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I was lucky enough to ride what could be the coolest custom BMW R18 Build ever! The Syc Customs Xanto is one of the most Unique custom motorcycles I have ever come across, from the way it looks to the incredible sound it makes thanks to the 1 0f 1 Pro Race Titanium exhaust system.
This bike has an extensive list of parts and customisations that have been done to it. In this video I go over how the bike feels, how it rides, the work that was carried out, the unique Lamborghini Xanto orange paint job, Roland sands design parts and more!
Let us know in the comments what YOU think of this awesome custom BMW R 18 Cruiser!
0:00 – First Look
1:00 – Understanding the machine
3:07 – CarVertical Sponsor
4:10 – How you can get £500 off this bike!
5:04 – Custom work
8:40 – The Lamborghini Xanto Paint Job
9:40 – How it feels to ride
11:44 – How it makes you feel
#bmw #r18 #custombike #custom
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This is the BMW r18 but this is no ordinary r18 this is the sick customs r18 and I have reason to believe this could be one of the coolest r18s in the world a the r18 is a fantastic looking bike as standard um but it’s not for everyone it’s one of those
Bikes that’s a bit of a Marite machine and people either love it love it or hate it um and I think a lot of the people who say they hate it probably have never ridden one once you ride one you really
Begin to understand what the machine is about it’s full of character the um massive boxer twin engine that’s on this bike at 1800cc is the main talking piece I mean that’s what people mostly get annoyed about is that well you can’t have forward controls because you’ve got these in the way it’s
Perfectly comfortable I’m 6’1 and the riding position is absolutely fantastic if you’re a bit older and you got bit sore knees then maybe you would want to have forward controls um so it might not be the bike for you but if that’s that’s the only really reason I can imagine
As to why that would be a problem um but when you start the bike up there’s so much character the bike shakes you to the side and as I rode the motor gutsy V7 the other week I was saying
About the character of that motorcycle this is similar but this is um to the extreme because of the size of this engine um it really does rock you and when you rev the bike it rocks to the side it makes a tremendous noise and the torque that this motorcycle produces is out of
This world it’s one of the most torky Cruisers out there um and you really can feel it so it’s definitely torquier than my Harley-Davidson 107 um and it’s a fabulous engine it really is the Mitchell in Commander tires that are on this are very much dry weather tires I as I left the
Dealership this morning um I gave it about 20% throttle and I went completely sideways on the bike so um that’s made me take it rather gingerly on the way here so that I don’t soil my pants um
So if you you’ve got these tires make sure you’re careful um you don’t want to uh end up in a ditch on a beautiful motorcycle like this now if you’re looking at any secondhand vehicle whether it’s a
Motorcycle or a car I definitely recommend doing a history check so that you can save yourself money in the long run if the bike or car has a bit of dodgy history now if you click the link in the
Description and head to car vertical website and use my code Mr Darcy for 10% off you you can get a report like this one on this Harley-Davidson ring and on this report you can see there’s a green tick for everything apart from the odometer as there’s been some mileage fora they’ve rolled
Back the mileage and the Damage so this bike was written off um in 2020 you can also see photos of when the bike was uh crash damaged in 2020 so you can see the bike was uh very badly damaged so you
Might want to avoid that one but if you want to uh look at an existing vehicle one you’ve already bought or one you’re looking to purchase then again click the link in the description and head to car vertical website and use my code for 10% off the wonderful people at Sycamore motorad
In Peterborough made this video happen today they are the people behind this creation and they were very kind at pulling out all the stops to get me insured on this bike I’m 21 years old and most
Dealers can’t ensure you until you’re about 24 25 but they w pulled the stops out to make sure they could cover me for today and I’m so glad that they did because this motorcycle is one of a kind
It truly is fantastic and if you’re interested in buying this bike it is for sale it’s 23,9 195 and if you go in there and mention that you’ve come from my video from Mr daring the old man you’ll
