2001 H-D FXSTD Deuce Vs. BMW R1200 C Phoenix - Motorcycle.com

"Oh, thats a Beemer. It's an R-twelve-hund..."

"Fo real? I din't know bee-em-dub made cruisaz..."

A cruiser? BMW? We all knew what the "C" in R1200C stood for, but we had never given it much thought. We've always imagined the 1200C to be more "standard" than "cruiser." We had a slight revelation when we rode it, though. And seeing it parked next to the Motor Company's preeminent cruiser, the Deuce, we realized something vitally important: The R1200C is a damn fine cruiser.

It sho, er, sure was.

Not that we're saying the Deuce is a big slouch. With 61.1 hp, it does pretty well for itself. Cruisers have a reputation for being ill-handling, heavy, bad-braking piles of second-rate, chromed steel. Harsh? Yes. The truth? Probably. These new machines have proved otherwise, though. The BMW's performance can be rationalized by its German heritage. But what about the Deuce?

And, as many gawkers and would-be-tire-kickers would ask, "which one is the best?"

The Deuce's tenure at MO only proved that statement. The bike's smooth and reliable engine kept us happy except for one problem, this being slightly less oomph than we'd expect from a big, burly V-twin. No matter, we'll be resolving that issue momentarily (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). The captain's seat has a "scoop" design that our taller riders found comfortable. The pillion seat, while sparse, was adequate enough for short jaunts through the city. Longer journeys will more than likely require different seating arrangements or an on-call proctologist. Thankfully, the counter-balancers on the rigid-mount 88B motor work wonderfully at keeping the vibes at more than pleasant levels.