BMW Motorrad Teamed Up With Some Of Canada’s Best Builders On Three Custom R 18 Bikes

As it has previously done elsewhere, BMW Motorrad teamed up with some of Canada’s most exciting motorcycle customizers to create three special examples of what’s possible with the manufacturer’s R 18.

“The vision, craftsmanship, and quality of work was very impressive, especially considering how young some of the builders are,” said Roland Stocker, who was intimately involved in the creation of the production motorcycle. “I was very pleased with the result.”

The R 18 is powered by a 1,802 cc engine that is the most powerful two-cylinder boxer ever affixed to a production motorcycle. That, in combination with the classically-inspired design, make it the perfect canvas for customizers, the manufacturer believes. And it’s hard to deny it when you see what the builders came up with.

The creators were Jay Donovan from Victoria, British Columbia; Augment Motorworks from Toronto, Ontario; and Konquer Motorcycles from Kelowna, British Columbia.

Jay Donovan calls his bike the R 18 Future Cafe and it is described as a study in metal fabrication by a true artisan. The design began with rerouting the exhaust up and over the cylinder head and straight back, ending under the seat. The gas tank was completely redesigned, the upper section is finished in bare, polished aluminum, and the front and rear fenders are chopped and finished in black to make for a sleek look.

Augment Motorworks, meanwhile, has named his creation the R 18 Tattooed Chopper. The project was led by Nick Acosta, who was inspired by classic American choppers and features fine, tattoo-inspired paintwork paired with a sissy bar, a hand-carved headlight mount, mini ape hanger handlebars, a cocktail shaker exhaust, and a custom seat.

Konquer Motorcycle, finally, made the R 18 Diamond Custom, whose design was led by Rob Thiessen. The bike is described as a factory custom dragster that combines bronze metallic paintwork and pinstriping with modified front and rear fenders. The custom seat features a diamond motif and the whole look is intended to be long and low. Gold-painted BMW roundels and an electronically adjustable exhaust top the whole look off.