BMW R 1200CL

Although based on the R 1200 C, the new CL includes numerous key changes in chassis, drivetrain, equipment and appearance, specifically designed to enhance the R 1200’s abilities as a long-distance mount. While it uses the same torquey, 1170cc 61-hp version of BMW’s highly successful R259 twin, the CL backs it with a six-speed overdrive transmission. A reworked Telelever increases the bike’s rake for more-relaxed high-speed steering, while the fork’s wider spacing provides room for the sculpted double-spoke, 16-inch wheel and 150/80 front tire. Similarly, a reinforced Monolever rear suspension controls a matching 15-inch alloy wheel and 170/80 rear tire. As you’d expect, triple disc brakes featuring BMW’s latest EVO front brake system and fully integrated ABS bring the bike to a halt at day’s end-and set the CL apart from any other luxury cruiser on the market.

Yet despite all the chassis changes, it’s the new CL’s visual statement that represents the bike’s biggest break with its cruiser-mates. With its grip-to-grip sweep, the handlebar-mounted fairing evokes classic touring bikes, while the CL’s distinctive quad-headlamps give the bike a decidedly avant-garde look - in addition to providing standard-setting illumination. A pair of frame-mounted lowers extends the fairing’s wind coverage and provides space for some of the CL’s electrics and the optional stereo. The instrument panel is exceptionally clean, surrounded by a matte gray background that matches the kneepads inset in the fairing extensions. The speedometer and tachometer flank a panel of warning lights, capped by the standard analog clock. Integrated mirror/turnsignal pods extend from the fairing to provide further wind protection. Finally, fully integrated, color-matched saddlebags combine with a standard top box to provide a steamer trunk’s luggage capacity.

The CL’s riding position blends elements of both tourer and cruiser, beginning with a reassuringly low, 29.3-inch seat height. The seat itself comprises two parts, a rider portion with an integral lower-back rest, and a taller passenger perch that includes a standard backrest built into the top box. Heated seats, first seen on the K 1200 LT, are also available for the CL to complement the standard heated grips. A broad, flat handlebar places those grips a comfortable reach away, and the CL’s floorboards allow the rider to shift position easily without compromising control. Standard cruise control helps melt the miles on long highway stints. A convenient heel/toe shifter makes for effortless gearchanges while adding exactly the right classic touch.

The R 1200 CL backs up its cruiser origins with the same superb attention to cosmetics as is shown in the functional details. In addition to the beautifully finished bodywork, the luxury cruiser boasts an assortment of chrome highlights, including valve covers, exhaust system, saddlebag latches and frame panels, with an optional kit to add even more brightwork. Available colors include Pearl Silver Metallic, Capri Blue Metallic and Mojave Brown Metallic, this last with a choice of black or brown saddle (other colors feature black).

The R 1200 CL Engine: Gearing For The Long Haul

 BMW’s newest tourer begins with a solid foundation-the 61-hp R 1200 C engine. The original, 1170cc cruiser powerplant blends a broad powerband and instantaneous response with a healthy, 72 lb.-ft. of torque. Like its forebear, the new CL provides its peak torque at 3000 rpm-exactly the kind of power delivery for a touring twin. Motronic MA 2.4 engine management ensures that this Boxer blends this accessible power with long-term reliability and minimal emissions, while at the same time eliminating the choke lever for complete push-button simplicity. Of course, the MoDiTec diagnostic feature makes maintaining the CL every bit as simple as the other members of BMW’s stable.

While tourers and cruisers place similar demands on their engines, a touring bike typically operates through a wider speed range. Consequently, the R 1200 CL mates this familiar engine to a new, six-speed transmission. The first five gear ratios are similar to the original R 1200’s, but the sixth gear provides a significant overdrive, which drops engine speed well under 3000 rpm at 60 mph. This range of gearing means the CL can manage either responsive in-town running or relaxed freeway cruising with equal finesse, and places the luxury cruiser right in the heart of its powerband at touring speeds for simple roll-on passes.

