BMW R1200C Montauk

BMW R1200C
Manufacturer	BMW
Also called	R1200C - R1200C Avantgarde, R 1200 C - R 1200 C Avantgarde, R1200C Independent, R 1200 C Independent, R1200C Independence, R 1200 C Independence, R1200C Montauk, R 1200 C Montauk, R1200C Classic, R 1200 C Classic, R 1200 C
Production	2003 - 05
Engine	Four stroke, two cylinder horizontally opposed Boxer, 4 valves per cylinder
Compression ratio	10.0:1
Top Speed	178.1 km/h / 110.7 mph
Ignition	Digital CDI Bosch Electronic
Battery	BMW Mareg, 19.5 Amp/h low maintenance
Transmission	5 Speed
Frame	Three section composite frame consisting of front & rear section, load bearing engine
Suspension	Front: Motorrad Telelever, stanchion ∅35mm, central strut Rear: Die cast aluminum single sided swinging arm with BMW Motorrad Monolever, WAD strut (travel related damping), spring preload adjustable to continuously variable levels by means of hydraulic handwheel.
Brakes	Front: 2 x ∅305mm discs, 4 piston calipers Rear: Single ∅285mm disc, 2 piston caliper
Front Tire	100/90-18
Rear Tire	170/80-15
Wheelbase	1650 mm / 64.9 in
Seat Height	740 mm / 29.1 in
Weight	236 kg / 482 lbs (dry), 255 kg / 565 lbs (wet)
Fuel Capacity	17.5 Liters / 4.5 gal
Manuals	Service Manual

It could reach a top speed of 178.1 km/h / 110.7 mph.

Engine

The engine was a Air/Oil cooled cooled Four stroke, two cylinder horizontally opposed Boxer, 4 valves per cylinder. The engine featured a 10.0:1 compression ratio.

Drive

Power was moderated via the Dry, single plate, hydraulic operated.

Chassis

It came with a 100/90-18 front tire and a 170/80-15 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2 x ∅305mm discs, 4 piston calipers in the front and a Single ∅285mm disc, 2 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a Motorrad Telelever, stanchion ∅35mm, central strut while the rear was equipped with a Die cast aluminum single sided swinging arm with BMW Motorrad Monolever, WAD strut (travel related damping), spring preload adjustable to continuously variable levels by means of hydraulic handwheel.. The R1200C Montauk was fitted with a 17.5 Liters / 4.5 gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 236 kg / 482 lbs. The wheelbase was 1650 mm / 64.9 in long.

Photos

Overview

BMW R 1200C Montauk

.

The '04 BMW R1200C Montauk - Cruising Exemplified

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.

Truly though, the joy of this bike is a release from the performance anxiety of the sportbiker; how hard can you push, how far did you lean, how little are your chicken strips, these are not questions when piloting the Montauk. It is simply enough to ride and enjoy. The Montauk relaxes you, supports you, and keeps asking you if you wouldn’t mind going just a bit further… “What’s past that bend?” “I wonder what the next town is like?” “How would you like to see the real Montauk? Craggy rocks jutting out of blue abysses under azure skies…” You feel like you could go forever and relax the whole way. It doesn’t matter that the real Montauk, according to Frodor’s, is a fishing community that “doesn't put on any airs, with its seaside hotels, thriving fishing and boating community, and surfer-studded beaches”. It matters that to get there you’ll pass through “rolling farmland and vineyards, spectacular mansions and ranches, and blue skies and sunshine.”

There is more to the Montauk just a romanticized sense of the golden age of travel recaptured; that sense is thoroughly augmented with BMW technology. It is a golden age made, better, safer, more comfortable and efficient. The Montauk is a heavy bike with a claimed wet weight of 584 lbs, which may put it in competition with smaller trains, but handily hauling the Montauk down from speed is the “servo-activated” EVO braking, with twin 305-mm four-pistoned calipers up front, and the single 285mm disk two-piston binders in rear. And just in case you’re not on your braking game, the integral ABS is there for you, applying force to the disks both front and rear regardless of which brake you activated. Other modernisms have crept into the design; the dual-spark engine is cleaner burning and about 5% more fuel-efficient than it’s predecessors and will keep the local greenery a bit healthier for your passing. The 5-speed gearbox with dry clutch is, after an initial clunk dropping into first, pure German dessert - which is to say just buttery, almost incongruously so given the heft of the rest of the bike. And those beautiful chrome pipes, double walled to prevent bluing and discoloration from the exhaust heat. Oh, yes, and with all that chrome, prepare to polish and be noticed – the Montauk stands out in a crowd with its handsome, refined good looks. It’s all very well thought out, except for a few niggles, most of from the view of sojourner’s comfort.

