BMW C 400 GT: What to expect?

MANILA: Considering the growing trend of touring on two-wheelers, especially on scooters, BMW Motorrad Philippines is planning to launch its new C 400 GT in the country. The German brand already has the C 650 GT for long distance touring but it’s on the pricey side. There’s also the C 400 X which is easier on the pocket but isn’t the ideal machine for touring. The new BMW C 400 GT is expected to fill this gap. So, what should you expect from this new German scooter?

For easy touring, you need to have a comfortable riding position otherwise you would tire out pretty soon which would not allow you to crunch as many miles as you could have done otherwise. To make sure you don’t face such an issue, the BMW C 400 GT will have a comfortable seat with proper cushioning. Also, there will be a small backrest for the rider. It’s small but big enough to give good support to your lower back. Also, the footboard for the rider is placed forward and a bit higher to give a cruiser-like riding stance. It’s the most comfortable you can get on a two-wheeler. Even the pillion would have wider footboards.

Another helpful touring feature that is expected to come with the C 400 GT is a tall windscreen. It will keep the windblast away by channelling air away from the rider. Thus, you can ride faster on boring highways. BMW will also provide a twin LED headlamp setup so that you have proper lighting while touring in the dark.

There is likely to be two separate glove and helmet compartments under the seat. This amount of space should be more than sufficient to keep your other belongings that need quick and easy accessibility. The C 400 GT would feature a 6.5-inch full-colour TFT display that will have a ton of information to convey to the rider. It’s not confirmed yet, but we would like to see navigation ability and smartphone integration in this instrument cluster. It would just make things a lot easier for touring.

Unlike the BMW C 650 GT, the upcoming C 400 GT will have a more aggressive front look. It might be just as wide if not wider than its elder sibling. Being German, this scooter will not let you down when it comes to build quality and fit and finish.

As far as the BMW C 400 GT specs are concerned, there’s going to be a 350cc, single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine with 34 PS of maximum power coming in at 7,500 rpm and 35 Nm of peak torque that kicks in at 6,000 rpm. The transmission will obviously be a CVT. Braking would be handled by disc brakes at both ends with ABS and Automatic Stability Control (ASC) as added safety features.

BMW Motorrad would also make available a host of accessories like heated grips, wind deflectors, etc., just like it does with its C 650 GT. The C 400 GT would get at least 3 colour options - Alpine White, Moonwalk Grey, and Blackstorm Metallic - and a 5-year warranty.

Right now, there are no official details released by the company. As far as the BMW C 400 GT price is concerned, it’s likely to fall somewhere in between that of the C 400 X and C 650 GT. Regarding the availability, it’s being speculated that BMW is going to make an announcement soon. We’ll keep you updated once the word gets out, so, stay tuned.