When you think of BMW’s boxer engine, chances are the first bike that comes to your mind is the new R 1300 GS. But as it would turn out, BMW’s boxer range encompasses so much more than just adventure bikes. There are touring bikes like the RT, and even cruisers like the R 18.
But for me, my most favorite BMW boxer just has to be the R nineT, particularly in its Classic, dual gauge-pod, inverted front fork-having, brushed aluminum tank-sporting variant.
So, what do you get when you want the R nineT’s classic ergonomics mated with the biggest production boxer motorcycle engine of the modern era? Well, you get the BMW R 20, a concept bike that was unveiled earlier this year at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este.
Back then, this thing was just a concept, but now, it seems that BMW is actually making this thing a reality. According to French motoring publication Moto Station, BMW has registered the R 20 name in several markets including its home country of Germany, and yes, the good old US of A.
Personally, I find it a bit weird that BMW’s making its already massive classic roadster even more massive. I think the R nineT, as well as the current R 12 nineT, are about as big I'd like my roadsters to be. And adding around 800cc of displacement will certainly make this already heavy bike heavier—and not to mention, inevitably more expensive. If it goes into production in the same form as the concept bike unveiled in May, it’ll be rocking an even bigger engine than that of the R 18.
That said, it’s more than likely that the R 20’s engine will be a bored and/or stroked out R 18 engine speculated to be close to the 2,000cc displacement mark. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think anyone has any practical use for a cafe racer with a two-liter engine. But hey, motorcycles were never really meant to be practical, right?
Well, actually, wrong. The recent trend in the motorcycle industry has seen consumer preference shift towards smaller, more approachable, and yes, more practical machinery. Small bikes like the Triumph Speed and Scrambler 400 have enjoyed some serious success on the global stage, raking in millions of dollars in revenue.
And I’m sure a lot of you would agree that there’s a massive potential market for BMW in this space. I mean, BMW already has two platforms to choose from to make this into a reality—the already in-production G 310 range in partnership with Indian manufacturer TVS, or the conceptual, in-development F 450 GS platform. I can already see it: a BMW R 310, or R 45T (I’m just making up names as we go along here), either of which would surely sell en masse to both beginners and seasoned riders alike, and to a global audience, at that.
But alas, this isn’t the reality, at least not yet. And for now, BMW seems sure that the market needs oversized, overpriced bikes. Nevertheless, diehard Bimmer simps will surely be all over the upcoming R 20, as they’ll be able to flex to all their friends that their motorcycle has a bigger engine than their family sedan.
And at the end of the day, having the biggest anything is still the most important thing…at least to some people.
Sources: BMW Motorrad, Moto-Station
