Within the yr 2000, BMW Motorrad launched an formidable venture, the C1 scooter, geared toward reshaping city transportation. Regardless of the corporate’s excessive hopes, the scooter didn’t catch on commercially. Nonetheless, the rising downside of city congestion brings into query whether or not the C1’s revolutionary design might see a resurgence in curiosity if its foundational concepts have been revisited in the present day.

In an interview with MOTORRAD , Markus Flasch, the brand new BMW bike boss, supported such a brand new mannequin – in distinction to a robust electrical bike, a venture that was delayed beneath his tenure. “For instance, we already had a product with which you would transfer round on two wheels, shielded from the wind and climate, and not using a helmet,” Flasch stated of the BMW C1. “That’s one thing that hardly anybody can comply with us on. This has been persistently developed additional. In the case of electrical drives and concrete, I can positively think about setting new traits and on the identical time constructing on previous traits.”

What Was The BMW C1?

The C1 was designed to mix some great benefits of totally different modes of transportation. Produced by the Italian producer Bertone, this compact scooter was tailor-made for navigating metropolis streets, providing the maneuverability and gas effectivity typical of scooters however with important drawbacks reminiscent of publicity to climate and better threat of harm in accidents, widespread points when evaluating scooters to automobiles.

The BMW C1 sought to mitigate these drawbacks with its distinctive design, that includes {a partially} enclosed cabin with a roof, providing riders safety from unhealthy climate and enhancing security, distinguishing it from conventional scooters. It boasted security options corresponding to these of a European compact automotive in frontal collisions, together with a entrance crumple zone, an aluminum roll cage, and a racing-style seat belt. These improvements have been so efficient that BMW lobbied for C1 riders to be exempt from sporting helmets in a number of international locations, a request that was met with blended responses.

Although initially meant to be launched in the USA, BMW finally determined in opposition to it, deeming the scooter inconsistent with its model picture and positioning throughout the American market. The C1’s launch was met with curiosity and curiosity, because it supplied a singular compromise between the security and luxury of a automotive and the compactness and agility of a motorbike, significantly interesting in congested city settings. Nonetheless, the scooter’s comparatively excessive worth level, usually exceeding 10,000 DM, contributed to its industrial wrestle, main BMW to stop manufacturing in 2003 after manufacturing simply over 33,000 items.

BMW C1-E Idea

Regardless of the lukewarm reception to the primary iteration, the idea of the C1 continued to carry attraction for BMW Motorrad. In 2009, the corporate unveiled the C1-E, an idea scooter based mostly on the unique however powered by a lithium-ion battery as a substitute of a gasoline engine, signaling ongoing curiosity within the C1’s idea. This idea was a transparent indicator of BMW’s curiosity in electrical mobility, that includes electrical expertise sourced from Vectrix on account of BMW’s personal electrical platform being in its nascent levels on the time.

Within the interview with MOTTORAD On-line, BMW Motorrad boss Markus Flasch didn’t make any particular bulletins on this subject. It’s due to this fact unclear whether or not a brand new, electrically powered scooter with a roof from BMW will truly go into collection manufacturing. In that case, the deliberate date for the market launch is as unknown because the mannequin title. [Source: Motorrad Online]