Get £500 off and if you’re interested in any other BMW or motorcycle they’ve got in there again say that we sent you and they’ll see what they can do for you so big thanks to Sycamore
Motorad now as you can see this bike is far from standard they’ve done a a lot of customization to this bike so much so that I cannot remember it off the top of my head so I’ve got a trusty
List here to tell you exactly what they’ve done so you’ve got some BMW machine parts which is part of a collaboration with Roland Sand’s design you’ve got the front engine cover and the cylinder head covers in Black which look fantastic you’ve got this uh headlamp bezel uh the reservoir caps and
The front and rear wheel which look fantastic what a beautiful design um they are absolutely magnificent I normally prefer spoke wheels but these look awesome really cool um bottom Fork end caps the upper fork leg covers are also by them and the fuel filler cap and the brake and
Clutch lever and then you’ve got some Rosa parts so the bars um the bar end um mirrors which are fantastic really nice Sleek design the indicators which are fantastically machine into the bar ends and the rear ones are just so small that they just um they add to the design of the
Bike rather than detract so they look fantastic uh and then you’ve got some Vish parts you’ve got the rock Bob rear fender which looks fantastic really hugs the back wheel um and this leather swing seat which is really nice good looking and the side number plate holder unfortunately
In the UK you have to have these massive number plates you could put a smaller one on there but you might get in trouble or you can do what the old man did and cut down the number plate so it’s
Just within the restrictions you can actually cut them down a little bit to make them a bit smaller which look would look fantastic my favorite part of this bike Train Game Pass is the exhaust you’ve got a oneof one Pro Race titanium exhaust system which sounds absolutely
Unbelievable this is the best sounding R8 I’ve ever heard I’m constantly telling the old man to get an exhaust for his but he loves the shape of the fishtail exhaust which I am um in agreeance it looks fantastic but these things sound fantastic when you put an aftermarket exhaust like that on
There which is just unbelievable you’ve also got a hyperpro rear suspension unit which uh is really good so out the bumps nicely um so what an extensive list of um bits they’ve done I think they’ve also done a um you’ve got a heel and toe uh gear shifter so there’s
Probably a few bits that we’ve forgotten because there’s so many parts that they’ve changed that they couldn’t remember them all when they tried to give me the list um but just take a look at that
Not only have they added all these amazing parts to the bike but they’ve done a oneof a-k kind custom paint job in xanto Orange which is a Lamborghini paint color and you can tell it’s a Lamborghini color it’s the ultimate color of orange isn’t it the shade of it is fantastic kind
Of reminds me a little bit of Hemi orange uh which used to get get on the um Dodge Chargers uh which look fantastic but this is such a deep rich tone of orange and it’s got this gold metallic flake
So in sunlight like today when a really sunny day it really stands out so if you go to any shows or bike meets on this bike you are really going to stand out in the crowd and people hear you coming as well with that Titanium Pro Race exhaust system which just sounds unbelievable
I mean hopefully I can make uh do it do the bike just on camera but wow what an exhaust that just sounds unbelievable and it looks fantastic it looks very in keeping with the design of the bike
How this bike rides is fantastic it’s the way they’ve customize it is great because it means that it hasn’t detracted from the way that the R8 feels and rides some custom builds they go a bit
Too extreme and put a massive big front wheel on there or something like that and it spoils the way the bike rides while it might look cool um it’s more of a showpiece than a bike you’d actually
Ride but this is a bike that I would more than happily ride I wouldn’t ride it in the wet um it’s a bit scary with that rear tire it’s almost slick I mean it’s like a sports bike tire so in the wet
Not so good and all that torque it wants to spin up so hopefully the roads will dry out a little bit on my way back because it’s quite sunny today it’s actually quite warm the weather for car said
It would be about 6° but it feels more like 15 uh it’s fantastic but yeah this is a real Joy To Ride it’s fantastic around town because it’s got so much talk but it’s not begging you to rev it and
Go faster so it will more than happily chug along at low speeds with no fuss whatsoever so it’s great around town and in traffic um but when you get out on the open road you really begin to open
