At Villa d’Este by Lake Como, BMW Motorrad revealed their new motorcycle concept – the R20. The concept is a showcase of the new engine – a 2000cc boxer motor. It is BMW Motorrad’s largest engine yet. The motorcycle features a blend of modern technical elements and classic roadster design, with an aluminium tank painted in a 70s-inspired “hotter than pink” colour.
The R20’s LED head lamp unit takes the form of a ring-like unit with integrated DRLs with the main headlamp appearing to float in the midst. Cool styling bits include cylinder head covers, belt cover and air intake funnels finished in anodized aluminium while the Paralever strut, footrest system and the ISR brake callipers are furnished in gunmetal. The rear-end remains rather minimal with the tail lamp being integrated into the quilted black Alcantara and fine-grain leather seat.
The R20 features a redesigned chassis with a new setup, with a parallel chrome-molybdenum swingarm and an aluminium Paralever strut. It also draws inspiration from the R18 flaunting an exposed driveshaft. As for suspension, it gets a fully adjustable Öhlins Blackline at the front and rear. The R20 wears 17-inch wheels with 120-section front and 200 section reartyres.
While BMW has not disclosed the power figures for the R20, we can expect it to be north of 91PS and 158Nm that the 1,800cc Boxer engine in the R18 delivers, thanks to the larger displacement. The concept also features a 2-in-2 exhaust system responsible for the Boxer symphony.
While there is no confirmation on whether the R20 concept would go into production, given the focus on the engine, this could be a precursor to the BMW R18 replacement. BMW has been upsizing its Boxer engines for a while now. A good example is the GS series. Last year, BMW Motorrad launched the R 1300 GS which is powered by an all new 1300cc twin boxer engine (up from 1254cc) and also the R 12, a larger version of its R nineT retro motorcycle. . If the trend continues, the R18 could also benefit from an upgrade. The concept could also prove to be a worthy contender to the Triumph Rocket 3.