In addition, the new transmission has been thoroughly massaged internally, with re-angled gear teeth that provide additional overlap for quieter running. Shifting is likewise improved via a revised internal shift mechanism that produces smoother, more precise gearchanges. Finally, the new transmission design is lighter (approximately 1 kg.), which helps keep the CL’s weight down to a respectable 679 lbs. (wet). The improved design of this transmission will be adopted by other Boxer-twins throughout the coming year.

The CL Chassis: Wheeled Luggage Never Worked This Well

Every bit as unique as the CL’s Boxer-twin drivetrain is the bike’s chassis, leading off-literally and figuratively-with BMW’s standard-setting Telelever front suspension. The CL’s setup is identical in concept and function to the
R 1200 C’s fork, but shares virtually no parts with the previous cruiser’s. The tourer’s wider, 16-inch front wheel called for wider-set fork tubes, so the top triple clamp, fork bridge, fork tubes and axle have all been revised, and the axle has switched to a full-floating design. The aluminum Telelever itself has been further reworked to provide a slightly more raked appearance, which also creates a more relaxed steering response for improved straight-line stability. The front shock has been re-angled and its spring and damping rates changed to accommodate the new bike’s suspension geometry, but is otherwise similar to the original R 1200 C’s damper.

Similarly, the R 1200 CL’s Monolever rear suspension differs in detail, rather than concept, from previous BMW cruisers. Increased reinforcing provides additional strength at the shock mount, while a revised final-drive housing provides mounts for the new rear brake. But the primary rear suspension change is a switch to a shock with travel-related damping, similar to that introduced on the R 1150 GS Adventure. This new shock not only provides for a smoother, more controlled ride but also produces an additional 20mm travel compared to the other cruisers, bringing the rear suspension travel to 4.72 inches.

The Telelever and Monolever bolt to a standard R 1200 C front frame that differs only in detail from the original. The rear subframe, however, is completely new, designed to accommodate the extensive luggage system and passenger seating on the R 1200 CL. In addition to the permanently affixed saddlebags, the larger seats, floor boards, top box and new side stand all require new mounting points.

All this new hardware rolls on completely restyled double-spoke wheels (16 x 3.5 front/15 x 4.0 rear) that carry wider, higher-profile (80-series) touring tires for an extremely smooth ride. Bolted to these wheels are larger disc brakes (12.0-inch front, 11.2-inch rear), with the latest edition of BMW’s standard-setting EVO brakes. A pair of four-piston calipers stop the front wheel, paired with a two-piston unit-adapted from the K 1200 LT-at the rear. In keeping with the bike’s touring orientation, the new CL includes BMW’s latest, fully integrated ABS, which actuates both front and rear brakes through either the front hand lever or the rear brake pedal.

The CL Bodywork: Dressed To The Nines

Although all these mechanical changes ensure that the new R 1200 CL works like no other luxury cruiser, it’s the bike’s styling and bodywork that really set it apart. Beginning with the bike’s handlebar-mounted fairing, the CL looks like nothing else on the road, but it’s the functional attributes that prove its worth. The broad sweep of the fairing emphasizes its aerodynamic shape, which provides maximum wind protection with a minimum of buffeting. Four headlamps, with their horizontal/vertical orientation, give the CL its unique face and also create the best illumination outside of a baseball stadium (the high-beams are borrowed from the GS).

The M-shaped windshield, with its dipped center section, produces exceptional wind protection yet still allows the rider to look over the clear-plastic shield when rain or road dirt obscure the view. Similarly, clear extensions at the fairing’s lower edges improve wind protection even further but still allow an unobstructed view forward for maneuvering in extremely close quarters. The turnsignal pods provide further wind coverage, and at the same time the integral mirrors give a clear view to the rear.

Complementing the fairing, both visually and functionally, the frame-mounted lowers divert the wind blast around the rider to provide further weather protection. Openings vent warm air from the frame-mounted twin oil-coolers and direct the heat away from the rider. As noted earlier, the lowers also house the electronics for the bike’s optional alarm system and cruise control. A pair of 12-volt accessory outlets are standard.

