Held each year in the second half of May on the picturesque shores of Italy’s Lake Como, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is one of the world’s most elite and exclusive car and motorcycle events. In recent years, BMW has used the prestigious Concours event as a stage to debut its latest factory-built concepts and one-offs.
And the 2024 Concorso d’Eleganza is no exception, as the Bavarian brand has just pulled the cover off of its latest conceptual work, the BMW Motorrad R20 Concept.
The Basics
Presented alongside BMW’s freshly-unveiled Skytop concept car, the R20 is a unique one-of-one big-bore build that combines the regular cafe racer formula with Ironwood Custom Motorcycle’’s signature bob-fighter aesthetic. This two-liter two-wheeler appears to be constructed around a bored-out version of the R18’s already-massive Boxer twin engine before being treated to a minimalistic bodywork setup.
Bespoke Framework
The R20 Concept is pieced toegher around a completely redesigned chassis consisting of a tubular double-loop chrome-molybdenum steel setup. This custom framework has been paired with a modified dual-arm version of BMW’s Paralever swing-arm, which now sports a molybdenum steel construction and an aluminum strut. Equipped with a stretched 61-inch wheelbase, the concept also features a floating, bobber-style subframe.
Big-Bore Centerpiece
At the heart of the R20 Concept is a massive 2.0-liter Boxer twin engine that serves as the factory-built one-off’s centerpiece. Making well-over 100ft-lbs of torque, the engine sports protruding cylinder heads fitted with custom covers, plus an exposed driveshaft. Alongside gaining a new belt cover and a new oil cooler, the air-oil-cooled twin also now inhales via a set of open stacks, and ejects spent gasses from a bespoke two-into-two exhaust culminating in slash-cut pipes.
Running Gear
The R20 is engineered to be far more than just a design exercise, and was no doubt built to be ridden. As such, its design team has opted to lace the one-off up with some of the finest componentry and running gear that money can buy. Hardware on the R20 Concept includes top-of-the-line, fully-adjustable Öhlins Blackline suspension front and aft, plus an equally-premium braking setup courtesy of fellow Swedish outfit ISR. Bringing the concept to a stop is a massive dual-disc front braking setup with six-pot calipers, and a four-piston unit out back.
Wheels & Tires
BMW’s new R20 Concept rides on a custom 17” wheel-set comprised of a black-finished spoked hoop out front, and a disc-style rear-wheel with half-a-dozen, evenly-spaced utout sections. Wrapped around both wheels is a set of sticky Metzeler Sportec M9 RR tires. Helping to transmit the two-liter engine’s massive torque output to the ground, the rear tire clocks in at a very beefy 6.25”.
Custom Details
The R20 Concept’s most noticeable feature is almost certainly its tank — a bespoke aluminum cell decked out in a ‘70s-inspired hot pink paint job. The knee-dented tank flows into a floating bobber-style monoposto tail capped off with a tractor-type saddle trimmed in an amalgamation of fine-grain leather and quilted black Alcantara.
Putting a modern spin on traditional circular headlight arrangements, the R20 Concept is guided by a round LED headlight set in a 3D-printed housing. On the opposite end of the bike is an LED taillight embedded in the bottom of the perched subframe. Rounding out the project is a custom front fender and a narrow TFT display plucked from BMW’s R12 model.
Spec Sheet
Brand: BMW Motorrad
Model: R20 Concept
Style: Cafe Racer
Wheels: 17″ F & R
Engine: 2.0L Boxer Twin
Suspension: Öhlins Blackline
Brakes: ISR
Wheelbase: 61″
Pointing To A Future Production Model
Though BMW hasn’t revealed any plans to put this concept into production, if the Bavarian brand’s prior factory-built concepts are anything to go by, there’s a very decent likelihood that we’ll eventually see an R20 model on showroom floors. Sure, it probably won’t sport the same ultra-minimalistic cafe style as the concept, but it will almost certainly share the one-off enormous 2.0-liter mill.
Recap
BMW Motorrad R20 Concept
Powered by a massive 2.0-liter Boxer twin, the BMW Motorrad R20 Concept is a minimalistic cafe racer-meets-bob-fighter that hints at a future R20 production model.
