The spectacular Zillers custom bike is based on the BMW R18 but worth almost twice as much…
The BMW R18 cruiser has long been a blank slate for customisation. It’s worn crazy grilles, been converted into a dragster, and had seating setups even a gymnast would struggle with.
While no one knows what future motorcycles will look like, Russian workshop Zillers Garage (known for the Yamaha SR400 Insomnia) may have a better idea than most. For their crack at the R18, they tossed away the user manual, totally reworked the exterior design with massive suspension modifications – and left almost no trace of the original’s retro style.
Looking at it, there’s nothing to suggest this bike was born a BMW. The base bike has been covered in hand-formed bodywork built from carbon fibre, milled aluminium and 3D printing. The carbon fibre parts include the stretched tank and chunky fork covers, and those aluminum wheels are milled on a CNC machine.
The BMW boxer twin-engine’s heads can be seen poking out from the side covers. The bike proudly retains the R18’s 1,802 cc two-cylinder engine and with it its monstrous 116 pound-feet of torque – the highest displacement boxer from BMW. It turns up with 91 horses (68 kW) for a top speed of 190 km/h, with the weight saving from the handcrafted titanium exhaust adding more pop.
One of the most eye-raising mods is a Zillers air suspension system that replaces the factory-fitted steel setup. While air suspension systems are common in the car world, they’re almost unheard of on motorcycles. You won’t see this R18 up on a kickstand, it rests on a pair of spikes deployed from the belly. The Zillers R18’s instrument panel has also been moved to the fuel tank and folded back into the fuel filler neck; elsewhere, the headlight and taillight have been fitted with LEDs.
Just 13 will be available worldwide, available complete or as a self assembly kit. If you go with the assembly, it comes with detailed instructions and doesn’t require complex tools, meaning you can do away with downtime at the mechanics and assemble it yourself. The complete motorcycle ($59,850) will take around six months to arrive at your door, whereas the kit can be delivered in four. Although the price is a little more than BMW’s latest R18 ($28,600), it’s a small price to pay if you’ve got deep pockets and a serious curiosity for customs.
By Bill Varetimidis
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