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How well are K1600's selling?

TomR1200

Member
I was looking at my local BMW dealer's current inventory of new bikes, and I'm surprised to see 9-10 K1600GT/L bikes in stock out of an inventory of 70 BMW's. He has zero R1200R's, 2-3 R1200GS's, and no single model has as many examples on hand as the K1600GT.

Since the K1600's are the "flagship" model, and start at stratospheric prices, I would expect inventory to be thinner. I'd expect more F700GS bikes, for example. This fact, plus the various sales incentives on the K1600's, make me think they are not selling as well as mother BMW expected.

Anyone have any sales figures?

Cheers, Tom
 
70 new BMWs on the floor???? Where is that dealer? I haven't counted that many at Daytona BMW last time I was there.

We have 4 dealers in the greater Cleveland area ( 50-60 mile radius) and you have to look for a 1600. Three, maybe four at the largest one. And they do not last.
 
BMW NA just made its May sales press release and sounded really happy with K sales.
BMW Group U.S. Reports May 2013 Sales

Most of the release deals with cage sales. This is the paragraph that will interest folks around here.

BMW Motorrad Sales
BMW Motorrad USA reported sales of 1,809 motorcycles in May, an increase of 61.1 percent from the total of 1,123 motorcycles sold in May, 2012. This is an all time record for the month of May besting the previous record set in 2005 by nearly 170 units.

F-series sales, boosted by the introduction of the new F 800 GS Adventure and F 800 GT, grew by 66 percent compared to May 2012 with 353 units compared to 212 units last year.

Growth in K-Series, up 24 percent, came from the 6-cylinder K 1600 GTL and GT but it was the all-new water-cooled R 1200 GS boxer that lead the way in May with 360 units delivered to customers, driving growth of 42 percent in R-Series models.


BMW AG should release its May roll up of company wide sales any time.
 
At least 6 K1600's at Cleveland BMW in Aurora, OH

http://www.goaz.com/showcaseproductslist.htm?Brand=48&Type=1787#17872012Tour Same situation here in Arizona, Scottsdale BMW has four unsold K16's on the floor: Two 2012's and two 2013's. Similar scenario at Victory BMW in Chandler and Iron Horse BMW in Tucson. Word amongst the three AZ MOA Clubs about the K1600's having serious problems has turned many long time BMW Brethren off, I am still very happy with my K16GT but I also have had many glitches! I won't ride more than 300 miles from my home without a spare water pump in my top box, plus I am always wondering when the BMW switchgear is going to fail on me like it already has done!
 
OK, I figure Bob's has over $600,000 in K1600 inventory, Max has perhaps $1.6M chainwide...can we safely agree that there seems to be a glut of GT/GTL's?

I'm not bashing your bikes folks. I think they are way cool. I'm just curious why the dealerships have rafts of a super-premium product. There can't be that many people lining up for $25,000-$28,000 motorcycles.

Thanks, Tom
 
Well, you'll be surprised then.

Lots of $25K Harleys sold, just to mention one.

This bike wins all the magazine comparison tests.

Went to a Red River thing a couple weekends ago and there were at least 10K motorcycles there. It was 98% Harleys, my R1200RT was the only one of its kind I saw there save for the Police and I saw one R1200GS. I saw maybe three K1600s.

Motorcycling--ALL motorcycling--is a very expensive hobby. It's kind of disingenuous to suggest dealers will only stock the cheap models. Especially high-end dealers like BMW. My dealer, for example stocks way more R1200s, K1300s, S1000RRs, and K1600s than it does F-bikes or G650s. Sells them, too.
 
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Riding season is here, suspect dealers ordered well in advance, probably won't get to order any more 2013's as 14 production starts shortly
When I bought my 1200gs dealer had several dozen, a month later he was out and none to be had as production had ceased for that year b
 
OK, I figure Bob's has over $600,000 in K1600 inventory, Max has perhaps $1.6M chainwide...can we safely agree that there seems to be a glut of GT/GTL's?

I'm not bashing your bikes folks. I think they are way cool. I'm just curious why the dealerships have rafts of a super-premium product. There can't be that many people lining up for $25,000-$28,000 motorcycles.

Thanks, Tom

Actually motorcycles in that price range sell exceptionally well. As to whether there is really a glut is not so easy to know. You really need unit sales figures for specific units in order to know that and not inventory value. Rebates can be a tell tale sign sometimes. BMW is not going to offer rebates on models that are selling through the inventory. Are there rebates on the K16's? And, if so how big?
 
