RIDER REVIEW: Zanele McMurray renews her love for cruisers thanks to the BMW R 18 Cruiser
Zanele McMurray, aka Leidee Zee, has a long standing love for cruisers but only one machine had alluded her, the BMW R 18. When the opportunity arose for her to ride it, she didn’t hesitate to pull on her leathers and take it for a spin.
I had the pleasure of riding the eye-catching BMW R 18 at the 15thInternational Female Ride Day on the 1stof May 2021. I knew I would enjoy it but boy oh boy was I in for a treat!
Steeped in the tradition of historical BMW motorcycles in terms of technical features and design cues, the R 18 is an undeniably beautiful piece of mechanical artwork.
As my eyes greedily gobbled up my first up-close sighting of the BMW R 18, the first feature they rested upon, was the BMW R 18’s sleek chrome exhaust pipe closely followed by its strikingly large LED headlight.
Thereafter my gaze took in the epicenter of my ride for the day, the BMW R 18’s newly developed 2-cylinder boxer engine that is both intimidating and attractive at the same time. Finally, I paid attention to the big comfortable seat which I appreciated very much.
As a lady standing at 1,64m tall, the BMW R 18’s 690mm seat height gave me further confidence that I would be able to easily handle the cruiser, even though it has a wet weight of 345kg.
– Zanele McMurray
Another feature I liked about the BMW R 18 is that It has a keyless start function
– ZANELE MCMURRAY
The BMW R 18 comes standard with three ride modes – Rain, Rock, and Roll, which, depending on the terrain, greatly assist with stability control and throttle response.
Another feature I liked about the BMW R 18 is that It has a keyless start function. This takes away the panic of losing the key, which I can attest is be a big plus among female riders as we need to fit countless other things into our small bags and pockets.
When it comes to power the BMW R 18 does not disappoint. Fitted with a 4-stroke, 2-cylinder, horizontally opposed engine the cruiser holds its own in terms of speed, ride quality, stable and comfortable. Powered by its 67kW, 158Nm 1802cc engine I found myself gliding effortlessly amidst the numerous motorcycles commandeered by the hundreds of women bikers participating in the South African leg of the international ride.
Astride my brutish ride, the BMW R 18 felt much lighter in motion than when stationary. I found that the cruiser’s wide tyres (Front: 2.5 x 19 / Rear: 5.0 x 16) also helped maintain the bike’s traction. Other key highlights about the R 18 include Hill Start Control and Reverse Assist, both of which make maneuverability much easier and convenient. As a female rider, I would recommend this beautiful beast of a bike. It is a dream to ride and if affordability isn’t an issue, I would go as far as saying this cruiser is a must-have. As gigantic as the R 18 looks it is just an adorable and playful puppy that offers an exciting yet cultivated riding experience.
That said, the only black mark I have against the BMW R 18 is the fact that it does not have a fuel gauge indicator, something I sincerely hope BMW Motorrad sees fit to add in the updated models of these otherwise impressive bikes.
Price: R 319 900-00
Thanks to BMW Motorrad Fourways for the bike loan
About Zanele McMurray Zanele
McMurray is a female motorcycle rider and mother of two teenage girls, with 15-years riding experience to her name. Her first bike was a Honda VFR 400cc and over the years she has and ridden various motorcycles including a Honda 750cc Shadow, Thunderbird 1700cc, 2 Suzuki Hayabusas, a Suzuki Boulevard 800cc, a Honda CBR 1000 and a Sukuzi B-King. Zanele is passionate about cancer awareness and has been part of cancer awareness groups such as Journey of Hope and Cancervive.
