BMW R20 Concept 2024 — Specifications

BMW is preparing a more daring model within the R18 lineup, with a roadster profile and a massive heart. This begins with a realization unveiled in the picturesque setting of Villa d'Este on Lake Como: the BMW R20 concept.

This machine has no lineage with the 1937 R20, a budget-friendly model equipped with a single-cylinder engine. The 2024 BMW R20 concept is an impressive motorcycle with a powerful appearance in a relaxed gentleman’s style, while also incorporating the brand’s characteristic attributes: classic design and sophisticated engineering, combined with a thrilling mechanical heart.

Centered around the Big Boxer engine, the expressive tank appears as a sculpture, the rear is reduced to the essentials to highlight the motorcycle’s clean lines and power.

The chassis has been completely redeveloped and, with a double-loop steel chrome-molybdenum tube frame, forms the backbone of this concept. With the “disc rim” of 17x6.25 inches at the rear, on which a 200/55 tire is mounted, and a 17-inch black spoke rim with a 120/70 tire at the front, the R20 concept combines tradition and modernity.

The proven Paralever has been transposed into a new two-arm variant, in which the swingarm is made of chrome-molybdenum steel and the Paralever strut is made of aluminum. The kinematics are designed so that the drive torque is perfectly balanced. The two rear axle supports made of milled aluminum have also received special attention. The exposed driveshaft, conceptually taken from the R18, has been shortened to be integrated into the roadster architecture.

Öhlins Blackline suspension elements, fully adjustable, are used at the front and rear. The motorcycle’s basic geometry features a steering angle of 62.5°, as well as a wheelbase of 1,550 mm. ISR radial mount brake calipers handle the braking, with six pistons at the front and four pistons per caliper at the rear.

The centerpiece of the BMW R20 concept remains the air/oil-cooled Big Boxer engine, with a revised displacement of 2,000 cm3. New cylinder heads, a new cardan protection, and a radiator have been developed for this concept in order to partially conceal the oil lines.

The side view is particularly remarkable: The eye follows the trajectory of the air that flows through the open intake ducts and the cylinders, before escaping through the megaphone-shaped exhaust system, thus producing the typical sound of the Big Boxer.

Furthermore, the dual exhaust system delivers the appropriate sound and perfectly complements the design.

The aluminum tank has been redesigned and appears in the evolving “hotter than pink” color of the 1970s. The R20 concept is color-coordinated with the cylinder heads, the tank cap, and the polished and anodized air intake ducts, as well as with the Paralever strut, the footrest system, and the ISR brake calipers in “gunmetal.”

The rear light has been perfectly integrated into the monoseat, covered in matte Alcantara and fine-grain leather, which emphasizes the roadster’s dynamic appearance thanks to its compact rear. The LED headlight appears in the form of a 3D-printed aluminum ring with an integrated daytime running light. The main headlight seems to float visually within this ring of daytime running lights.

Each of these details contributes to the unique character of the concept motorcycle and underscores its overall character: The BMW R20 concept takes the culture of the Big Boxer to a new level.

Will we see it as is in series soon? Undoubtedly: BMW concepts presented at Villa d'Este are almost all "trailers" for upcoming new models.

Credits info and images: BMW