WHEN Dirk Oehlerking dedicates himself to the BMW R 18 with his Kingston Custom customizing forge, a spectacular result is guaranteed. His latest desing, the R 18 ‘The Crown’ is no different.
“It is the essence of my creations to date,” says Oehlerking, whose passion and creativity has always been for individual and unusual motorcycles. This is exactly what he has been doing with total commitment in the Ruhr region for 30 years now. He loves industrial culture and the proximity to industry and crafts, has a great network and stunning photo backdrops for his motorcycles and himself.
Self-designed body made of aluminum sheet metal and front wheel suspension with double-sided swinging arm with central suspension strut.
“I started with a new BMW R18 which I then stripped down. As always, I worked with hard foam and cardboard to create the shape, the lines and the design. The aim was for it to look powerful, elegant and fast combined with an innovative look,” Oehlerking said as he describes his design approach. To mark 100 years of BMW Motorrad, he also created the R 18 The Crown, a big boxer motorcycles that has it all.
The design made it necessary to adapt the technology considerably. A completely new front wheel suspension had to be constructed in the form of a double-sided swinging arm with central suspension strut. The 8-litre fuel tank and the body parts were made of 2 mm thick aluminum sheet metal, which was cut, bent and driven by hand. While the engine and rear suspension are the same as in the original, the two stainless steel exhaust manifolds are completely made by hand.
Numerous standard components such as the headlight, instrument, switch units and footrest system have been integrated perfectly into the spectacular concept of the R 18 The Crown. The clutch and handbrake fittings from Magura, the rear mudguard and brackets from Wunderkind and the saddle made from 2 mm thick aluminium sheet metal and covered with genuine leather are all harmonious additions.
As the icing on the cake, Oehlerking gave the R 18 The Crown a Champagne Platinum paint finish with mother-of-pearl, complemented by the BMW brand emblem adorned with a small crown. The BMW R 18 The Crown was unveiled over the weekend at celebrations for the 100 years of BMW Motorrad as part of the BMW Motorrad Days in Berlin.
