If the R20 Concept Doesn’t Become a Production BMW Motorcycle, It’d Be a Crime
Retro-styled motorcycles enjoy just as much popularity as they suffer criticism for “trying too hard.” From the Kawasaki Z900RS to the Triumph Bonneville and BMW R nineT, old-school motorcycles with modern amenities bring the best of both worlds. It’s for this reason that fans are eagerly eye-balling BMW’s latest concept motorcycle concept, the R20.
The BMW R20 Concept motorcycle is old-school cool with a “Big Boxer” and unapologetic hue of pink
Concept bikes should be dramatic. After all, they have to grab the attention and imagination of fans and prospective buyers. Such is the case with the new BMW R20 Concept, a will-they-won’t-they retro prospect for the boxer engine faithful.
And faithful to the boxer engine it is. However, we’re not talking about the 1,170cc mill in the R nineT. No, we’re not even talking about the air-cooled 1,800cc boxer in the R 18 Classic. Uh-uh. BMW stuffed a 2,000cc engine into the stripped-back roadster. That’s a 2.0L engine– bigger than the engine in a Nissan Rogue. It’s the same displacement as the hybrid application in the Lexus UX SUV. It’s understandable, then, that the brand calls it the “Big Boxer.”
Better yet, the little roadster motorcycle shrugs off the monochromatic color schemes of the Bavarian brand’s SUV and car lineup. Of course, if I mentioned an old-school cool motorcycle with an eye-popping palette and a BMW badge, you’d think Daytona Orange, right? Not this time. It’s pink. Very pink. And we’re here for it.
The R20 debuted to the public at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, Italy last week. However, BMW motorcycle fans will have to be patient and hopeful if they’re hoping to get their hands on a production R20. The brand hasn’t announced any plans to produce the bike. Still, if it is anything like the R 18 Classic and its 1,800cc boxer mill, we’ll have a production version in the future.
