BMW R1200C

Last updated
R1200C
BMW R1200C-pjt.jpg
BMW R 1200 C in the BMW Museum, Munich
Manufacturer BMW Motorrad
Production1997–2004
Class Cruiser
Engine 1,170 cc (71 cu in) two-cylinder boxer
Bore / stroke 101 mm × 73 mm (4.0 in × 2.9 in)
Brakes F: 2×disc, R: disc
(optional ABS)
DimensionsL: 2,340 mm (92 in)
W: 1,050 mm (41 in)
H: 1,130 mm (44 in)
Seat height740 mm (29 in)
Fuel capacity17 L (3.7 imp gal; 4.5 US gal)

The BMW R1200C was a cruiser motorcycle made by BMW Motorrad from 1997 to 2004. BMW manufactured 40,218 units, including a smaller engine version, the R850C, which was produced from 1997 to 2000. [1]

Contents

The R1200C was BMW's attempt to tap into the cruiser market. The R1200C was designed by BMW head designer David Robb, with a cruiser riding posture. [2] From its inception, the R1200C had a passenger seat that could fold up to become a driver backrest with three different angles, adjustable while riding.

BMW first released the R1200C with an advance promotional placement of the motorcycle in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies . The R1200C was one of four BMW motorcycles in The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 1998.

Production

When BMW ended production of the R1200C lineup, Dr. Herbert Diess, then President BMW Motorrad, cited a prime reason for discontinuing the bike was the apparent unsuitability of the 1,170 cc (71 cu in), 61 hp (45 kW) engine to then current market tastes and the unavailability of a suitable engine for further development, but did not rule out BMW pursuing a reinterpretation of the cruiser idea at a later date. [1] In 2004 a final special model of the R1200C Montauk (sold as a 2005 model and registered as such) as a commemorative Montauk model was presented, of which 350 units were built. Only six of these units were shipped to North America, all six to the Canadian market. 4 into Ontario and 2 into Quebec. Since originally shipped to this market, one has been imported into the USA.

Versions

R1200C in film and other media

1998 R1200 C at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum BMW R1200C 1998 Barber.jpg
1998 R1200 C at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

The R1200C appeared in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. [3] [4] Michelle Yeoh, in her role as Chinese spy, Wai Lin, rode the bike during the scene where she and 007 ran from Elliot Carver's henchmen.

The R1200C was one of four BMWs in the 1998 The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition at the Guggenheim in New York City, and museums in other cities. The quantity and selection of BMWs drew some criticism that the models did not all have the same significance and relevance of the other brands represented, given BMW's role as the main corporate sponsor of the show. [5] [6]

In 2012, the bike appeared in the Bond in Motion. 50 Vehicles. 50 Years exhibition at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, England. [7]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "1998 BMW to Discontinue Cruiser Motorcycles After 2005". Motorcycle Cruiser.com. Archived from the original on 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  2. "1998 BMW R1200C Ich bin eine BMW?". Motorcycle.com.
  3. "Tomorrow Never Dies". The Bond Museum, Keswick. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  4. "Tomorrow Never Dies". The Ian Fleming Foundation. Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  5. Kinsella, Eileen (22 May 1998), "Guggenheim in Rare Tie-In With BMW for Bike Show", The Wall Street Journal
  6. Packer, Jeremy (2008), Mobility without mayhem: safety, cars, and citizenship, Duke University Press, ISBN   978-0-8223-3963-2
  7. "Bond in Motion- What the Media Said". National Motor Museum . Retrieved 1 August 2012.