C600 6000 miles and 4 years; likes and dislikes

[Thom Davis]

Likes:
Like the weight; it handles the crosswinds over the Benicia bridge (30 mph gusts) just fine
Like all the admiring looks
Like the rear storage matching the blue bike
Like the smooth power

Dislikes:
Dislike the riding position (too high); makes center of gravity too high and cornering more problematic
Dislike distance for feet to touch ground (prefer a saddle where I can use both legs to support bike at stop sign)
Dislike the cost dealership charges for a oil change (or anything else...bmw= break my wallet for sure); Brake lever was a hundred bucks!! Could NOT believe it.
Dislike everything using Torx heads...damn stupid.

I've owned several Hondas (305 Dream was my first bike then owned a 350 in Hawaii); a Bridgestone 350 2 cycle that I put back together after someone wrecked it; a Harley; and a Chinese honda knock off scooter). First and probably last BMW. I don't hate it, I bought it for the looks and because it was heavy enough to get across the bridge...still does those things well.

 

[bicyclenut]

Thom,

I agree about seat height. I had a Silverwing and I could pretty much flat foot it. But I could have found one with low seat height but I wanted the heated seats (no heated seats with low seat option) so that was partially my choice. I've pretty much developed the muscle memory for the one leg stop and feel confident in 95% of the situations I face with the occasional need for both feet on tippy toes or use of the other leg.

Most of the maintenance you can do by yourself or find a reputable skilled motorcycle mechanic and they should be able to do. Oil changes are about $70 using BMW parts when you do it yourself and its pretty painless. Most other work is not much different than working on the Honda I had. CVT belt and system virtually the same to change. An YES, some of the BMW OEM replacement parts are absurdly expensive, I agree. And pray you don't have some complicated problem only the dealer can work on, it will cost you. Being in the automobile industry, German cars (and seems to be same with German bikes) generally cost more to maintain, repair and find parts for.

I actually prefer the TORX bolts. Seem less prone to stripping and you buy a set of 1/4 or 3/8 drive one and you can keep a set on bike or at home and use with a power driver to take panels off and on and other parts as well. You do need a couple larger less common ones for wheels and other but once you have these you only have maybe 6 sizes to fit maybe 80% of fasteners on bike.

 

[TwoPort]

Seat height: I can get the balls of my feet to solidly touch but it's not comfortable. Sometimes I go a little more to one side but often feel uneasy. I wish it were lower. On the other hand, I like how I'm up a bit higher and can see and be seen by cars. Some of the time I just move forward and plant both feet - like when my pillion rider is getting on and off. That is also sub-optimal.

After 32K+ miles riding it seems predictable. It feels very stable at low speeds - especially with a pillion rider as the rear brake/throttle method is super simple. And with twist-n-go scooter CVT there is nothing easier off the line.

My next projects are Dr. Pulley and to replace the future leaky bearing.

 

[Thom Davis]

After 32K+ miles riding it seems predictable. It feels very stable at low speeds - especially with a pillion rider as the rear brake/throttle method is super simple. And with twist-n-go scooter CVT there is nothing easier off the line.

My next projects are Dr. Pulley and to replace the future leaky bearing.

Hey Two Port, you live about 15 miles away (I'm in Benicia). Your bike looks like a clone of mine. We should go for a ride together.

 

[TwoPort]

Hey Two Port, you live about 15 miles away (I'm in Benicia). Your bike looks like a clone of mine. We should go for a ride together.

Love to. Its been a bit cold in Napa (for us anyway). A low of 31 and a high of 57.

There may be enough Nor Cal folks for an Apple Strudel gang!

I'll PM you.

J


p.s. I'm over 32K miles now. Seems to run as effectively as it did on day one.

 

[Tony]

I'm on my 3rd year

Likes:
Seat, Appearance, Storage, handling, Sound

Dislikes
Dual headlights housings 1 for high-beam and 1 for low beams, one headlight always looks like its burnt out. Unless you are willing to drive around with the high-beams on all the time it looks like horrible. I'll never purchase another bike with this type head-light setup.

No easy place to mount a NAV

Fuel mileage could be better.

Undefeatable traction control that is overly sensitive.

 

[Thom Davis]

Yah, folks do notice that "one of your lights is out". It doesn't bother me much since folks might actually pay more attention when they see the discrepancy. Speaking of fuel; just putting fuel in the bike is an issue if you live in one of the places that requires the vapor recovery nozzle. Has anyone else broken the fuel cover? Tires don't last long enough, either and I need replacements now...anyone have a recommendation for non OEM replacements that will last longer than 6K miles-or maybe the bike is so heavy (with my fat ass on it anyway) that all the tires will wear out that quick. Concur that it is difficult to find a reasonable spot to mount a GPS or some similar device. Another annoyance is the positioning of the heater control switches vis a vis the appearance of the icon on the display. Mine are backwards (top switch activates bottom icon). Bizarre.