The bike as tested featured the optional rider and pillion comfort seats, and really for serious legs-on-the-pegs cruising a back support is needed, the bike coddles you in so many ways so why not this. A bigger windscreen to further decrease the breeze might interfere with the front end’s look, but the benefits to rider and passenger are clear. Ah, and then there is the engine… 61hp is well a little under-whelming on a bike of this size. It really needs another 10 or so ponies to make it competitive in freeway traffic, but once out of the chaos of the city, back on the secondary roads it’s well suited for the habitat.

That point brings us back to what we loved about the R1200C Montauk. It is an escape from everyday life. The bike is simply an evocative experience from firing it up and feeling the engine torque under the throttle, to giving in to its subtle request “Let’s go a little further, lets breath a little,” it says, “lets enjoy the world a little more, lets go find a romanticized vision of Montauk.” And on the way, you may find yourself singing a bit – that’s alright, the resonant burble of the pipes will accompany you.

Thanks to John Valk BMW/Ducati for providing our test bike:

Source

Make Model	BMW R 1200C Montauk
Year	2003 - 05
Engine Type	Four stroke, two cylinder horizontally opposed Boxer, 4 valves per cylinder
Displacement	1170 cc / 71.4 cu in.
Bore X Stroke	101 x 73mm
Cooling System	Air/Oil cooled
Compression	10.0:1
Lubrication	Wet sump
Induction	Bosch Motronic MA 2.4 Fuel injection
Ignition	Digital CDI Bosch Electronic
Charging System	14 V 50 Amp Alternator (700 W)
Battery	BMW Mareg, 19.5 Amp/h low maintenance
Starting	Electric
Max Power	44.5 kW / 61 hp @ 5000 rpm
Power-to-weight Ratio	0.14 hp/kg / 6.92 kg/hp
Max Torque	98 Nm / 10.0 kgf-m / 72.27 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
Clutch	Dry, single plate, hydraulic operated
Transmission	5 Speed
Final Drive	Shaft
Gear Ratio	1st 2.045 / 2nd 1.600 / 3rd 1.267 / 4th 1.038 / 5th 0.800:1
Frame	Three section composite frame consisting of front & rear section, load bearing engine
Front Suspension	Motorrad Telelever, stanchion ∅35mm, central strut
Front Wheel Travel	145 mm / 5.7 in
Rear Suspension	Die cast aluminum single sided swinging arm with BMW Motorrad Monolever, WAD strut (travel related damping), spring preload adjustable to continuously variable levels by means of hydraulic handwheel.
Rear Wheel Travel	110 mm / 4.3 in
Front Brakes	2 x ∅305mm discs, 4 piston calipers
Rear Brakes	Single ∅285mm disc, 2 piston caliper
Front Wheel	2.50 x 18, three spoke alloy
Rear Wheel	4.00 x 15, three spoke alloy
Front Tire	100/90-18
Rear Tire	170/80-15
Trail	86 mm / 3.4 in
Dimensions	Length 2340 mm / 92.1 in Width 1050 mm / 44.3 in Height 1130 mm / 44.4 in
Wheelbase	1650 mm / 64.9 in
Seat Height	740 mm / 29.1 in
Ground Clearance	172 mm / 6.77 in
Dry Weight	236 kg / 482 lbs
Wet Weight	255 kg / 565 lbs
Fuel Capacity	17.5 Liters / 4.5 gal
Consumption Average	5.9 L/100 km / 17.0 km/l / 40 US mpg
Braking 60 Km/h - 0	13.2 m / 43.3 ft
Braking 100 Km/h - 0	40.1 m / 131.6 ft
Standing ¼ Mile	13.8 sec / 151.5 km/h / 94.1 mph
Top Speed	178.1 km/h / 110.7 mph

External Links

• http://www.onewheeldrive.net/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=111&Itemid=126