BMW R1200C, “The Ugly Duckling of Cruisers”
On Monday, a buddy, Mike, stopped by the dealership to show me his newly acquired toy. The Toy? A 2001 BMW R1200C. I instantly fell in love.
BMW began producing the R1200C in 1974, it was this historic company’s first foray into the ever increasing, cruiser market. Sadly enough, the bike never really caught on, in fact, the BMW cruiser became a lightening rod of strong opinions. I call it the “Hillary” bike, because you either love it or loathe it! There is no middle ground! It seems the cruiser faithful never accept the R1200C as a true cruiser, and the BMW enthusiasts felt betrayed, so production of the motorcycle ceased in 2004, after manufacturing only 40,000 units.
My personal tastes have always swayed toward the unique and the unusual (No offense Honey!), which is the exact reason I really like the looks of this bike. In fact, I liked it so much I offered to buy it from Mike on the spot. He politely declined.
If you would like to learn more about the R1200C here’s a few places to begin.
Some people love the store called IKEA. If you haven’t heard of it, they specialize in “Scandinavian Modern” furniture and accessories. They opened one up in my area a few years back and it was insane. People were lined up outside overnight like all those people looking for Wii’s last Christmas. Traffic backed up onto the highway so bad the State Police actually shut the exit ramp down. They had people on the news who drove down all the way from Maine to go to this new store’s opening.
I remember thinking at the time that some people really are certifiably nuts. I wouldn’t stand in line all night outside anyplace - even if Jesus Christ himself was making an appearance. “Scandinavian Modern” doesn’t do anything for me at all. I think it’s just another store with a gimmick.
Anyway, so what’s all that have to do with this R1200C? Maybe I’m just not into “Euro” styling? I dunno. Sorry, but I can’t share your enthusiasm here Rick. I sort of wish it was mine - I’d have been happy to sell it to you! No offense brother, but motorcycle seats are just like Model T’s, they only come in BLACK!
I totally understand where you are coming from. As I mentioned in the post people either love it or hate it. I guess I am just a guy that likes strange things.