Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1007261
2018 BMW C 400 X FIRST TEST P114 the way (without giving a date when it'll be available). "Anyway," says Peter Maier, "our feedback from scooter riders is that they ride their machine specifically to get from one place to another—reaching the destination is what interests them, not the journey." That app on your phone will also allow you to find where you last parked, check the weather, see where the nearest gas station is, and view various data from the scooter, including mileage, riding time and average speed. You have an option to automatically record your rides and view them later, and the app even lets you automatically em- bed any photos you take during the journey. Cleverly, a minimum distance can be set between one and 50 miles before re- cording starts (to avoid logging every ride to work), as well as a minimum duration between one and five hours, and a maximum break time of between five min- utes and 24 hours. Tightening up the architec- ture of the C 400 X in pursuit of better handling means that its under-seat storage is only big enough to house an open-face helmet and a few other loose items, although once station- ary, the BMW Flexcase system included as standard expands sufficiently to allow space for a full-face helmet to be stored alongside a half-face one— though it must be removed (and presumably worn!) before riding away. BMW claims a fuel consump- tion of 0.9 gallons per 62 miles, and even ridden quite hard, including at maximum speed on the autostrada, the average given by the on-board computer during my ride dropped only slightly—good enough for a range of just over 185 miles. That's pretty practical, and I imagine many commuters will probably only be filling up once a week. As with other BMW models, service intervals are every 6000 miles, with a CVT-belt inspection at every second service. There's a convenient side stand and an easy-on/easy-off center stand that's very stable. With the C 400 X, BMW has delivered a well-priced and especially well-spec'd product with, yes, good build quality, to an increasingly important section of the two-wheeled marketplace that's consistently growing in numbers. More driv- ers abandon their urban tractors and take to two wheels, espe- cially for commuting, every day. It's a comfortable, practical and surprisingly zestful traffic tool that's also at home—as my trip out into the Italian countryside proved—when venturing further afield than the city streets which are its natural habitat. And in case you're wondering, yes, the reason that the "X" tag is attached to this new scooter's name is indeed a deliberate ref- erence to the best-selling BMW X3 and X5 four-wheeled models. Only, there's no All-Wheel Drive on the C 400 X! CN S P E C I F I C A T I O N S BMW C 400 X ENGINE: ....Water-cooled, single-cylinder 4-stroke in-line, OHC engine, 4 valves LUBRICATION: .......................... Wet sump BORE & STROKE: ...............80 x 69.6mm OUTPUT: ....................34 hp @ 7500 rpm TORQUE: ..............25.8 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm COMPRESION RATIO: ....................... 11.5:1 CARBURETION: .................... EFI, BMS-E2 CLUTCH: ..... Centrifugal force dry clutch TRANSMISSION: ................. Continuously variable CVT belt FRAME: .................... Tubular spaceframe FRONT SUSPENSION: .... Telescopic fork, 35mm REAR SUSPENSION: ................ Aluminum double-sided swingarm, double spring strut, adj. spring preload FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: .................. 4.3 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: .................... 4.4 in. FRONT BRAKE: ..... Rigid dual disc brake, 265mm, 4-piston floating caliper REAR BRAKE: .... Rigid single disc brake, 265mm, 1-piston floating caliper ABS: ........................ BMW Motorrad ABS WHEELS: .....................Die-cast aluminum FRONT WHEEL: .......................3.50x15 in. REAR WHEEL: .......................... 4.25x14 in. FRONT TIRE: ........................120/70 ZR15 REAR TIRE: ...........................150/70 ZR14 SEAT HEIGHT: ...............................30.5 in. INSIDE LEG LENGTH: ....................69.3 in. WEIGHT: .......................................450 lbs. FUEL CAPACITY: 3.4 gal./1.1 gal. reserve