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Would a BMW C400 GT be right for me?

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Ackles

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Owned multiple bikes in the last decade or so. Sold my last one (FJR1300) because I started riding less and less because it wasn't comfortable in city riding and I was rarely touring on it. I got tired of riding a manual bike in traffic and been looking at automatic transmission options.

I keep coming back to the C400 GT. I think it looks real good and comfy with good options. Just wondering if I needed to ride a couple hundred miles at highway speeds (70ish) would it be capable of doing so comfortably?

Any known issues with this model?
 
Ackles said:
Owned multiple bikes in the last decade or so. Sold my last one (FJR1300) because I started riding less and less because it wasn't comfortable in city riding and I was rarely touring on it. I got tired of riding a manual bike in traffic and been looking at automatic transmission options.

I keep coming back to the C400 GT. I think it looks real good and comfy with good options. Just wondering if I needed to ride a couple hundred miles at highway speeds (70ish) would it be capable of doing so comfortably?

Any known issues with this model?
Click to expand...
Yes, to feeling comfortable on the highway. I am coming off a K1600 and at 70 years old wanted to slow things down a bit so I can keep riding. This scooter really caught me by surprise. It is a beast. And the automatic makes things easier in so many situations. Just got back from a four day trip that included going over the Sierra's twice, hitting 27% inclines on sharp turns up to 9K+ feet and no worries. Working a clutch on a heavy bike can make a road like that challenging. Equally, jumping on a major freeway at 70/80(max for the 2025) is smooth and comfortable. It just feels like you are on a bike. Nothing unusual. My only negative is I had to modify the seat, add a back rest, and change the shield, although those could be a me thing. I think the lumbar is not placed far enough back and instead sits where it is to cover a bar that goes across the seat right by your spine. Remove the lumbar, which I had to because it hurt my lower back, and you have the bar to contend with. I added a backrest to replace the support but hurts the overall looks of the bike, and am using a permanent AirHawk that is placed to cover the bar going across the seat. The one area that can be interesting is psychological. If you are coming from big bikes you were pretty much incorporated into the biker world. But with a scooter not so much. You can feel a little sheepish pulling into a parking lot having a bunch of Harleys with your scooter. You have to be past caring about that type of thing. Last word - it is every bit as much fun as any other bike I have had, and more fun than some.
 
If you're not limited to buying new, also consider the C650 range. About twice the power of a C400 so a lot closer to your K experience (I also have a K1600 GTL) and since they're now a bit older, good low mileage 650's can be had for very modest money and still carry you for many years. I absolutely love my C650 Sport, bought it at 2 years old (in 2018) with 1,960 miles on it, now at around 18,000 so still pretty fresh.
 
Ackles said:
Owned multiple bikes in the last decade or so. Sold my last one (FJR1300) because I started riding less and less because it wasn't comfortable in city riding and I was rarely touring on it. I got tired of riding a manual bike in traffic and been looking at automatic transmission options.

I keep coming back to the C400 GT. I think it looks real good and comfy with good options. Just wondering if I needed to ride a couple hundred miles at highway speeds (70ish) would it be capable of doing so comfortably?

Any known issues with this model?
Click to expand...
If you want to see highway speeds of a C 400, check out the speed graphs I posted: https://www.bmw-scooters.com/threads/2025-models-in-the-usa-and-maybe-a-slight-rant.3340/#post-28352

You’ll get a little more bike movement than you would on heavier tourers from truck buffeting, but nothing really objectionable. I’ve done that same trip on 900-lb. baggers and Burgman 650 scooters (which are about 140 lbs. heavier than the C 400), so I speak from experience.

In terms of reliability, I’ve read of two C 400 engine problems here: my issue (possibly a broken valve-keeper spring) and someone reported a broken crankshaft, as I recall. In my case, as I reported in a long post, BMW replaced my ‘22 with a new’23.

Good luck in your quest.
 
Actually I now live in California. And also recall now running into Holleeder with that other Willem, Mr Endstra, a couple of times when I worked out at Splash gym on the Looiersgracht. That didn't end well.
 
I havent read what others wrote but here is my 2 cents. I found myself in a similar situation. My Indian Challenger just got to big and heavy to manuver. I tried some lighter bikes but did not like them. Looked at the automatic Honda I think its the 1100 cc unit and felt it was uncomfortable and I would have to do a lot of work to it to make it comfortable. I wanted one of Hondas 750 cc scooters or a Yamah Xmax 560 or Cymco AK 550 and was leaning toward the Kymco when I discovered that none of them were sold in the USA. (The Kymco just started being sold here this year.) I kinda settled on the BMW C400gt. It is a very comfortable scooter. You can ride it all day at 70 to 75. One guy on You Tube did the iron butt ride on his. (1000 miles in less than 24 hours.)

I have enjoyed the hell out of this scooter, still wish it had a little more top end speed, which I would rearly use, and cruise control, which I would rarely use, but they were both nice to have when you needed them. Only you can decide if the C400 will work for you.
 
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