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Are R1200CL's Desirable?

milo

Member
I don't notice many for sale, but I don't see many out there either, so I honestly don't know? The local Harley dealer has a R1200CL, the one with the batwing fairing, with around 45K they want to sell. I believe it's a 2003. He thought they'd want ÔÇ£around $5,500ÔÇØ. I have no interest but I thought I'd pass it along in case someone may be looking for one. If anyone is interested I can put you in touch with the sales manager. If this is considered a "for sale ad" in the wrong place, or somehow inappropriate just delete.
 
I loved my 2003 CLC until it was totaled in a rear-end collision. I had put close to 87,000 miles on it. Very comfortable and handled very well. Low RPM's at speed. 3000 rpm at an indicated 80 mph. Scooped windshield provided a great view of the road. Had overdrive. You would do well to post that ad over at Chromeheads.org
 
As far as I can tell where I've been they haven't been real popular. It is possibly the ugliest BMW ever made and the cruiser setup just doesn't look right to my eyes. Most people who are looking for a cruiser type bike wanta V-twin not a flat twin.

I've only seen a handful since I moved here in 5 years. And by handful I mean 3.
 
Those that have them seem to really like them. They never sold real well- as noted above; it was a cruiser that was not well received by the cruiser crowd, and did not fit the normal concept of a BMW for the BMW crowd.
I took one for an extended test ride back in 2000 at the National in MI. Did not like it much at all. Thought it handled poorly for a BMW, was down on power, and did not have the emotional grab that a Harley did (i owned a FLH dresser for about 6 years in my "young and dumb" days).
But, to each his/her own- like i said, those that like them seem to really like 'em.
 
Thanks guys. I have nothing in it and it's not my "cup of tea" either. When the Harley dealer gets a BMW in on trade he just usually let's me know. The previous one he mentioned was a 2012 R1200GS Adventure with 115 miles on it. That one I was able to help him with, I bought it on the spot! Weasel, I'll check out chromeheads.org
 
I've had mine for 6 years and I like it better now than when I got it. It's heavy, does not handle like any other BMW and it's an acquired taste. However, it is rock solid dependable, crosswinds and trucks don't bother it much and it is very comfortable on the interstate. It is also one of the few BMWs that those of us with a short inseam can flat foot. Strangely enough, the only new BMW I can come close to flat footing is the K1600GTL. Even the scooters have a high seat.
 
My best bud has the R1200C Phoenix model, which to me, is beautiful.

I've ridden it numerous times and must say that it's a nice bike, but WAAAY underpowered.
 
My CLC was the only motorcycle I've ever had that strangers would walk up to me and say it was the most beautiful bike they had ever seen. The looks of the machine took a while to grow on me. The more I stared at it, the more everything dropped into place. That big fat front tire made urban potholes disappear. My R1200 RT feels like a jackhammer in comparison. We ride in remnants of hurricanes here in VA - the heavy CLC stayed glued to the road. It was a great bike for daily commutes and cross-country travel. It was only available for 2 years here in the states. No, the typical Beemer crowd didn't like it, but I'm not typical, I suppose. The headlights (2 low beams, 2 high beams) put my RT's lighting to shame. Don't get me wrong, I like my RT, as well, but it's more of a chore to ride, what with the height.
 
Clc

The CLC was introduced at the end of the R1200C's production life. This also was effective end of a lot of other metric cruisers. A big draw back to the bike was the small displacement of 1200cc's when 1500+cc's was required to sell two up cruisers. Remember there ain't no replacement for displacement mentality. Then Triumph was coming out with a 2300CC triple. The CLC was the closest thing to replacing the aging K1100LT's. I had 2 K11lT'S and a K12LT. The K12LT was not a replacement bike for the 1100's, but competition for the Gold Wing market. The CLC had cruise, music, and weighed 850 pounds like the LT.

