When BMW suggests that they would reveal something at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza—taking place right now on the shores of stunning Lake Como—we automatically assumed it would be another variant of the new BMW R 12 nineT. Turns out, we were very, very wrong. Get a BMW R20 Concept; a hot pink roadster with a 2,000 cc boxer engine.
You read that right. Not satisfied with huge amounts of money R18, BMW is going even further in its pursuit of motorcycle nirvana (read: sales). The BMW R20 Concept has hit the 2-liter mark, bringing it closer to muscle cars like the Triumph Rocket III.
While BMW introduced the R20 as a concept car, we know better. Nine times out of ten, the Bavarian brand’s concept bikes are almost production-ready bikes in disguise. So we fully expect to see something like this hit the market in the future.
Although the BMW R20 Concept’s engine may be taken from the R18, its chassis is completely new. Built around a chrome backbone, the new design boasts more aggressive numbers than the low and long R18, with a 62.5-degree steering head angle and a 1,550mm wheelbase.
Of particular interest is the R20’s new swingarm. BMW has revised the R18’s exposed driveshaft but repackaged it with a double-sided Paralever swingarm that uses a combination of chrome and aluminum parts. As expected, BMW says the new setup is designed to deal with the excessive torque of the 2,000cc engine.
The BMW R20 Concept is also equipped with 17-inch spoke wheels at the front and 17-inch disc wheels at the rear with 6.25-inch wide tires. Öhlins Blackline upside-down forks up front, with a matching shock mounted to the rear end. The brakes are from Swedish ISR and use twin six-piston calipers at the front and a single four-piston caliper at the rear.
The body of the BMW R20 Concept is designed to be remarkably minimalist. A heavily sculpted fuel tank dominates the design, with a floating bobber-style seat at the rear. Save for a neat front mudguard, nothing else clutters the bike.
The tank’s hot pink paint job seems to hark back to the 1970s – and while we can’t remember a BMW (motorbike or car) in this particular color, it looks bananas. The seats are upholstered in leather and Alcantara, and twin LED taillights give the rear a modern muscle car feel. Decked out in polished aluminum and anodized metallic finishes, the BMW R20 Concept has huge presence.
Other bespoke details include the cylinder head cover, belt cover and oil cooler. Open stacks draw air into the engine, forming a visual line to the bumpy open exhaust tips. Above, aggressive street bike bars sit behind the dashboard borrowed from the BMW R 12, with a 3D printed headlight cluster containing a powerful LED cluster.
Given the BMW R18’s lackluster market performance, it’s tempting to criticize BMW for creating another oversized boxer. But as a standalone machine, the R20 Concept stuns.
There are no obvious references to BMW’s back catalog here. Instead, the R20 Concept appears to be inspired by the custom BMW boxers that have dominated the airwaves in recent years (and it’s very possible that one or more tuners had a hand in creating it). It’s a refreshing twist on the plus-sized boxer genre, and a daring one at that.
Assuming the BMW R20 Concept makes it to production — without losing too much of its inherent aesthetic in the process — we’re all for it. While the R18 failed to find an answer to a question no one asked, the R20 has the potential to be a powerful and focused muscle bike.
Whether it will prove a success with fans of bikes like the Triumph Rocket III or Harley-Davidson Fat Bob, only time will tell. All we know is that we’d be furious if BMW didn’t offer it in hot pink.
Source: BMW Motorrad
