Bmw C650gt

BMW C650GT

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"Urban Mobility Vehicles" are more than just big scooters

Los ANGELES PROVIDED A picture-perfect backdrop for BMW to introduce its C650GT and C600 Sport “Urban Mobility Vehicles” to the U.S. media. Not only does the sprawling Southland with its 12-million-plus inhabitants qualify as a “megacity,” California is the only state in the union that allows lane-splitting. Plus, the weather in Santa Monica—launch point for last December’s press event—was ideal, with temperatures in the mid-60s.

A hit overseas, these twincylinder maxi-scooters are a “grand experiment” stateside, says Hans Blesse, VP BMW Motorrad USA. “Scooters are practical animals. They live outside, they don’t get washed or a lot of love. They’re utility vehicles.

So, the target audience is different than motorcycles.” In fact, early adopters are expected to be BMW automobile owners. “They know us, they love us and they’ll buy the newest BMW,” says Blesse. “We have over three million car customers in our database. If one percent of them bought a scooter, we’d be done.”

BMW mapped a diverse route that traveled south along Ocean Avenue, onto the classic wooden decking of Santa Monica Pier, then to Venice and its maze of canals. From there, we hit Pacific Coast Highway. Several slurs and one aggressively deployed middle finger suggested that not all four-wheel operators appreciated our steady between-vehicle progress while they sat motionless eating exhaust fumes.

BMW says the C650GT is heavier and longer than an R1200RT, but you’d never know it from the wide, deeply padded saddle. Twist the throttle and revs climb quickly, hanging at 6000 rpm between 30 and 70 mph. The claimed-60horsepower, Kymco-built engine is mounted low in the hybrid tubular steel/die-cast aluminum frame for a shinlevel eg. Low-speed stability is faultless, and a push on the handlebar snaps the machine onto the edges of its 15inch radial rubber. You’ll be knocking on an indicated 90 mph before vibration seeps through the floorboards. Top speed is said to be 109 mph.

Handling got a workout in the Santa Monica

Mountains. While the GT’s suspension is not as sophisticated as that of BMW’s ESA-equipped sporttourers, the inverted 40mm fork and laydown shock are refined enough to set a pace that would leave other maxiscooters in its wake.

We were able to ride away from the event on a GT, and heavy rains in the days following the launch highlighted the outstanding protection offered by the full-coverage fairing and large, electrically adjustable windscreen. We averaged nearly 40 mpg in mixed conditions. Standard equipment _ includes amulti-function display, a centerstand, sidestand with an automatic parking-brake actuator, power socket and non-linked, triple-disc ABS. BMW says the initial run of GTs will come with the $605 Highline Package, which includes heated grips and seat, and a tire-pressure monitor, bumping price to $10,595.

Anyone who welcomes ease of mobility—easy to ride, easy to get through traffic, loads of underseat storage—will appreciate what BMW is attempting to do with these UMVs.

“For me,” says Blesse, “the foremost message is this: The scooter puts time back in your life.”

Matthew Miles

$9990