This is BMW's new 1.8-liter “Big Boxer” engine: A retro-inspired beast

[G h o s t l y.]

 

In the past Eleganza Villa d’Este Contest, BMW showed us the Motorrad Concept R18, a prototype that takes us to another era and stands as one of the most spectacular in its history. Your exterior probably captivated you, with a chassis and a fuel tank that create a common line up to the wheel.

Large-spoke wheels (21 inches front and 18 inches behind) provide a safe position and perfectly balance the unit. The tires are a reference to history, as this motorcycle is equipped with Metzeler tires. He puts the icing on the cake his Boxer engine, which marks a return to the company's roots.
 

At the time, BMW Motorrad did not offer us just information about this mechanic baptized as Big Boxer, however, today it reveals practically all the details accompanied by an image gallery and even a video. Wrapped in a retro-style housing, the Big Boxer engine will make its production debut at the next BMW R18.

This horizontally arranged two-cylinder unit is the largest capacity twin-cylinder boxer engine ever used in the production of motorcycles in series. It has a displacement of 1,802 cc as a result of a diameter of 107 mm and a stroke of 100 mm. It produces no less than 91 hp at 4,750 rpm and a maximum torque of 158 Nm at 3,000 rpm.



 

More than 150 Nm are available between 2,000 and 4,000 laps, with a maximum engine speed of 5,750 rpm and an idle speed that has been set at 950 rpm. BMW Motorrad states that the Big Boxer engine offers enormous traction capacity, as well as exemplary smooth operation thanks to a generously sized steering wheel.

The new powertrain is air / oil cooled, offers large ribbed cylinders and cylinder heads, and weighs only 110.8 kilograms, all including the six-speed gearbox and the intake system. Optionally you can equip a reverse gear driven by an electric motor. Nor is a vertically divided aluminum engine housing and a smooth triple bearing housing missing.

Interestingly, the classic OHV valve drive with two camshafts is combined with modern four-valve, double-ignition technology. For the transmission, a gimbal has been repeated whose axis will be visible in the production model, as we saw in the concept, while equipping an anti-ramp hug.