The bike up you feel the torque pushing you it’s like a rhinoceros like the old man said and what a bike it’s so stable at speed at 60 70 mph it’s really stable and it’s super planted so it really
Is a joy to ride the r18 plays with your emotions unlike many other bikes can do the way the bike starts up the way the engine sounds the amount of talk it’s got and the looks of the motorcycle
Especially with this one the way it looks it just makes you feel amazing it really strikes um your emotions and when you’re sat on it and you’re going along everyone stops to have a look at it
Everyone looks at you when you go past whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing I mean some people want to blend in some people want to stand out so that’s up to you whether you want to stand
Out and if you do then this would be a very good choice of motorcycle now I’ve seen a few custom r18 builds not many to this extent sometimes you’ll see one they’ve done a bit of customization
To it but this is a proper custom build um I saw a few back at the Mali Mile in 2021 and they were on the BMW stand and they looked fantastic but this is probably the best one I’ve seen um and I’ve did
Some searching through the internet to find some custom builds there’s not many out there you know um and I think partially due to to the fact that the r18 but has as general hasn’t sold that well
Um you know it’s no secret that um some of them are sat in dealerships for quite some time but I think this strategy of making it really unique can change your opinion on it because if you
Don’t like those classic looks of the bike um then doing something like this to it and really taking all the steps to make an extreme motorcycle then you can also appeal to other types of people and
I think that’s what this bike does I don’t think the old man would walk into a dealership and buy this bike but someone else who wouldn’t walk into a dealership and buy the R8 first edition would
Look at this one and go wow actually uh that’s changed my mind on the r maybe I’ll look at that one so this really opens it up to a different type of person and I think they’ve done a fantastic job is
42 Comments
That soundtrack! Wow! That's what every bike should sound like.
I don't think the Ole man would like the single clock and shorty mudguards!😊
Great looking bike.
It doesn't sound too good the short pipes , might be to blame .
Horrible… stock a lot nicer
You must be on to something about actually riding it. I’ve swung a leg over a few R18s in the showroom, but just can’t get past how massively heavy they are.
Wow Darcy what a beautiful bike, (although I do prefer your Dad’s.) I love the sound of that exhaust and appreciate the work gone into this custom job. As a neg , not sure about the licence plate mounting to the side? I prefer everything to look more symmetrical.
Thanks for all the good work you guys do and keep them coming 👍
They look interesting across the model, even the base looks good. Price point is higher but you get what you pay for. *luv the giant license plate, WTF.
Sorry Darcy, you missed out on the chance of saying, in a Clarkson voice, "One of the coolest R18s. In. The. World"
IMHO I think BMW hit a home run with the R18 it is a rolling work of art and ownership is on my bucket list.
That rear mudguard is ludicrously short. You'll end up soaked and looking like a skunk on a wet day.
It is sad to learn that such great (in every sense of the word) machine is not selling well. But it is no surprise either. I mean, big cruisers are not the BMW bread and butter and notoriously they (BMW) failed in the past with that hideous R 1200 C. Of course the R18 has a much better design being, as 'Ol man says, a peace of art that pays a true homage to the brand's past. The thing here is that newer bikers don't have any emotional connection to that past, bigger bikes are struggling to be sold worldwide (cruisers in particular) and the R18 is too expensive.
To, for instance, compete with Harley-Davidson and Indian, BMW should offer the R18 on a slightly lower price. I mean, still expensive enough to give to it's owners that sense of exclusivity, but just under the price of the American (and stablished by tradition) brands that historically dedicated themselves to the mission of fabricating large cruisers.
There are rumors that BMW gonna launch a smaller version of the mighty R18 built around the R Nine T motor. Perhaps it will be (if tunned more towards torque) the winner that the beautiful R18 is struggling to be.
Best regards from Brazil. ✌
The exhaust is one where it sounds so much better on the bike than riding by. Maybe the Doppler messes with the sound, maybe the mic just doesn’t quite do it justice, but I MUCH preferred the on bike sound. Love the orange!
