K1600 GT

[runnerhiker]

I brought my S1000 XR in for service today and asked for a demo ride on a K1600GT sitting on the sales floor.  I put 90 miles on that demo.  Here are my observations, not meant to be a complete review of the bike.

At 758 lbs, it is much heavier than anything I would want, that's 50% heavier than the 525 lb S1000XR.  It required a concentrated effort for me to get the bike upright from the side stand.  I liked everything else about the bike.

The engine is fantastic!  Strong.  Smooth.  HP and torque beast.  What a pleasure to twist the throttle in 5th gear at 60 MPH and just pass someone effortlessly.  (Our RS's are pretty good at this too).  I got 42 mpg on my ride.

The transmission was a minor disappointment, the quick shifter was unnoticeably fine (good).  The transmission had a slight click when shifting.  It was not the old clunk of old BMW's, but it was a noticeable click, not buttery smooth like my XR.

I did not fool with the electronics too much, but the 10" TFT is great.  The heated grips and seat are turned on/off using the menu's, it was not hard to find.   There is no handlebar button for the heated grips - a step backwards but that button on the handlebars is now used for something else.

The ergonomics were pretty good, but some choices have plusses and minuses.  The seat height is 29" and that was great, I could flat foot at a stop with no problem, a big plus for a heavy bike.  But I found the footpegs to be a little high.  The wind protection was great with the windshield in the low position.  If they raised the seat, I would have had more leg room, I suppose they can't lower the pegs for ground clearance.  So it's probably a good compromise of the pegs, seat, handlebars, windscreen positions.  My legs were not exactly cramped so it's not a big problem.  The seat was comfortable for the 1.5 hours I rode.

It has a 7 gal gas tank.  The sticker price was $27k.  It is an attractive bike, I like the GT with no trunk, and I like the red, white, and blue color scheme.

After riding this great bike, my S1000XR felt very rough around the edges on my ride home.  But the XR has its own charm.

   
   
   
   

[Grumpy Goat]

Very nice little review, Ron. Not a bike that I would be interested in, I don’t think. Just too big and heavy, but if I were to go that route, I think my heart is with the Honda Goldwing. Does this bike have a reverse gear?

[Pyrrho]

I''d get an RT now before a K on weight alone. My old K1200RS was 628 wet and I wouldn't even want that now. Maybe I'm just old and weak now.

[Motorhead1977]

GG, I agree with you on all points. Having toured on a HD Electra Glide Ultra Classic and owned and toured on a GL 1800 and 1200 RT, the GL is far and away the pinnacle for others to strive to reach. That said I'm completely satisfied with my 1250 RS.

[runnerhiker]

 I think my heart is with the Honda Goldwing. Does this bike have a reverse gear?

I test rode a Gold Wing about 10 years ago - same thing - too big for my taste.
Does it have a reverse?  I don't know, I am not interested enough to find out.

[Duccrazydave]

Love the color scheme of that GT!
Similar thoughts on a similar bike. I have about 1-1/2 hours seat time on a K1600B (even lower than the GT?). Lifting off the sidestand is the only time I felt the weight. The engine was faultless. The suspension modes weren't quite as sorted as I had hoped, maybe due to the shorter travel of the bagger version? And the shifting was somewhere between the somewhat agricultural nature of the RS and the complete smoothness of a new Ducati SS. In the Honda dealership I sat on a new 'wing in the showroom. The view from the saddle definitely hides the size of the bike. Feels much smaller than the K1600.

[36654]

Love the color scheme of that GT!
Similar thoughts on a similar bike. I have about 1-1/2 hours seat time on a K1600B (even lower than the GT?). Lifting off the sidestand is the only time I felt the weight. The engine was faultless. The suspension modes weren't quite as sorted as I had hoped, maybe due to the shorter travel of the bagger version? And the shifting was somewhere between the somewhat agricultural nature of the RS and the complete smoothness of a new Ducati SS. In the Honda dealership I sat on a new 'wing in the showroom. The view from the saddle definitely hides the size of the bike. Feels much smaller than the K1600.

It's been many decades since BMW offered an RS in Motorsport colors

[Lee]

I like the looks of the GT and I like the Motorsport colors.
I would not like a bike that big and heavy. Never ridden one.
The window sticker in the last picture is for a K1600B.
BMW shows a  seat height of 31.9" for the K1600GT.

If you want to see something that's difficult to lift off the side stand try a R1800 Transcontinental.

[Grumpy Goat]

If you want to see something that's difficult to lift off the side stand try a R1800 Transcontinental.

I can well imagine. I only sat on the Classic and found that weighty enough off the sidestand, much less the Transcontinental.

[Duckbubbles]

Just lifting the R1800 off the sidestand was enough for me to decline a test ride! Anyway, that style of bike isn't my cup of tea.

Frank

[runnerhiker]

The window sticker in the last picture is for a K1600B.
BMW shows a  seat height of 31.9" for the K1600GT.

