What does the future look like? According to BMW, it might look like the past. The company has just revealed its new R20 concept, a roadster powered by its air-cooled flat twin engine—with a big bore job, it sounds like.
The R20 is obviously based on the R18, which hard as it may be to believe, has been on the market for almost four years now. The R20 has new cylinder head covers, a new belt cover, new oil cooler, and probably some internal changes, as the name implies it’s around 2000cc displacement. But that’s not what people notice; they notice the styling.
Here’s how BMW describes the bike’s look:
The aluminum tank got a new design and presents itself in the progressive color
“hotter than pink” from the 1970´s. The BMW R20 concept is color-coordinated with the cylinder head covers, belt cover and air intake funnels made of polished and anodized aluminum, as well as the Paralever strut, footrest system and the ISR brake calipers in gunmetal.
The taillight has been perfectly integrated into the single seat, which is upholstered with quilted black Alcantara and fine-grain leather, and emphasizes the dynamic roadster appearance with its compact rear. The modern LED headlight is presented in form of a 3D-printed aluminum ring with integrated daytime running light. The main headlight appears to float optically in the middle of this daytime running light ring.
It’s different-looking, but the company is saying it pays homage to their history. Markus Flasch, the big boss of BMW Motorrad, says the bike “is a mechanical masterpiece. The Big Boxer is it’s center. Distinctly BMW Motorrad.” And Alexander Buckan, the company’s head of design, says the bike “is a bold interpretation of the BMW Motorrad DNA.”
Does that mean they’ll actually put this bike into production? Don’t bet on it. But BMW has teased every R18-series model they’ve built so far with a concept bike at a show, and that’s what we saw here, teased at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. A fall showtime reveal makes sense.
“A Vision Of The Past”….who’s past? Certainly not BMW’s as they’ve never made such a useless, phallus substitute of a motorcycle as that.