K1600GT and GTL Official Announcement

I too started touring with my wife on a '72 Triumph Bonneville. All I had on it was a sissy bar and a luggage rack. Worked fine. My next tourer was the Honda CB 750 and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. We had a Windjammer fairing, saddle bags, sissy bar and rack for the farkels. We could carry our hearts desire on that bike.

After that things started getting a little out of hand in the touring bike department. I have stepped back to smaller again with my R 1200 RT and my F 650 GS. They both make excellent touring bikes with the nod going to the RT for the cruise control.

-k1600gtl sneak peak

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2010/09/bmw-k1600gtl-not-a-car-photos-leak/#more-10242

rthowellmi said:

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2010/09/bmw-k1600gtl-not-a-car-photos-leak/#more-10242

Click to expand...

is it me or do those handlebars look like they're in the riders lap? makes me wonder if this is a photoshop or not.

Oldhway said:

is it me or do those handlebars look like they're in the riders lap? makes me wonder if this is a photoshop or not.

Click to expand...

The pics appear to be coming from a legit BMW press package. In any event, those handlebars look just like the K12LT's in profile, placing the grips in exactly the right place for an upright tourer.

1600GTL will be a nice bike. BMW did do their homework.
I am loyal to the BMW brand and love the BMW engineering. A straight-six engine is the best engine configuration. BMW is going the right direction. More power, more comfort, less maintenance. Only if they could keep it under 600 pounds, I am in.
P.S. I was doing fine with the abacus until the calculators took over.

Whew. Paragraphs, dude.

SheRidesABeemer said:

Click to expand...

709 pounds.

How much does that K12GT you ride weigh again?

Here are a ton of great pics:

http://www.gizmag.com/bmw-k1600-six-cyl

Official BMW Press Kit is at link below. Aside from the narrative material, you can find links to piles of photos and 20+ minutes of video of both models:

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pres...lId=6&id=T0084843EN&left_menu_item=node__5857

I was so excited about this bike. It is beautiful and sounds great.

But 700 lbs? I'm having trouble rolling 550 lbs in my garage. Just as well ... no disposable cash in my account.

some early feedback

October 7th, 2010
11:10 amWow, I thought my R1200 GS was a large bike...
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers 2.Jett A.
Scottsdale, AZ
October 7th, 2010
11:11 amI'm looking forward to test-riding this bike next spring when it's available. I've had sport-touring and heavy-touring motorcycles before, and this one appears to have great potential. I could see myself buying a GT if the ergonomics and overall package are right.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers 3.Andrew
FL
October 7th, 2010
11:12 amGranted, the economic climate for unveiling the flagship of flagships is less than desirable. However, I would love to be on the ad campaign:

Putting sex back into the sextuple engine.
Sextuplitude with attitude.
"But ours go to eleven."
4 Wheels Bad, 2 Wheels Good; 6 Cylinders Divine

Kidding aside, if it were not for the Great Recession (and a mortgage), I would be buying my first BMW motorbike...and tying to explain to my Yamaha FJR that it's not her, it's me.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers 4.piet
rowayton ct
October 7th, 2010
12:31 pmJust tooooo much of a good thing..................love my 1972 R75/5, 2 wheels and not much else, everything is readily accessible and maintenance is a snap.
Recommend Recommended by 10 Readers 5.Larry Esser
Glen Burnie, MD
October 7th, 2010
12:31 pmThe Munch Mammut brought up to date!
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers 6.Verbal
Boston MA
October 7th, 2010
12:40 pmThe world needs another Gold Wing why?
Recommend Recommended by 4 Readers 7.JPS
NJ
October 7th, 2010
1:01 pmWhat does it sound like?
If it sounds like those ridiculous high-pitched, suicidal 'ninja' bikes, I' d hope it's a failure.
If it sounds like the silent, serious BMW motorcycles of the 60's & 70's, its a go.

Still, it has more cylinders & HP than my 1990 Miata. Overkill.
Recommend Recommended by 4 Readers 8.Studs Tercel
Chicago
October 7th, 2010
1:31 pmA six cylinder motorcycle. It has more cylinders than 70% of cars sold in America.

You look good crusing down the Interstate at 80 mph. But if your bike falls or is upended, can you pick it up by yourself and continue the charade.
Recommend Recommended by 6 Readers 9.Mikew
englewood fl
October 7th, 2010
1:31 pmWhat a great curb weight! My VTX weighs 900 lbs with a v-twin.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers 10.James
Northern Nevada
October 7th, 2010
1:39 pm"The engine... weighs a rather svelte 226 pounds..."

