Recent years have seen radical changes in the world of individual mobility, specifically in the conurbations, and the number of registrations has rocketed for virtually all individual transport concepts. However, the space available to traffic has not grown to the same extent, so individual mobility must come to terms with the new circumstances. Against this background, BMW Motorrad will be expanding its present motorcycle adventure world to include the big scooter. This new product segment will first give rise to two innovative premium scooters with internal combustion engines.
With its Concept C study, BMW Motorrad is yet again embarking on a new path and demonstrating a fascinating mobility option for the future. Here, C stands for “commuter”. Particularly in view of the traffic development in urban areas, it presents the prospect of an innovative, sporty big scooter for the future premium segment. As usual at BMW Motorrad, there is more to this study than just an attempt to present a big scooter for the highest demands. Rather, the designers and engineers of BMW Motorrad focused above all on the emotive component in addition to the technical function and quality – and the thrill from the very first moment on. Unlike the L shaped side view presented up to now by big scooters, with their predominantly vertical body lines and colour scheme, Concept C has ventured on a new, much more sporty and dynamic path. The body lines sweeping up to the vehicle’s rear underscore this big scooter’s active riding character. The high rear section emphasises the lightness and agility of Concept C’s powerful two-cylinder engine. Sportiness and dynamism are also underscored by the close cut, speeder-style windscreen.
Concept C presents unusual and innovative solutions that offer a wide prospect of what in future can become reality in this segment. For instance, Concept C features a highly complex monolever mechanism with hollowed-out shaft connected to a suspension strut visible from the outside. In this study, front-wheel control takes the form of an upside down fork. The stable twin disc brake at the front features two radial brake callipers that also underscore the dynamic sportiness of Concept C. In addition, the single disc brake at the rear and the BMW Motorrad ABS provide the maximum possible safety during braking manoeuvres. The dynamic and equally comfortable driving force behind Concept C is provided by a new, two-cylinder inline engine in conjunction with CVT (continuously variable transmission). Engine power, torque, and therefore performance will be moving towards the top of the segment. Light is cast on a more distant point in the future by the LED headlamp integrated into the face panelling. This future vision is also continued by the deliberate absence of conventional rear view mirrors, which will be replaced in Concept C with two video cameras in the rear. These record the area behind the vehicle and transfer the images to two LCD monitors in the cockpit within view of the rider. The road speed, engine speed, and other data appear on a third LCD display integrated at the centre of the cockpit.