Long-Distance Touring on a BMW Scooter – Is It Feasible?

[elibennett90]

I’ve been considering taking my BMW scooter on a long-distance trip and was wondering if anyone here has experience with extended touring on these machines. How comfortable are they for long rides?

 

[Jack Herbst]

What do you consider long rides. My previous owner rode his to a summer hone on weekends which is 400 miles round trip. I have over 1/2 M miles under my belt in many years of riding and would guess 200-250 miles a day would be quite doable.

 

[Ceesie76]

My C650 is almost but not quite as comfortable as my K1600. It also depends on whether you plan to ride mostly fast highways or slower 2-lane roads, whether you prefer cruise control, and what sort of weather you expect to encounter. That all said, with either 400 or 650, they are more than capable enough to take you on very long trips.

 

[subcyclist]

Your motivation, determination, and stamina will be key factors. Preparation of different levels will make or break your trip. If you just want to meander and explore, have your bike services and tires checked before departing. If you want to travel beyond the current lifespan of your tires, look ahead to areas you will be travelling to, to see if there is a place where you can buy new tires. If you have a gas scooter, that pre-trip service is a good idea (e.g. oil change).

If you have the CE04...check out this topic by an inspiring electric adventurer - https://www.bmw-scooters.com/threads/ride-report-beating-the-heat-nc-tn-7-days-1350mi.3192/. I took my CE04 on a 175 mile trip last October; it would not be too comfortable to ride on for more than 1.5 - 2 hours, but the required frequent charging stops helped me to avoid that condition.

I have seen video reviews of the 400GT, and the general consensus for those is that the comfort level is fairly good. BMW scooters tend to have a long wheelbase, which helps them to absorb road imperfections much better than smaller scooters. So, we are all well set in this regard. If you are an avid motorcyclist like Ceesie76 (3 bikes qualifies you as this in my mind), you are likely built for biking, and you would most probably handle a long tour on your scooter. If you are primarily a car driver, you might not enjoy a long tour; unless you take your time, and plan frequent rest stops. Which scooter do you have?

 

[Gerardo]

I rode from Santiago (Chile) to Punta del Este (Uruguay), crossing the Andean mountains with my c650GT. My wife and I enjoyed the trip and it was comfortable, at an avg speed of 120km/h for a 5000kmts roundtrip. The scooter did fantastic, I encourage you to do your trip!

 

[mjnorris]

Not as long as Gerardo’s trip but I circumnavigated the state of Oklahoma for a photographic scavenger hunt with my new 2013 C650Gt in the summer of 2013. Just don’t ride westbound on hiway 412 due to the semis interrupting the constant northerly wind.

 

[wspollack]

This thread is a little frustrating because the original poster, @elibennett90, made that one and only post above ... about a month ago ... and doesn't appear to have logged into the forum since. So we still don't know anything about his or her plans, including which scooter she or he has in mind, what might constitute a "long" trip, and so forth.

Me, I'm waiting for a follow-up post from the OP.

 

[RollaCosta]

I rode over 7000km in three weeks in Australia, from Melbourne to King Canyon and back. Very comfy but I have got 11 upgrades installed on my C650 Sport. The only thing mildly annoying is suspension quite “lively” on Sport, less so on GT. But this becomes a benefit in the mountain twisties, so much feel and control and confidence that I enjoy every day. Touring happens much less often so I prefer more feel not less.