BMW C1
| BMW | |
|---|---|
 BMW C1 |
|
| C1 125 / C1 200 | |
| Manufacturer | BMW |
| Sales description | BMW C1 |
| Production period | 2000 to 2003 |
| class | Scooter |
| Motor data | |
| Single cylinder four-stroke engine | |
|
|
| transmission | Vario |
| drive | belt |
| Brakes | Disc (front and rear) |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1488 mm |
| Seat height (cm) | 70.1 |
| Empty weight (kg) | 185 |
The BMW C1 is a covered scooter from Bayerische Motoren Werke , which was presented as a design study at the IFMA two-wheeler fair in Cologne in autumn 1992 and marketed as an "innovative vehicle concept on two wheels" from spring 2000. The Italian coachbuilder Bertone assembled the two-wheeler in Turin . As with the Aprilia joint development BMW F 650, the engines came from Rotax in Gunskirchen in Austria. Production stopped in 2003.
Conception
The basis of the C1 concept was an increasing need for mobility in the form of individual traffic with a simultaneous increase in traffic density in the metropolitan areas in the 1990s. The idea of a covered scooter had already been tried out in experimental vehicles, but had not yet been implemented in any series vehicle; a similar concept is the cabin scooter . The basic idea is better accident protection through seat belts and cells, which do not require a helmet , as well as weather protection from rain and wind. The cabin and the rollover protection were designed and implemented by the two engineers Lothar Heiner and Bernd Nurtsch. The C1 was designed to combine the maneuverability of a two-wheeler with the safety of a car in the form of a scooter . After five generations of prototypes had been developed, the board approved the project in 1997, and within two and a half years the scooter was brought to series production .
Models and technology
C1 125
The original model (manufacturer / type 0005/080) has a single cylinder engine with a displacement of 125 cm³. The top speed is around 106 km / h. According to the factory, the fuel consumption of the four-stroke engine is 2.9 l / 100 km (premium petrol), experience has shown that real consumption was somewhat higher.
C1 200
In January 2001 the C1 200 with a displacement of 176 cm³ was presented (manufacturer / type 0005/081), which according to the manufacturer's specifications reaches 112 km / h, but in particular has improved acceleration and a significantly more mature sound. From a displacement of 176 cm³, the C1 200 generates a nominal output of 13 kW (17.7 hp ), the torque increases from 12 to 17 Nm. The 176 cm³ engine has a lower compression ratio of 11.5: 1 than the 125 cm³ engine (13.0: 1). The acceleration time from 0 to 50 km / h fell from 5.9 to 3.9 s. Sales started on March 10, 2001.
The cheaper tax classification speaks for the C1 125 and for those who are allowed to drive 125cc motorcycles with their older motor vehicle driving license ("Class 3 and 4 - before April 1, 1980") that they do not need a motorcycle driving license.
Innovations, strengths and advantages of the C1
The desired cornerstones of "driving safety" and "weather protection" did not fully penetrate the public consciousness:
- Two seat belts
- No helmet requirement when wearing both straps (except Great Britain and Sweden)
- First implementation of the concept of the safety cell on two-wheelers
- Good frontal impact protection through seat belts and cell
- Reduced risk of injury when falling
- Weather protection
- Interception of the airstream
- Protection against precipitation through umbrella concept
- Range of about 200 km
- Stand system for operation from the driver's seat: For lifting and lowering the vehicle and extending and retracting the stand, there are two levers with a cable under the handlebar. A shortcoming of this system is that the stand can sometimes be difficult to fold on uneven surfaces. The system is necessary because of the high center of gravity and because getting out is hardly possible without a separate stand.
- Stable chassis for a scooter
Just like the C1, only a few unusual vehicle concepts of this time have gained wider popularity.
Weaknesses and disadvantages of the C1
- The passenger sits separately from the driver outside the canopy and must wear a motorcycle helmet .
- Incorrect operation of the stand system can lead to a defect in the overload protection or even to the cable pull of the stand mechanism tearing.
- High original price
- Sensitivity to wind due to the cladding's large area exposed to wind
- Maneuvering backwards is less comfortable than with other two-wheelers.
- Relatively high noise pollution for the driver. This could be remedied by installing the noise reduction kit (see accessories).