I did a fly and ride starting from Indy early on a Saturday morning, got the bike headed east from Santa Fe about noon. Rode until 9pm got a room and overslept, getting back on the road at 11am, arriving at the house at 1am. Nice hot August weather across New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Misery, Illinois, and Indiana. Then got back up at 3am and rode another 75 miles to work. I ran in 90-95 degree temps all day long at 80-85mph getting 52-56 mpg. Generally, I ride R11XXGS's set up with an Aeroflow screen, after market shocks, Day long saddle. The CLC was less physical than the GS's

Power, like all heavy bikes you have to turn the throttle a little more. It was a quick bike going thru the gears. Mine had HojacII pipes on it so it was louder than a Harley. It took about 10,000 miles before I got tired of riding on a bike that sounded like an Allis Chalmers power unit with a straight pipe on. The color was silver. GS fever was probably the death bell for the bike.

The CLC seemed like a pig until you got your confidence in it on the curves. It will never handle like the rest of the oil heads. It sure beat the old bricks that required body english to keep the front wheel planted.

In closing is the CLC up for sale silver? Jon
 
I've put just short 50k miles on mine (a CLC) and really enjoy it when riding cross country. Moto lights were mounted at the Rally in Gray, TN and when hi-beams are switched on after dark you can see clearly a long ways down the road. ABS & cruise control are excellant. Yes you can flat foot this bike but the seat needed to be replaced before I was comfortable. Not a speed machine but it handles well and will cruise at 85 all day (great brakes). I bought the bike in 2007 when it had just 932 miles on it. RIDE SAFE
 
If nothing else, the BMW "C" cruisers are a great example of what happens when professional designers put their minds to the cruiser idiom.

Those bikes make all others look like high school shop projects that used parts from Home Depot, including rattle can paint.

That "mile-long" driveshaft is priceless.
 
The few, the proud! Or something like that.....

I own a 03 CLC that I bought new in Feb of 04. I have just shy of 60,000 essentially trouble free miles. Just about everything said about the cruiser models and the CLC in particular is true. To summarize, 90% of Beemer community dislike the CLC and about 90% of owners of other marquees believe it is uniquely beautiful. Yet , if you check out the resale values for the 03 and 04 CLC's, ( see the latest MCN issue) they are within 5%-7% of the same year RT's! In another 10 years or so, it will be interesting to see how history treats the BMW cruiser line. Don' t forget, over 50,000 were sold from 98 to 04!
 
R1200 clc

I bought the silver one in Feb.'05 when it was 2yrs. old and had 17k on it. Now I have
68K without final drive problems and a few mods to personalize it. The seat has been
redone, it uses both filiments on the high beam H-4 bulbs, I added Saeng mirrors to the handle bar holes, handlebar risers and LED stop/tail lights on the top box. It has
been a love relationship that I can't seem to get away from. A comfy bike that does all
I ask. I'm sure there are better bikes for different reasons. This just fills my bill. I hope it lasts forever.;)
 
I've owned a CLC and a 'regular' C. BMW never really enthusiastically advertised the "C", but it was around for like 6 years and slowly built a following. The CL/CLCs were only around two short model years. I guess we shouldn't have been surprised that if you take a great cruiser and slap on a huge fork mounted fairing and also install two non-removable saddle bags, you get a half-assed tourer.

The fairing was a bitch to push around. At very low speed it was dangerous to the newcomer. At highway touring speeds it was rock-solid, similar to a LT.
When it came out, motorcycle magazines kind of ridiculed it for it's 62HP and 1100-something CCs. Those bad reviews kept it's sales numbers down as much as BMW keeping it a secret. BMW already was selling the RT and LT tourers so this new model had an uphill battle. Just where did it fit in?

But even though it wasn't a rice burner off the line, it had a 6-speed trans and plenty of low-end torque. It was comfortable once you were traveling over 30MPH and/or on the open road. It was not a bike you wanted to hop on and go to the local store.
 
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