I have owned BMW twins from 1976 - 1981 models of 900 and 1000cc displacement. If you let the engine idle while on the side stand and then shut it off oil will puddle in the left cylinder behind the piston. If then left on the side stand for a prolonged period this oil can find its way past the rings and cause smoke on startup. It is not a failure or a design flaw. It has absolutely nothing to do with the exhaust valves being open when the engine stops. The exhaust valves, open or closed, do not control the movement of oil within the engine. To mitigate this occurrence stop the engine while astride the bike and even lean it to the right for some seconds before putting it on the side stand. This allows any oil on the lower side of the left cylinder to drain into the sump and not find its way past the rings.
This article is only partly true. Yes they all do smoke out of the left pipe but only under the following condition. Oil acumulates around the valve gear as normal like all bmw boxers. Only after a ride and then placed on its sidestand and having had the engine stop while the left hand banks exhaust valves are open does oil pass into the combustion chamber via the valve stems. All bmw boxers do it even the 1250cc models.It only happens if the engine stops with the exhaust valves open. It is NOT catastrophic engine failure at all. Just a quirk.
Aparently, it's just oil spashing in behind the piston as it stops turning I've since found out. It soaks thru past the rings in the time it takes you to get back on it and drive away.
I agree definitely does hurt BMW's reputation. Hopefully, they will begin to change and start fixing their issues so the community doesn't have to suffer.
I have just purchased a 21 R18 and so far the only problem I'm aware of is the indicator switch is faulty ,which will be sorted under warranty .....hi from the UK .....
I own a R18 classic. It runs fine. I’ve owned multiple brands of motorcycles. Each one had their own differences and quirks . The seating position is different from Harley and Indian. I know some say it’s like the Harley heritage softail but it rides way deferent. I guess with anything you have a chance with mechanical problems. Heck I’ve purchased a new Toyota and it had mechanical problems. I wouldn’t let someone’s one experience deter you from purchasing a bike that you like. This guy doesn’t even own the bike. It’s his clients. Whatever that means. Think about it! If this bike such a mechanical flop then why is it still sitting in his garage. If I had enough money to pay someone else to go pick it up and put a hundred miles on it for me and I got a lemon from bmw It would be sitting at their dealer and I would be riding something else.
You mentioned dealing with BMW as a company. But, are you referring to a BMW dealership? I only ask because I have a friend who has a Chevy and got their oil changed at a dealership. The dealership failed to reinstall the oil plug. When the filled up the oil, it drained out. They didn’t recheck the level and soon after my friend blew their engine. The dealership refused to accept responsibility and of course that led to a lawsuit. Their issue was the dealership, not Chevy as a company. I’m curious if you had the dealership that failed you, and wouldn’t disclose the full issue(?). I have my own horror story in dealing with a Ford dealership. It was almost impossible to reach a representative of Ford motor company. Fortunately, they settled outta court and purchased my vehicle back.
Thank you for taking the time to post this excellent video. Please if possible, kindly post additional videos regarding your R18. This video is very informative, and I am in the market for a R18 and as such, would like your critical, truthful, unbiased review and opinions , thanks Can you post a " 5 things I hate" and "5 things I like/love" video that is common for youtube reviewers to post ? I see other bikes in the background, but do not see any Harleys. Wondering how this bike compares to a Harley softail, in your opinion. . Thanks
I will be posting more videos. I just have been waiting on weather. The R -18 is the closest European bike I have ridden to a harley. This is due to the torque range being in the low to mid range however, this bike is different from a harley because you have torque all the way through your gears. Hopefully this helps!
I bought one last year. Like I said, it occasionally smokes out of the left pipe on start up, but thats the nature of boxers. Ive done 6500kms in 2.5 months. Its a great machine. I bought a crosscountry seat fir it which improved its comfort massively. Handling is really good you can chuck it around on the curves piece of piss. Cornering clearance is fine, you do touch down occasionally and at royndabouts if yoyre going quickley but ridden the way its supposed to be its fine. Overall. Its a great bike and if i had the choice Id buy it again.
31 degrees, or something. Have done 29k ks on it now. Its clearance is conservative. Its handling potential far exceeds what the footpegs will allow however if youre giving it the fat on the open road its not too bad. Its the windy roads where it can be a bit underwhelming.
This isn't a reflection on all bikes in this series. If the bike did have an issue and it's left cylinder do you really expect a new engine or bike? It's particularly odd you're blasting this on forums and clearly looks like you are engagement farming people to this channel because you're including the link.