- Higher center of gravity than other scooters
- High curb weight of 185 kg for a scooter
- Partly poor quality of individual components or assemblies (e.g. very limited service life, especially the front axle bearings, seat coverings that are prone to wear, low breaking strength of the plastic cladding, poor electrical plug connections and switches)
- Engine quality (starting and synchronization problems with moisture, delicate valve clearance tolerances and the resulting low maximum speed stability, which has been improved during inspections by reducing the software)
- Insufficient factory support and high maintenance and repair costs (in BMW workshops)
- Disproportionately high prices for spare parts
The driving behavior caused by the high center of gravity is no longer perceived as annoying after a short period of getting used to it. The C1 is less agile when maneuvering than a bicycle or other scooter, but it can be held upright without difficulty. Even with deliberate tilting while standing, falling over with average leg strength of an adult can be prevented more easily than would be expected from the vehicle height. The force to be applied for this is not insignificant, but rather less than with a heavy motorcycle.
Need for explanation and sales problems
In contrast to many other vehicles, the C1 still attracts attention today. Nevertheless, the concept had acceptance problems: Neither the classic buyer groups for cars or motorcycles nor those for bicycles could be directly mobilized. Some motorcyclists found it difficult to identify with a vehicle that was closed at the top and had to be buckled up. On the other hand, there is a helmet-free head with a removable roof.
The rounded, unusual design polarized.
Ultimately, the C1 cannot be used as the sole replacement for a car by the majority of buyers because it is not suitable for snow and ice, which negates the price advantage compared to a car. The not yet established image of equally expensive motorcycles and the seemingly low top speed even made the price seem relatively high for potential buyers. The basic model cost DM 9,980, the “Familys Friend” version DM 10,990 and the “Executive” model (with mobile phone holder and more exclusive interior) DM 11,490. Many useful features such as anti-lock braking system (ABS), trunk or a passenger seat were chargeable accessories. Even the switch for the hazard warning lights had to be paid for. That drove the price for a fully equipped model to 15,000 to 16,000 DM. For comparison: A new Kawasaki ZR-7 (air / oil-cooled 0.738-liter in-line four-cylinder engine, 56 kW, 205 km / h) was also available at this price while a Kia Pride (1.3-liter four-cylinder engine, 47 kW, 150 km / h) as the most affordable small car on the German market cost DM 12,990 at the same time.
Even potential triggers for an image boost ("fun factor") such as the optional music system could not convince due to the unfortunate implementation. Music from portable media players such as CD players could be played through an amplifier with two speakers . The volume was limited and was also changed automatically depending on the engine noise. In practice, the system was often felt to be unsuitable; the music volume had to be constantly corrected manually.
In particular, potential interested parties were not sufficiently convinced of the essential advantage of rain protection. A common prejudice was that only a vehicle closed at the side could provide effective protection against rain. These explanatory problems were obviously unexpected for the manufacturer, after all , the model of the umbrella , which is also open on the side, plus frontal protection would have been plausible to explain.
Despite a lot of attention, too few buyers could ultimately be induced to switch from their previous vehicles, especially cars or motorcycles / scooters. A new homogeneous group of buyers did not emerge or at least remained too small. A completely unsuccessful marketing strategy on the part of BMW was probably responsible for this. As the main buyers of the county has been in the advertising brochures of the type yuppies courted. Among the actual buyers, there are many people with a high degree of professional mobility, often from the (upper) middle class due to price factors and therefore not very young. The fundamental advantages of the concept - far greater protection against injuries and weather than with all other two-wheelers as well as the possibility of riding in everyday protective clothing instead of otherwise necessary protective clothing - were not or only insufficiently emphasized.
Accessories and extensions
- Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
- Handle and seat heating
- Sun canopy
- Trunk ( top case )
- additional wind and rain protection
- Noise reduction kit for the driver
- Cell phone holder
- Mirror in the top case
- Hazard warning lights
- Emergency seat for passengers (requires hard hat)
The end of manufacturing
In the summer of 2003 it became known that BMW was stopping production. BMW gave all customers a ten-year guarantee for the purchase of spare parts. A total of 33,714 vehicles were sold. The name C1 was sold to the manufacturer Citroën in 2004 , which presented its small car Citroën C1 in 2005 .
Other manufacturers brought similar concepts to market. In particular, Peugeot and Benelli presented a covered motorcycle, which is more clearly modeled on a classic scooter. In addition to a less complex plastic roof, it is also noticeable that the front passenger seat ( pillion passenger ) is located within the roof. However, no helmet approval was given for the scooters from Peugeot and Benelli ( Adiva ), as their roof is only weather protection and not a safety cell like the C1.
Concepts
In October 2009, BMW presented a C1-E concept study with an electric drive as part of the European Safer Urban Motorcycling (eSUM) safety project . A lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 3.7 kilowatt hours was supposed to supply an electric motor from the US manufacturer Vectrix , which would have allowed distances between 50 and 110 kilometers. The study was not implemented.
