Behind the scenes at the Berlin Spandau plant with Maxi-Scooters

The first day of December 2011 will be remembered as an historic one for BMW Motorrad, as the Berlin Spandau workforce celebrated the start of production of two new Maxi-Scooters.

When the 2012 New Season Start festivities begin across Europe on March 24, there will be even more reasons to celebrate than usual, as this is when the first customer deliveries of the C 600 Sport and C 650 GT Maxi-Scooters will take place. For those involved with this exciting project, it will be the culmination of a special journey that began several years ago when company management took the decision to bring to the market two BMW-powered premium Maxi-Scooters.

Inside the factory, a dedicated assembly line will build both variants of the Maxi-Scooter, with an initial production of up to 80 machines per day, with potential for even more. For project leader Andreas Müller, it has been an intense, fast-paced journey that could never have been completed without a dedicated team of enthusiastic workers, all of whom played their part in moving the project forwards from conception to reality.

"It certainly was a proud moment to see production start," says Andreas. "We had about one year less time than all the other recent projects and the stakes were high. We developed a new engine for a new market segment with new customers, engaged new partners and developed an entirely new production phase for the factory. Many people said we wouldn't be able to do this in the time-frame we gave ourselves, but I'm proud to say we succeeded. It was really hard work to reach this point, but the bikes are here, they look fantastic and next year we'll see their market introductions - all of which couldn't have happened without such a great team who worked all the hours to bring this project to life. There's a lot of support and enthusiasm for this project from within the factory - so much so that people want to be associated with it, and especially want to be part of the team actually building the bikes."

Indeed, a look around the factory floor shows a brand new assembly line, separate from the rest of the plant, where both the C 600 Sport and C 650 GT are being made. The plan is to sell around 10,000 of them in the first year - an ambitious target that will account for about 10% of the brand's overall production volume - so a functioning, flexible assembly line is a prerequisite for success.

It is already a hive of activity, with around 15 workers manning up to 12 stations each shift, with an additional pre-assembly area where various components are made up. The production process is fascinating to watch, as it's an entirely new concept in the Berlin Spandau plant. The Maxi-Scooters aren't mounted on the 'C hook' system like the rest of the motorcycles, but are assembled by hand in a dedicated area, where a new scooter takes shape, piece-by-piece, over the course of about 90 minutes.

First, the engine is lifted by crane onto a mounting plate on a small, portable jig, specifically designed for this project. From here, each station plays its role in bringing the scooter to life: the exhaust system is mounted, followed by the frame, wiring harness, swing-arm and covered chain, main stand, special parking brake, rear axle, brake callipers and fuel tank. Because both machines share the same 'backbone', there is no need for two separate assembly lines, so depending on demand, the workers can switch between a 'Sport' and a 'GT' quickly and easily (for example, if they are building a C 600 Sport, it is fitted with a different rear frame to the GT, to incorporate the FlexCase® and different seat).

The scooter will spend a short time in each station, before moving along to the next stage of its build. Accompanying the scooters along the lines are special portable racking systems - designed and built by the workers themselves - where all the components they need for a complete build can be quickly and easily reached. As front forks, wheels, brakes, instrument cluster, ABS unit, windscreen adjustment (electrical or mechanical) and pre-assembled headlights are added, the machine really starts to take shape. A special station then documents all the torque/screw tightening checks on components such as the brake callipers, wheels, handlebar mountings etc., to ensure safety is not compromised in any way.

Then the machine continues its journey along the line, being fitted with components such as exhaust bracket, hydraulic seat hinges and footrests, before being 'plugged in' to the diagnostic system to check all electrical system software is functioning correctly. The next stop is for various liquids, such as oil, gear-box and brake fluid, and then comes the rollerbench test, where real riding simulation checks are carried out, before it goes downstairs to have all the painted fairing parts and plastics added. This makes the complete production time around two-and-a-half hours.

After that, the complete Maxi-Scooter will be packed in a recyclable steel box, ready for transportation on to a lucky owner, via his or her local BMW Motorrad dealership. For Hermann Bohrer, head of the BMW factory in Berlin, this new era for the company could never have happened without such a proud and motivated workforce, that have been involved right from the early stages.

"It was important for us to involve all the people working on this project as early as possible, so that they could bring their attention, motivation and ideas to the business - after all they are the ones who will be building the new Maxi-Scooters. The lines have been set up with flexibility in mind, so that we can react quickly to demand. I expect production to increase with the interest that we have for the two scooters, especially from the reactions we had after unveiling them to the press and public at the EICMA show. We think this is only the beginning, and that there are a lot of opportunities for BMW Motorrad in this market segment. For sure, the C 600 Sport and C 650 GT will bring a lot of new people to our brand."

Built at the factory in Berlin, with all the quality and innovation associated with BMW Motorrad, expect these two dynamic Maxi-Scooters to combine the outstanding ride characteristics of a motorcycle with the agility, comfort and fun of a scooter. As of now, they are taking shape inside the factory walls, and will be in European dealers at the end of March.

To see a short film by photographer Markus Hofmann from the assembly lines inside the factory, click http://www.youtube.com/user/MarkHofmPhoto