BMW R 1200 C.
| BMW | |
|---|---|
|
|
| R 1200 C & CL | |
| Manufacturer | BMW |
| Production period | 1997 to 2004 |
| class | motorcycle |
| design type | Cruiser |
| Motor data | |
| Air / oil-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine | |
| Displacement (cm³) | 1170 cc |
| Power (kW / PS ) | 45 kW (61 hp) at 5000 min -1 |
| Torque ( N m ) | 98 Nm at 3000 min -1 |
| Top speed ( km / h) | 168 |
| transmission | 5 courses |
| drive | Cardan drive |
| Brakes | Four-piston fixed calliper double disc brake Ø 305 mm at the front, two-piston swimming caliper brake Ø 285 mm at the rear |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1650 mm |
| Dimensions (L × W × H, mm): | 2340 mm (C) - 2415 mm (CL) |
| Seat height (cm) | 74 cm |
| Empty weight (kg) | 256 kg (CL: 308 kg) |
The BMW R 1200 C is a motorcycle from the vehicle manufacturer BMW . The cruiser was presented to the press in Tucson in June 1997 and, like all models in the R series, is powered by a boxer engine with two cylinders . The model code is 259C.
description
The R 1200 C was the first cruiser that BMW added to its motorcycle range in autumn 1997. The smaller variant R 850 C followed in spring 1999.
Production of the R 850 C ceased in 2000 and the R 1200 C in 2004.
The reason for the introduction of a new model in the BMW range were changed customer requirements. The 1990s can be described as the cruiser decade. Two numerical comparisons of worldwide new motorcycle registrations (in the industrialized nations ) over 500 cm³ make this clear:
While in 1989 the supersports segment had 36% and the cruiser segment 18% of the total market, the supersports segment declined to 21% by 1996 and the cruisers increased to 33% with around 200,000 new registrations. This trend is particularly pronounced in the largest and second largest markets: in the USA the number of cruisers doubled from 58,000 to over 100,000, in Germany the number of cruisers even quintupled from 8,000 to 40,000.
The design of the R 1200 C is independent and stands out from the classic chopper . In contrast to other manufacturers, who in the cruiser / chopper segment are clearly based on the Harley-Davidson models , BMW has tried to incorporate its own history into this model. A novelty was the use of the typical BMW two-cylinder boxer engine instead of a V-twin ; have a similar exotic status z. B. the three-cylinder Rocket III from Triumph or the California from Moto Guzzi , in which a V2 engine is installed lengthways. Also atypical for this class are the technical refinements of the BMW Cruiser such as the anti-lock braking system , cardan shaft , single-sided swing arm and the Telelever suspension system . The BMW R 1200 C is characterized in particular by its easy handling compared to heavier cruisers such as the Triumph Rocket III or the Honda Valkyrie Rune .
Similar to the classic chopper , the R 1200 C is ideal for individual design that internet forums are dedicated to.
In 2004 production was stopped. With the current boxer engine version, BMW may not have been able to meet market demand for more displacement (which was the reason for the discontinuation of the 850), with Triumph setting a standard unattainable for BMW engines with the Rocket III and 2300 cc displacement . Compared to the successful BMW R 1200 GS , the Cruiser was only a niche model.
Product placement
The model achieved a high level of awareness through clever product placement by BMW, which presented the motorcycle to a wide audience through an appearance in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies .
technology
The front part of the frame, to which the Telelever suspension is attached, consists of cast aluminum elements, while the rear part is made of steel tubes. The engine is part of the load-bearing structure and with a nominal output of 45 kW (61 hp) enables a top speed of 168 km / h. The two cylinders have a bore of 101 mm in diameter, the pistons have a stroke of 73 mm with a compression ratio of 10: 1. In order to increase the wheelbase, the single-sided swing arm on the rear wheel was lengthened by 90 mm and sprung from a monolever suspension. This extended the total length of the cruiser to 2415 mm. The hydraulically operated single-plate dry clutch was combined with a 5-speed gearbox based on the 6-speed gearbox of the BMW K 1200 RS . The chrome-plated stainless steel catalytic converter is standard equipment. The ready-to-drive weight is 277 kg, the maximum payload 173 kg.
