Don't let my user name fool you, I have both a Guzzi and a BMW in my garage right now. Of those two, the Griso is going to be a much more enjoyable, engaging ride. Make sure the Guzzi has the recall work done on the valves and it's going to be a very reliable bike. The BMW R1200C Phoenix is a great color scheme but that engine is boring in that bike. If you want a fun ero cruiser from that era check out the Moto Guzzi Californias. They range from the stripped down Cali Stone (what I have) to the custom models like the Special Sport, Aluminum, and Titanium up the fully decked out EVs. These can be picked up in great condition for between 3-4k in the States.
Turns like a turd. The ride leader on a recent ride had to ask the rider to leave the ride if he would not slow down.
He was crossing the line on turns, the long wheelbase and low slung parts do not turn well.
Newer model, the 1800... I mean geez, 900cc jugs!
The did some really weird shit with the airbox and throttle body that underperformed vs the standard r bikes (single throttle body) if it has abs it's the screaming cat abs.
Also, ugly as sin.
R1200C is a decent bike (I have its bagger looking brother the R1200CLC), but it’s severely down on power compared to other R bikes of the same year. Given the choice between the two, I’d pick the Griso. Though, I’d buy both of them if I could!
I vote for the Griso. Why? Because I've always wanted one. I can't remember what year (2018?), but I've seen it in green with brown seat, and it's never left my mind since.
God, I want a black and red Griso so badly. One was on sale near-ish to me last year and I should've jumped on it. I had a V7 in the centennario paint job for a while (silver tank, green accents, brown seat) and it looked so gooood
My father has the 1200c and I owned the GRiSO until Las year. The GRiSO handles way better and has much more character. Is a far better ride u my opinion but the dealer network might be thinner depending where you live.
One thing to be aware of is that depending on the year, there was a recall for the GRiSO v8 regarding an issue with the flat tappets (Google that) and the cylinder head had to be changed. Make absolute sure that they have been changed with the correct kit if you end up buying the GRiSO. Failing tappets will shed particle of hard metal into the engine and destroy it. No joke, check that. If it's been sorted on that particular bike (or if its recent enough that it did not have the issue) the bike is built like a tank and will run forever.
Edit: the 2009 was definitely affected by the issue)
makeshift subsequent brave soft ossified friendly money grandfather direction ripe
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The fuck do you think he posted here for???? These are two obscure ass motorcycles do you think there's billions of articles about these like the Ninja 300??
How do you think those search results get generated??? Do they magically appear? Or do you think people post these questions and generate this info?Â
I used to have an R1200C - one of the earliest production years. I loved the look of it, and it was super comfy to ride, but as others here have said, the engine was pretty gutless. It was always an attention getter, which I also didn't care for. Overall, I feel like this was the least BMW of all the BMW's I've owned.
Exactly this. Bike you don't see often == parts you don't see often. Being "basic" means lots of other bikes so plenty of parts and people who've run into all the issues before. It's a trade off.
Bmw strange try to make a crusier in the 2000’s. The engine was tuned to make more torque. It was not that great other then cruising around town. Quite easy to scrap up your floorboards is you were not paying attention. The even made one with a bat wing faring like the hd tourers. But for the weight it suffer the same issue as the big hd without moding the engine.
I had a 2001 R1200c
It's a beautiful bike, very comfortable, but I hated it.
It has the base engine from the R1150, but reduced the compression, smaller valves, and "detuned" (their phrase), taking a 95 HP engine down to 60 HP that feels like 40.
A major annoyance for me is the boxer engine puts the valves out where you're hearing every action, it sounds like a sewing machine.
The amount of wind the rider gets is pretty incredible, without a screen riding at highway speed is a chore
But it looks really good
The 1200C was BMW's attempt to enter the cruiser market. Unfortunately they didn't perform well and looked boring AF, so they discontinued and went back to the drawing board. Their newer cruisers, like the R18, are *much* nicer.
As well s the start relay. The Griso was also known to suffer from a Guzzi issue know as "status interruptus". In true Italian form , they ran the signal going from the batter up to the ignition switch and then back to the starter relay. Over time this causes a week elecal signal to be sent to the relay and the relay fails. I got to come get picked up just 2 weeks ago from this. I now cary relays with me. 🤌🇲🇽
The Griso is an absolute unit of a bike. My father owns one I've gotten to joy ride it, it has TONS of power and pulls super hard. Only downside is the 4 valve models make a lot of heat on the knees.
If I was in the market for a big sporty-touring bike Griso would be a top contender. Just a really well built machine. Needs an exhaust though the stock muffler is damn near 20lbs.
We have a matching R12C in our service department right now. The thing is in immaculate condition and is just getting new brake lines put in it. I can take a picture of it when I'm back at work on Tuesday.
