PressClub Latin America, Caribbean · Article.
BMW Motorrad presents the R 18 Magnifica.
Wed Jun 08 23:59:00 CEST 2022 Press Release
Officine Riunite Milanesi and Customizer Radikal Chopper reveal new R 18 custom bike in Monaco.
Press Contact.
Edgar Tellez
BMW Group
Tel: +52-55-91408700-44
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Author.
Edgar Tellez
BMW Group
Munich/Monaco. The exclusive Top Marques show in
Monaco (MC) was the perfect stage to present the new BMW R 18
customisation project by Radikal Chopper.
The R 18 Magnifica has been unveiled on June 8 during the Monaco
show première: an extreme reinterpretation of the German maxi cruiser
where luxury, craftsmanship and the nobility of the materials used
meet in this unique and fascinating motorcycle. The development of
this project commissioned by Officine Riunite Milanesi was entrusted
to the genius and art of Andrea Radaelli from Radikal Chopper: a happy
union that with this first joint project gave birth to Radikal Design.
BMW R 18 Magnifica.
Handmade, using noble
materials such as brass, aluminium and wood, with a design unlike any
other custom: this is the identikit of the BMW R 18 Magnifica. The
idea of building a custom bike based on the BMW R 18 is due to
Raffaello Polchi, owner of Officine Riunite Milanesi and a lifelong
motorbike enthusiast, but the project and the hand are by Andrea
Radaelli of Radikal Chopper, a well-known name in the sector and
already winner of the MBE Award 2020 with his Ad Maiora: a special
edition built with maniacal care starting from a BMW R 1100 S. The
approach followed in the making of Radikal Chopper motorbikes is
really radical, and the design of the R 18 Magnifica is not different.
According to Andrea, "the bike has to be my own creation, I don't
feel like dredging up or modifying a concept already set up and done
very well by others." The inspiration for the design of the BMW R
18 Magnifica winks at the vintage motorbikes of the 1920s, 30s, and
40s and in particular the BMW R 37, objects that “have an incredible
charm that even today many modern motorbikes cannot replicate".
The use of a particular material such as wood is a strong reminder of
the motorbikes of the past, which used it for certain details such as
the grips; an idea that also came to mind when thinking of the old BMW
cars of the 1940s with wooden steering wheels. The use of this
material also responds to the desire to put something 'alive' on the
motorbike. Moreover, the wood fits coherently with the design of the R
18 Magnifica, giving this custom a chic, retro, and modern effect at
the same time.
Hand-forged from noble materials.
No CAD or
render as a starting point, but at most a sketch of the bike: the rest
is all down to the creative imagination of Andrea Radaelli. The R 18
was initially considered without all the elements necessary for series
production and then rethought respecting the proportions between the
front and rear of the bike, to achieve a harmonious visual logic.
Nothing on the R 18 Magnifica is bought, everything (or almost
everything) has been thought out and built by hand. The exception are
the rims, machined from billet and machined with numerically
controlled machines, but always to a design by Radikal Chopper. Even
the innovative brake discs and callipers were specially created. Tail
and seat are one-piece suspension and give the idea of floating in the
air. The rear end is mahogany with a polished stainless steel centre
section, giving the motorbike a jewel-like appearance. The forks have
the same slope as the original ones but a look reminiscent of those on
vintage motorbikes, inside, however, they are completely modern, built
from billet parts. The electrical system has not been modified;
everything is fully functional. The dimensions, rims, and tyres have
remained true to the original: the bike is perfectly serviceable.
Beneath the retro aesthetics lies a technologically modern motorbike,
lightened by around 100 kg: the weight of the BMW R 18 Magnifica is in
fact around 250-260 kg, compared with 345 kg for the original model.
Link to video presentation R 18 Magnifica:
https://vimeo.com/715993463/a6491447f6
Disclaimer.
The vehicles shown may be modified
and fitted with third-party accessories and/or proprietary parts that
are not manufactured, distributed or tested by BMW. BMW accepts no
liability for the modifications (including the fitting,
characteristics and use of the accessories shown). NOTE: Modification
of series production vehicles (including the fitting and use of
third-party and self-made parts) can impair riding characteristics!
Riding our vehicles in modified condition is at your own risk.