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BMW R 1200C Montauk

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Make ModelBMW R 1200C Montauk
Year: 2003
Engine: Four stroke, two cylinder horizontally opposed Boxer air/oil-cooled, 4 valves per cylinder
Capacity: 1170
Bore x Stroke: 101 x 73 mm
Compression Ratio: 10.0:1
Induction: Electronic intake pipe injection
Ignition / Starting: – / electric
Max Power: 61 hp 44.5 kW @ 5000 rpm (Rear Tire: : 57 hp @ 5000 rpm)
Max Torque: 98 Nm @ 3000 rpm
Transmission / Drive: 6 Speed / shaft
Frame: Three section composite Frame: consisting of front & rear section, load bearing Engine:
Front Suspension: Telelever, stanchion diameter 35mm, central strut
Rear Suspension: Die cast aluminium single sided swinging arm, Monolever, WAD strut travel related damping, spring preload adjustable to continuously variable levels by means of hydraulic handwheel
Front Brakes: 2x 305mm discs 4 piston caliper
Rear Brakes: Single 285mm disc 2 piston caliper
Front Tire: : 150/80-VR16
Rear Tire: : 170/80-VR15
Seat Height770 mm
Dry-Weight: 245 kg
Fuel Capacity: 17.5 Litres
Consumption average18.2 km/lit
Standing ¼ Mile 14.1 sec
Top Speed167.8 km/h
ReviewsMotorcycle-USA / Moto.it / Motorsport it / Motormag / Onewheeldrive / MCJournale.no

The ’04 BMW R1200C Montauk – Cruising Exemplified
Saturday, 27 March 2004

On a motorcycle we are titans, roaming a new and beautiful world, unsuspecting, innocent, and uncaring of the changes we will see, moving forward along interlaced roadways, and existing in the now of travel and motion. Nowhere has this been truer than riding the BMW Montauk; it is the bike that has given explanation to the entire cruiser genre for me.

The sun glinting off chrome offered a certain euphoric promise as I was walked through the pre-flight checklist before I set out on the BMW 1200C Montauk. I’m familiar with bikes bearing the propeller logo, so the quirks of signalling and integral braking are not new to me, but what is new is “cruising”.

I’m a sportbike and sport-tourer rider, though often those definitions blur, I’ve ridden only a few cruisers. So when John Valk BMW/Ducati offered up the Montauk for a test I approached the bike with a bit of trepidation. “It’s not a sportbike, you don’t go out on this aiming to pass,” iterated John, “it’s a different way of riding.” He is, of course, right.

The Engine: comes to life and with the vibration I’m reminded of something not motorcycle, but aviation. I’m hit with thoughts of a golden age of flight and adventure in a relaxed, and perhaps romanticized period, where people took the time to enjoy travel if only because that time was available. This bike is not a Harley clone, despite an Engine: re-tuned for more shake; it is an incarnation of travel, clad in chrome, deco cues, with dual vertically stacked Orient Express headlights, and unrepentant for a lack of top speed.

Working up the nerve to pull out initially was a bit of a challenge, as I said I’m not a cruiser rider by nature and this is a big bike. The seating position caught me off guard; after missing the forward set foot-pegs a couple times all was fine. In traffic it’s not a bike for sudden motions, but that’s not the soul of this machine anyway. The soul? That you find past the confines of the city on the open road.

Here the Montauk reveals its true personal geography; the Engine: ’s twin vibe, the gentle flow of the wind over the screen, the leg-forward seating position, the wide set bars, the plush seat, deco billet dash… We are often defined by our desires and dreams and on the Montauk you want nothing more than to travel. You know it will take a while with a mere 61hp, but you really don’t care. You are at cruising altitude over the intricate network of asphalt that makes up the roadways of North America – even if only in your mind during a day run. This bike is named after Montauk, New York, maybe not because of the resort town the place is, no, because it is a symbolizes the spirit of summer travel and carefree days.

Where is this spirit of travel coming from? The dual-spark Engine: is relaxed and torques strongly. At a standstill a twist of the throttle will noticeably kick the bike to the right, almost off of its side stand. Here it’s character, on other bike it would be a quirk. In motion, the top speed is probably 150kph, but we didn’t bother to go there, that is not the point of this bike. The shake is comfortable and not overwhelming, it’s less a vibe and more an airport lounge massage chair. The wind-flow is gentle and facilitates singing in your helmet. “Head out on the highway looking for adventure…” might spring into most peoples minds not having ridden this bike, but it’s softer, more eloquent and less brash than that, maybe just hum the happy bits from Pink Floyd, and then in the corners…

It’s all “Ride of the Valkyries”, the paralever/telelever suspension (lifted from the R1200CL) and wide bars mean that slowing for the corners is strictly optional. The fat lady not only sings, but she can dance too. Not nimbly, but with a smoothness, grace, confidence and sure-footedness you’d not expect simply by looking at this piece of rolling art. Part of this assuredness comes from the Travel-Related Damping rear shock, which provides progressively more rebound damping as the spring is compressed.

Admittedly, the telelever leaves only a vague feeling from the front-end and its massive 150/80-16 front Metzler (only 20mm narrower than the 170/80-15 rear), but this is a cruiser, and for such the handling delivered is impeccable. You’re not sitting with your legs on the highway rests looking to push anyway, just to travel – but should you choose to cue up the Wagner, keep in mind that though the Montauk will lean, it scrapes early.

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