ScooterFile ‘s Eric Almendral spent nearly a month apiece with BMW ‘s revolutionary new maxiscooters. Putting them through their complete paces on the winding roads of southern California, Eric came away with a complete picture of just what these two machines have to offer.

It doesn’t take much imagination to see the C-series scooters’ heritage. Unlike the experimental C1, the C 600 Sport and C 650 GT look, feel and perform like mature, fully-realized vehicles benefitting from almost a century of BMW design and engineering experience. They share many features with the company’s motorcycles, but with scooter-like step through (or at least step over) architectures, rear-mounted engines and upright riding positions.

Many scooter enthusiasts have fallen down the rabbit hole of pondering and debating the nature of the C-series: what it is, its intent, and who it’s built for. I’ll admit to my share of head scratching. These scooters are easy to admire from both aesthetic and engineering standpoints, but in a world with motorcycles and scooters, what’s the point of something that, no matter how BMW chooses to label it, is kind of both but neither? At first glance, how are you even supposed to get on? Yet once you’ve mounted, with engine revving and nothing but open road ahead, all the preconceptions and doubts melt away and the BMW C-series’ purpose becomes apparent. These machines are built for riders, and to be ridden. It’s not so complex after all.

Head on over to ScooterFile for Eric ‘s comprehensive break down. In my opinion, his is the quintessential scooterist ‘s point of view on these bikes. You can get my first impressions of the C 600 Sport here, and the C 650 GT here.