Germany-based company BMW Motorrad is one of the best bike manufacturers in the world, well known for its high quality and wide range of bikes.
To mark 100 years of BMW Motorrad, Dirk Oehlerking of Kingston Customs has now created the BMW R 18 The Crown, a big boxer motorcycle.
Dirk Oehlerking has been building motorcycles in Germany’s Ruhr region for over 30 years, and he is known for his unique and distinctive motorcycle builds. In the past, Dirk Oehlerking showed off its first BMW R 18 custom bike named the Spirit of Passion – a breathtaking creation in streamlined style.
“It is the essence of my creations to date,” says Oehlerking, “I started with a new BMW R18, which I then stripped down. As always, I worked with hard foam and cardboard to create the shape, the lines, and the design. The aim was for it to look powerful, elegant, and fast combined with an innovative look,” said Oehlerking to describe his design approach.
BMW R 18 The Crown features a fairing made of aluminum sheet metal, a redesigned front suspension system with a double-sided swing arm, and a central strut that completely changes the R 18’s proportions.
The exterior body and the eight-liter gasoline tank of the R 18 The Crown were constructed of 2mm aluminum sheet metal and two stainless steel exhaust manifolds cut, bent, and made by hand.
Oehlerking kept the engine and the bike’s rear suspension system identical to the original. The original R 18 bike has a 1802cc two-cylinder boxer engine that delivers a maximum torque of 158Nm at 3,000 rpm, and the Big Boxer provides 91 hp at 4,750 rpm.
At the same time, the headlight, instrument cluster, switchgear, footrests, engine, and other components were retained from the BMW factory and fully integrated into the overall design of The Crown.
The BMW R 18 The Crown has clutch and handbrake fittings from Magura, rear mudguards and brackets from Wunderkind, and a 2mm thick aluminum sheet metal seat covered in genuine leather.
In addition, Oehlerking gave the R 18 The Crown a Champagne Platinum paint with mother-of-pearl accents. The BMW R 18 The Crown is named after the small crown placed above the BMW logo that adorns the bodywork.
The unveiling of the BMW R 18 The Crown took place in July 2023 on the occasion of 100 years of BMW Motorrad as part of the BMW Motorrad Days in Berlin.