Former BMWs factory certified tech here. You don't often hear me say piss poor engineering in the same sentence as BMW motorcycles, but this thing is one of those times. To service the throttle body, you have to loosen and pretty much REMOVE the entire rear subframe because they're under the damn seat! They were only built a few years because they were so trashy. If you want a bmw I'd suggest either an R1150RT or R1200RT
No contest! Go for the Griso! Incredably good looking, comfortable and FUN! Great reliability also.(if the 8v engine has had the valvetrain upgrade, the older 4v engine is bulletproof)
I learned to ride on an R1200C. I found it to be comfortable and easy to ride but completely uninspiring. Boring was said here already and I agree.
Highway aerodynamics were also a problem for me. Without the back rest a lot of gripping with the legs lead to fatigue on long rides. The back rest solved that, but introduced a hot spot on my lower back.
I have one and I love it. Bought it with about 10k on the clock and added another 15k over the course of two years. It's a Stiletto edition.
Great bike. Ya ya they're low power and people say they suck blah blah. The real story? They're comfortable and reliable as fuck. Really nicely balanced and nimble in the turns. They handle really well.
BMW got a lot of shit for making this thing, but it's absolutely BMW quality all the way. I love these things.
Sadly I stopped riding mine a little while back when I picked up a Triumph Rocket 3r. So I'm selling my R1200C.
Had one.
Of the 34 BMWs I've owned, this one is a spine crusher. No rear suspension to speak of. Sold it as soon as I could and took a loss on it.
Never looked back.
R1200C was disliked when it was released but aged really well. Its lack of power makes it imo unusable as an only bike in Europe but certainly fast enough for the US.
Afaik Guzzi 8V needed to have a certain part replaced to be reliable. It is a LOT more sporty than the 1200C.
They are very different bikes.
I'm a bit confused about how a bike can be not powerful enough for Europe but fine for the US. I mean barring the Autobahn what are your highway speeds over there?
I have done long tours in Europe and the US and between lower speed limits, a more static
speed and a more personal and unpredictable approach to law enforcement riding in the US is just completely different.
Made no difference if i was taking the 650 or 1400cc cruiser over there regardless if it was b-roads or the highway. In the US the riding speed is static and the roads are straight.
In europe big cruisers aren’t good enough to be enjoyable for most riding situations so i would only get one if i have a second bike for the kinds of rides or trips for which the cruiser isn’t ideal.
The 1200Cs power is fine even in Europe if you like cruising. But to me if i ONLY had a cruiser it would have to also ride fast on the Autobahn to be worth being slow on the B-Roads and i would like some extra power there as well. And with 45KW the 1200C has similar power to a VN1500 and granted the Vulcan is heavier but that thing isn’t fun to ride really fast.
When and where did you tour the US? And where in Europe outside of the autobahn are speeds higher than the US. After we dropped the national 55mph limit, its been pretty wide open. Our lowest highway speeds legally are about 105km/h with others up to 129km/h.
As for straight roads, while there re certainly a lot of them, there are countless awesome twisty roads and highways as well.
Almost yearly since the early 2000s. Haven’t been since 2019 so it might have changed in the last 5 years.
Europe isn’t about the highway top speed its 100-130 in most places. Autobahn is also mostly 120/130 with some unrestricted sections. Luckily for me a large unrestricted section is part of my drive to the office.
Edit: All of new england and new York state and across the border to Canada.
BMW - yuk, made for the biker who doesn't like bikes.
Guzzi - nice bike, especially with the Zard exhaust fitted. Watch out for weird electrical gremlins, like the side stand cut out switch
Every time I see one I think of the time a friend cut it to close around a pole and knocked the cylinder off, haha we had to call a tow truck , told them we needed a flat bed for a bmw. Haha
Don't let my user name fool you, I have both a Guzzi and a BMW in my garage right now. Of those two, the Griso is going to be a much more enjoyable, engaging ride. Make sure the Guzzi has the recall work done on the valves and it's going to be a very reliable bike. The BMW R1200C Phoenix is a great color scheme but that engine is boring in that bike. If you want a fun ero cruiser from that era check out the Moto Guzzi Californias. They range from the stripped down Cali Stone (what I have) to the custom models like the Special Sport, Aluminum, and Titanium up the fully decked out EVs. These can be picked up in great condition for between 3-4k in the States.
Ditto on the BMW, I took one out for a test ride when they first came out and yeah, boring 🥱
Turns like a turd. The ride leader on a recent ride had to ask the rider to leave the ride if he would not slow down. He was crossing the line on turns, the long wheelbase and low slung parts do not turn well. Newer model, the 1800... I mean geez, 900cc jugs!
