BMW with roof

[AZJerry]

My wife was in London this week and saw a BMW with a roof.She could not see the back of the bike until the light changed and then could not tell the model.

The windshield continued over the riders head and down to the back of the bike.

Does anyone know anything about this setup?

[Roadwolf]

This is probably what she saw... no longer in production... wish they imported these into the U.S. though.

 

http://www.bmwworld.com/models/concepts/c1.htm

[RFW]

My wife was in London this week and saw a BMW with a roof. Does anyone know anything about this setup?

 

It is called the BMW "C1". An oversized scooter with a roof. It also has a seat belt and windshield wiper! It was designed to allow the rider to not require a helmet (the seat and shoulder belt, and the roof above are sufficient that authorities in most European countries allowed the rider to legally go helmetless.

 

After a lot of money spent developing it, it wasn't a big seller. It will not end up in North America for several reasons, not least of which is that they stopped production of it over a year ago.

 

More info and a photo here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_C1

 

Yes, they do look weird. When you stand next to one, they look much more weird.

[NoHeat]

I saw one on the street in Rome, where there are lots more scooters than cars.

 

I thought it looked like a dumb idea, and BMW should have spent their money to develop something reasonable instead.

[1200Bob]

We spent a few days in Paris this summer and ran across a few of these scooters. European cities seem to be inundated with this form of transportation, especially among the young. The BMW model looks ideal for this type of commuting, too bad it never was a hit over here.

[TowJam]

They may not have been sold in the US but I have seen at least two on the road here in North Texas within the past year. In fact, there's one I see regularly around the Grapevine area.

 

I think the BMW rates up there with the Smart Car for "cool but in a nerdy kinda' way"...

 

[grasslander]

It is called the BMW "C1". An oversized scooter with a roof. It also has a seat belt and windshield wiper! It was designed to allow the rider to not require a helmet (the seat and shoulder belt, and the roof above are sufficient that authorities in most European countries allowed the rider to legally go helmetless.

 

In Germany at least, you also don't need a motorcycle license to operate the C1 due to the roll cage and seat belt!

[italiano]

I USE ONE EVERYDAY IN MEXICO CITY TRAFFIC, IT IS VERY HEAVY AND FEELS TOP HEAVY, BUT YOU CAN FELL MORE SECURE IN IT SPLITTING LANES THAN IN OTHER SCOOTTERS, AND IN THE RAIN YOU ONLY NEED TO COVER YOU SHOULDER AND THE SPLASH FROM THE OTHER CARS.

IT HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ABS, RADIO, HEATED GRIPS AND SEAT.

THEY STOP MAKING IT BECAUSE BMW NEVER GET THE PERMIT TO RIDE IT WITHOUT HELMETS IN THE USA, AND FOR A 200 CC SCOTTER THAT COST MORE THAN A LITTLE HUNDAY WAS VERY HARD TO SELL.