All the way back in the 90s, BMW had a go at building a cruiser that was supposed to be a genuine threat to the status quo. Unfortunately, it bombed rather spectacularly and once it came to the end of its production life, the decision was made not to replace it with anything. The R1200C served as a cautionary tale for a brand that has tasted success in pretty much every other segment.
It took the best part of two decades for the esteemed Bavarian brand to wade cautiously back into this space. The R 18 was met with a rather lukewarm reception, and sales remain pretty weak to this day. A couple of price reductions only serve to underscore that fact, and have wreaked havoc on the bike’s resale value. It seems as though BMW may have actually learned from these mistakes, because the latest effort seems to be the best so far, and rather ironically, the spiritual successor to the R1200C.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from BMW Motorrad. Whereas, the opinions are our own.
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The BMW R 12 Is The Sleeper Cruiser Everyone’s Overlooking
MSRP: $13,145
One of the reasons cited for the discontinuation of the original R1200C was that its engine was outdated and had no suitable replacement. In a deeply ironic twist of fate, the R 12 has come out with pretty much the same engine as its predecessor, sourced from the more sporty R nineT. It has entered a highly competitive part of the market, and even though it is priced well, there are already several great options available to us in this space.
As far as metric alternatives go, the Triumph Bonneville Bobber stands out as its closest rival. While there are some great Japanese bikes on the market, most of them are a good deal cheaper than these two premium retro offerings. The Bobber holds the edge in terms of style, but the BMW certainly has more to offer in the performance department, especially once you factor in how much lighter it is.
If you want to stick with an American V-twin, there are two rather enticing options. Harley-Davidson offers the Nightster at an attractive price, which offers a lot of value to the right buyer, but reserves a few nice-to-have features for the more expensive Nightster Special (pictured). The Indian Scout Sixty Bobber offers a more traditional design at an equally attractive price, but is sparsely equipped compared to the BMW.
The R 12 Has An Authentic Air-Cooled Twin Engine
Power: 95 Horsepower
One fact about the old version of this engine rang true, and that was that it was underpowered. The R1200C got a detuned version, which only made around 60 horsepower. Even back then, this was a little bizarre because the R1200GS made more power from the same engine. It is fair to say that it has come a long way since those days.
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The modern version packs 95 horsepower, right on par with the competition and more than enough for this lightweight cruiser. What has made this engine so popular over the years is not how much power it has, but rather how it makes power, and how reliable it has proven to be. Even though it is now forced to jump through more emissions-related hoops, it retains its flat torque curve. If anything, it should be even more mechanically reliable thanks to this relatively mild state of tune (at least when compared to the more sporty R nineT).
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Like pretty much any modern BMW, the R 12 is well-equipped. It comes with cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control as standard. It also gets ride modes and a minimalist retro dash. To some, the omission of a TFT might be a miss, but it would look out of place on a minimalist cruiser like this. It is also a bike that BMW actively encourages customers to customize, offering a host of aftermarket accessories for the model. Including a “passenger package” which we feel should come as standard, but that would likely drive up the price.
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Finding The Right Balance
For all manufacturers, it has become almost impossible to strike a balance between pricing and features. Naturally, the more features you add, the more the price goes up. We have now arrived at what is a rather odd juncture where we get advanced safety equipment like lean-sensitive traction control, but need to pay extra for a passenger seat.
To some, this might be deemed acceptable, but there is no denying that it makes what is already an impractical vehicle even less practical. The R 12 is certainly not the only solo-seat cruiser on the market, and while BMW is infamous for intentionally leaving off certain features that should be standard fare, other manufacturers do the same thing. That said, the R 12 does strike a great balance between performance and everyday practicality.
At 500 pounds, it is relatively light for a cruiser. Its low seat height makes it accessible to shorter folk, and easy enough to hop on and off around a busy city. BMW also offers a few genuinely premium touches, and it certainly merits its price tag, but we can also understand why it is getting overlooked.