The 1997 James Bond flick, Tomorrow Never Dies, is loved for many reasons. For motorcyclists, that reason might as well be the famous bike chase sequence, which has become an iconic piece of stunt driving. This scene sees James Bond and Wai Lin handcuffed to each other, trying to evade a couple of Range Rovers and a helicopter. It follows them speeding through streets and rooftops, and even making a 44-foot leap between two buildings.
Stunt riding finesse aside, what makes the scene special is the bike of choice. It’s not a motocross or a dirt bike; instead, Bond’s choice here is a hefty BMW cruiser, the R 1200 C. As iconic as the scene was, the R 1200 C and its smaller sibling, the R 850 C, could not win hearts off the silver screen. But today, the R 850 C might just be a classic in the making. So, here’s the story of BMW stepping outside its comfort zone with the bike and trying something new.
The History Of The BMW R 850 C
Back in the late ‘90s, the cruiser segment was dominated by Harley-Davidson and its big twin cruisers. Whatever was left was scraped up by Japanese manufacturers, which offered V-twin cruisers with bulletproof reliability. BMW wanted a slice of this pie, and so it developed the R 1200 C and the R 850 C. The bigger of the two also got an advanced promotional placement in the popular James Bond film. Predictably, the bikes didn’t exactly fly off the showroom floors.
R 1200 C And R 850 C Were Sales Failures
Instead of sticking to the already established cruiser formula, BMW tried something new. The cruisers featured an air-cooled boxer engine, with the cylinder heads sticking out on either side. That forced the footpegs to be neutral, not far out like traditional cruisers. Then there was the bike’s quirky yet understated design, complete with a shaft drive at the back and BMW’s Telelever suspension at the front. That’s well and good on paper today, but two decades ago, cruiser enthusiasts weren’t looking for that.
BMW’s Perception Problem
The problem was much deeper than the bike’s underpinnings, though. BMW had a perception problem. The manufacturer was known for making adventure and sport touring motorcycles, not cruisers. It lacked the cruiser heritage that would appeal to cruiser enthusiasts. And not being big twin cruisers, they also lacked the loud rumble and character of Harley-Davidsons, and they lacked Japanese reliability. Instead, the cruisers sat somewhere in the middle. Yes, they could do the same things, but they failed in appealing to the buyers emotionally.
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BMW R 850 C Isn’t Necessarily A Bad Motorcycle, Though
The thing is, these BMW cruisers weren’t all that bad, especially the R 850 C. This cruiser combined German engineering finesse with a classic cruiser style, featuring laid-back ergonomics, pull-back handlebars, and a low seat height of 29.1 inches. Heck, you could even fold up the pillion seat, turning it into a backrest for solo rides. BMW also offered handy saddlebags and wind protection for the bike. Comfort-wise, it had all the things that make a good cruiser.
Powered By An Air-Cooled Boxer Engine
The R 850 C was powered by an 848cc air-cooled boxer engine, which produced 50 horsepower at 5,250 RPM and 52.4 pound-feet of torque at 4,750 RPM. That’s not bad for a midsize cruiser. According to reviewers at the time, the engine delivered smooth, torquey performance that was friendly for city cruising and capable of handling highway rides, too, with a top speed of 95 miles per hour. The shaft drive reduces maintenance and ensures a smooth, quiet ride.
And BMW’s Telelever Front Suspension
Say what you will about the Telelever suspension pulling the bike away from the traditional cruiser appeal; it, too, had a place here. BMW says this suspension setup ensures a high level of stability, reduces brake drive, and prolongs fork seal life. Sure, it does reduce front-end feel, but that doesn’t matter much for a hefty cruiser that’s designed to go mostly straight. It was a pretty inviting cruiser, but it was destined to fail nonetheless. BMW ended production in 2000, after a three-year run.
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It’s A Collector’s Item In The Making Today
You know a motorcycle was at the wrong place at the wrong time when even James Bond couldn’t make it sell. Yet, after over two decades, BMW’s cruiser experiment seems to be paying off in the used market as a genuine modern classic. Back in the day, it was seen as something awkward and quirky, but today, it’s a piece of BMW history and a conversation starter. In the line of big, burly V-twins and Japanese cruisers, the R 850 C is the bike to get if you want to stand out from the crowd.
The very things that made the R 850 C fail in the late ‘90s are what are making it popular today. Its quirky Teutonic styling, with some Art Deco elements shining through, is visually striking and unique. So is the boxer engine and Telelever suspension setup. Finally, there’s the James Bond connection, too, which adds to the bike’s cultural legacy. It may still not demand prices like some iconic cruisers, like the El Knucklehead, but not every bike has to sell for six-digits to become a classic.
There’s One Up For Grabs
Speaking of, you can still pick one up today if you want a slice of BMW history and a James Bond connection. There’s one mint-condition R 850 C on auction as part of the Historics Auctioneers Symphony of Spring. This specific model is finished in cream color, complemented by plenty of chrome elements and contrasting black seats and saddlebags. Honestly, it looks gorgeous in all its quirkiness.
This particular model was registered in July 2000, and over 26 years, it has only turned 2,614 miles on the odometer. That’s just the run-in period for the boxer engine, as some would say. The auctioneer claims that, “on the rare occasion it was used, tremendous fun was had.” This has earned the bike an ‘As New’ condition tag from the auctioneer. It’s estimated to go for £3,000 to £5,000 or around $4,000 to $7,000. That’s a steal deal for a bike that could soon turn into a collector’s item.
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Fortunately, BMW Hasn’t Given Up Building Cruisers
It’s rare for manufacturers to claim a product for failure, but BMW doesn’t shy away from it. The German manufacturer admits the sales figures for the R 850 C never reached those of the big cruiser, and so it was removed from the lineup after three years. Still, calling it a failure is missing the point. It’s a piece of the brand’s history in trying something new, bold, and brave. It didn’t work then, but that spirit lives on for BMW even today.
BMW Has Got Cruisers Right With The R 18
This time, they might have got the formula right, though. Case in point, BMW’s current cruiser lineup, particularly the R 18. This cruiser ditches the weirdness of the R 850 C, and instead, it leans heavily on heritage cruiser styling. It features a low-slung, land yacht wheelbase that’s inspired by old BMW models, like the legendary R 32. So, there’s BMW DNA there, for sure, but there’s also all the conventional cruiser bits, like laid-back ergonomics, simplicity in design, telescopic forks, and big-bike heft.
Thankfully, BMW hasn’t ditched the boxer engine, either. The R 18 features the brand’s biggest ever boxer twin engine, displacing 1,802cc. This engine dumps 120 pound-feet of torque right at 3,000 RPM, which should make this hefty cruiser move with the urgency you’d expect from a modern cruiser. BMW offers this cruiser in multiple variants, including the aptly named R 18 Classic and the custom-styled R 18 Roctane.
BMW Cruisers Are Still Building Momentum, Though
It still won’t win everyone over. Half of the market, and that’s being conservative, will still pick a V-twin Harley-Davidson over this one. And the rest who are low on budget will still gravitate toward Japanese or Indian cruisers. At least now, the R 18 has built some buzz in the cruiser world, all without James Bond endorsing it just yet. And that’s why the R 850 C matters today; without its failure, BMW might never have learned how to make a credible cruiser today.
Source: BMW, Historic Auctioneers