Nope, not for me, if you want a bike that sounds like a Harley buy a Harley 😊
Fantastic! 😉
Its a copy of that blue HD of years back n of the speedmaster
It sounds nice but the bike isn't to my taste at all, but the world would be boring if we all liked the same bikes.
Lot of effort gone into that mind
Will the ol' man go for it,great review
In orange & black – straight for HD's jugular….
Sorry not for me, I’m on my sixth BMW now but that one just doesn’t do it for me. But to each their own
Sorry not for me, I’m on my sixth BMW now but that one just doesn’t do it for me. But to each their own
That’s what BMW should be offering
Thanks for your review Darcy. The mods on the bike are very good and a big improvement on the standard design. But there's no getting away from the same issue, the engine is fugly as all get out, enough to maintain my opinion that overall, this is not a bike that I would buy.
Good looking bike. Character means more than specs in the real world 🙂
I have always loved the reference and respect shown for riders – not necessarily old – that may have a physical impairment. You both are entrenched in the 80's and it sets you miles apart from most other channels. Long live thumpers and AGV helmets ( from 80's). Please stay safe and firmly planted in reality. Always love your content, but tend not to comment too much 😊
There is another reason i wouldn't buy one, price, you need a second mortgage to get one.
I am not an out and out R18 anti (I have tried one or two) but I think BMW have, themselves, realised that it's not a bike that's ever going to become widely popular – since trying one I've seen second hand machines sitting in dealers being discounted very heavily but still sticking – just looked up a 2022 model, at a main dealer, at less than £10k which will have made someone weep when it was bought in at doubtless a much lower trade price. The current fad of customising these bike looks, to me, more like a way of shifting sticking stock. On top of this BMW have released a bike that the R18 perhaps should have been from word go; the new R12 in cruiser guise is much more practical and affordable – I'd be interested in what you and your father make of the R12 although I appreciate your father is wedded to his R18 and quite rightly so if that's what floats his boat.
An R18 in 'Lambo' Orange really shouts look at me , sounds pretty awesome too, best looking R18 I've seen so far.
Is that from Peterborough!? They said it was out being filmed! I didn’t know it was you guys! (I’ll show your video to Ian the R18 sales guy)
Edit- I’ve just finished watching the video- it is! You lot are the reason I ended up getting a r18 from my Hayabusa
About a month ago I commented on this channel that "The Ol' Man" had convinced me to get a Triumph Speedster, but while looking I found a beautiful BMW R18, with only 2000 miles on it. But, it had a custom exhaust placed by the previous owner — which was straight pipes, no CAT and a SPMOTO tuner at the end — not one baffle. It was LOUD. So loud that I felt that I was essentially yelling at everyone "Hey, look at me!" while simultaneously flipping them the finger. Not my style. The dealer agreed to install the original exhaust that the seller was going to drop off. Unfortunately, the original exhaust had been mutilated beyond use — it was scrap metal. The cost of EACH header from BMW would cost $2700, and each muffler is about the same. It was not economically feasible. The dealer bought the bike back from me to sell to someone who is either deaf or soon will be. 🙂 I ended up buying (from that dealer, who clearly earned my loyalty) a 2023 Tiger 1200 GT Explorer, heavily discounted. Funny where life takes us. I'll get a BMW one of these days, I hope.
😊love it beautiful
It’s cool I guess but I think bmw needs to stick to the things they do well and stop trying to out harley the motor Company
Stunning machine.
and still a hugly BMW sound, also a beautiful bike
A midsummer bike when the roads are bone dry otherwise the bike & rider are going to be covered in road filth with those mudguards. Don’t you listen to the Old Man and his campaign for useful mudguards?. The bike sounds epic 👍.
BEAST!!
I own a Harley Davidson FatBoy and love it but I will openly say that the BMW R-18 is the coolest looking bike around 😎🏁
Horrible
Not sure what BMW is after with this model but it looks like a chopped r100 from the mid 80s. It's an insult to my eyes! Nevertheless, you can't debate taste.
Amazing bike.
WTF are the brits doing with number plates FFS.
Hideous.You can keep it.