First Look: BMW R20 Concept

BMW R20 concept roadster shown off at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este luxury car and bike show.

BMW R20

We’ll be honest: the last thing BMW probably needed to do with its enormous R18 cruiser was make it bigger. But that’s what the Bavarian firm seems to be about to do, after showing off this, the BMW R20 roadster concept at the fancy Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este show at the weekend.

As the name suggests, the R20 engine is now a full 2,000cc, up from 1,802cc on the R18, for even more audacity and grunt. The concept also features modified covers, air intake and exhaust, as well as a new design of Paralever shaft drive rear swingarm.

BMW R20

There’s no word on exact spec, but simply making the stroke 11mm longer or boring out the cylinders by 6mm would give that two litre capacity, so not a difficult job on an already-massive motor.

The chassis is the most interesting feature though. We’ve always thought the R18 engine would end up in a wider range of machinery – BMW needs to pay a lot of money for all the tooling and the R&D put into it.

BMW R20

It also deserves a better home than just the cruisers and Grand American tourers we’ve seen it in so far. Okay, it’s a giant engine, but putting it in a shorter, more nimble roadster chassis would be intriguing. And that’s what’s happened here.

The R20 is much more of a roadster with a wheelbase nearly 200mm shorter than the R18, thanks to an all-new frame design. It has 17-inch wheels – wire spoked front and a slotted disc rear – with 200/55 rear and 120/70 front superbike tyre sizes.

BMW R20

Öhlins has provided the suspension: fully-adjustable Blackline components front and rear: monoshock and beefy USD front forks, and the brakes are by ISR, with dual six-piston front calipers and a four-pot rear.

It’s a mad-looking thing all in, with a super-aggressive stance, bobber-type short rear end, and wild hot pink paint. The taillight is integrated into the quilted black Alcantara single seat, while a posh LED headlight comes in the form of a 3D-printed aluminium ring with integrated daytime running light, so it seems to float in the middle.

BMW R20

“The R20 concept is a bold interpretation of the BMW Motorrad DNA,” says Alexander Buckan, head of design at BMW Motorrad. “It combines modern technical elements with a classic roadster design. Its oversized proportions and minimalistic aesthetic make it an unmistakable character.”

So – what are the chances of seeing something like this in the flesh? A Brobdingnagian Bavarian bobber you can actually buy? Pretty good we reckon: the firm regularly shows off pre-production concepts at these shows, and it’s a full-on factory effort, not just some local specials builder.

BMW R20

BMW also needs to extend the appeal of the basic R18 platform: the cruiser models are not ideal for markets like the UK, while we could easily see a more performance-oriented variant like this doing well.

Watch this space, as ever, for more as we get it.