Svelte? If my memory isn't failing me, I've owned a couple of motorcycles that weighed less than that!
Recommend Recommended by 9 Readers 11.Pizen
Atlanta, GA
October 7th, 2010
1:59 pmActually it's lighter than I thought it would be. Lighter, but not by much, than my 1999 Road King. I just wonder how much it will be and whether this is a necessity of life that requires my wife's convincing.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers 12.Ralph J
Fishkill
October 7th, 2010
2:00 pmI'd rather have a 1967 Bultaco Metralla any day of the week.
Recommend Recommended by 4 Readers 13.Stubenville
Valley Forge, PA
October 7th, 2010
2:12 pmBMW motorcycles have lost their appeal to me. Seriously, a "touring" model without a driver backrest or any standard luggage? What is the point of that huge, bulky motor? Won't the iDrive style multifunction controller distract you from the road while you point and click? When I go to replace my 2001 BMW R1200c I won't be looking at either of these, sorry.
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers 14.JE
San Jose CA
October 7th, 2010
3:06 pmFor the uninitiated, here is how to decipher BMW bike names: the number refers to the weight in tons...divide the number by 1000 and you have the weight. So K1600 indicates a 1.6 ton bike. The letters LT indicate "Light Truck". The K has no official meaning, but indicates essentially, "'(O)K, why not?"
Recommend Recommended by 3 Readers 15.Plecostomus
Aquarios
October 7th, 2010
3:06 pmObviously the design was started before the global economic meltdown. Now, just when people are simplifying their lives, this is too much, too late.
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers 16.Buddy Holly
Newark, NJ
October 7th, 2010
3:46 pmGet your computer away from my motorcycle!
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers 17.Mike j
los angeles
October 7th, 2010
3:46 pmMy 600 Rhines sports kicks butt.
Recommend Recommended by 0 Readers 18.Anonymous BE
Belgium
October 7th, 2010
4:19 pm"All-American" Jay Leno shilling for German BMW...meanwhile, Buell goes out of business. Terrible.
Recommend Recommended by 3 Readers 19.Jones
both coasts
October 7th, 2010
4:19 pmHonda's not losing any sleep.
Recommend Recommended by 3 Readers 20.Greg
NY
October 7th, 2010
4:19 pmLol - imagine fiddling with iDrive while hugging this Shamu on a switchback with a cliff on your right.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers 21.Norskar
High Point, NC
October 7th, 2010
4:19 pmMan, the view from the front is fugly. With the three (headlights), it looks like a huge angry spider.
Oh, someone earlier was wrong about the naming scheme: BMW are named for the opening pricepoints, so the 3 series starts around $30,000, the 5 series at $50,000 etc.
With this bike you ad the K to the 1600 to get to $21,600
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers 22.The Right Guy
Iowa
October 7th, 2010
5:15 pmThis is no goldwing. It's over 150 lbs lighter with more power and much more sophisticated.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers 23.Griffy
Lyme
October 7th, 2010
5:53 pmBMW made 1600cc engines before. We had a 1968 BMW 1600 ( a 2002 with the smaller engine). I think the inline 4 put out 75HP when new. Amazing to think twice the specific output from 50% more cylinders with half the seats and none of the rust.
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers 24.Howard E.
Erwin, Tennessee
October 7th, 2010
6:58 pmI bought my first BMW touring bike 23 years ago and have been riding them ever since. However, I don't think I am headed down to my "local" dealer anytime soon for one of these, two cylinders good, six cylinders = gold wing.
Recommend Recommended by 1 Readers 25.Robert Lowell Covington
Abbotsford, British Columbia
October 7th, 2010
6:58 pmHere again BMW's design philosophy continues its proud long standing tradition of 'refinements without relevance'. Their design notoreity has become the poster child of all that glittery excess that now clutters the roadways of North America and the minds of its adherents.
Recommend Recommended by 2 Readers

Lmo1131 said:

At what point do we just get back in the car.. . . ?

Click to expand...

Good question, and it gets right to the heart of why I have no personal interest in a K1600 (or a Gold Wing). It would be an awesome touring machine, but long-distance touring really isn't the main reason I ride motorcycles. Keeping it simple, clean, reliable and sporty is far more important to me than luxury, comfort and gadgetry. At heart, I'm a minimalist, so this bike isn't something I'll be looking at.

Really though, it's a good addition to the BMW lineup, and I hope it works out for them. For those wanting this sort of a bike, it does look like a real winner, but my guess is that it'll be a high-priced beast to both buy and maintain.

I watched the David Robb interviews on the BMW site (open closed captioning!) and they really didn't want to make a Gold Wing. They wanted something agile. He also made comments about the previous effort at a flagship bike as being too luxurious without performance in line with the brand.

