It is easy to forget that the Saigon chase is a motorcycle scene because the motorcycle is so obliging. The BMW R 1200 C, a cruiser with a boxer twin and chrome everywhere, is the bike Pierce Brosnan‘s Bond and Michelle Yeoh’s Wai Lin share in Tomorrow Never Dies. The BMW R 1200 C is no longer made, and anyone wanting one will be looking at the used market.
In the film
Bond steals the bike and rides it with Wai Lin through the streets of Saigon, jumping rooftops and passing over a helicopter’s rotor blades. BMW placed the R1200C in the film ahead of its release.
The details of the R 1200 C
The boxer engine. A 1998 road test describes the engine as the largest boxer BMW had built, at 1,170cc and 61bhp, in a bike with a lot of aluminium and steel on show.
Telelever front suspension. The front end uses BMW’s Telelever, which that test called a piece of sublime design. The bike also has an anti-lock rear brake.
Production run. BMW built it from 1997 to 2004, with 40,218 units made including the smaller R850C. The cruiser line is now discontinued.
A fair road test. The 1998 reviewer liked the styling and the pace, found the exhaust note weak and the ride on the open road less comfortable than most cruisers, with some vibration.
Owning it now
Treat it as a used motorcycle with a film connection. We would buy one on condition and history, not on its cameo: ask for service records, look at the Telelever front end and check the rear brake. Cycle Trader listed 95 examples when our research was done, in black as the most common colour, so there is something to choose from.
In the same spirit
If you want a motorcycle sold new that appears in a later film, the Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE is on our site. It is an alternative with a different character, and not what Bond rides in Saigon.
Specifications
| Model | BMW R 1200 C (cruiser) |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1,170cc boxer twin, 61bhp |
| Front suspension | Telelever |
| Production | 1997 to 2004; 40,218 built including the R850C |
| Original price | £9,500 in a 1998 road test |
| Availability | Out of production; used only |
Questions
What motorcycle does Bond ride in Tomorrow Never Dies?
A BMW R 1200 C, ridden with Wai Lin in the Saigon chase.
Is the BMW R 1200 C still made?
No. BMW built it from 1997 to 2004 and the cruiser line has been discontinued.
How much engine does it have?
A 1,170cc boxer twin producing 61bhp, according to a 1998 road test.
See the chase on the Tomorrow Never Dies page, or find more vehicles in the films.
