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Airhead yes, CLC well no

miairhead

New member
I just sold my CLC, the real reason might just be the 3.5 gallon tank. Yep it was a bitch at slow speed, and the seat was not the best for long rides any way. It had many very nice features, but it was sooooo heavy at slow speeds and righting to ride, my knees told me this at every start. The CLC could of been a very nice ride if BMW did a few things better.

Long ago decided I would never own a chain drive motorcycle again, and that is what really killed the F- for me. Yep a 2000+ RT available, and it is a very nice bike, K's are out. RT's with low mileage are hard too find and if you do, it could be well over 12k.

So what to do, how about a 2010 Honda NT700V, and for $6993. You get a nice shaft drive 680cc motorcycle with large bags (larger lids added), top case, heated grips (added), and low seat height. With 2K on the clock, add a few things and still have a not all that much in a motorcycle to take you many miles. Again a low volume bike, but a very large network of dealers.

I put about 2,000 miles so far on this NT. It is a great bike, most likely Honda did use BMW as it's mold.
It has almost everything I want, so this NT and my 84 R100RT will be my bikes for the last years I ride.
It could us a 6th gear, and a roundel.
 
Pretty much a V-Twin RT! Neat bikes but I need a few more horses for two up riding, otherwise it would be in my garage instead of the RT!
 
What's a CLC?

A BMW R1200C (cruiser) made by BMW into a touring bike. Only made for 2003 and 2004 model years.
VERY comfortable at speed on the open road, but a b!tch at parking lot speeds. Fork mounted fairing, permanent hard bags, trunk, CD/stereo, cruise, heated seats and grips and a 6 speed trans, but with only cruiser-like range, about 120-140 miles.
 

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I had one for 86,000 miles before it was totalled in a rear-end collision. A great bike. Fat front tire. Held the road like a rock and impervious to potholes and cross-winds. They do take getting used to, but have a cult and growing following. Short seat height and bigger passenger seat than the K1200LT. I used it for touring and daily urban commuting. The front lights would fry an egg at 50 yards...
 
I'm still riding the 98 R1200C I picked up in 2003 after a 25 year hiatus. After recently getting back from an 11 day trip from Iowa to the Top of the Rockies rally, I learned that 500 miles/day is the most I care to ride without a fairing. The CLC would definitely make things more comfortable during a trip but the low-speed handling around town swayed me to the standard C. I can say the much-maligned low power gripes about the motor were not evident to me on any of the mountain twisties I rode. Added bonus was the 51mpg I got while at altitude.

Can't wait until I have more touring time available..then it's time to finally add the RT to the stable. Never giving up the C.
 
I've had my CLC for over 6 and a half years. It has been a great bike and it is wonderful on the open road. It is a bear in close quarters and it is heavy. I bought a used Burgman 650 scooter for puttering around but I use it for everything now and seldom ride the CLC. The Burgman was a replacement for my airhead and I am planning on selling the CLC and will be without BMW for the first time in many years. I considered the Burgman scooter until I sat on one and found a typically BMW tall seat. The CLC and C were the last and only modern BMWs with a low seat.
 
So, not only is it the ugliest motorcycle BMW (or anyone?) has ever made, it's difficult to maneuver and has horrible range? Wow.

That is one way of looking at it! LOL!

I didn't think mine was ugly, it was a nice deep brilliant black with gold and silver flecks in the paint. But that boring brown and smurf blue were bad ideas. It was rock-solid, easy-chair comfortable on the highway, all 120 miles of it between fill-ups!
 
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - when I had my CLC, I constantly got remarks of "That's the most beautiful bike I've ever seen!". I never have had any such compliments on any of my other Beemers. Any thing above 1/2 mph and the big beast floated like a butterfly. The trick was to just use a couple of fingers on the front brake with a light touch and not use the rear brake at all. Once I did that, I owned low speed manuverability and all fell into place. A much maligned bike by typical Beemer riders, but I remember when everyone scoffed at the R80GS...who would want such an ugly bike, was what I would hear.
 
We have a really nice used R12CLC in brown with tan seats at Nick's BMW. Been on the used bike floor for months noe.

But I have to say it is the one BMW I would NEVER own. I don't think it's really "heavy" as much as HEAVY feeling at slow speeds. Riding it around the parking lot takes concentrated effort, as the feeling at the handlebar IS really heavy feeling. That fat front tire, fork mounted fairing, windshield and stereo make for a very heavy feel at slow speeds.

Looks are definitely in the eye of the beholder. Personally I think it has the ugliest face ever put on a BMW. Yet, we have customers come in at Nick's and exclaim what a stunning bike it is! Go figure.
 
As the former owner of an R1200ST, who loved that bike, I would never comment on the taste of others in motorcycles.

;)
 
The fat front tire on the CLC made for a great ride over pot holes and uneven, washboard roads. My RT1200 feels like a jackhammer compared to the CLC. The big front tire had some great benefits, but, yes, some drawbacks as well.
 
I get a lot of positive comments on my 2003 CLC, but I doubt many would bad mouth it to my face. It is different looking I'll grant you, but I like it. Mine has almost 128k on the odometer. I've learned to handle it at low speeds-I just drive fast.:) I'm not sure why those other riders only get 120 miles between tanks. I commute 23 miles one way each day, half of it on the interstate and I'm getting 150 between tanks. On long trips using secondary roads I'll go 160-170 miles between tanks. If I cruise the interstate at 80 mph I'll fill up at 140 miles. The OP said the tank was 3.5 gal. It's actually 4.6 gal. It looks bigger, but they had to carve out a lot of room underneath for the battery, ABS and computer.
 
I get a lot of positive comments on my 2003 CLC, but I doubt many would bad mouth it to my face. It is different looking I'll grant you, but I like it. Mine has almost 128k on the odometer. I've learned to handle it at low speeds-I just drive fast.:) I'm not sure why those other riders only get 120 miles between tanks. I commute 23 miles one way each day, half of it on the interstate and I'm getting 150 between tanks. On long trips using secondary roads I'll go 160-170 miles between tanks. If I cruise the interstate at 80 mph I'll fill up at 140 miles. The OP said the tank was 3.5 gal. It's actually 4.6 gal. It looks bigger, but they had to carve out a lot of room underneath for the battery, ABS and computer.

My experience pretty much matches yours. In 6 1/2 years, my low fuel light usually comes on within 5 miles of 160 miles on the roads I ride. I ride in Harley country and my brown CLC draws more attention than the RTs, GSs and other BMWs in our group. When we pull into a watering hole, nobody ever expresses an interest or even mentions the other BMWs but I frequently get questions and compliments on mine. The CLC is clearly not the bike for the typical BMW fanatic but it is interesting to the cruiser crowd.
 
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