You are right, it's the wrong "window sticker", I grabbed the wrong one at the dealership for a picture.  It's $28.4k and the seat height is indeed 31.9"

[runnerhiker]

I bought the Motorsport color K1600GT pictured above. I traded in my S1000XR. I demo'ed it for 250 miles total on three different test rides to help me make up my mind. The day I did the 2nd test ride, I rode my S1000XR for 270 miles, and at the end of that day, I realized I would have enjoyed the K1600 more on such a ride.

The size and weight is still what I like least about it, but I was getting used to it after 250 miles. I am 100% sure I would not have purchased this bike had I not done so many miles on it and really evaluate what I could do with the weight.

Additional pluses:
On one of those test rides, I took it on Rist Canyon Road west of Fort Collins, many 30 mph curves, and some 10 mph hairpins - it was fun to ride in the canyons! It worked! It won't be confused with a sports bike, but it was fun!
It does have a reverse gear - that removes a huge concern for parking lot maneuver.
The transmission becomes buttery smooth in aggressive acceleration. Wohoo! That was a surprise.
The heated grips & seat can be programmed on 2 of the 4 buttons on the left lower fairing - it's as convenient as being in the handlebars.
It has a real horn.
It has two winglets in the front fairing that can be moved to direct incoming air flow directly to the riders torso in hot weather.
I can flat foot both feet at a stand still, that's crucial.
The highlight is the wonderful engine and great ergonomics.


For ever and ever, I was convinced I would never have a motorcycle this big and this heavy. It took 250 miles of demo rides to show me that I could enjoy all the wonderful things about this bike without fear of its size and weight.

[Liteitup]

Sounds awesome, congrats!
I agree about the flatfoot thing.

[Grumpy Goat]

I bought the Motorsport color K1600GT pictured above.  I traded in my S1000XR. 
...
For ever and ever, I was convinced I would never have a motorcycle this big and this heavy.  It took 250 miles of demo rides to show me that I could enjoy all the wonderful things about this bike without fear of its size and weight.

Congratulations on the new bike. I do like the colours on that bike. Good to see that it was not the RS on the chopping block. 

[runnerhiker]

I bought the Motorsport color K1600GT pictured above.  I traded in my S1000XR. 
...
For ever and ever, I was convinced I would never have a motorcycle this big and this heavy.  It took 250 miles of demo rides to show me that I could enjoy all the wonderful things about this bike without fear of its size and weight.

Congratulations on the new bike. I do like the colours on that bike. Good to see that it was not the RS on the chopping block. 

I am not getting rid of the RS, that's a wonderful bike and it fits me like glove.

[Grumpy Goat]

I am not getting rid of the RS, that's a wonderful bike and it fits me like glove.

Speaking of your RS ... update us on the repairs after the rear-ender you experienced on the way to this year's MOA Rally in Springfield. Was there any damage when you got it checked out after returning home?

[Lee]

Congrats on the good looking bike.

[runnerhiker]

I am not getting rid of the RS, that's a wonderful bike and it fits me like glove.

 

Speaking of your RS ... update us on the repairs after the rear-ender you experienced on the way to this year's MOA Rally in Springfield. Was there any damage when you got it checked out after returning home?

The RS is back 100%, it got new wheels, a new license holder, and a new small fairing piece under the engine, by the exhaust.

My only problem was that the wheel balancing weights kept falling off.  By the time I got it back to the dealer, the front wheel had no weights and the rear wheel lost half of its weights.  Amazingly, I could not feel any problems even at 90 mph!  But the dealer rebalanced the wheels, and on the way home, it still felt no different than on the way to the dealer.  I have no explanation.  All the weights fell off while the bike was parked!

[runnerhiker]

Some more observations about the GT.

There is no GPS mount, BMW makes us use the BMW Connected app and our smart phone. I have an iPhone 13 Pro (not the bigger Max), and my phone won't fit in the phone storage area on the bike. This storage pocket has a power connection for the phone so I loose having the phone powered when using the Connected app. BMW keeps insisting on using the Connected app but I have no idea how long it will take them to get these things right.

I cannot use my SW-Motech tank bags, there is interference with the handlebar at lock to lock. The gas cap if fairly far forward towards the triple clamp, and the bars come back a lot towards the rider. The SW-Motech website shows zero tank bags available for the GT. Pictures of the BMW tank bag show it is located close to the rider and far back from the gas cap. Oh well.

When the bike is on the center stand, there is so much weight on the front tire that I can't manually rotate the tire to make the air valve accessible. Not a big deal, just an observation. The 6 cyl engine puts a lot of weight forward and the center stand is located fairly far backwards.

The big positives still remain. The bike is easy to ride on CO canyon roads. That's still fun.

[Grumpy Goat]

These are all good real-world observations of the bike Ron - observations that one who is being honest would make. That is one of the reasons I take all online "reviews" with a pinch of salt (they are all so improbably "positive") and why I would probably never be offered to review anything. I abhor marketing BS and an squarely focused on practicality.

This BMW tank bag - how is it affixed to the tank if not on the too-far-forward gas tank ring? I personally absolutely prefer to not have a tank bag that rests on the tank.

With the weighty front end, it must be not too hard to get it up on the rear stand ...?