We have seen quite a number of custom BMW R18s but none quite like this R18 custom bike dubbed The Crown by customizer Dirk Oehlerking of Kingston Custom. While custom R18s like Kingston Custom’s Spirit of Passion and Radikal Chopper’s Magnifica are no doubt radical, they still look like down-to-earth two-wheelers. Not the BMW R18 The Crown though.
The R18 The Crown looks straight out of a neo-retro fantasy story with a trace of steampunk element. This stunning R18 custom bike was created to mark the 100 years of BMW Motorrad which started in 1923 with its first machine, the BMW R 32.
It features a self-designed body made of aluminum sheet metal and a front wheel suspension with a double-sided swinging arm with a central suspension strut. The Crown’s 8L fuel tank and the body parts were made of 2 mm thick aluminum sheet metal by hand and while the engine and rear suspension are stock, the two stainless steel exhaust manifolds are crafted by hand like the body parts. The stock headlight, instrument, switch units, and footrest system all found their place in this custom ride.
Other highlights include clutch and handbrake fittings from Magura, rear mudguard and brackets from Wunderkind, a saddle made from 2mm thick aluminum sheet metal and covered with genuine leather, and a beautiful Champagne Platinum paint finish with mother-of-pearl, completed by the BMW emblem that now wears a small crown because, it is The Crown after all.
If you read German, you may learn more about this delightful custom HERE [DE].
Images: BMW.