Remember we posted about a possibly more powerful BMW R18 in the works? The news was true, but it turned out to be something bigger, in the form of the BMW R20 Concept.
“The BMW R20 concept is a mechanical masterpiece,” says Markus Flasch, Head of BMW Motorrad, who was peering under the cover in that previous post. He also went on to say, “The Big Boxer is its centre.”
Yes, it is 2000cc Boxer engine and it is air-oil cooled. BMW engineers designed new cylinder head covers, belt cover, and oil cooler to accommodate the news 2-into-2 exhaust arrangement.
The double-loop chrome-molybdenum steel frame is new, too, obviously. Mounted onto it is the new double-sided Paralever swingarm which was shown in the previous post. It is much shorter than the R nineT’s with a correspondingly shorter driveshaft. BMW says doing so balances the engine’s drive torque (a longer shaft will result in higher torque being applied to both ends, like a see-saw).
The R20 Concept further displays some nice details such as Ohlins suspension, slotted disc rear wheel, 6-piston front brake caliper, and 4-piston rear brake caliper.
The R20 Concept made its debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. That is significant because BMW concepts that debut at the show will lead to production.
It has to be said that the twin-cylinder Boxer is BMW’s signature engine. There are two variants, one air-oil cooled used in the R18 lineup, while another is the high-powered and liquid-cooled version utilised by the R 1250/1300 lineup.