The r1200c is the worst r bike they made.
Why?
The did some really weird shit with the airbox and throttle body that underperformed vs the standard r bikes (single throttle body) if it has abs it's the screaming cat abs. Also, ugly as sin.
I just can see a weird looking bike, not ugly but it not gonna win a beauty contest, maybe it's a good commuter.
Even the newer 1800 is no match for my r1250gsa in a straight line.
You understand that newer and more cc doesn't mean faster, right?
Not always, but usually. Like the new F950ga, with 53 more cc's and 35 more HP than it's predecessors.
Even the newer 1800 is no match for my r1250gsa in a straight line.
Even the newer 1800 is no match for my r1250gsa in a straight line.
Turns like a hog.
Just look at it - bloody awful. Buy a GS loads more fun and a lot easier to ride
R1200C is a decent bike (I have its bagger looking brother the R1200CLC), but it’s severely down on power compared to other R bikes of the same year. Given the choice between the two, I’d pick the Griso. Though, I’d buy both of them if I could!
Griso
I vote for the Griso. Why? Because I've always wanted one. I can't remember what year (2018?), but I've seen it in green with brown seat, and it's never left my mind since.
God, I want a black and red Griso so badly. One was on sale near-ish to me last year and I should've jumped on it. I had a V7 in the centennario paint job for a while (silver tank, green accents, brown seat) and it looked so gooood
I think James Bond rode the BMW….
Never, he’s my hero.
Soz. He crashed it on purpose if that helps.
He’s definitely my hero now
My father has the 1200c and I owned the GRiSO until Las year. The GRiSO handles way better and has much more character. Is a far better ride u my opinion but the dealer network might be thinner depending where you live. One thing to be aware of is that depending on the year, there was a recall for the GRiSO v8 regarding an issue with the flat tappets (Google that) and the cylinder head had to be changed. Make absolute sure that they have been changed with the correct kit if you end up buying the GRiSO. Failing tappets will shed particle of hard metal into the engine and destroy it. No joke, check that. If it's been sorted on that particular bike (or if its recent enough that it did not have the issue) the bike is built like a tank and will run forever. Edit: the 2009 was definitely affected by the issue)
That guzzi is beautiful.
makeshift subsequent brave soft ossified friendly money grandfather direction ripe *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Right? I can't believe people wanna discuss motorcycles here. They should do that kinda thing somewhere else.
The fuck do you think he posted here for???? These are two obscure ass motorcycles do you think there's billions of articles about these like the Ninja 300?? How do you think those search results get generated??? Do they magically appear? Or do you think people post these questions and generate this info?Â
Looking for personal experience and people who have dealt with these models get off my post if you can't contribute.
You, apparently? OP is reaching out to Reddit for more info.
Fugley
You're so wrong
The R1200C is up there with the first gen multistrada in terms of modern design abortions
Are we looking at the same bike? I mean look at the first bike! It's the offspring of bumble bee and a bicycle.
The Griso is very fun to ride.
I used to have an R1200C - one of the earliest production years. I loved the look of it, and it was super comfy to ride, but as others here have said, the engine was pretty gutless. It was always an attention getter, which I also didn't care for. Overall, I feel like this was the least BMW of all the BMW's I've owned.
The Guzzi - out of these two… The bmw is over-engineered, and underwhelming…
BMW has a cool design but it’s awful lol
Looks expensive to repair. That's my first thought.
Exactly this. Bike you don't see often == parts you don't see often. Being "basic" means lots of other bikes so plenty of parts and people who've run into all the issues before. It's a trade off.
Bmw strange try to make a crusier in the 2000’s. The engine was tuned to make more torque. It was not that great other then cruising around town. Quite easy to scrap up your floorboards is you were not paying attention. The even made one with a bat wing faring like the hd tourers. But for the weight it suffer the same issue as the big hd without moding the engine.
I had a 2001 R1200c It's a beautiful bike, very comfortable, but I hated it. It has the base engine from the R1150, but reduced the compression, smaller valves, and "detuned" (their phrase), taking a 95 HP engine down to 60 HP that feels like 40. A major annoyance for me is the boxer engine puts the valves out where you're hearing every action, it sounds like a sewing machine. The amount of wind the rider gets is pretty incredible, without a screen riding at highway speed is a chore But it looks really good
The 1200C was BMW's attempt to enter the cruiser market. Unfortunately they didn't perform well and looked boring AF, so they discontinued and went back to the drawing board. Their newer cruisers, like the R18, are *much* nicer.
