Source: Motorcycle Cruiser –
BMW’s R 20 is a retro-styled roadster stuffed with a 2-liter boxer twin. (BMW/)When BMW uses the word “concept” alongside a show bike, it usually means it’s destined for production. That suggests something very much like the new R 20 concept that’s just been unveiled at the Villa d’Este concours event stands a better-than-average chance of hitting showrooms in the next couple of years. And it squeezes the biggest-ever BMW engine into a compact retro roadster that’s guaranteed to turn heads.BMW has used the R 20 name before, on a delicate 192cc prewar single, but the new machine couldn’t be further from that bike in either appearance or engineering. Just as the current R 12 has a 1,170cc twin and the R 18 cruiser packs an 1,802cc motor, the R 20 concept carries a full 2 liters (1 liter per cylinder), and with every one of those cubes hanging out on the sides thanks to the signature boxer layout it’s an imposing sight.Overhead view of the R 20’s cockpit. (BMW/)As you might have guessed, the engine is based on the R 18′s huge, air/oil-cooled twin, but BMW has punched it out to gain even more capacity. The firm isn’t yet saying whether that’s via a bigger bore or longer stroke, but given the bike is more performance-oriented than the R 18 cruiser, the former is more likely. Pushing the bore from the R 18′s 107.1mm to 112.8mm while keeping the same 100mm stroke would achieve a total of 1,999cc.Similarly, there’s no claim for power or torque, but given that the R 18′s motor makes 91 hp at 4,750 rpm and 116 lb.-ft. at 3,000 rpm, and the R 20 has 11 percent more capacity, it should achieve more than 100 hp quite easily, with something like 129 lb.-ft. That’s if BMW hasn’t opted to tune the engine further, something that could unlock substantially more performance given the vast size of the engine. Other engine changes include redesigned cylinder-head covers and belt cover.The R 20 on the bench. (BMW/)Where BMW has been forthcoming with figures is in relation to the R 20′s chassis, most noticeably with the wheelbase, which drops from the R 18′s monumental 68.2 inches to a much more manageable 61 inches. Still not superbike-short, but the new chassis should be far more capable in corners. The steering head angle of 62.5 degrees, up from 57.3 degrees on the R 18, means the rake is now 27.5 degrees rather than 32.7 degrees. In fact, both the wheelbase and rake are now within a whisker of the R 12 nineT’s figures, despite the R 20′s much larger engine.A view of the R 20’s swingarm and shaft-drive setup. (BMW/)The new dimensions come thanks to a completely redesigned steel tube frame, which still has a retro style but packages everything much more tightly around the huge motor. The swingarm is substantially shorter than the R 18′s and uses a new version of BMW’s Paralever design with a lower linkage in steel and an upper one in cast aluminum, framing the exposed drive shaft between them. A fully adjustable Öhlins Blackline coilover supports the rear end, while the front gets a similarly adjustable Öhlins Blackline upside-down fork. Brakes are via six-piston radial-mounted ISR calipers at the front and a four-piston at the rear.The R 20 headlight has driving lights around the outside with an LED inside. (BMW/)Visually BMW is keeping the R 20 simple, with an aluminum fuel tank that echoes BMWs of the past, plus a cast-aluminum subframe to support the single seat. Up front there’s a modern play on the traditional, circular headlight, achieved by placing a ring of DRLs around a small, central main LED, and leaving the space between them open for airflow. As it’s still a concept, the R 20 isn’t encumbered with mirrors, any sort of muffler, or a license plate, but it’s all too easy to see that the design should be able to make a smooth transition to production.Earlier BMWs to appear wearing the “Concept” title have included the Concept Link, which became the production CE 04, the Concept Roadster, which became the R 1250 R, the Concept 9Cento that previewed the F 900 XR, the Concept R 18 that begat the production R 18, and the Concept 101 which spawned the K 1600 B. When BMW wants to show a bike that isn’t destined to become a production model, it has tended to use the term “Vision” instead of “Concept”—so there’s a strong clue in the name alone that the new show bike will lead to a production R 20 in the future.Two liters of boxer power. (BMW/)Side view of the BMW R 20 concept. (BMW/)Styling design sketches. (BMW/)Styling design sketches. (BMW/)
