BMW R1200CL and R1200C Montauk

English majors and motorcycle enthusiasts may hang me on a noose because of the title, but I really intended to put the "s" in "twins". No, I was not referring to BMW Motorrad’s trademark air-cooled horizontally opposed 2-cylinder engine (hence, the referral to the engine as the "boxer twin") but rather, I am referring to the R1200CL Touring and the R1200C Montauk, the twins of the R1200C cruiser line.

A little recent history lesson first: the BMW R1200C Classic was the motorcycle that Pierce Brosnan (as James Bond, Agent 007) rode with Michelle Yeoh to run away from the bad guys in the movie Tomorrow Never Dies. The bike proved to be very popular with the cruiser crowd in the United States that BMW soon found itself increasing production to cope with the huge demand. The Classic spawned a single-seat R1200C Independent and continued to be an unexpected hit for BMW. Flush with success, the company turned their attention to the touring market and created the R1200CL.

Making The CL And The Montauk

In creating the CL for long-distance touring, BMW maintained the R1200C cruiser’s Telelever front suspension and the Monolever rear suspension but added a big, fat front tire, panniers, top box and front fairing that looked like it was lifted from a Harley Davidson Road King. It has a stepped seat that allows the rider to firmly plant his feet during stops while his pillion passenger enjoys the scenery with an excellent view above his helmet. Turn signals are incorporated into the CL’s side mirror housings while a strange-looking four-headlight set up provides excellent night time illumination. A sweet-looking ovoid tail lamp/signal lamp cluster with chrome accents tidies up the rear.

One unique feature of this touring Bimmer is the optional AM/FM/CD audio system with a single disc CD player installed in the right side pannier. A control console resides in the front handlebar while the excellent speakers are mounted on the fairings. The speakers are designed to position the sound emanating from the audio system into the rider’s (and pillion passengers) helmet, as if the sounds were produced inside the helmet. BMW Motorrad ensured that R1200CL cruisers imported into the country comes with this option since Filipinos are more inclined towards audio/visual entertainment systems, even on motorcycles.

The CL shares the same engine as the R1200C cruiser, with the four-stroke twin-spark 1170cc boxer twin generating 61bhp at 5,000rpm and 72-ft-lbs of torque at a low 3,000rpm. This torque-laden engine carries the 308kg CL with enough power to bring you and your passenger to your destination with a minimum of fuzz. However, when "go" turns to "whoa", you can be assured that twin cross-drilled disc brakes in the front and a single one in the rear can provide awesome stopping power. An integrated braking system activates the brakes at both wheels with a pull of the right handlebar lever, while stepping on the brake pedal invokes the rear brakes only. The CL is equipped with the extra protection of an anti-lock braking system (ABS) for those times when you need it the most.

When the CL proved to be as popular with the touring crowd as the cruiser was with its crowd, BMW must have thought, "Why not another cruiser?" They promptly removed the fairing, panniers and the top box of the CL, installed a small clear windscreen and called the new bike the "Montauk". Essentially a naked R1200CL, the Montauk was universally praised as a cruiser with the handling capability of a sports bike and the long-distance comfort of a touring bike. Its lighter weight (265kg) takes full advantage of the engine’s power while a taller seat height (790mm compared to the CL’s 745mm) defies its categorization as a cruiser.

Riding The Twins

BMW Group Philippines, through BMW Autohaus Libis, lent me an R1200CL for a weekend and then lent me the Montauk for a whole week about a month later. Initially, I found both bikes big and intimidating at first, especially more so when you feel the weight of the bikes on the ball of your feet once you remove the side stand. You wouldn’t even think of dropping these bikes because of the prices they command in the local market.

However, once on the move, both bikes feel light and easily maneuverable, aided largely by the wide handlebar that approaches the width of the beach bars popularized by surfer Harleys. The power delivery is linear and smooth and a twist of the throttle translates to an even increase in power output that you can feel in the seat of your pants and by the movement of the hand around the speedometer dial. On open roads, the bikes are at their elements, cruising steadily at 120kph and raring to go over and above 160 when you want to push them.

Wind blast is more of an issue when riding the Montauk because the small windscreen only diverts the charging air towards the top of your helmet but the rest of the wind hits your torso. This wind blast, together with the torque delivering outstanding acceleration, tends to push you backwards and away from the handlebar. On the other hand, the fairing and windscreen of the CL provides more-than-adequate wind protection while the stepped seats lock you into your riding position.

If you think about riding these Bimmers in the city, it’ll be best to wear full face helmets with smoked or tinted visors. Ordinary people will stare at you for riding bikes that look so big for the average Filipino while those in the know will gawk at you for riding an expensive BMW on our pot-holed streets. The funniest comment I heard while riding the CL was "look at that very, very large scooter!" There are times, though, that I wished it had an automatic transmission like a scooter so I wouldn’t have to remove my left foot from that comfortable footrest to work the shifter. Besides, with that prodigious torque, you could lug the bike around town one or two gears higher that necessary.

Since the engine is externally cooled by air and internally cooled by oil, it would be a good practice to shut down the engine when idling for more than 5 minutes in heavy traffic. Otherwise, the engine will show its discontent by puffing, huffing and vibrating more than it used to, and a slight power decrease will be felt when admonishing the throttle. No worries though: once the traffic gets moving and the air gets cooler, power gets up back again. After all, this bike was designed primarily for the autobahn and the long highways of America.

Taking A Spill

While my experience with both bikes was extremely pleasurable, the bulkier R1200CL proved to be the most fun. I took my wife and my 4-year old daughter for a short cruise and, with my daughter’s favorite sound track blasting on the CD player, our riding tandem on the CL was a dream-come-true for cruiser fanatics like me. Imagine riding your favorite stretch of highway on top of a comfortable and solid German bike and having your family go along for the ride. I couldn‘t think of a better reason for riding.

Fortunately, my wife and daughter were not with me when I took a nasty slide while riding the Montauk. I was banking towards a right turn from North Avenue to Agham Road in Quezon City, when I rode upon a pool of diesel fuel that was spilled by another vehicle. The tires lost their grip and I lost the bike from beneath me. Luckily, I was wearing my helmet, AGV Sport armored mesh jacket, gloves, denim pants and riding boots which spared me from having any nasty gash. As I fell, I saw the Bimmer sliding away in a shower of sparks and all I can think of was how much damage the fall may have caused. Fortunately, or maybe by design, the bar end, valve cover and muffler tip absorbed much of the skid, resulting in some scratched chrome but no dents or paint damages to the right side of the Montauk. And lucky for me as well, the good folks at BMW (Lito German, the corporate communications director of BMW Group and Eymard Aquino, the VP for after-sales of Autohaus) were very forgiving.

Looking back, riding both bikes made me appreciate the tons of thinking that went into each bike’s design. While the R1200CL and the Montauk maybe a tad too large for the average Pinoy rider, they both have a warm place in my heart. Hopefully, someday when I could finally afford them, one of them will have a place in my garage, too.