The BMWs are (finally) coming

Yes, I am a little obsessed with these scooters. Found this French language scooter news site from a French language scooter forum. I do not speak French. Google translate does though.

Article Link:
http://www.scooter-infos.com/actual...rt-et-c-650-gt-disponibles-le-14-juillet.html

Google Translation:

The first BMW maxiscooters C 600 and C 650 Sport GT, whose production had been delayed, will be delivered on or after July 14, 2012 to their clients French, Italian and Spanish. These three strategic markets will be the first served.

Germany will wait until July 21, the rest of Europe until July 28, ultra-marine markets following the fall of 2012. In France, it will cost you € 11 100 for the BMW 600 Sport C, and € 11 450 for C 650 GT.

These machines come eagerly awaited in France therefore a national holiday, what better way to make a spectacular entrance you say? Delayed by the quality department of BMW, the maximum high-end target for the flawless face nothing less than the Yamaha T-Max 530, and GT reference Honda SW-T 600 and Suzuki Burgman 650.


My only question now is of course, what the heck is an "ultra-marine market"?:huh

Overseas market.

Here's one type of ultramarine.

11K+ euros = 14-15 k usd? I am including importation duties... NOT ME

Damasovi

The BMW scooters for the US market will start production in the beginning of August. The US Dealer intro of the scooters will be mid October at a place not announced yet, delivery to the dealers will coincide with the October dealer show.

US pricing has not been determined yet.

Thought you would like to know. The demand for these BMW scooters are similar to the K1600's in that the demand is extremely high on a world wide basis.

Eh, he's a Colts fan. I live in New England, where we don't dump our quarterbacks just because of a little injury.

Well, not our current quaterback anyway. The last one, sure.

Good info, thanks. Any idea how the demand is for these in the US vs. rest of the world?

Don't know for sure, but San Jose has many deposits on the upcomming BMW Scooters. From what I generally gather, the US demand is quiet hi.

Still betting march 2013 for US market
Deposit on first blue c600 to long beach BMW

That's fine with me, being in New England. Not much riding in the winter usually anyway. Although last winter was pretty mild and not much snow, but I'm sure it was still warmer in long beach.

In comparison to something with the prefix "super", rather than "ultra":


French registered Supermarine Spitfire PR19 retro-fitted with a counter rotating propeller Griffon 58A from an Avro Shackleton in 2002 and which was then owned by Christophe Jacquard.

Obi-Wan: These aren't the maxiscooters you're looking for.

US scooterist: These aren't the maxiscooters we're looking for.

Obi-Wan: He can go about his continental scooter business.

US scooterist: You can go about your continental scooter business.

Obi-Wan: Move along.

US scooterist: Move along... move along.

Why would anyone buy a Silverwing/Burgman/Majesty/T-Max with BMW written on it and pay twice as much?

What makes you think that they will cost twice as much????

I think that you will be plesently suprised.

2011 TMAX lists for $8600 US. I'd expect the C600 sport with all options to be around $11,000. So for $2400 I can get 50% more HP, ABS, adjustable windscreen, heated grips and seats, more usable underseat storage and a power plug, plus BMW will actually sell accessories for this, unlike Yamaha. And I think its great looking, at least in the pictures.

Seems like a good deal actually.

Those are my reasons for wanting one, but there's a reason there's so many different kinds of bikes made. To each his own.

These are supposed to be in the US around the same time as the BMW scooter.
Bigger, more powerful AND less money....
We'll see about that

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcycles/2012models/2012-Aprilia-SRV850.htm

I have never owned a BMW anything, and the main reason is price. But I have been part of the scooter/motorcycle scene all my life, and am familiar with the cost of BMWs compared to Asian and Italian bikes. I I expect the BMW to be about $5000 more than the Japanese maxi scooters. However, since a lot of it's parts are built in Asia, I could be wrong. But, is an Asian built BMW still a real BMW?

A lot has been made of the fact that Harley uses a lot of Asian made parts on their bikes, and therefore the bikes aren't really American. They are still an American design, but the presence of Asian parts does make me question their cost, as well as the fact that they are truly American. The same goes for BMW. BMW is well known as a German brand. And it used to be, but not so much anymore. For some time, BMW has been using non German made parts, including complete engines.

The same thing can also be said about Japanese bikes. Used to be that Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha were Japanese bikes. But that is no longer the case. Many of them are now being built in China, Taiwan, and Thailand.

It is becoming very confusing what is what anymore. Brand names used to mean something, but that is becoming less and less so. Many brand name vehicles are a hodgepodge of parts from all over, and in fact many are completely built in other countries. My 1985 Honda Goldwing was built in the U.S., though most of the parts were of Japanese origin. Now the Goldwing is again being built in Japan, but many of the parts are from third world countries.



BTW, I do like that Aprilia. I don't know how much of it is Italian, but it looks nice and it is probably high quality.

The Aprilia is an unbelievably beautiful scooter. However, I've heard horror stories about parts for the Italian bikes, and the underseat storage is pretty much useless. I mainly commute on my scooter so the storage is important. If I were to get a bike that wasn't practical I'd go back to a street bike. Someday maybe I'll have a practical scooter and an impractical bike, but I just feel guilty about not riding the one I'm not riding.

Globalization. Good or bad it's here to stay.

Cars.com has an American Made Index. 5 of the top 10 are Japanese companies.

http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0611

It's gonna be over $20k here..