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/128173
2003 BMW R1200 CL/CLC By BLAKE CONNER PHOTOS BY GREG JAREM WHAT IS A LUXURY CRUISER? magine, if you will, you're a 33year-old bachelor (sorry, ladies), and the world is literally at your feet. Not only does your immense wealth open doors, but your family name opens even more. If you were George Washington Vanderbilt in the late 19th century, this was the case. Not only would you have just inherited an absolutely astonishing amount of wealth, but you weren't afraid to spend it. George let his grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and his father, William Henry Vanderbilt, make the family fortune. By the time George came along, the wealth was so massive all he had to do was spend it. Rough life, eh? The introduction of the new BMW R1200 CL took place at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, site of George's humble bachelor pad - the Biltmore House. After all, BMW considers its new bike to be a luxury cruiser, and I can't think of any place in America that says luxury more than the Biltmore Estate. George wasn't shy about showing off his extensive collections, whether it be art, literature, or the house itself, so I think he would have approved of a BMW parked in his garage. Actually, BMW calls the R1200 CL a luxury-touring cruiser. Kind of a Laz-E-Boy for the highway. BMW introduced their first cruiser back in 1997, the R1200 C. It grew to be one of their most successful models, with multiple variants - the CL is the next step in the family lineage. Although the bike is vastly different from the R1200 C, its family resemblance is still intact. It's the creature comforts and touring amenities that really set the bike apart. Standard on the CL are integral hard bags and top box, and creature comforts such as the standard heated grips, heated seats for both the pilot and passenger (standard on the CLC), cruise control, BMW's EVO front-brake system combined with integrated ABS, and an optional stereo with a CD player residing in one of the saddlebags. BMW wanted to take elements from both cruisers and touring bikes, like their own LT, and make a bike unlike anything they had ever made before. The bike definitely stands out in a crowd, with its unique front fairing really catching your attention. Like Barbara Streisand's schnoz, you either love or hate the bike's nose (though it may grow on you after I 28 SEPTEMBER 25, 2002' a U c • e n e vv s awhile). After looking at the bike for the first time, I wasn't sure what I thought of it, but it grew on me mainly because, not only does it look very BMW, but it also doesn't look like anything else on the road. There are two variations of the bike: the CL and the CLC. The CLC runs $500 more, but comes with a CD player, and heated, soft-touch, suede-like seats, standard. CHASSIS BMWs typically don't fall far from the tree when it comes to family likenesses, and the R 1200 CL is no exception. The frame is very similar to the R1200 C's in concept, but it differs quite a bit in this application. Up front is the Telelever front suspension, which has much wider fork spacing than the R1200 C - in order to make room for the fat, 150/80, 16-inch front tire. The steering angle has been raked out to 33.5 degrees, in comparison to 29.5 on the R1200 C - not quite a chopper, but it's much closer to gaining credibility as a cruiser. This, in turn, also gives the steering a much more relaxed response and additional straight-line stability. Out back is BMW's Monolever rear suspension, which features a new shock with travel-related damping (it gets firmer as it moves through its stroke), allowing for a smoother ride, with 4.72 inches of travel - far more than most cruisers on the market. The swingarm/shaftdrive unit has also been redesigned for this application. All of it bolts to the front and rear subframes, which are of a trellis design. The rear subframe is very different from the one on the R 1200 C because it has to accommodate the extensive luggage system and the larger seating area for the passenger. The luggage side bags are permanently fixed to the bike, while the top box is removable. The frame up front is very similar to the R1200 C, except for new mounting points for the floorboards and suspension. One thing you notice the second you lay your eyes on the front end of the CL is the massive front tire - it's bigger than the rear tire on some bikes. The double-spoke, cast-aluminum wheels are 16 x 3.5 inches up front (with the aforementioned 150/80-16 tire), and 15 x 4 inches out back (with a 170/80 15 tire). The tall aspect ratios of both tires were chosen to help improve ride quality. Braking is handled by BMW's EVO (power brake) system, which incorporates twin 12-inch rotors and twin