Behold the R18 cruiser: BMW's new Bavarian Harley-chaser

MUNICH: BMW is limbering up to lure customers away from classic Harley-Davidson machines with its new R18 cruiser, which offers the German angle on fat-tyred, feet-forward motorcycling.

Teaser images of the low-slung R18 prototype have been circulating on the Internet, but on April 3 the machine will show itself in the metal for the first time.

The R18 unveiling is set to be one of the this year's most interesting motorcycle debuts and the event at the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show in Texas will be streamed on the Internet amid concerns over the spread of the coronavirus in public events.

BMW said it hopes to dominate the premium cruiser segment with the large capacity R18 which is a key part of the company's ambitious growth strategy.

The R18 is set to be offered in both a naked and a fully-faired versions, with the kind of "full dresser" driver protection seen on the Harley-Davidson Electra Glide.

The exact shape and look of the new German bike is still secret and most of the advance information has been about the massive 1.8-litre flat-twin engine on board.

Mated to a six-speed gearbox, the motor features an optional reverse gear for what is certain to be a heavyweight machine.

Performance should be more than adequate though with 91hp at the tailpipes and a red revving line of 5,750rpm

The engine's look deliberately evokes the flat twin engines that BMW used to build up until the end of the 1960s. This one has a considerably bigger displacement and modern air/oil cooling.

Various one-off and concept versions shown in recent months have fuelled rumours of a sleek, retro-style machine, but BMW is carefully keeping the wraps on until the actual debut.