The K-Zone: BMW C1-200

My C1-200 is now sold. Thanks to everyone who expressed an interest or bid on the auction.

Age: 3 years now (2000 `Y' registration.)
Cost: about Ł5000 new
Insurance: about Ł100 p.a. TPFT, or Ł500 comprehensive
Economy: about 80 mpg around town
Good points: just like the 125cc model, but more so
Bad points: still looks weird

Four years after its original release, the C1 still looks striking -- there's nothing quite like it
The C1-200 is the second motorcycle of this type that BMW has released. The original, 125 cc, model is a splendid machine but suffers from being rather underpowered for its weight (a bit like me, really). Despite the name, the C1-200 is actually fitted with only a 176cc engine; nevertheless this represents a 50% size increase over the 125, so it should make a significant difference.
     And indeed it does. The 200 is a much more purposeful, business-like machine all round. Its acceleration from stationary, in particular, is dramatically improved. It also sounds much more like a motorcycle than the earlier model. All in all, I had to have one. In the end I bought an ex-demo model (just like my 125) with about 300 miles on the clock. My model is the so-called `Executive', which benefits from leather upholstery, metallic silver paint, a map-reading light, and a number of other goodies. Quite why anyone would be riding one of these things anywhere that requires a map light remains to be seen. It also has a mobile phone holder, which I don't intend to try out.
     It's worth remembering that the C1-200 is a motorcycle in the eyes of UK law, and requires a full motorcycle license to ride. The C1-125 is a scooter, and can be ridden by a qualified car driver after the one-day `compulsory basic training' (CBT). Apparently, BMW dealers have had problems with prospective purchasers turning up for a test ride on the 200 without realizing that they needed a full bike license. All this means that the 200 is not really competition for the 125; it is unlikely that the same people would be interested in both. A person with a full license is almost certainly not going to be interested in the 125cc version, since the tax and insurance are about the same as the 200cc, and the 200cc is a huge improvement. A person without a full license is not going to be allowed a 200cc model, and will be stuck with the 125. In fact, the only people who are likely to be selling a 125 in favour of a 200 are those who have a full license, but bought the 125 before the 200 was announced (like me).

The roof of the C1 is not merely a canopy, it is an integral part of the bike's structure. The roof and the chassis form a safety cell, intended to provide the same impact protection as a small car
Despite all this, the introduction of the 200 has pushed down the price of a new 125 by about Ł1000, allowing the 200 to sell for about the same price as the 125 did last year. This is bad news for C1-125 owners who are thinking of selling, unless they plan to upgrade to a 200.
So is it worth it? Well, the difference in the engine is noticeable from the moment it starts up. It starts more easily, and sounds sounds louder and deeper. Opening the throttle has a much more immediate effect. However, it's in pulling away from rest that the difference is most obvious. It's simply much faster. Between 20mph and 40mph there isn't much difference, but for city use the 0-20 mph zone is the most important, and here it really wins. The C1-125 is somewhat faster away from the traffic lights than most cars; the 200 is much faster away. This is very important for city commuting. Despite its imposing size the 200 isn't that much wider than other big scooters; it is more difficult to wiggle between stationary cars, but it isn't impossible. I find that I can keep up with other motorcyclists around town.

Rear luggage rack holds a surprising amount. There are bungee hooks below it and beside the headrest so you can pile it high. Under the luggage rack is a small lockable storage compartment

Power and handling

The C1-200 is optimized for city riding, which means that it accelerates and brakes very well at speeds below 40 mph. As for its top speed, the 200 is somewhat more comfortable at highway speeds that the 125 was -- 60 mph is effortless, 70 mph is credible. Cruising at 60 mph seems a feasible proposition, although I still don't feel enthusiastic about long motorway journeys. Along the faster stretches of the North Circular Road (50-60mph) it stands up pretty well, so long as it isn't too windy. It does tend to get buffeted between lanes in sudden gusts, which is disagreeable. To be fair, many bikes with big fairings have similar problems.
It's fair to say that the handling of the C1 (both versions) takes some getting used to. For anyone used to a traditional scooter the size and weight will come as a shock. Moreover, when cornering sharply you have to be aware of the height of the machine, which is a strange feeling. The C1 will lean over a fair way in the corners, but the high centre of gravity means that it takes a bit longer to settle into a corner than a small bike would. However, it isn't moving at speed that brings out the difference between the C1 and other bikes -- it's slow movement that does this. When paddling along in traffic, you have to pay a bit of attention to the weight of the machine.

