BMW Motorrad recently unveiled the Vision K18; one of its most radical motorcycle concepts in years at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy. We bring you details of the motorcycle through this image gallery.
The machine is powered by BMW’s familiar 1649cc inline-six engine from the BMW K 1600 family, but almost everything else about the bike pushes far beyond anything currently in the company’s production lineup.And BMW clearly wants people to understand this is a pure concept. With no official performance figures, no production plans, and no suggestion that this exact machine is road-ready. Still, given the shared K1600 engine platform, outputs would likely sit somewhere around the 160bhp with weight comfortably north of 300kg.
Everything on the motorcycle appears designed to exaggerate that six-cylinder layout. There are six actively cooled headlights, a six-into-one intake system, and six exhaust outlets running dramatically along the sides of the bike. The stretched proportions and low-slung silhouette give it more of an art-deco hot rod presence than a conventional motorcycle.
The suspension can apparently lower itself hydraulically, while the bodywork combines aluminium and carbon fibre construction. Yet despite all of that technology, comfort and practicality, two defining traits of BMW’s K1600 touring range, have largely been abandoned. And instead of plush touring ergonomics, the K18 gets a minimalist seat pad more reminiscent of a track bike. The rear body panels look like integrated panniers at first glance, but are actually sculpted covers surrounding the huge exhaust arrangement. There is not even an obvious side stand or rear hugger fitted to the exposed rear wheel.
Well, the Vision K18 may matter more as a preview of where BMW’s luxury cruiser and touring philosophy could head next. If elements of this concept eventually reach production, they would likely appear in a far more usable machine, potentially something positioned between the current BMW R 18 range and a high-end luxury bagger.