And so they built the GT bikes. They feel that every bike should have some form of history in it, reusing something that appeared in an earlier product, no matter whether from autos or bikes, apparently. To that end, they thought that a flagship bike should show some technical ability, offer a serious level of performance while still showing tremendous comfort.

They understood that there are different "personalities" of comfort. There is the sort of relaxed comfort that offers tremendous comfort with lots of performance, even though you might not ever use it. He gave Rolls Royce as an example of that type of vehicle dynamic. This would be the GTL.

He also talked about the GT, which was more like the brother that's sort of "OK, I'm leaving now, I'll see you there." The seating position is more like a sporting bike, the position encourages activity on the part of the riders. But, at the same time, it offers a high level of comfort. In my opinion, I think they're looking at an M5 type of experience: lots of power, agility, a sporting intention for the entire vehicle, while still offering a high level of comfort and practicality.

Personally, I like the GT. The Bluetooth enabled GPS, radio and comm system remove the need for mucking around with an Autocom. Integrated iPod controls allow control of playlists.

Integration of the Nav system and the instruments lets the bike help you proactively. The example they show is the bike reading your fuel gauge and giving the resulting range to the nav system. The nav system starts showing you gas stations along the way.

Much of this system seems to be voice controlled. This may make using a GPS significantly easier, along with tuning the radio or changing the volume on the stereo.

I can't wait to see the next generation of RT. The GT's TFT screen has very high resolution and allows for presentation of different interfaces. The integrated GPS seems like a good idea for most people. It certainly reduces the theft issues. Apparently when you turn the bike off, the shield drops down and a cover appears over the GPS. When you start the bike, the shield goes back to its last position and the GPS is revealed. Nice. Since software is easy to propagate, will we see this in an RT? Add in HP2 Sport tuning on the twin cam motor and you'd have something very different.

On long trips, these kind of simple things help turn the bike into a fully integrated traveling tool. Information about an area mixed with geographic awareness for the information systems can really help when you're looking for hotels. Tina and I have long noted what we call "The 5 o'clock shuffle". It's the process of going from hotel to hotel trying to find a room.

Imagine instead that your GPS shows you'll be getting to your destination around 6pm. It's now 3. Use the GPS to show you hotels. Since the GPS is integrated into the comm system, touch the phone numbers on the gps to call the hotel to call and ask about a reservation.

I can't wait to see this bike. I think it's a huge step ahead in how we think of heavyweight touring motorcycles.

02' RT with 50K on the dash and these distractions just make me smile!
I love this model and it has caught my eye.......

Technology and the GTL

kbasa said:

Imagine instead that your GPS shows you'll be getting to your destination around 6pm. It's now 3. Use the GPS to show you hotels. Since the GPS is integrated into the comm system, touch the phone numbers on the gps to call the hotel to call and ask about a reservation.

I can't wait to see this bike. I think it's a huge step ahead in how we think of heavyweight touring motorcycles.

Click to expand...

Dave, et al,

I have used that feature with the Zumo and my Scala Rider on the LT. AND you are correct it is a NICE feature!! If the GTL has this rolled into one . . . . . I'm in!!

mneblett said:

On the engine, I respectfully disagree -- while there are likely very few interchangeable parts, the basic design has now been thoroughly proven in the K12/K13 designs -- add two cylinders, reshuffle the behind-the-crank bits (clutch basket position, integrated oil reservoir, etc. -- and you have a K16.

Click to expand...

Note the "reshuffled" cam chain arrangement...

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/56164/Motorcycle-Photo-Gallery-Photo/2011-BMW-K1600GT---K1600GTL.aspx

Unless the BMW 1600 gps is better than what is in their current cars, you're better off with a one of the newer Garmins. Used the two newer bike Garmins and the latest BMW stuff in the 3 models and the Garmin bike models are way better in functionality.

The GPS in the GT/GTL will be a rebadged Garmin, as has been the case for a few years now. Like the earlier versions, this one will also carry some special programming that interacts with controls on the bike. In early BMW Nav systems, a special cradle allowed for better operation with gloves. My understanding is that the GT/GTL implementation will use the rotary multicontroller on the left grip for the interface.

racer7 said:

Unless the BMW 1600 gps is better than what is in their current cars, you're better off with a one of the newer Garmins. Used the two newer bike Garmins and the latest BMW stuff in the 3 models and the Garmin bike models are way better in functionality.

Click to expand...

The BMW GPS will be the Navigator IV - a Garmn Zumo 660 with BMW-specific firmware. I owned a Nav IV for a short period, and it "drew vacuum" - no audio out to an intercom, no mic in, terrible. I expect the experience to be completely different with the K16, as now it makes sense - it appears the firmware was writte to integrate well with the K16's electronics. BMW should never have released the IV for general use with rigs that were not set up to interface with it.