BMW C650GT (2012 - 2014) Review

Year: 2014

Hardest part of getting one of these was getting over myself, after 50 years of bike riding and some 30 bikes that I would be seen by my mates on a scooter. I can't say I would have paid up for a new one as the price would have seen me drawn across the showroom floor to a S1000R for the money. But now with 16k on the clock and less the half the new price it’s a different matter. Let me say outright I still have a couple of bikes in the garage, so I am not a complete scooter zealot. What I wanted was something that would keep me on 2 wheels almost every day. I commute 30ks each way to work with a mixture of country and town riding. I also wanted something comfortable and convenient as I found myself using the car more often than I use to, excuses were creeping in, its wet, its cold, I don't want to get my bike covered in road crap. I need to carry something and it won't fit in my rucksack. All can be valid, but were coming too often. So one test ride later, which went ok other then grabbing the back break as I went to use the missing clutch, yes the ABS works well, I thought why not give it a go. Now 6 months later I can say, yes I now ride more often. Plenty of room under the seat to pack the shopping in. No more carrying my helmet and leather jacket around as they both fit in the under seat space so times I would have gone car are less and less. My commute to work is fun, hustling a machine along a twisty road can be fun even at lower speeds, although the local policeman told me I was doing 90 plus ks the other morning in the 80k zone. He let me off with a warning, probably thought a scooter owner wouldn't knowingly speed. As I do most of my own servicing costs are ok, but I have heard stories about the 40k service. Being just over 6 feet I find the bike very comfortable, I can stretch out when I want, or ride as normal, having plenty of options is nice. Heated grips are BMW normal. I have used the heated seat which is strangely comforting. People talk about the weight but with it being low down I find no issues pushing it around, maybe having owned a Honda ST 1300 helps. Although I wouldn't want to park it down hill and then try and back it up. It does have a nifty side stand that puts the back break on when deployed, works well and could have saved me some tears with my Ducati ownership if they had the same. Riding around in wet weather is no problem, the adjustable screen keep most of the rain off, although I may fit a screen flap thing to cut some wind off my helmet (remember over 6 foot). The front fairing keeps everything else at bay and no heat from the engine when moving through slow traffic (Honda ST again) and movement through traffic is surprisingly easy, one of the easiest bikes I've owned to do it on. I get well over 300ks out of the 16 litre tank, which is good because filling it up takes a steady hand and some time due to the design of the filler. On the back roads its fast enough to keep up with any normal traffic flow and because of the wind protection you can easily find yourself going fast than you think, officer. Around town pulling away from the lights the first few meters make you think its all noise and no motion, but then its off like bomb, no quick shifter required, you find yourself long gone with cars disappearing in the well placed mirrors.All things considered I am very happy with the scooter. Fit and finish is very good and at nearly 10 years old there are no signs of getting tatty. If you fancy something different or are having knee, hip or joint issues that normal motorcycle riding is becoming a chore then don't give up. It’s a scooter, but still fun on 2 wheels that could make you wonder why you never tried one before.

Buying experience: Ok, no reason to go back yet but the sale went smoothly and no issue taking it for a test ride.

Version: Highline

Year: 2012

Annual servicing cost: £150

Wonderful touring scooter

Buying experience: Private sale

Version: Highline

Year: 2012

Annual servicing cost: £180

A brilliant first shot at building the ultimate maxi-scooter. Some minor flaws that could be improved with a second shot. Its a shame BMW overpriced it so wildly. Also they should have aimed it more at touring and distance work which its very good at. There is less point in this machine if you look at it for so called 'urban mobility' (classic bit of marketing speak)

Buying experience: I bought this a year old with very low mileage from the local BMW dealer. It was an OK transaction. There is one major reason why I own this bike - my wife can no longer get on the pillion of a 'normal' bike as she has a problem with her hip dislocating (not good). She can slide onto a scooter and so we tour on this - for which it is excellent. The only other bike on production which would do the job is the Burgman 650. I'm really hoping BMW will persist and bring out a Mark 2 version of the C650 - and at a more realistic price. It deserves to succeed.

I've only had my bike for three weeks but have managed to clock up 600 miles which is I guess more than most test rides. My main reason for trying the C650GT in the first place was for my wife to see how easy it was to get on and off - an important consideration when you're covering longer touring distances. Secondly would it carry enough luggage for us both for a ten day to two week tour. It is easier for the pillion to mount and dismount than the previous bike (RT1200) and carries almost as much luggage. We've made a 300 mile round trip to stay with our daughter for a couple of nights and the bike was very comfortable to ride. It handles very well and so far is returning about 60 to the gallon - not bad for a new engine. We're now looking forward to a long weekend away in the Forest of Dean in January and Germany next June. Definitely this is capable of being more than just a commuter machine and will be good for touring. Yes it is a little pricey but hopefully it will have the build quality and reliability to justify the price.