What Is The Most Difficult BMW Motorcycle To Ride? Here’s What Riders Say

BMW entered uncharted motorcycle territory a few years ago, introducing a bike which has become a big deal for the company, the R 18. The R 18 introduced in 2021 is, in fact, a cruiser, a distinctly American segment of motorcycle dominated by Harley-Davidson. These are low-seat bikes that feature a relaxed position, and focus on comfort and style with retro-classic aesthetics. BMW Motorrad, on the other hand, is big on adventure and performance bikes with a strong emphasis on exceptional engineering, tech, comfort, and safety.
With that in mind, the huge leap to make retro-classic styled American-design cruisers was a big deal. Cruisers generally run on V-twins, and for BMW to fit into this world, they developed what they called the Big Boxer — a 1,802 cc engine two-cylinder for the R 18 cruiser line. The BMW cruiser wasn’t a runaway success, but we know that it continually comes up as one of the most difficult BMW motorcycles to ride.
If, in some parallel universe, motorcycles got into boxing, the cruisers would be considered the heavyweights. Based on experiences from riders, the BMW R 18 is very heavy. One of the biggest challenges with cruisers is that they’re hard to handle, especially at low speeds, and the same applies to the BMW R 18 lineup. Additionally, the foot pedals on this cruiser are awkwardly placed, and the clutch’s friction zone is inconsistent and varies with the throttle position. This chassis design can be very challenging, even for seasoned riders.