The exclusive Top Marques showroom in Monaco has been the perfect setting to present Radikal Chopper’s new customization project for the BMW R 18. The R 18 Magnifica was unveiled on June 8 during the premiere of the Monaco show: an extreme reinterpretation of the German maxi cruiser where luxury, craftsmanship and the nobility of the materials used come together in this unique and fascinating motorcycle.
BMW R 18 Magnifica: Everything is said!
BMW R18 Magnifica by Radikal Chopper.The development of this project commissioned by Officine Riunite Milanesi was entrusted to the genius and art of Andrea Radaelli from Radikal Chopper: a happy union that with this first joint project gave rise to Radikal Design.
Handmade, using noble materials such as brass, aluminum and wood, with a design unlike any other custom: this is the portrait of the BMW R 18 Magnifica. The idea of building a custom motorcycle based on the BMW R 18 is due to Raffaello Polchi, owner of Officine Riunite Milanesi and lifelong motorcycle fan, but the project and the hand are Andrea Radaelli, from Radikal Chopper, a well-known name in the industry and already winner of the MBE Award 2020 with his Ad Maiora: a special edition built with maniacal care starting from a BMW R 1100 S. The approach followed in the construction of the Radikal Chopper bikes is truly radical, and the design of the R 18 Magnifica is no different. According to Andrea, “the bike has to be my own creation, I don’t want to dig up or modify a concept already assembled and done very well by others”.
BMW R18 Magnifica by Radikal Chopper.
The inspiration for the design of the BMW R 18 Magnifica is a nod to the vintage motorcycles of the 1920s, 30s and 40s and, in particular, to the BMW R 37, objects that Andreas Radaelli told us: “they have a unbelievable that even today many modern bikes can’t replicate. The use of a specific material such as wood is very reminiscent of the motorcycles of the past, which used it for certain details such as the grips; an idea that also came to mind when thinking of old BMW cars from the 1940s with wooden steering wheels. The use of this material also responds to the desire to put something “alive” on the bike. In addition, the wood fits in a coherent way with the design of the R 18 Magnifica, giving this custom a chic, retro and modern effect at the same time.
Hand forged with noble materials
BMW R18 Magnifica by Radikal Chopper.There is no CAD or rendering as a starting point, but at most a sketch of the bike: the rest is due to the creative imagination of Andrea Radaelli. The R 18 was initially conceived without all the necessary elements for series production and was later redesigned respecting the proportions between the front and rear of the bike, to achieve a harmonious visual logic. Nothing in the R 18 Magnifica has been bought, everything (or almost everything) has been designed and built by hand. The exception is the rims, machined from aluminum with numerical control machines, but always according to a Radikal Chopper design. Even the innovative brake discs and calipers have been specially created.
BMW R18 Magnifica by Radikal Chopper.The tail and the seat are in one suspended piece and both elements give the sensation of floating in the air. The back is mahogany with a polished stainless steel center section, giving the bike a jewel-like look. The forks have the same inclination as the original ones, but a look reminiscent of vintage bikes; however, the interior is completely modern, built with aluminum parts.
BMW R18 Magnifica by Radikal Chopper.The electrical system has not been modified; everything is fully functional. Dimensions, rims and tires have remained true to the original: the bike is perfectly usable. Under the retro aesthetic hides a technologically modern bike, lightened by about 100 kg: the weight of the BMW R 18 Magnifica is, in fact, about 250-260 kg, compared to 345 kg of the original model: A real change ” Radikal”. of Radikal Chopper, for this work Radikal Design.
BMW R18 Magnifica by Radikal Chopper.
This is the link to the presentation video of the R 18 Magnifica.