Question : does a dedicated forum exist for this R18 model ? or is there a subsection on an existing forum ? If so can you post the link for me ? Thanks
Well, the fact they aren’t transparent about their issues tells me everything I need to know about BMW. They are in damage control as a company policy.
Why stuff like this never happened with Honda ????? Or Suzuki, or Yamaha, or Kawasaki???? I am on both Honda and BMW forum for a while now. Such a big difference in riders complaints between the two. Just insane !!!!
A few of my experiences: Honda Interceptor bad cams replacement, Honda Gold Wing water pump replacement, Honda CBR900 bad exhaust muffler, Yamaha R6 bad coils, Yamaha FJR transmission replacement, ignition switch replacement and remapping for high altitude riding, HD Electra Glide Classic base gasket replacement and electrical system failure, Kawasaki ZX14 warped front rotors, and many more to numerous to list here. BMW R1100RT a faring screw, $.20, fell out at 35K miles. Anything from anywhere that’s man made can and will fail, I’ve owned over 50 motorcycles in my life and loved them all, many makes and almost every manufacturer, none are exempt including BMW. Unfortunately you only hear from the 1 percenters (and PG GP) that feel the need to complain, the satisfied owners remain quiet and in my many years I’ve seen more satisfied BMW owners (except for possibly GW owners) than any other, and they, for sure, are very maintenance intensive owners which says much. Ride well.
Admire your bravery putting this out as the BMW fanatics won’t like it. However it’s not a surprise as BMW have if not the poorest, one of the poorest reliability records of all the bike manufacturers, way behind the Japanese. Hope your dealer steps up.
Yeah 200k units sold a year in a relatively expensive with larger motored machines means poor reliability.....I'm just a guy who's been riding for 40 years and have had probably as many motorcycles including numerous BMWs. Your broad statement smacks of ignorance.
What a useless albatross of a motorcycle. Didn’t BMW learn anything regarding the heavy useless C model? I’m a fan of BMW Motorcycles, currently riding a 2022 1250 RT. Harley Davidson owns the cruiser market.
1. Your client hired you to buy a special motorcycle for them, and you put a 100 miles on it right away? 2. The problem with the left cylinder head is at best anecdotal. 3. You speak of a problem with the steering head screw but don’t mention what the problem is. You instead talk about a campaign and a potential recall. And no, the forums aren’t alive with this problem. Sounds like you’re turning a bad experience into sensationalism. Try journalism.
@@motorcyclesinthewild6071 The problem could simply be the rings in that cylinder didn’t seat or a problem with the cylinder wall itself. I don’t know why someone would suggest catastrophic engine failure. This is a relatively simple problem to fix. Break in procedures are important to follow. One of the purposes of break in is to seat the rings. BMW typically runs a new engine for a bit after a motorcycle is completed off the assembly line. This one may have gotten past them. I seriously doubt this is an issue with the model as a whole but more of an isolated incident.
@@curtisssmith5204 smoking out of the downside cylinder isn’t a new issue. Used to be common boxer issue due to a small amount of oil pooling in that cylinder. The old tech tip was to use the center stand. :-/
I have been saying for more than a year the R18 will be a major flop! Thanks for taking a stand. Not disclosing the problem is text book BMW. They should fire everyone who had a hand bringing the machine to market...lol.
So I’m guessing you don’t own one? I just bought a 2023 and I love everything about this bike. It is a work of art. Sounds like you just don’t like the bike and that’s ok but don’t knock it just based on one review. All of the other reviews people rave about the bike.
Congrats if you own one; I have been a BMW owner 2003 R1200CL since 2006 and have put 140,000 km on it. Personally the bike looks unbalanced and to be a 1800cc boxer is impractical. I also own a Victory CCT which to me is a perfect bike.@@themotorsportcollection
I have owned BMW twins from 1976 - 1981 models of 900 and 1000cc displacement. If you let the engine idle while on the side stand and then shut it off oil will puddle in the left cylinder behind the piston. If then left on the side stand for a prolonged period this oil can find its way past the rings and cause smoke on startup. It is not a failure or a design flaw. It has absolutely nothing to do with the exhaust valves being open when the engine stops. The exhaust valves, open or closed, do not control the movement of oil within the engine. To mitigate this occurrence stop the engine while astride the bike and even lean it to the right for some seconds before putting it on the side stand. This allows any oil on the lower side of the left cylinder to drain into the sump and not find its way past the rings.
