bryang5150
New member
For those that are thinking of upgrading from an RT to K1600 or adding K1600 I thoguht I would pass along my thoughts. I recently picked up a leftover 2015 GTL Exclusive. Previously, my first ride was a BMW C650GT scooter then I added the RT. Most of my riding experience has been around the 575 pounds to 604 so this is my first heavy big bike. One of the biggest concerns is weight since I mostly ride 2up. Thankfully it's not that big of an issue. As others have reported it's akward around 10 miles an hour and once you get above that it's not that big of deal.
Both the RT and the GTL have their own strengths and weaknesses that makes a different riding experience. Here are some of the differences I noticed.
Engine: Hands down the K1600 has a smoother engine compared to the RT. I detect no vibration in the pegs. With the RT there is some vibration at higher speeds and at low rpm in a higher gear. The GTL doesn't have the RT's Gear Assist Pro however, the GTL puts out high level of torque at low rpms which eliminates a lot of shifting. It's not uncommon to 30 miles an hour in 6th gear without stuttering while the RT you would need to downshift to 2nd or 2rd gear.
Wind Management: RT has much better wind management than the GTL. I'm already looking around for a replacement wind screen, I think wide screen about three inches might help. I'm looking at screens from Calsci. i'm currently running a stock wind screen on the RT. Being that it is lighter the RT is subseptible to high winds while the GTL due to the weight plows through it.
Speakers: Both myself and my passenger think the speakers on the RT are much louder than the GTL. On the RT it comes with two large speakers while the GTL comes with 4 front speakers and no back speakers. On the RT at 60 miles per hour my passenger can hear the speakers while the GTL she can't hear them. It could be the wind management in the RT makes a perfect bubble which helps project sound but considering there's 4 speakers on the GTL the sounds projection is a disapointment. Perhaps a better wind screen might help.
Lighting - The adaptive lighting on the K1600 is amazing. The BMW driving lights aren't bad, they show up on the dash a green icon and there's button to turn them off and on. On the RT I put on Clearwater Darlas, they have better "throw" for distance and displays light at the side of the road. I haven't spent a lot of time time driving at night so I can't say if one is better than the other.
One of my neighbors asked which bike is better. It really depends for riding solo, the RT is the bike I would prefer, it's light nimbel and perfectly balanced. for riding 2 up the GTL is the way to go.
Sorry for the longish post, i hope this helps for someone looking at going from an RT to K1600.
Both the RT and the GTL have their own strengths and weaknesses that makes a different riding experience. Here are some of the differences I noticed.
Engine: Hands down the K1600 has a smoother engine compared to the RT. I detect no vibration in the pegs. With the RT there is some vibration at higher speeds and at low rpm in a higher gear. The GTL doesn't have the RT's Gear Assist Pro however, the GTL puts out high level of torque at low rpms which eliminates a lot of shifting. It's not uncommon to 30 miles an hour in 6th gear without stuttering while the RT you would need to downshift to 2nd or 2rd gear.
Wind Management: RT has much better wind management than the GTL. I'm already looking around for a replacement wind screen, I think wide screen about three inches might help. I'm looking at screens from Calsci. i'm currently running a stock wind screen on the RT. Being that it is lighter the RT is subseptible to high winds while the GTL due to the weight plows through it.
Speakers: Both myself and my passenger think the speakers on the RT are much louder than the GTL. On the RT it comes with two large speakers while the GTL comes with 4 front speakers and no back speakers. On the RT at 60 miles per hour my passenger can hear the speakers while the GTL she can't hear them. It could be the wind management in the RT makes a perfect bubble which helps project sound but considering there's 4 speakers on the GTL the sounds projection is a disapointment. Perhaps a better wind screen might help.
Lighting - The adaptive lighting on the K1600 is amazing. The BMW driving lights aren't bad, they show up on the dash a green icon and there's button to turn them off and on. On the RT I put on Clearwater Darlas, they have better "throw" for distance and displays light at the side of the road. I haven't spent a lot of time time driving at night so I can't say if one is better than the other.
One of my neighbors asked which bike is better. It really depends for riding solo, the RT is the bike I would prefer, it's light nimbel and perfectly balanced. for riding 2 up the GTL is the way to go.
Sorry for the longish post, i hope this helps for someone looking at going from an RT to K1600.
