BMW Motorrad X Kingston Custom “Spirit of Passion” R18

The new BMW R18 cruiser is a beautiful monster of a bike, and it’s already been modded by some renowned shops. Now, Dirk Oehlerking, who runs Kingston Custom has turned the modern beast into an Art Deco masterpiece. Called the “Spirit of Passion”, Kinston Custom has transformed the bike by leaving the superb mechanicals alone and focusing on the body. The fiberglass body mounts to the standard R18 mounting points, and the rear wheel enclosure bolts to the swingarm for movement. The front fairing has the elongated Beemer kidney grilles with aluminum slats, and the recessed LED headlight is set back for even more character. It also gets a custom polycarbonate windshield, custom bars, but it uses a standard BMW catalog leather seat. The vintage black with white pinstriping colorway evokes the past beautifully. As important as its artfulness is the fact that it’s actually daily rideable with the same turning circle as the stock R18 and enough clearance (5.9 inches) to manage most street duties.