Imagine being out for a ride or something and stumbling upon something like this plying on the roads? It would be hard to tell your exact response but among other things, the following two questions will most likely be there: “How is it so cool?” and “How much do I have to pay to be on it?” The BMW C 400 GT is that cool!

On the road, few things get more attention than it and few can keep up with it. It is one of the most distinguishable two-wheelers in the market today. Notice how we said two-wheelers and not just scooters. BMW was too proud to make a scooter. So they made something that resembles a scooter. We got a chance to take the BMW C 400 GT out for a spin and here’s what we think.

As we mentioned, it’d be remiss to categorize it as a scooter, at least the Indian definition of one. It is much bigger for one thing. Those dual-discs at the front are hard to miss. So is the massive windscreen. This thing has a wheelbase of around 1,565mm! Talk about taking GT seriously. Overall, it is not as radical as the C1 from BMW, a scooter with a roof, but the C 400 GT is also an attention hog but for good reasons.

The rider’s seat has an integrated backrest and the passenger seat has footboards instead of footrests. And it is so comfortable that the temptation to take it out for a long ride is hard to resist. We have ridden around India on an Ntorq 125 and it was a lot of fun. On the BMW C 400 GT though, it would have been something else entirely. The ergonomics are so wonderfully executed. The riding posture is as comfortable as it gets and the seat is just magic, in addition to being huge.

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But all that aside, the motor on this thing is where the magic lies. 350cc, single-cylinder, water-cooled, 34 horses and 35 Newton-metres. More than enough to exceed or match most of the machines out there. BMW claims the scooter is good for a top speed of around 139 km/h. So when you want it to, it can zing!

The C 400 GT is heavy, yes, but the engine never lets it feel that way. The engine is so punchy and more than anything, so smooth. There are some nifty tricks that the C 400 GT employs to achieve this like a torsionally stiff drivetrain swing arm with a quirky swing arm bearing that ensures minimum vibration.

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This scooter can pull and really pull. It is not going to any acceleration records but it does what it is supposed to do, so well. And that is GT’ing… or cruising. Riding it on open roads is so effortless that is why I think one can easily tour on the C 400 GT… even two up. Even more so considering you have a 13-litre fuel tank from which you can expect between 320-350 km with ease. The transmission is a stepless CVT unit. According to BMW, the engine and transmission are both designed and coupled to maximize efficiency.

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We like how it handles too. It is less scooter-like and more motorcycle-like. Dynamic is rightly used by BMW to describe this scooter. On winding roads, this one is a lot of fun to thrash around. The contributors here are wheels, 15-inchers on the front and 14 on the rear and the taut suspension system comprising 35mm forks at the front and double spring struts on the rear.

Brakes though are the highlight here. Dual discs mean a fair bit of bite but I loved the progressive feel they offer. We also appreciated the stability that the C 400 GT possesses. A long wheelbase and a low centre of gravity help here. The larger wheels, good suspension, and stellar brakes; it has all you need for some spirited riding sessions. I also like the chunky tyres on the C 400 GT. It gets a 120 section tyre on the front and 150 on the rear, from my time, we could tell that the grip they offer is more than ample. Finally, You have ABS as standard in addition to traction control to enhance safety.

For storage, you have two compartments along with a flexcase which is a fair bit of space. Then there’s the 12V socket. One more thing that I’d like to mention is the centre stand and how easy it is to put the scooter on the main stand because of a clever kinematic system- something one appreciates knowing the C 400 GT weighs 214 kg road-ready and fully fueled.

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It looks futuristic and to match that, it has a fair few features worth noting. Keyless Ride, LED lighting all around, wonderfully integrated turn signals, and a 6.5” full-colour TFT screen. You can connect your smartphone to it via the BMW Motorrad Connected App post which you get media playback and telephone functions. We generally liked how things are laid out on the console with the only issue being the basic arrow-based navigation.

This, though, brings us to some opportunities. The navigation is rather basic. It is done via the means of arrows. Then there’s the weight. The engine is mind-blowing but a little less weight might have made it a tad more sprightly. Lastly, the elephant in the room… literally too… the price.

Starting at INR 10.4 lacs ex-showroom, it is nearly ten times more pricey than the price of general scooters in our market. That makes it hard to justify the price for a scooter, but then, as I mentioned earlier, this is no scooter. The BMW C 400 GT is more, much more.