This article is only partly true. Yes they all do smoke out of the left pipe but only under the following condition. Oil acumulates around the valve gear as normal like all bmw boxers. Only after a ride and then placed on its sidestand and having had the engine stop while the left hand banks exhaust valves are open does oil pass into the combustion chamber via the valve stems. All bmw boxers do it even the 1250cc models.It only happens if the engine stops with the exhaust valves open. It is NOT catastrophic engine failure at all. Just a quirk.
My new 1986 k75 did this. And that triple was a million mile machine
Aparently, it's just oil spashing in behind the piston as it stops turning I've since found out. It soaks thru past the rings in the time it takes you to get back on it and drive away.
Yes there’s always critics and nothing is perfect . Even Rolls Royces have issues
I have a2021 r18 the more i ride it the more i like it if i could suggest a improvement it woud need about 2 inch more height for grround clearance
It makes no sense for BMW to be silent on this issue. It just hurts their reputation.
I agree definitely does hurt BMW's reputation. Hopefully, they will begin to change and start fixing their issues so the community doesn't have to suffer.
These aren’t the issues. This is silly. The bike has some issues; these aren’t it.
I have just purchased a 21 R18 and so far the only problem I'm aware of is the indicator switch is faulty ,which will be sorted under warranty .....hi from the UK .....
Ok. But could you shows where and how BMW is being silent about it? How many cases are there?
I own a R18 classic. It runs fine. I’ve owned multiple brands of motorcycles. Each one had their own differences and quirks . The seating position is different from Harley and Indian. I know some say it’s like the Harley heritage softail but it rides way deferent.
I guess with anything you have a chance with mechanical problems. Heck I’ve purchased a new Toyota and it had mechanical problems.
I wouldn’t let someone’s one experience deter you from purchasing a bike that you like.
This guy doesn’t even own the bike. It’s his clients. Whatever that means. Think about it! If this bike such a mechanical flop then why is it still sitting in his garage.
If I had enough money to pay someone else to go pick it up and put a hundred miles on it for me and I got a lemon from bmw It would be sitting at their dealer and I would be riding something else.
What happened with the Engine in the end?
You mentioned dealing with BMW as a company. But, are you referring to a BMW dealership? I only ask because I have a friend who has a Chevy and got their oil changed at a dealership. The dealership failed to reinstall the oil plug. When the filled up the oil, it drained out. They didn’t recheck the level and soon after my friend blew their engine. The dealership refused to accept responsibility and of course that led to a lawsuit. Their issue was the dealership, not Chevy as a company. I’m curious if you had the dealership that failed you, and wouldn’t disclose the full issue(?). I have my own horror story in dealing with a Ford dealership. It was almost impossible to reach a representative of Ford motor company. Fortunately, they settled outta court and purchased my vehicle back.
Thank you for taking the time to post this excellent video. Please if possible, kindly post additional videos regarding your R18. This video is very informative, and I am in the market for a R18 and as such, would like your critical, truthful, unbiased review and opinions , thanks
Can you post a " 5 things I hate" and "5 things I like/love" video that is common for youtube reviewers to post ?
I see other bikes in the background, but do not see any Harleys. Wondering how this bike compares to a Harley softail, in your opinion. . Thanks
I will be posting more videos. I just have been waiting on weather. The R -18 is the closest European bike I have ridden to a harley. This is due to the torque range being in the low to mid range however, this bike is different from a harley because you have torque all the way through your gears. Hopefully this helps!
I bought one last year. Like I said, it occasionally smokes out of the left pipe on start up, but thats the nature of boxers. Ive done 6500kms in 2.5 months. Its a great machine. I bought a crosscountry seat fir it which improved its comfort massively. Handling is really good you can chuck it around on the curves piece of piss. Cornering clearance is fine, you do touch down occasionally and at royndabouts if yoyre going quickley but ridden the way its supposed to be its fine. Overall. Its a great bike and if i had the choice Id buy it again.
@@jeremypetch7006 what's the ground clearance?
31 degrees, or something. Have done 29k ks on it now. Its clearance is conservative. Its handling potential far exceeds what the footpegs will allow however if youre giving it the fat on the open road its not too bad. Its the windy roads where it can be a bit underwhelming.
This isn't a reflection on all bikes in this series. If the bike did have an issue and it's left cylinder do you really expect a new engine or bike? It's particularly odd you're blasting this on forums and clearly looks like you are engagement farming people to this channel because you're including the link.