Like the K 1200 LT, the new R 1200 CL includes a capacious luggage system as standard, all of it color-matched and designed to accommodate rider and passenger for the long haul. The permanently attached saddlebags include clamshell lids that allow for easy loading and unloading. Chrome bumper strips protect the saddlebags from minor tipover damage. The top box provides additional secure luggage space, or it can be simply unbolted to uncover an attractive aluminum luggage rack. An optional backrest can be bolted on in place of the top box. Of course, saddlebags and top box are lockable and keyed to the ignition switch.

Options & Accessories: More Personal Than A Monogram

Given BMW’s traditional emphasis on touring options and the cruiser owner’s typical demands for customization, it’s only logical to expect a range of accessories and options for the company’s first luxury cruiser. The CL fulfills those expectations with a myriad of options and accessories, beginning with heated or velour-like Soft Touch seats and a low windshield. Electronic and communications options such as an AM/FM/CD stereo, cruise control and onboard communication can make time on the road much more pleasant, whether you’re out for an afternoon ride or a cross-country trek - because after all, nobody says you have to be back in six days. Other available electronic features include an anti-theft alarm, which also disables the engine.

Accessories designed to personalize the CL even further range from cosmetic to practical, but all adhere to BMW’s traditional standards for quality and fit. Chrome accessories include engine-protection and saddlebag - protection hoops. On a practical level, saddlebag and top box liners simplify packing and unpacking. In addition to the backrest, a pair of rear floorboards enhance passenger comfort even more.

Source Top Speed

Review

What's this? A BMW with floorboards and a heel/toe shifter? That places style ahead of functionality? Blasphemy!

Well, not entirely. Although things like a large handlebar-mounted fairing, floorboards and a heel/toe shifter are new to BMW, components such as the excellent Telelever front suspension and the venerable Boxer Flat-Twin engine are integral pieces of the tried-and-true Beemer package.

You might remember the CL from our Spy Vs. Spy adventure in Northern California, when we spotted some touring bikes we'd never seen before undergoing a clandestine photo shoot. The CL and its crew did their best to evade our prowling cameras, but strategy and perseverance paid off with some of the first spy shots ever of the new touring-cruiser. In case you missed the espionage-filled tale, it's right here.

Like all motorcycle companies, BMW is in business to make money. And while BMW's motorcycle business has been strong of late (with 2001 sales up 13.5% compared to 5% for the general motorcycle market and its worldwide sales doubled in the last four years, bringing total worldwide production up to 85,000 last year), BMW is still not hitting the most lucrative of segments, cruisers,  hard enough.

BMW accounts for just 2% of the American market, with sales anticipated to hit 15,000 for the first time. And while BMW ranks third in the Touring category, the long-distance class represents just 18% of the total on-road market in the U.S. Of the 813,611 streetbikes sold in the U.S. last year, the Cruiser category held 51% of the market. BMW's R1200C, introduced in 1997, dipped into that pie. The new R1200CL is meant to straddle the line between pure cruiser and touring bike for another bite at the pastry. 

"The Cruiser market is an excellent opportunity to win people over to BMW," said Tim Hirst, BMWNA product manager, at the CL's launch at the posh Biltmore Estates in Asheville, North Carolina, underlining that the cruiser market represents the largest sales potential.

The R1200C, as BMW notes, wasn't a copy of any other cruiser. The spinning propeller company blazed its own trail in making the C unique among the other cruiser clones. Its typical owner was 46-years old with an average income of $100,000. But BMW notes that the age of cruiser customers is moving upward, and 64% of them like to ride with a passenger.

In response, BMW has introduced the R1200CL, a touring-cruiser that offers a host of luxury amenities to pamper aging riders, plus plush accommodations for the back seat rider.

The "Montana" version of the R1200C featured a bolt-on windscreen and soft-look hard luggage to the base model that was BMW's first foray into the touring cruiser category, but the new CL is a thoroughly reworked machine. (The Classic, Phoenix and Montana versions of the 1200C will continue in BMW's lineup, but the Stiletto and Euro models have gone to the great salvage yard in the sky.)

