Even before BMW officially unveiled the R18 back in April, the Bavarian brand was already promoting the modular 1930’s inspired cruiser model via a series of one-off builds from some of the biggest names in the custom motorcycle realm. And BMW Motorrad is now doubling down on this means of marketing with its latest officially-commissioned build, a nitrous-boosted R18 drag racer from Southern California’s Roland Sands Design.
Dubbed the “Dragster,” the R18’s enormous 90hp air-cooled 1,802cc boxer twin now sits in a custom hard-tailed chassis fitted with an inverted front-end from an R9T. A nitrous tank now rests directly beneath a traditional drag seat, while the stock tank has been given a leather pad to better accommodate the rider’s stretched-forward stance, stemming from the new low-mounted clip-ons and drag-style rear-sets. Other highlights include carbon cylinder head covers, an exposed final drive shaft, machined RSD rims wrapped in Dunlop drag tires, and a pair of custom one-into-one exhausts sweeping under the protruding cylinder heads and culminating in a short set of RSD mufflers. Finishing touches include bespoke “R18 Dragster” badges, and a one-off livery from RSD’s go-to paint shop, Airtrix. To see more of the project, check out the link below.
