Silencing the Cynics
Silencing the Cynics
BMW’s new R1200C certainly stands out, though its dramatic styling has yet to garner much applause from the international motorcycle press. Britain’s Bike magazine, for example, called the bike “a bizarre, opinion-dividing piece of strangeness.” Not to be outdone, CW suggested that Ming the Merciless had a hand in the 12’s styling and that a Buick Roadmaster was lurking somewhere in the family tree. Out in the real world, though, such admonishment is harder to come by. Beauty, it seems, is in the eye of the beholder.
What I see, I like very much. Some people from the factory were here about a year ago, bending my ear. I told them to look at BMW’s heritage, not someone else’s. The main thing I tried to impress on them was, ‘Don’t make a Harley.’ Personally, I’m impressed with what they’ve done. But I’m pretty openminded. It’s going to be interesting to see what the public thinks about the look. We’ve got some orders already.”
-Evan Bell
Irv Seaver BMW, Orange, California
“There are lots of different styling licks, a lot of reminders for anyone who’s into BMW history. Personally, I wish BMW would have gone even farther, more like Moto Guzzi’s new Centauro.”
-Don Douglass Editor, BMW Owners News
“Yippee-io! Here we go out West! BMW’s entered the cruiser realm, no question. Actually, it’s pretty brazen on BMW’s part to catch hold of that whole Harley mystique. It’s a very different and interesting package. BMW was really true to itself with the bulbous gas tank, and I love the rear-end treatment. It’s incredibly well done. That’s the most interesting aspect of the bike. The front suspension and chrome intake ducts are pretty amazing, too. It’s spectacular. It’s going to tum a lot of heads.” -Ron Hill Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California
“The BMW guy who is looking for a cruiser is probably going to find it pretty attractive. From what I’ve seen of the bike, it seems to offer the function and relaxed seating position that type of person may be looking for.”
-Ed Burke
Division Manager, Yamaha Motor Corp.
“(Most manufacturers) try to go in the same direction as Harley-Davidson, but BMW doesn’t follow anybody. The R1200 has its own character. I think it’s really good. It’s not like most Japanese cruisers. Most Japanese bikes have the same feeling as everybody else’s. This is unique.
If s an American-style cruiser, but with BMW’s thinking. That’s good. I like it.” -Akihiko Hikida
GK Design, Lakewood, California
“It’s paramount that people see the bike. When they do, I think they will be impressed. Seeing the bike in the flesh makes it come alive.”
-Rob Mitchell BMW North America
“I think the styling is great. Most hard-core BMW enthusiasts will probably not be too excited by it, but that’s totally irrelevant. The bike is meant to attract crossover buyers, and BMW doesn’t care if current BMW owners are excited by it. Harley people will probably not be too enthusiastic, but I think owners of Japanese cruisers will like it very much, especially the handling and performance.”
-Steve Cobum International Oilheads Club
“The majority of the market still has a perception (of what a cruiser should be). Obviously, you try to break some rules, but you also try to keep certain areas traditional. If you break all the rules, you’ve gone beyond expectations and (the bike’s) no longer in the category.”
-Martin Manchester Division Director, American Honda
“I haven’t studied it that closely, but I think it’s pretty sharp-looking. It’s distinctive. I think it’s an important addition to the BMW lineup. It will give people who are looking for that type of bike a quality choice. They won’t have to follow the crowd and ride something that shakes and can’t tum and is too loud.” -Bob BertO Airheads Beemer Clubz
