Overall Ratings ★★★★★
| Ride: | ★★★★★ |
| Look: | ★★★★★ |
| Value for money: | ★★★★★ |
In a Nutshell
After the press launch in Valencia, we took the updated BMW C650 Sport for a week to see how it handles around the city and suburbs.
Maxi-scooter comfort and motorcycle dynamics in a more refined way. These are the main assets of the new BMW C 650 Sport. We ride it through the curvy roads around Valencia at the international press launch and then, for a week, around Bucharest. The C 650 rides better than it looks: it is a perfect mix between power/torque, comfort, and handling. But all comes for a price: it costs more than some liter bikes.
What We Liked
The 650 parallel-twin feels like a motorcycle engine and pulls until you hit 180 km/h (111 mph). The throttle response is very relaxed and is tuned for a relaxed ride. However, if you want to have fun, the C650 Sport can be as fast as a middleweight motorcycle. The engine is pointed onwards and enables a low gravity center.
BMW C650 Sport handles in a similar way to a touring motorcycle. The suspension is comfortable and still able to hit the corners at high speed, while the braking system doesn’t bite hard (by motorcycle standards), but is good enough to stop the scooter.
It feels like a comfortable couch powered by an engine not so quite as a normal scooter. So it’s a nice feeling. Moreover, the shiny plastic, the comfortable seat, the LED day running lights and expensive materials give you a premium feeling. It’s more ride-rewarding than a common maxi-scooter, but there is no motorcycle.
The ride position is somewhere between a cruiser motorcycle and a maxi-scooter. The seat is low, the feet are pointed forward, and the handlebar has a natural position. You will never get tired on long trips, but you will still have enough agility in the city.
C650 Sport is fitted with heated grips, heated seat, adjustable windshield. As usual, BMW Motorrad gives you all comfort features you may need on a vehicle (as an option, of course). There is a nice feature regarding the storage space. It can easily accommodate one full-face helmet when running, but the space can be extended when you stop. So, you can put your helmet there while having a coffee and take it back when you’ll start the engine again.
The overall build quality is good, although we spotted some not so good-looking details for a premium scooter. The dashboard looks very nice and gives you plenty of information – trip, rev counter, outside temperature, clock, date.
What We Disliked
It has a long wheelbase, so it doesn’t wobble at high speed. On the other hand, a long wheelbase doesn’t offer you too much agility in the rush hour city traffic. It handles better than a motorcycle but remember that it’s not a 125 scooter. After all, it weighs 249 kg (548 lbs).
BMW C650 Sport has standard ABS and traction control. While the ABS is a very necessary add-on, the Traction Control System is not a necessary feature. After all, you have a 70 horsepower engine in a 250 bodyweight. Although it’s very intrusive (it’s hard to climb uphill on a sandy surface), you’ll never feel it in action. Maybe on wet cobblestone.
Raw Data
Starting price: €10,940/ 10,095$
Highline pack: 948 euro
Avg. fuel consumption: 6.0 l/100 km [39.20 mpg]
You got a lot of original OEM parts available: sport seat, chrome parts, scooter coat, passenger backrest, top-case, BMW Motorrad Navigator, Smartphone Cradle, and other accessories.
| Year introduced | 2016 |
| Max power (horsepower, KW) | 44 kW (60PS) |
| Max torque (NM, lb-ft) | 63 Nm (46 lb-ft) |
| Top speed (km/h, mph) | Over 100 mph (160 km/h) |
| Engine (CC, CI) | 647 cc |
| Frame | Tubular steel with die-cast aluminum sections |
| Weight (KG, Lbs.) | 249 Kg (549 lbs) |
| Seat Height (CM, IN”) | 800 mm (31 in) |
| Front Brake | Dual floating disc brakes, dual-piston floating calipers, diameter 270 mm |
| Rear Brake | Single disc brake, diameter 270 mm, 2-piston floating caliper |
| Front Tire Size | 120/70/ZR15 |
| Rear Tire Size | 160/60/ZR15 |
| Front suspension | Upside-down fork Ø 40 mm |
| Rear suspension | Single-sided swing arm |
| Fuel Tank (L, Gal) | 16 L (4,2 Gal) |
| Avg. fuel consumption (L/100 KM, MPG) | 4,6 L/100 km (51 mpg) |
| Safety | ABS, Traction control |
| Price (EUR, USD) | €10,940/ 10,095$ |
Simply the best maxi.
If only it had wet multiplate clutch, it would be better than T-Max in ALL aspects.
Feels like they gave up one gen earlier than that, a newer dash, ABS and TC and flatter seat would have made it perfect.