C1

C1

A Beemer for the city

WITH PARKING AT A PREMIUM, GAS PRICES ON the high side of $5 per gallon and traffic more congested than Southern California's 405 freeway at rush hour, it's no wonder scooters reign supreme in Europe.

Not that a scooter is the perfect transportation device-agile they may be, stable they're not. And you don't know the meaning of vulnerable until you've tried to negotiate the central square in Naples, Italy, on a 50cc Aprilia amidst a throng of over-caffeinated Nuvolariwannabes. Nonetheless, there are 24 million two-wheelers in Europe, the lion's share being these small-tired, twostroke buzz-bombs.

Though an unlikely innovator in the field, BMW hopes to revolutionize the scooter. First revealed at the Cologne Show in 1992, the 125cc Cl has been described as every thing from a two-wheeled car to a NASA moon-vehicle experiment gone mad.

The bike's innovative roof is BMW's solution to the touchy subject of motorcycle safety. Automotive-like in its approach, the Cl's frame is designed as a safety cell with a built-in roll cage. Particularly unusual is the fact that the rider is strapped into the seat with not one, but two shoul der harnesses. There's even talk of equipping future models with airbags.

Despite its somewhat ungainly appearance, the roof does a good job of pro tecting the rider. In fact, Cis propelled into cars at various angles and speeds protected crash-test dummies from all but minor injuries. In every case, the belts kept everything but hands and feet within the safety of the roll cage. Most importantly, the rider's head would have sustained no injury. As a result, the German government (and other European governing bodies) is considering free ing Cl riders from mandatory helmet laws. Moreover, the European Union will allow anyone with a driv er's license to ride two-wheelers up to 125cc without a motorcycle opera tor's permit.

BMW will have to stress that practi cal side if it wants to sell the 10,000 units forecasted annually. For despite its many attributes, the Cl isn't particularly exciting. Powered by a four-stroke Single, the machine is saddled with a per formance-numbing, 397-pound curb weight. Although its 62-mph top speed is enough for around-town use, accelera tion is blushingly modest.

All that weight also robs the Cl of a scooter's primary attribute: agility. Although it's more easily maneuvered than a full-sized bike, the Cl isn't the ideal missile for skirting slow-moving Fiat Cinquecentos. Nor will it find favor among Latin lovers, as passengers must perch on an auxil iary seat behind the "cabin."

That said, the Cl is a hoot to ride, largely because it feels unlike any other production two-wheeler. For one thing, it's odd being strapped into a motorcycle. For another, looking through the windscreen while leaning into corners is a bit like riding a motor ized video game, especial ly when you trigger motorcycling's first wind shield wiper.

Options range from a cellular phone holder and Sony Walkman-type stereo to anti-lock brakes. Of course, these items will certainly add to the Cl `s already hefty $6000 pricetag. And that, combined with the Cl's performance, pretty much rules out success in North America. Indeed, BMW has no plans to bring the Cl to the U.S. For what it's worth, though, company officials were tantalizingly vague about a 250cc version. That machine could make sense as a chi-chi substitute for Honda's Helix amongst motorcycling's Rodeo Drive set. -David Booth