If the Honda Grom is too lowbrow or isn’t fast enough for you, check out BMW’s latest Scooter. The BMW C400X is the little brother to the C650 GT and C650 Sport scooters. The C400X has plenty of power for city and highway use and has some cool electronic bits and storage.
The BMW C400X starts off with a new 350-cc single-cylinder engine with a single overhead cam and a balancing shaft. Single cylinder engines can often have vibrations and a thumping sensation, maybe this balancing shaft will smooth things out. Horsepower comes in at 34hp (25 kW) and torque is at 26 lb-ft (35 Nm). You won’t be winning many races with a 0-62 mph rating of 9.5-seconds but it is pretty zippy nonetheless.
Suspension is handled with 35 mm forks up front and a pair of spring struts in back. Braking is taken care of by 265 mm discs with four piston calipers up front and a single disc and caliper in the rear. Pretty standard stuff. The exciting bits come in the form of BMW’s safety systems which include; traction control, ABS, stability control, and a large 6.5-inch TFT display. The fancy display can handle music streaming, navigation, and phone calls.
Storage is another place where the BMW C400X shines with what BMW calls Flexcase, a durable pouch that extends from the underside of the scooter. Underneath the seat users can store a full-face helmet as well as an open-face helmet. Up front are two smaller compartments for holding wallets, phones, paperwork, etc… they even have a 12V accessory charging socket inside this compartment.
Expect to see the C400X ($7-9K) hitting the streets sometime in 2018.
