Is A BMW R 18 With Available A2 License Restriction In The Works?
Back in February, 2021, we talked about the possibility of BMW working on smaller R 18 variants. An OEM wants to sell bikes, after all, and there are undoubtedly plenty of people who love the R 18s styling but wish it came in a more compact package. According to the latest rumors out of France, a smaller BMW R 18 may indeed be coming, and allegedly as soon as October, 2021. Before you get too excited, though, its not smaller in physical size. Instead, its an A2-compliant version for 2022. For those unfamiliar, A2 licenses are intended for younger European and U.K. riders (typically under the age of 21), who are past being total beginners but who are not legally qualified to ride large displacement bikes just yet. BMW is one of many OEMs that offer restricted, A2-compliant versions of several of its larger-displacement models. A2-compliant bikes must not make more than 95 horsepower (or 70kW) in their unrestricted state, and are capped at making 47.5 horsepower (or 35kW) when theyre restricted. Since the BMW R 18, in its usual form, makes only 91 horsepower, it should not require additional fettling to make it compliant. Of course, that doesnt change a single thing about the elephant in the roomwhich is seemingly the R 18 itself. As Dustin noted, it boasts a 761-pound curb weight, which it apparently manages quite well once you get moving. That is, of course, with the engine in its unrestricted form. However, another complication is that its also definitely not cheap. Then again, style means a lot, and if youre in love with the R 18s looks, and you also want an A2-compliant cruiser that you know can be derestricted once youve graduated to a full A license, perhaps this could be a perfect solution. Should this rumor come to fruition, well just have to wait and see how its received.