Looking at this customized BMW Motorrad R18, the one word that comes to mind is ‘Chariot’. That massive fairing, courtesy Kingston Custom is instantly visible, recognizable, and authoritative… sort of something you’d expect Batman to ride in the 1930s.
Dubbed the “Spirit of Passion”, BMW Motorrad recently collaborated with Kingston Custom for the second custom edition of BMW R18 in the ‘SoulFuel’ series. However, unlike the standard practice with most custom bikes, Dirk Oehlerking of Kingston Customs didn’t pull apart the entire thing to build a new chassis and body from scratch. “The BMW R 18 is so perfect that I left the technology as it is. The frame is 100% original and so sophisticated that nothing should be changed here”, said Oehlerking. Instead, he built on the existing design, creating what one can only describe as ‘difficult to miss’. The front of the Spirit of Passion is massive, yet elegant. Styled from head to toe in an art-deco inspired aesthetic, the bike is hand-finished to perfection, complete with that elongated kidney-grille on the front mudguard, which extends all the way from the dashboard, over the headlight, and near the twin-engine setup. Similarly, the rear mudguard of the motorcycle is an exquisitely designed piece that almost extends all the way to the ground, and integrates the taillight into itself rather beautifully.
The BMW R 18 exhaust has been modified in the Kingston Roadster style, while the saddle is taken from a range of universal accessories. For the most part, the custom bike maintains the same paintjob as the original R18, with the linework on the black body. Although if you ask me, it’s a stellar combination of BMW’s engineering and brand DNA with Kingston Custom’s eccentric ‘Bruce Wayne meets Great Gatsby’ style!
Designers: BMW Motorrad in collaboration with Kingston Custom