I won't ride more than 300 miles from my home without a spare water pump in my top box, plus I am always wondering when the BMW switchgear is going to fail on me like it already has done!

Seriously? When mine started weeping I rode 3k miles waiting for a convenient time to replace it. At the end of the day it consumed may an ounce to two of coolant, never enough to even get below the full mark by much.

Just my . 02 - love the bike
 
Not rebates per se, but there's $750 savings advertised for BMW MOA members.
The whole lineup has savings of $250, $400, $500 or $750.

There's also similar savings for military and police.

I agree that all the reported problems are giving potential buyers too much to think about and many are putting off a purchase.
I have the same concern with the new GS- too many parts are all new designs.
They should bring back the K1200LT. Now there was a reliable mount.
 
Celebrate summer with free accessories on your purchase of select new BMW motorcycles through July 31, 2013.



Receive the most popular accessories when you purchase a new qualified model:

MODEL.....................ACCESSORIES

K 1600 GTL / GT.......Engine Protection Bars + BMW Navigator GPS
 
Seriously? When mine started weeping I rode 3k miles waiting for a convenient time to replace it. At the end of the day it consumed may an ounce to two of coolant, never enough to even get below the full mark by much.

Just my . 02 - love the bike

I am absolutely and definitely serious, my Son Seth and I leave for a motorcycle rally in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada on June 15 and I'm packing a spare water pump!

If the pump is leaking, that means that the lubrication integrity of the shaft at the engine/pump boundary has been compromised.

That can lead to shaft seizure on the bearing, which will immediately destroy the pump and can potentially damage the pump drive in the engine.

Riding around with blue spots on the exhaust is like riding without a helmet. You might be OK . . . or -
 
http://www.goaz.com/showcaseproductslist.htm?Brand=48&Type=1787#17872012Tour Same situation here in Arizona, Scottsdale BMW has four unsold K16's on the floor: Two 2012's and two 2013's. Similar scenario at Victory BMW in Chandler and Iron Horse BMW in Tucson. Word amongst the three AZ MOA Clubs about the K1600's having serious problems has turned many long time BMW Brethren off, I am still very happy with my K16GT but I also have had many glitches! I won't ride more than 300 miles from my home without a spare water pump in my top box, plus I am always wondering when the BMW switchgear is going to fail on me like it already has done!

Hey Don. I really like the used red GT at Victory, but the issues you mention are in the back of my head, especially since I am a one bike person. It's a great looking bike, but I won't ride it I tell you, I won't. :blah
 
Seriously? When mine started weeping I rode 3k miles waiting for a convenient time to replace it. At the end of the day it consumed may an ounce to two of coolant, never enough to even get below the full mark by much.

Just my . 02 - love the bike

One, it shouldn't weep at all, two, I'd bet that some down here in hell had a different experience than you in terms of going 3K miles. Just saying. I think it's been pretty much a show stopper. Don can elaborate, but the failure rate of water pumps on K1600s sold in AZ was quite high.
 
Don't know about that. I do know one guy had catastrophic failure in AZ but many many folks on k1600 have had same experience as I did. FWIW. Good luck and I hope you never need the pump!

Have a good one,
Dave
 
Don't know about that. I do know one guy had catastrophic failure in AZ but many many folks on k1600 have had same experience as I did. FWIW. Good luck and I hope you never need the pump!

Have a good one,
Dave

With an RT, I never will as long as I own it. :brad
 
Don't know about that. I do know one guy had catastrophic failure in AZ but many many folks on k1600 have had same experience as I did. FWIW. Good luck and I hope you never need the pump!

Have a good one,
Dave

Hi Dave, the gentleman with the catastrophic failure here in Arizona is a close and personal friend of ponch 1 and myself: Mr. Enrique "Henry" Garza, City of Mesa Fireman/EMT: An excellent mechanic and takes incredible care of his BMW's.

The good news is that the disaster Henry had with his K1600GT did not sour him on BMW's, this picture was taken outside of La Paz, Mexico on the way to Cabo San Lucas, Baja Sur just a few months ago. Henry traded the K16 on another GS!

Sad fact of the matter, BMW should really be ashamed of this fact, everyone of our dozen plus AZB K16's have had their original water pumps replaced; many of us are on our third water pumps, albeit with 30K on the machines. Shame on BMW AG!

IMG_2915.jpg
 
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