The community
At the same time as the first BMW C1 were on German roads, a lively online community developed that addresses problems and enthusiasm via forums. Here z. B. an annual international meeting organized, helped with mutual problems, etc. Internationally, an English and an Italian forum should be mentioned. In addition, many regional round tables, clubs, homepages and forums have been established.
literature
The German writer Wolf-Ulrich Cropp describes in the book "Magical Africa - Mali" his 11,872 km long journey with a BMW C1 from Hamburg to the Taouz oasis in the desert of south-east Morocco. The C1 scooter ride is considered the long-distance record for a scooter of this type.
review
“The high weight is annoying when maneuvering, the high center of gravity due to the towering safety cell makes the C1 wobbly, and jacking up and down is cumbersome. The BMW does not move very quickly at the traffic lights, and it is only practical for shopping with a specially ordered topcase. The C1 always wants to be kept under tension, then its tendency to tilt is limited. The high weight and the high center of gravity spoil the handling on brisk country roads. After all, the solid chassis guarantees stability and the brakes (optionally with ABS) are top notch. "
“The curve handling of the C1 is impeccable. Once you get used to the bars of the roll cage, which are constantly swinging in front of your field of vision, things go briskly and happily. The start is absolutely fine, when the throttle is fully open, the C1 200 accelerates from 0 to 50 km / h in around four seconds. "
“The windbreak delivers what the body promises. It only becomes airy in the area of the head. [...] What the development engineers could not drive out of the C1 due to the design is a noticeable sensitivity to crosswinds. "
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Motor scooter - bucks, rocks, starts . In: Der Spiegel . No. 29 , 1993 ( online ).
- ↑ Thomas Mendle: The comeback of the extraordinary bikes. In: Manager Magazin . dpa, June 19, 2014, accessed on April 5, 2017 .
- ↑ BMW press release "Bombardier-Rotax will supply drive for the BMW C1;" Round figures "for the 75th anniversary of the BMW motorcycle". In: BMW history. BMW AG, May 6, 1998, accessed on July 31, 2016 (document in the BMW Group Archive).
- ↑ a b Ulrich Bänsch: BMW C1 & C1 200 - All scooters or what? In: Classic Lust. Wort & Bild Manufaktur, 2015, accessed on April 5, 2017 .
- ↑ a b Oliver Gassmann, Carmen Kobe, Eugen Voit: High-Risk-Projects: Successfully managing quantum leaps in development . Springer, 2001, ISBN 978-3-540-41252-6 , pp. 98-100 ( google.de ).
- ↑ Distortion resistant passenger cage, especially for two wheelers . December 18, 2001 (English, google.com [accessed March 24, 2018]).
- ↑ Thomas Mendle: First flop, now top - And suddenly these motorcycles are cult. In: The world . June 14, 2014, accessed June 18, 2015 .
- ↑ a b Gerhard Eirich: Classic or Flop? BMW C1 in the test . In: 2wheels . No. 03 , 2010 ( motorradonline.de ).
- ↑ BMW C1 125/200 built in 2004. (No longer available online.) In: Motorrad . Archived from the original on June 18, 2015 ; Retrieved June 18, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Ulf Böhringer: More thrust for the space shuttle. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . March 24, 2001, accessed June 18, 2015 .
- ↑ a b Boris Schmidt: Bye-bye, BMW C1. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . August 1, 2003, accessed June 17, 2015 .
- ↑ a b c d e Jens Riedel: BMW C1. In: bma, edition 11/2000. November 1, 2000, accessed June 18, 2015 .
- ↑ a b mv / mid: BMW gives unsuccessful C1 scooter a second chance. In: The world . October 6, 2009, accessed June 18, 2015 .
- ↑ Nikolaus Eickmann: This 1 is 1A. In: Auto Bild . April 14, 2005, accessed June 18, 2015 .
- ↑ a b C1 rolls out. In: Spiegel Online . July 30, 2003, accessed June 18, 2015 .
- ↑ Ulf Böhringer: Rolled to the side. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . August 17, 2009, accessed June 18, 2015 .
- ^ Werner Wagner, Thilo Kozik: BMW C1-E scooter study with electric motor. In: T-Online . October 6, 2009, accessed June 18, 2015 .
- ↑ a b Gernot Goppel: BMW revives C1 as an electric scooter. In: Heise online . October 6, 2009, accessed June 17, 2015 .
- ^ Wolf-Ulrich Cropp: Magical Africa - Mali: Fascinating country on the Niger . Wiesenburg Verlag, 2005, ISBN 978-3-942063-77-7 , pp. 200 ( google.de ).
- ↑ Wolf-Ulrich Cropp : Morocco on BMW C1 scooters. In: bma, edition 12/2005. August 15, 2008, accessed April 5, 2017 .
- ↑ Jürgen Pander: Fast and happy. In: Spiegel Online . June 26, 2001. Retrieved June 17, 2015 .