The most obvious change is the funky new handlebar-mounted fairing that vaguely mimics Harley-Davidson's FLTR Road Glide, one of the CL's hard-bags-and-faired touring-cruiser competitors, though the RG's fairing is frame-mounted. Other bikes in the CL's category include Harley's Electra Glide and T-Sport, Kawasaki's Vulcan 1500 Nomad and Yamaha's Royal Star Venture. Nothing, however, has the visual presence of the CL's front view; with its R1150GS high-beams and R80GS lows, it looks like a cross between a mutant insect and a rocket launcher.

Conventional wisdom says that mounting a wide, heavy fairing to the handlebars is a recipe for a top-heavy motorcycle, and that's indeed the case with the CL. Strangely, BMW reps weren't able to come up with a good reason why that design was chosen over a frame-mounted unit. With that weight carried high and attached to the steering system, the CL is awkward at low speeds, as evidenced by one journo who tipped over a CL in the Biltmore's parking lot. 

Once past walking speed, the CL becomes friendlier. A wide, angled-back chrome handlebar with typical BMW controls reach toward the rider, and mirrors that incorporate turn signals offer good rearward vision while deflecting elements from hands that hold the standard, two-position heated grips. (A late revision to the bike is the air passages cut into the bottoms of the mirrors that are claimed to create less turbulence.) A new seat rests 29.3 inches from the ground, and a narrower portion near its front allow legs a straight shot at the ground below. A classy, restrained gauge cluster holds an analog clock (when's the last time you've seen anything but a digital clock on a bike?) at its center so tourers know when it's time to bring the ride to a halt.

Power from the 1170cc Flat-Twin arrives early, aiding the relaxed cruising encouraged by the CL. Claimed peak torque of 72 ft.-lbs. arrives at just 3000 rpm, giving the Bertha Beemer the poke to get out of its own way. But the CL's engine is identical to its cruiser brother's, and thus retains its paltry 61-hp peak.

Ridden like a cruiser, the fuel-injected Twin does the job without fuss. But if you have any aspirations of running down a well-ridden Gold Wing, you'll be about as disappointed as when Billy Bob got the news Angelina wanted a divorce.

Making the most of what power it has, the CL is equipped with a new 6-speed gearbox. Re-angled gear teeth make for less whine, and a fettered shift mechanism offers smoother gear changes. These tranny revisions will be adapted for use on all other BMW Boxers for '03. Changing gears conventionally (with the toe shifter) requires only a light touch at the lever; oddly, shifting via the heel shifter takes much more effort, as the shorter distance from the pivot point to the heel end offers less leverage. And, though big feet might be a hit with the ladies, with big boots they will barely fit under the toe shifter.

Sixth gear is way overdriven at 0.698:1, and even fifth is an overdrive, keeping revs low and relaxed. A 70-mph cruise equals 3000 rpm in top gear, right at the engine's torque peak and below the 3500-rpm threshold at which vibration through bars becomes intrusive. With the tall gearing and not a whole lot of thrust from the engine, roll-on power at elevated speeds is leisurely. BMW says the CL has a top speed of just over 100 mph, and my experience on a lightly-trafficked portion of North Carolina's magnificent Blue Ridge Parkway gives me no reason to doubt it. But if you need a touring rig to cruise into and above the 80-mph mark and still want a BMW, look instead at the K1200LT. 

A stretched out 33.5-degree rake, compared to the C's 29.5-degree geometry, aids straight-line traveling, and a 64.6-inch wheelbase nets plenty of room for things like protective fairing lowers (that also house the electronics for the bike's cruise control and optional engine-disabling alarm system) and thick, roomy seats. The high-ish and wide bars give arms a straight shot at levering some agility into the lumbering beast.