The average fuel consumption is 5.5 liters per 100 km. The fuel tank has a volume of 17.5 liters, of which 4 liters are in reserve. The manufacturer recommends using unleaded petrol with a knock resistance of at least 95 octane . The front tires are 100/90 ZR 18 and rear 170/80 ZR 15.
Facelift
- 2000: Presentation of the Avantgarde model (graphite look), automatic turn signal reset
- 2001: Independent model (custom look with a small Speedster screen, in the basic configuration without front passenger seat and front passenger footrests (can be ordered as an option), and additional - otherwise optional - chrome parts)
- November 2001: the rear light is changed
- Autumn 2002 (to 2005): Model R 1200 CL. The CLC version was also equipped with a handlebar-mounted full fairing , two side cases and a topcase (internal volume of the three cases approx. 100 liters), radio, CD player, chrome alternator cover, chrome cylinder protection bar and chrome luggage bar.
- August 2003 (until 2005): new C model " Montauk " with double ignition , improvements in the manual transmission and optional integral ABS (fully integral)
- from model year 2004: dual ignition, improvements in the manual transmission , optional integral ABS (fully integral) for all C models; Passenger comfort seat available at no extra charge
- 2005: Production of the C models ceased
Succession
After discontinuing the R 1200 C and the model variants in 2005, BMW did not develop a successor to the cruiser. The BMW Custom Concept could, however, represent a possible successor for individualized motorcycles. In 2019, BMW announced that it would be launching the planned BMW R 18, a successor in the large-displacement cruiser segment.
photos
BMW Cruiser refined by Peer Eigenbrod
Extra wide tires
BMW R 1200 C Independent Cruiser
BMW Cruiser
BMW Cruiser
BMW Cruiser
BMW R 1200 C custom
BMW R 1200 CL
BMW R 1200 CL
BMW R 1200 C.
BMW R 1200 C 300 rear wheel
BMW R1200C
BMW R1200C
criticism
"As a cruiser, this machine isn't bad, but it's not overly good either: The suspension is hard, the steering is slow, average-sized people find the motorcycle uncomfortable, and it vibrates terribly as soon as you approach higher speeds."
Trivia
James Bond drives a BMW R 1200 C in the 1997 film James Bond 007 - Tomorrow Never Dies with extreme stunt performances through Saigon . The parody of the Austin Powers genre Austin Powers in Goldmember , filmed by Mike Myers in 2002, begins with a wild chase on a BMW R 1200 C.
Maintenance notice
| Similar models: Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, Honda F6C Valkyrie , Kawasaki VN 1600 , Suzuki VS 1400 Intruder , Honda Valkyrie Rune , Triumph Rocket III , Moto Guzzi California |
Web links
- Model of the BMW R 1200 C.
- Comparison test by Motorrad magazine between the Harley-Davidson Electra Glide and BMW R 1200 CL models
- Information page about the cruiser
- Video by Franco Grisa
- Datasheet Technical data R 1200 CL
Individual evidence
- ^ Rainer Bäumel: The desert trembles . In: Motorrad online , issue 13/1997, June 17, 1997.
- ↑ BMW Custom Concept ( Memento from March 24, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ The Concept R 17 comes to life with a tube. In: bmw-motorrad.de. Retrieved July 9, 2019 .
- ↑ Alan Dowds: Motorcycles: The World's Breathtaking Superbikes . Edition XXL, 2005, ISBN 978-3-89736-329-8 , pp. 420 .
- ↑ 1997 BMW R 1200 C. In: IMCDb International Movie Cars Database. Accessed December 24, 2019 .
- ^ BMW R 1200 C. In: IMCDb International Movie Cars Database. Accessed December 24, 2019 .
