BMW C1

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BMW C1

The BMW C1 is an enclosed feet forwards motorcycle made by BMW.

BMW departed from tradition in 1992 when it introduced the C1 superscooter at the IMFA show in Cologne, Germany. The marketing hype was that "For the first time in a modern motor vehicle, the C1 combines the advantages of two-wheeled motorized transportation with the strengths of the automobile."

Many European city centres are filled with motorcycle commuters and clogged with cars and BMW tried to appeal more to the car buyer with the C1. The idea was to offer the convenience of a scooter or motorbike but without many of the associated dangers. The C1's most innovative design feature was its emphasis on safety. BMW tried to add passive safety and car-like crash testing to the scooter. It claimed that in a head-on collision, the C1 offered a standard of accident protection comparable to a European compact car. That was the prime marketing strategy to convert car buyers; the C1 was claimed to be so safe that the rider did not need to wear a helmet to ride it. This was achieved by using two shoulder-height rollbars, a crumple zone around the front wheel and an aluminium roll cage creating a car-like safety cell. It also had twin seatbelts reminiscent of a aviation style four-point harness to keep the rider in place.

In Germany, Italy, France, Israel and Spain authorities were quick to allow an exception to the helmet law for the C1. However, poor C1 sales in the United Kingdom may be attributable to the British government's refusal of BMW's request to change helmet regulations for C1 riders[1][2]. Another country that requires C1 riders to wear a helmet is Sweden, although wearing the seatbelts is voluntary. After selling 10,614 units in 2001, BMW only sold 2,000 units in 2002, and ceased production of the C1 in October 2002. It was never made available in the USA. Since going out of production, C1s have found new homes with collectors and as pit-bikes for some of the Formula One Grand Prix teams.^{[citation needed]}