BMW R20 Concept - 'Rad' Roadster?
Primarily a May auto-fest and held in the elegant surroundings of the Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como (northern Italy), the annual Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este nonetheless does showcase some exceptional motorcycles from concourse condition classics and authentic restorations to contemporary and often avant-garde customs through to advanced concepts and prototypes.
A highlight of the spring season for 'petrol heads' and poseurs alike, BMW is a lead sponsor and a major player in exhibit terms, and generally has something to show for its winter workshop endeavors.
This year saw a debut for an R20 concept as a follow-on from the R18. Described by BMW as a Roadster, it is a 'runner' and with a "punched out" 2,000 cc 'Boxer' engine, it would be the second largest displacement motorcycle in the world if it does make it to volume production - second only to Triumph's 2,458 cc Rocket 3 Triple.
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| BMW Motorrad's two-liter big Boxer R20 'Roadster' concept. |
Having turned 100 last year, BMW Motorrad continues to mine its heritage - the R20 designation hails from 1937/1938 when the first R20 was developed from then best-selling 8 bhp R2. The 192 cc R20 of that era only saw 5,000 examples being sold - the overhead-valve engine was housed in a frame made from bolted-up steel tubes and equipped with an undamped telescopic front fork.
This 21st century iteration looks as stylish and 'rad' as the original must have done back in its day. The minimalistic avant-garde StreetFighter vibes of this R20 aren't 'Roadster' in the purest sense and the high ground clearance makes look 'flickable' - like it could carve canyons - not something normally associated with the weight and geometry of BMW's air-oil cooled flat twin.
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| From concept to more of a pre-production prototype - this was the 'runner' that BMW Motorrad unveiled at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in May. |
The chassis has been completely redeveloped from the one developed for the R18, with a black double-loop main frame made of chrome-moly steel tubes forming the backbone, and BMW tradition meets modernity with a two-arm version of the proven paralever swingarm.
The exposed driveshaft, conceptually adopted from the R18, has been shortened for integration into the roadster architecture and if features fully adjustable Öhlins Blackline suspension components at the front and rear. The basic vehicle geometry has a 62.5-degree steering head angle and a 1,550 mm wheelbase, with radially mounted brake calipers from ISR - six piston front, four piston rear and 2-in-2 exhaust.
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| The first iteration of the BMW R20 designation - a 192 cc/8 bhp single in 1937. |
"The BMW R20 concept takes the Big Boxer culture to a new level," says BMW Motorrad's newly installed head of design Alexander Buckan. “The R20 concept is a bold interpretation of the BMW Motorrad DNA. It combines modern technical elements with a classic roadster design. Its oversized proportions and minimalistic aesthetic give it an unmistakable character.”
New concepts shown by BMW Motorrad at the Concorso d'Eleganza do have a habit of eventually making it into production, one way or another, at one stage or another. So, based on its established 'modus operandi', watch out for a slew of pre-production custom protypes as a telling next stage. That said, with R18 sales not having met expectations since its launch in 2020, it's equally possible that 'Munich' may be gun-shy this time.
