Feedback on BMW K1600GT

[VegasVFR]

i am looking for feedback on K1600GT. anything on likes and dislikes, mileage, wish it had list, bike specific problems not normal wear and tear.

thanks. also a photo of you by your bike without a helmet on wout be desirable.

Nicky Zarras Featuer Editor/Road Test Editor

[skyking96w]

I don't own a K1600GT (I ride a R1200RT), but I have ridden many hundreds of miles with a riding buddy who purchased a 1600GT about three months ago. When he is riding behind me on a sunny day, the bike is practically invisible. The halo lighting around the high beams is very dim, nothing like what BMW uses on the cars and SUVs, and the adaptive headlight might as well be pointing at the front tire. Perhaps if the headlight was a lower color temperature, i.e., more yellow, it would show up better. I think this is a safety issue, and I think BMW realizes this, because the 2013 GT will have the auxiliary lighting of the GTL; whether stock or extra-cost option, I don't know. My friend added some PIAA lights down on the forks, and that made a huge difference. He also tried running with the high beams on, but found that was a little too annoying to oncoming traffic.

Ray King

[NormKern]

Don;t own one but rode a friend's GTL.

Didn't-care-fors:
1 Drive train slack
2 Not enough engine flywheel
3 Clutch friction point shifts with changes in drive train torque.
4. Throttle harder to control at small openings.
These four factors work in concert to make the bike difficult to ride smoothly.
5. GPS screen too far away.

It's a rather expensive bike to have such driveability issues. I would probably adapt to 2 and 4, but 1 & 3 would always get on my nerves. I was relieved to get off of the BMW and get back on my 03 ST1300 abs with 103k miles. Solid throttle, solid clutch, adequate flywheel and much less driveline slack. GPS is on LH handlebar where I can see and reach it easily.

Norm Kern

[Tx1600gt]

I have 13k miles on my GT

Love it. Needs to be pushed to really enjoy it.

Gripes. None.

[DonGoldberg]

I bought the GT last year. Very impressive motorcycle. Plenty of power, comfort and actually seems to handle better than the 1300GT. While I have not had a chance to put many miles on mine, I rented a GT while doing two back to back Ayeres tours recently. Mine has no transmission slop, but the rental did. And, on the last day of the 29 day trip, 150 KM outside Munich on the autobahn, it threw a rod, blew a hole through the bottom of the engine, etc. I was fortunate in being able to coast to side of the highway. Don't know the cause, but this did make me a little less confident. Only other problem is that BMW still seems to not have fixed the switch cluster problems. In spite of this problem in Europe with the rental, I still do not regret buying the GT.
Don Goldberg

[OHFJR]

I own an 06 FJR1300 and a 03 GW1800 for the various types of riding these bikes are well known for, Sport Touring & Touring with SO. I did several demo rides on a K1600GT at Americade in 2011 and last summer I borrowed the GTL demo bike from my local BMW dealer. I was impressed both times that this bike can do the job of both the FJR and the GW rather well. So I purchased the GTL this spring and now the FJR and GW are for sale. The 2011 model I drove at Americade had the drive train lash and noise and I found that annoying, but the 2012 demo bike did not and my own 2012 does not have it either. The throttle take a little bit of getting use to but that is true with any bike.

[GSRider2Up]

My wife and ride a GS and we demoed the GT. I have to agree with Norm on his findings. There was something really odd about the clutch especially decelerating. Sorry its been too long since I was on the bike, so I don't remember the details. Lots of power, lots of protection. F1 type sound. For us, it was too "car" to feel like we were on a motorcycle. Might as well be in a BMW convertible, which we decided to do - 135i - as a compliment to our GS.