For the fat-tire look, ya gotta have, well, fat tires. Greater fork spacing in the revised Telelever allows a huge 150-section front tire on a stylish new 16-inch double-spoke wheel that accentuates the CL's chunky look. A matching 15-inch rear wheel is shown off on the left side by a single-sided swingarm, and it looks quite beefy with the 170-section rear rubber. The 80-series tires provide a tall sidewall for smoother ride quality.

At press intros, motorcycle companies always try to find a suitable environment in which to test the qualities specific to the new machine. In this respect, it was mighty kind of North Carolina to build the Blue Ridge Parkway for the CL. A 45-mph speed limit keeps velocities low enough to enable riders to take in the sights of the glorious tree-covered rolling hills, while the optional CD/stereo provides an appropriate soundtrack. Considering the CL's claimed wet weight of 679 lbs. (compared to 565 lbs for the C), may we suggest Spinal Tap's "Big Bottom"?

Like a chunky ballerina, the CL has some surprisingly good moves as long as the going doesn't get too tight. Keep the speed above about 30 mph, and the CL has neutral steering that allows for pavement carving beyond expectations. Communication from the contact patches to the rider is quite vague, but once you learn to trust the grip available there is enough cornering clearance to attain silly angles of lean for this type of bike. In fact, I can't recall another cruiser-style motorcycle I've ridden that has as much available lean angle. And when ridden in a pack, the CLs sound like a bunch of dirttrackers as the throaty exhaust sound from the shorty pipes harmonize with each other as the revs rise and fall in concert. Good fun and surprising speed.

Take the CL to a tight, twisting road where the corner speeds are low, however, and it seems like a huge mutant penguin on land. Instead of graceful, the CL becomes ungainly. It wants to continue falling over in slow corners, so a rider has to apply opposite bar pressure or extra throttle to counteract the downward rotation. A bit of driveline lash from the shaft drive rears its head in the tight stuff, too. Jump back into the icy waters of Antarctica/Blue Ridge, and the giant marine bird regains its grace. 

The suspension of the pengu..., er, CL does a good job at controlling the significant size of the rig while remaining plush over the bumps. Especially impressive is the Telelever front end. Despite the large amount of weight carried high, the bike's nose barely dips when under even hard braking.

BMW's EVO power brakes, roundly criticized for being too sensitive since their introduction, were revised for all models last April, including the new CL. While less touchy than before, the power-boosted binders still require more careful attention to modulation than brakes on other bikes. A rider grows accustomed to their sensitivity, but I prefer a simple and direct hydraulic actuation from motorcycle brakes. And applying the brakes when the engine is shut off for the first time will test your bladder control, as – without the power booster working – they take a big squeeze to get any significant bite. Scary and potentially dangerous if, say, you're repositioning your bike on a hill without the engine running. Still, the way the upgraded brakes as compared to the R1200C (larger 12.0-inch front with 4-piston calipers, 11.2 rear with a twin-piston caliper) scrub off speed from such a large bike is exemplary.

BMW's Integral ABS is standard equipment on the CL. The ABS part is self-explanatory, and BMW is the recognized leader in bringing this safety technology to motorcycles. It's available on every bike BMW sells. The "Integral" part refers to the German company's version of linked brakes. Actuating either the handlebar brake lever or the foot-operated brake pedal apply both front and rear brakes. So if you haven't got used to covering the front brake lever with a couple of fingers, a stab on the brake pedal will get the job done. Four-position handlebar levers adjust to fit nearly any size hand, but a bit of a reach from the floorboard to the rear brake pedal increases reaction time.

One of the most controversial features of the CL is its "M" shaped windshield that dips in the middle so a rider can have an unimpeded view of the road. There are actually three different shields available for the CL. The low windshield is standard, and it was about perfect for my 5'8" body. I could ride in comfort without lowering my helmet's faceshield, with no annoying buffeting. When sitting up higher, some wind hit the top of my helmet, so taller riders will want to fit the optional higher "Touring" screen. Also optional is the "Deluxe" screen that doesn't have the dip of the others. My only problem with the standard windshield is that a rider has to look trough its tall edges in tight corners, though that would be the case with a conventional screen as well.

Source Motorcycle-USA