Question : does a dedicated forum exist for this R18 model ? or is there a subsection on an existing forum ? If so can you post the link for me ? Thanks
Hi Marcus, yes there is a dedicated forum. Here is the link www.r18forums.com/register/
Well, the fact they aren’t transparent about their issues tells me everything I need to know about BMW. They are in damage control as a company policy.
Good to know and thanks gor your video👌👍
Appreciate, the kind words!
This opinion is invalid. I would look at more videos before coming to a conclusion.
Why stuff like this never happened with Honda ????? Or Suzuki, or Yamaha, or Kawasaki???? I am on both Honda and BMW forum for a while now. Such a big difference in riders complaints between the two. Just insane !!!!
Me too as I own both..... take a look again and then come back here.
A few of my experiences: Honda Interceptor bad cams replacement, Honda Gold Wing water pump replacement, Honda CBR900 bad exhaust muffler, Yamaha R6 bad coils, Yamaha FJR transmission replacement, ignition switch replacement and remapping for high altitude riding, HD Electra Glide Classic base gasket replacement and electrical system failure, Kawasaki ZX14 warped front rotors, and many more to numerous to list here. BMW R1100RT a faring screw, $.20, fell out at 35K miles. Anything from anywhere that’s man made can and will fail, I’ve owned over 50 motorcycles in my life and loved them all, many makes and almost every manufacturer, none are exempt including BMW. Unfortunately you only hear from the 1 percenters (and PG GP) that feel the need to complain, the satisfied owners remain quiet and in my many years I’ve seen more satisfied BMW owners (except for possibly GW owners) than any other, and they, for sure, are very maintenance intensive owners which says much. Ride well.
Admire your bravery putting this out as the BMW fanatics won’t like it. However it’s not a surprise as BMW have if not the poorest, one of the poorest reliability records of all the bike manufacturers, way behind the Japanese. Hope your dealer steps up.
Thanks! Yes BMW has seemed fall short on there customers over the years. Hopefully, they will start to fix this reputation.
Yeah 200k units sold a year in a relatively expensive with larger motored machines means poor reliability.....I'm just a guy who's been riding for 40 years and have had probably as many motorcycles including numerous BMWs. Your broad statement smacks of ignorance.
What a useless albatross of a motorcycle. Didn’t BMW learn anything regarding the heavy useless C model? I’m a fan of BMW Motorcycles, currently riding a 2022 1250 RT. Harley Davidson owns the cruiser market.
1. Your client hired you to buy a special motorcycle for them, and you put a 100 miles on it right away?
2. The problem with the left cylinder head is at best anecdotal.
3. You speak of a problem with the steering head screw but don’t mention what the problem is. You instead talk about a campaign and a potential recall. And no, the forums aren’t alive with this problem.
Sounds like you’re turning a bad experience into sensationalism. Try journalism.
And it sounds like you’re turning to troll-ism. Try getting a life.
@@motorcyclesinthewild6071 The problem could simply be the rings in that cylinder didn’t seat or a problem with the cylinder wall itself. I don’t know why someone would suggest catastrophic engine failure. This is a relatively simple problem to fix. Break in procedures are important to follow. One of the purposes of break in is to seat the rings. BMW typically runs a new engine for a bit after a motorcycle is completed off the assembly line. This one may have gotten past them. I seriously doubt this is an issue with the model as a whole but more of an isolated incident.
@@curtisssmith5204 smoking out of the downside cylinder isn’t a new issue. Used to be common boxer issue due to a small amount of oil pooling in that cylinder. The old tech tip was to use the center stand. :-/
@@motorcyclesinthewild6071 says the guy posting a troll video about bmw not about his motorcycle, but his clients motorcycle
I have been saying for more than a year the R18 will be a major flop! Thanks for taking a stand. Not disclosing the problem is text book BMW. They should fire everyone who had a hand bringing the machine to market...lol.
So I’m guessing you don’t own one? I just bought a 2023 and I love everything about this bike. It is a work of art. Sounds like you just don’t like the bike and that’s ok but don’t knock it just based on one review. All of the other reviews people rave about the bike.
Congrats if you own one; I have been a BMW owner 2003 R1200CL since 2006 and have put 140,000 km on it. Personally the bike looks unbalanced and to be a 1800cc boxer is impractical. I also own a Victory CCT which to me is a perfect bike.@@themotorsportcollection