragster, it’s worn kidney grilles, and the latest build transforms it into a futuristic two-wheeler that’s unlike anything on the road.
Russia-based Zillers Garage gave the R18 a complete makeover that includes a new exterior design and big suspension modifications. Still called R18, the bike looks like it was beamed to 2021 from a distant future; it gains body panels made with carbon fiber, wheels milled using a CNC machine, and several 3D-printed components. Viewed from the outside, there’s nothing to suggest this bike started life as a BMW.
One of the coolest and most surprising modifications is an air suspension system that replaces the factory-fitted steel setup. While air suspension systems are relatively common in the car world, and have been for over two decades, they’re almost unheard of on motorcycle planet. As a result, you won’t see the R18 propped up on a kickstand; it rests on a pair of spikes bolted to the skid plate.
It sounds like Zillers left the R18’s mighty engine untouched. Power comes from an air-cooled, 1.8-liter flat-twin that develops 91 horsepower and a beefy 116 pound-feet of torque. It sends the R18 to a top speed of 118 mph, and we bet it sounds absolutely great doing it.
Pricing for the Zillers R18 starts at $44,900, which is a huge number for a motorcycle, and buyers can either order it as a fully-built turnkey model or as a kit that they’ll need to build themselves — or pay someone else to build for them. Production is limited to 13 units worldwide, and delivery takes about four months for a kit and six months for a complete bike. As of writing, there are five build slots available; two have already been built for customers, according to enthusiast website Bike Exif, and the company has received six additional orders.
Source: www.autoblog.com