BMW R 1200 C Montauk Motorcycle Reviews on Cycle Insider (2)
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I have had my Montauk for a little over one year and love it. BMW quality & reliability is a major reason why I purchased this bike, along with what I believe is a unique and beautiful design. This is the first bike I've owned since selling my first bike several years ago, which was a little Yamaha 600 (Seka II). To me, the Montauk has more than enough power to get up the steep mountains and twisty canyon roads and goes fast enough and quick enough for me in the flats. Breaking is fantastic in dry and wet conditions. The low center of gravity from the engine allows me to look like a champ in slow situtations or when I'm making tight turns- the handling is exceptional! I have the gel seats, which are extremely comfortable, but I plan on getting a heated comfort leather seat because I like the look of leather more than gel. It really is an impressive ride when combining the seat and suspension. I recently added bags, so I am going to put more miles on this year. This is the only reason I don't have more miles on her already. It certainly isn't becuase of comfort! It's an awesome ride. I don't think one can argue with the quality of BMW. The bike quailty goes without question and the service and sales departments have been wonderful. The only suggestion I'd make if you are planning on getting one of these, is to have the dealer put on the standard 1200C seat set up before you buy. It doesn't make sense that BMW didn't keep the same backrest and passneger seat set up, but they didn't. It's pretty pricey to add the standard set up, which is practical. The gel pad that comes standard on the Montauk isn't that great for a passenger and doesn't really do much for the bike. I am sorry they are not going to make this bike anymore. It is a lot of bike for the money, especially when comparing to other cruisers in the same price range (or higher). Get one fast, while you can!

The bike is beautifully finished, and is an interesting (in my eyes) design statement. The riding position, which splits the difference between "standard" and "cruiser", is comfortable. The power is adequate, but not impressive. The brakes are outstanding and when combined with the unique suspension, offer tremendous stopping power in all circumstances. The ride is plush, and the handling is quite good. The engine vibrates a bit too much around 3500 rpm and above 4500 rpm. But it smoothed out somewhat after the first service. The consensus among owners is that it gets a fair bit smoother as your mileage accumulates. I put on Ztechnik pipes for a stronger exhaust note. It doesn't have a V-twin sound, but sounds good in its own way. It does tend to backfire (now more audible with the open pipes) on engine braking. It is not hard to avoid this by engine braking less. It's too bad that BMW evidently does not plan to continue with this line. I would have liked to see the model updated with more CC's and a more aggressive state of engine tune.