Custom BMW R 18 B ‘Heavy Duty’ Debuts at Daytona Bike Week

news7g03/16/2023

3 4 minutes read

The custom BMW R 18 B ‘Heavy Duty’, designed by Fred Kodlin and his son Len, was unveiled at this year’s Daytona Bike Week. The bike features modifications to the frame, the addition of an air suspension, a custom paint job by tattoo artist Marcel Sinnwell, and body adjustments that serve both function and, in the case of the winglets, complete purely for the sake of form. For more information, read the press release from BMW Motorrad below.

Anyone talking about the US custom scene mentions Fred Kodlin almost in the same breath. For over 40 years, he has devoted himself to motorcycle customization, from completely modified creations to sophisticated new designs. Since the 1990s, he has been extremely successful with his custom bikes and regularly wins many important Daytona awards. He was the first non-American citizen to be inducted into Sturgis . Hall of Fame.

For the first time, Kodlin started customizing a BMW with his son Len: the BMW R 18 B. “The R 18 B Heavy Duty is a real father-son project,” says its boss. Kodlin bike happy in Borken, Germany. “There was a lot of creative input from Len, which also shows that the next generation at Kodlin Bikes is ready.”

Tuning the giant BMW R 18 B chassis technology

The biggest challenge in customizing this year’s crowd rickshaw at Daytona Bike Week in Florida was undoubtedly the frame. Fred Kodlin explains: “We completely re-manufactured the upper tubes to lower the flight path and thus the seat height of the R 18 B. “We also reworked the steering head and the three clamps to give the wheel a snug fit. although the steering angle has changed and the car runs fine.”

The result is the R 18 B Heavy Duty, a typical Kodlin style bike. Viewed from the side, the fly line pulls back sharply from the chopped windshield from the BMW Motorrad Genuine Accessories line and eventually runs harmoniously into the Kodlin-made side panels made of fiberglass reinforced plastic and the tail section. low car. Viewed from above, the R 18 B Heavy Duty is characterized by strong curves in the seating area and smooth connection to the side boxes.

Finally, the technical highlight of the chassis is the air suspension at the front and rear, supported by a compressor placed almost invisible behind the left shell. This allows the R 18 B Heavy Duty to be lowered and raised in a snap. This is both useful and beautiful: To park, lower the chassis and it relies on hidden support points so that the bike is just a few centimeters off the road, waiting for the next ride.

BMW R 18 B Heavy Duty Daytona Bike Week Fred Kodlin

Body modification BMW R 18 extended

The Kodlin team also did an in-depth study on the topic of body building for three months. An all-new sheet metal fuel tank has been created – longer than the original tank, with a streamlined shape and with dents on the sides. The connection of the fuel tank and rear frame was also modified for this purpose. On the other hand, the original mobile phone charging compartment has been replaced from R 18 B.

The front spoiler, which includes three-color floor lamps – a common feature, not only in the Daytona – and the front fenders are also made of sheet metal, the fenders fit snugly around the 21-inch front wheels. Finally, Kodlin created a corresponding counterbalance to the rear wheel from the two R 18 B rear fenders put together, in which the rear and side turn signals are very discreetly integrated.

Two side covers made of sheet metal, providing a smooth transition to the side boxes, are entirely custom-made. Speaking of the sub-box, Marshall’s R 18 B speaker and an amplifier are fitted inside. Kodlin’s attention to detail is also evident in the case’s aluminum-milled hinge plates in the style of the original R 18 B components.

The so-called small wing above the cylinder is another design element. They are also made of metal but do not perform any function in a practical sense. Instead, they emphasized the design of the R 18 B Heavy Duty and made it look unmistakable, especially when viewed from the front. The custom work is completed by a Kodlin-made saddle and dashboard in Alcantara and imitation leather, as well as specially crafted handlebars and a custom exhaust system.

Elaborate paint by tattoo artist Marcel Sinnwell

Marcel Sinnwell has painted other Kodlin motorcycles in the past, but these days he rarely holds a spray gun for very special jobs. For example, when he draws yachts or R 18 B Heavy Duty.

For this project, the color bands were completely filled in with matte paint. The inspiration for this was the mixing of color pigments in the paint and especially the way streaks form on the milky base coat when stirred for the first time. The result is a great fit for Daytona Bike Week, where intricate and colorful color schemes are more than just good looks.

Additional design touches on the R 18 B Heavy Duty are provided by hand-painted stripes and a spray-painted pattern on the rear fenders that combine Kodlin and “100 Years BMW Motorrad”. However, brake calipers, gearshift paddles, foot brake levers and footrests are standard parts of the color-coordinated BMW Motorrad.

BMW R 18 B: The perfect car to customize

But Fred Kodlin didn’t put his hands on all the parts and assemblies at all. He said the particularly positive surprise for him were the bolts. “They are all made of stainless steel, with very nice Torx heads,” he said. “That’s not the way on other bikes. The basic bike and especially the engine is finished very clean. All the power cables were well hidden, so we didn’t have to do anything with the motor.”

For this reason, many parts of the R 18 B have been intentionally not replaced but modified at most. For example, it is necessary to shorten the handlebars and the end weight of the handlebars. Likewise, the engine remains unchanged from a technical point of view. Only the cylinder head cap, belt cover and intake manifold are painted metallic black.

Cruise control with distance control, reverse gear and eCall remains unchanged. These are features that are completely unique to the BMW R 18 B in the world of cruisers, where these functions are not offered by any other manufacturer.