Safety

The C1 was designed from the outset to be ridden without protective clothing, provided that the rider is wearing the seatbelts. There are impact-absorbing bumpers to the sides and at the front of the bike, and of course there's the roof. The roof itself is not bolted on top of an ordinary scooter frame -- it forms a continuous steel structure with the chassis. BMW claims that the C1 is as safe to ride as a small car, and in fact it does have a very good safety record. It has to be stressed that the seatbelts are crucial to safe operation of the C1, and the bike won't even run until they are fastened. Without the seatbelts the other safety features would count for nothing, because in an impact the rider would be thrown out of the safety zone. A lot of motorcyclists I have spoken to have commented that if they had a crash, they wouldn't want to be strapped to the bike. In reality, in a C1 crash, the safest place to be is inside the cage, unless it's actually on fire. If it is on fire, there's an emergency seatbelt release handle on the handlebar, so it would be easy enough to get out. It does feel odd to ride a motorcycle with seatbelts on, but you get used to it.
This brings us onto the vexed issue of crash helmet legislation. The C1 was designed to be ridden without a crash helmet, and what little evidence there is suggests that -- again, provided you're belted in -- wearing a crash helment will increase the risk of injury, rather than decreasing it. The reality is that most C1 riders don't wear crash helments and, since Peter Parker's court case, the police seem to have lost enthusiasm for prosecuting them.

Practicality

The C1 is a very useful means of transport, particularly for short-ish journeys. Because you don't have to wear protective clothing, a 10 minute journey actually takes ten minutes. On a real motorcycle a ten minute journey might take 30 minutes -- 10 minutes for the journey itself and 20 minutes changing and storing clothes. Luggage carrying capacity is good -- there's a rack and a lockable compartment at the rear, and lockable compartments and storage nets at the front. The storage nets are very useful for carrying maps and documents, and there are bungee hooks all over the place for strapping bigger items of luggage down. There's a map light, a clock, and a fuel gauge.
By far the best practicality feature is the roof. As long as you're moving, you won't get wet in the rain, unless it's absolutely torrential. At a standstill the weather protection is not as certain, but it's still far better than on any other motorcycle. I find that if I'm stuck in slow-moving traffic, I get one leg wet from the knee downwards, as this is what sticks out of the cockpit when I'm standing still.

In the cockpit -- the big handle below the handlebar raises and lowers the centre stand
It has to be admitted that the C1 does not squeeze between lanes of cars as easily as other bikes. What's more, you can't really get off and push it along the pavement if the traffic is really impenetrable. The increased width of the C1 is most noticeable in those places where one lane of a three-lane road has been closed for maintenance, and then the remaining width of the road has been re-zoned into three lanes. My experience is that the C1 can filter between lanes of cars wherever an ordinary motorcycle can, but it isn't as fast. Where an ordinary bike will have, say, twelve inches of clearance on either side, the C1 may have only six inches. You can do it, but you have to do it more carefully.
I've found that the C1 can be parked more-or-less anywhere that a scooter can be parked; but you have to be aware that the only practical way to manoeuvre the C1 is by riding it. You won't be able to push it far, and you certainly won't be able to lift it. On one occasion I parked next to a metal railing, and was annoyed to find that another bike got parked so that I could not drive out. With an ordinary scooter I could probably have manhandled around the obstruction; at worst I could have tried to find someone to help me lift it over the railing. Such manoeuvres are simply out of the question on a C1. Although two strong people could lift it, it would be too unweildy to move. So although the C1 can be parked in a motorcycle space, it isn't quite as free and easy as a smaller machine.
Security is, I think, less of an issue than with other scooters. Apart from the fact that it has a built-in immobilizer and alarm, it would be extremely difficult to heave it into the back of a van. What's more, because the C1 is so distinctive and unusual, there isn't much black market interest.

The mirrors are the widest part of the C1. If the mirrors will go through, the rest of the bike will fit easily. You can fold the mirrors in to get about six inches more side-to-side clearance -- essential when filtering in dense traffic

Ecomony and running expenses

In some ways the C1 is very cheap to run. Fuel economy is outstanding -- I've measured 90 mpg on some runs. Insurance is cheap too -- I pay about Ł100 a year. For road tax, the C1 is in the cheapest category. Servicing and repair costs, however, aren't so encouraging. BMW service centres are quite expensive, and I've found it difficult to interest independent garages in working on the C1. You can expect to pay about Ł80 to have a rear tyre replaced, and a major service will cost about Ł250. The cost of spare parts doesn't bear thinking about, so it's a good job the C1 is so reliable.

Summary

In the end, the C1 is something you will either like or dislike. I have not met many motorcycle riders who are equivocal on the subject. I have had people tell me that they would die before riding one. These people will not be convinced by the extensive list of advantages that the C1 offers over other two-wheelers, advantages which include weather protection, impact protection, ABS, comfort, excellent fuel economy, loads of handy storage areas, etc., etc., etc. Speaking for myself, the C1 was my only bike for the three years that I worked in the City, and I wouldn't have wanted any other bike. When I got to my destination I could step straight off the C1 and into my job, without the hassle of looking for somewhere to stow my leathers. Because it has an alarm and an imobilizer fitted as standard I could leave it parked in the street with tolerable risk. I used the C1 to travel to clients' business premises and, although it raised a few eyebrows, people very quickly saw the advantage over, say, a car. If you are worried about people telling you that you look a dork, you won't want a C1. But my children tell me that I look a dork whatever I do, so that was never really an issue. What the C1 couldn't do (long motorway journeys every day) weren't important enough to me that I could justify running another bike as well. Now, alas, I do long motorway journeys every day, and I don't really use the C1 that much.
©1994-2006 Kevin Boone, all rights reserved