Winning R 18 custom competition dealers to be showcased at BMW Motorrad Welt Opening
Using R 18 models as a starting point, a BMW Motorrad dealer customizing competition started in April this year and continues to 29 September 2023, with 150 dealers from 18 countries having already confirmed participation.
Four models of the conversion-friendly R 18 architecture can be used by customizers - the R 18, R 18 Classic, R 18 B and R 18 Transcontinental.
A Grand World Finale will be staged at the opening of BMW Motorrad Welt in Berlin on 29 September 2023. The two best custom motorcycles from each participating country will be selected at national contests having been staged between 15 May-16 July 2023. These bikes will be eligible to participate in an international semi-final (31 July-14 August 2023), in which six motorcycles will be selected by a jury of experts and one by means of a public vote for the grand world final.
BMW Motorrad dealers from the following countries are confirmed - Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the USA.
The panel of six expert judges will include renowned customizers who are highly regarded within the custom motorcycle community such as Thor Drake (founder of See See Motorcycles, Portland, Oregon); Michael Lichter (world leading custom motorcycle photographer and event curator, Boulder, Colorado); Roland Sands (motorcycle racer and designer, Long Beach, California); J. Shia (internationally recognized award-winning motorcycle builder and designer, Madhouse Motors, Boston, Massachusetts); Giuseppe Roncen (founder and editor of Lowride magazine in Italy) and Yuichi Yoshizawa (custom builder and co-owner of Custom Works Zon, Japan).