 

[wsteele]

Yah, folks do notice that "one of your lights is out". It doesn't bother me much since folks might actually pay more attention when they see the discrepancy. Speaking of fuel; just putting fuel in the bike is an issue if you live in one of the places that requires the vapor recovery nozzle. Has anyone else broken the fuel cover? Tires don't last long enough, either and I need replacements now...anyone have a recommendation for non OEM replacements that will last longer than 6K miles-or maybe the bike is so heavy (with my fat ass on it anyway) that all the tires will wear out that quick. Concur that it is difficult to find a reasonable spot to mount a GPS or some similar device. Another annoyance is the positioning of the heater control switches vis a vis the appearance of the icon on the display. Mine are backwards (top switch activates bottom icon). Bizarre.

Try the Pirelli tires you should get about 2000 more miles out of the over the Metler

 

[Edumakated]

I've had my c600 four years.

Likes:

Size: Fits my 6 foot 240 frame fine.
Styling: Always get comments on it. I have the matte blue. Looks sport bikish.
Heated Grips & Seat: Never buy a bike again without.
Power: Fast enough

Dislikes:
Low End: I hate the clutch lag. Wish it accelerated harder. Maybe can fix with new sliders / dr. pulley. Haven't seen any real data if they are really worth it.
No Cruise Control: Using a throttle lock is ok, but wish it had real cruise control.
Headlights: don't like the one burned out light thing. I ride with high beams on pretty much all the time
Buffeting: I get pretty bad helmet buffeting. haven't really found a screen that works. I pretty much keep mine in middle position all the time. Low hits me too hard in chest area and high feels like boxing with Mayweather.

 

[Skutorr]

Try the Michelin Pilot Road 4 Tires. Just put on the rear and it's great! Better mileage & amazing in the wet.

https://www.bikebandit.com/tires-tu...-pilot-road-4-scooter-motorcycle-tire/p/57389

 

[exavid]

I've had my GT for about three and a half years now and have no complaints with it. Its tall stature makes for more road clearance which allows for more speed in the twisties although I have replaced those two little wear nubs on the top of the center stand twice now. I ride with the shocks set at their highest setting which also helps prevent grinding those little gizmos too. Tire mileage isn't a major consideration for me since I do tend to like a spirited ride. I have about 10,600 miles on the bike now and replaced the OEM tires at about 6000 miles. The Power Pure tires I put on it are showing wear, the front is about ready to replace while the rear looks good for two or three thousand miles yet. The CVT belt looks like it will easily go another 11,000 plus miles. Chain wear is still within tolerance though I will be ordering a couple of the slack adjuster rails to have on hand. I've had nearly no problems with the bike other than a couple minor ones that were taken care of through BMW's recall at no cost to me. I've been running Mobil 1 synthetic oil for about six thousand miles now. No problems, no leaks or odd noises. Brakes are holding up very well.
All in all the longer that I have this bike the more I like it. I was going to buy another K1100LT as a stablemate but decided the GT would get the most use so decided to be a one bike owner. With all that carrying space in the trunk and under the seat this scooter is turning out to be a good replacement for my Goldwings of the past.
As for part costs, places like Twisted Throttle, Partzilla and others on line have most parts at pretty good prices. Usually pretty well discounted from dealer prices.
All in all I don't baby this scooter but it's holding up very well to the demands I make on it. I'm enjoying it just as much as when I first got it. One can get used to the twist and go pretty quickly, nice that you can't get caught in a wrong gear when a traffic changes unexpectedly. The only thing I'd change if I had the cash would be to buy a new one for the improved sound, easier operated center stand and improved CVT ratios. I still prefer my red one over the colors of the newer ones.

 

[SteveADV]

I guess I'll weigh in here. I am not a current owner of a BMW scooter; haven't been for a few years. Currently own a Triumph Explorer and a Ural Mir (sidecar). I really like both bikes, but if I could only own one bike the CGT would be near the top of the list (nothing against the C, just never owned one).

Frankly, sometimes I think about ditching the other bikes and going back to the BMW scooter. Plenty enough power (no 135hp Explorer but don't really need that) and my kids remind me every once in awhile about how much I really liked my 2013 CGT.

My wife kids me about how often I have talked about getting down to one bike so maybe it will never happen, but if it ever does....