BMW R 18 'Departed' 2018 — Specifications

These days, the custom motorcycle world has been approached by the large series, in order to build bridges and create an echo between two worlds. It must be said that the times are for appropriation rather than distinction of the machine. Yamaha clearly illustrated this with the Yard Built program. Kawa delegates a beautiful creation each year to a workshop. Roland Sands is regularly called upon by various players. As for BMW, it uses customizations as a vector to prepare the public for its new models. With this R18 Departed, the situation is somewhat particular. Its engine base is unprecedented, belonging to no production model. It’s not even a bored-out block or a fervent reworking in the style of Guy Coulon. It seems that with this show-bike, the preparers at Custom Works Zon are highlighting not the next Béhème but a new twin and the offensive that will go with it.

Let's put it aside for now; we don't want it to steal the spotlight from the Departed. An engine that made a strong impression at the 27th Hot Rod Custom Show in Yokohama. Very pure, minimalist, the engine seems quite fragile compared to the enormous heart anchored in its belly. The monobrace swingarm reveals the driveshaft, without modesty or protection. The steel tube frame tries to be discreet while the wheels invade all available space. 21 inches at the front and 26 at the rear, there’s nothing like it to gawk at passersby. Any notion of comfort, practicality, or even usability is obviously excluded. Everyone will endeavor to spend time detailing the hand-shaped saddle or the tank made from sheet metal, the Fior-type forks, the ultra-short exhaust systems, the meticulousness in every detail. A skillful exercise for Yuichi Yoshizawa and Yoshikazu Ueda – An ambition for the Bayerische Motoren Werke - A preparation that is nothing innocent, certainly announcing a massive cruiser in the BMW range.

The choice of such a large block responds to several imperatives: to be the size of the competition, oscillating between 1745 and 1920 cm3 among the American bikes; to offer an imposing torque from the lowest revs; and to wash away the affront suffered by the R 1200 C. BMW's attempt in the custom world took shape with the R 1200 in C, CL, and Montauk versions in the first decade of the 21st century. Machines noticeably underpowered with a reworked 1150 Boxer in displacement and mapping but too lacking in muscle. This 1800 block would be a weapon of revenge. Without seeking the power of the 1250 Shiftcam, it could claim a huge dose of torque, perfectly in line with the terrain. Bet on it? From 17 to 18 mkg without a doubt. As important as the glove and the grease, the appearance has not been treated lightly. Witness the exposed distribution shafts on top of the blocks, the enormous appearance of the cylinder heads riddled with cooling passages, the cooling fins... and good old carburetors to feed each cylinder. However, there’s no chance of finding these venturis for series production.

Beneath the important custom work, a subtle nod to the history of the brand can be perceived. The front face of the engine receives a kind of grille where a very elongated double bean is drawn, as on the first BMW automobiles (328 of 1936 or 501 of 1950). For a brand with such a background, it is important to always tell a story, to recall the foundations of the building. Was BMW preparing a strategic offensive on the roads of Milwaukee and Springfield? It seems so, with a very cosmopolitan way: a Japanese preparer to present European mechanics with the priority target of the American market. Beautiful lesson from the world, isn't it!?

M.B - Photos manufacturer