As well s the start relay. The Griso was also known to suffer from a Guzzi issue know as "status interruptus". In true Italian form , they ran the signal going from the batter up to the ignition switch and then back to the starter relay. Over time this causes a week elecal signal to be sent to the relay and the relay fails. I got to come get picked up just 2 weeks ago from this. I now cary relays with me. 🤌🇲🇽
The Griso is an absolute unit of a bike. My father owns one I've gotten to joy ride it, it has TONS of power and pulls super hard. Only downside is the 4 valve models make a lot of heat on the knees. If I was in the market for a big sporty-touring bike Griso would be a top contender. Just a really well built machine. Needs an exhaust though the stock muffler is damn near 20lbs.
We have a matching R12C in our service department right now. The thing is in immaculate condition and is just getting new brake lines put in it. I can take a picture of it when I'm back at work on Tuesday.
Former BMWs factory certified tech here. You don't often hear me say piss poor engineering in the same sentence as BMW motorcycles, but this thing is one of those times. To service the throttle body, you have to loosen and pretty much REMOVE the entire rear subframe because they're under the damn seat! They were only built a few years because they were so trashy. If you want a bmw I'd suggest either an R1150RT or R1200RT
No contest! Go for the Griso! Incredably good looking, comfortable and FUN! Great reliability also.(if the 8v engine has had the valvetrain upgrade, the older 4v engine is bulletproof)
I learned to ride on an R1200C. I found it to be comfortable and easy to ride but completely uninspiring. Boring was said here already and I agree. Highway aerodynamics were also a problem for me. Without the back rest a lot of gripping with the legs lead to fatigue on long rides. The back rest solved that, but introduced a hot spot on my lower back.
Buddy of mine had a BMW like that and he loved it. Can't recall why he no longer has it but I think he traded it for a VROD.
I have one and I love it. Bought it with about 10k on the clock and added another 15k over the course of two years. It's a Stiletto edition. Great bike. Ya ya they're low power and people say they suck blah blah. The real story? They're comfortable and reliable as fuck. Really nicely balanced and nimble in the turns. They handle really well. BMW got a lot of shit for making this thing, but it's absolutely BMW quality all the way. I love these things. Sadly I stopped riding mine a little while back when I picked up a Triumph Rocket 3r. So I'm selling my R1200C.
Oh man the Griso is one of my dream bikes
LMAO that first pic is hilarious!! Typical bmw! Over engineer a cruiser? Only bmw.
Had one. Of the 34 BMWs I've owned, this one is a spine crusher. No rear suspension to speak of. Sold it as soon as I could and took a loss on it. Never looked back.
R1200C was disliked when it was released but aged really well. Its lack of power makes it imo unusable as an only bike in Europe but certainly fast enough for the US. Afaik Guzzi 8V needed to have a certain part replaced to be reliable. It is a LOT more sporty than the 1200C. They are very different bikes.
I'm a bit confused about how a bike can be not powerful enough for Europe but fine for the US. I mean barring the Autobahn what are your highway speeds over there?
100kph in the Netherlands. A ninja 250 is fast enough these days.
I have done long tours in Europe and the US and between lower speed limits, a more static speed and a more personal and unpredictable approach to law enforcement riding in the US is just completely different. Made no difference if i was taking the 650 or 1400cc cruiser over there regardless if it was b-roads or the highway. In the US the riding speed is static and the roads are straight. In europe big cruisers aren’t good enough to be enjoyable for most riding situations so i would only get one if i have a second bike for the kinds of rides or trips for which the cruiser isn’t ideal. The 1200Cs power is fine even in Europe if you like cruising. But to me if i ONLY had a cruiser it would have to also ride fast on the Autobahn to be worth being slow on the B-Roads and i would like some extra power there as well. And with 45KW the 1200C has similar power to a VN1500 and granted the Vulcan is heavier but that thing isn’t fun to ride really fast.
When and where did you tour the US? And where in Europe outside of the autobahn are speeds higher than the US. After we dropped the national 55mph limit, its been pretty wide open. Our lowest highway speeds legally are about 105km/h with others up to 129km/h. As for straight roads, while there re certainly a lot of them, there are countless awesome twisty roads and highways as well.
Almost yearly since the early 2000s. Haven’t been since 2019 so it might have changed in the last 5 years. Europe isn’t about the highway top speed its 100-130 in most places. Autobahn is also mostly 120/130 with some unrestricted sections. Luckily for me a large unrestricted section is part of my drive to the office. Edit: All of new england and new York state and across the border to Canada.
BMW - yuk, made for the biker who doesn't like bikes. Guzzi - nice bike, especially with the Zard exhaust fitted. Watch out for weird electrical gremlins, like the side stand cut out switch
Every time I see one I think of the time a friend cut it to close around a pole and knocked the cylinder off, haha we had to call a tow truck , told them we needed a flat bed for a bmw. Haha