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NHTSA K1600 Steering Investigation

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into steering oscillations on 2018-2019 BMW K1600 models. The investigation is Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 19-002. A copy of the opening resume for the investigation can be found here - https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2019/INOA-PE19002-8419.PDF. If you have experienced this problem and have not reported it to NHTSA, I recommend you do so ASAP.
 
Not just the B model it seems? Everything I have read or heard was pointing to the Bagger.

A 60MPH wobble isn't what one would expect for sure. Any wobble is a pucker creator.:banghead
 
You're correct that the NHTSA PE doesn't identify which particular K1600 models are involved, but NHTSA seems to have a hard time with motorcycle model designations. For example, when I search for recalls on 2007 model year R1200STs, I need to search under R1200ST, R 1200 ST and R1200 ST to get a complete list. NHTSA seems to think they're all different.
 
K1600 B was much less stable than expected

Thanks for the post.

Just upgraded to a 2019 K1600 B (GA) from a 2009 K1300 GT. I was expecting the new big touring bike to be incredibly stable on the highway. However, I found just the opposite. It was very twitchy, and very sensitive to any sort of wind. My sportier K1300 was a lot more stable.

I had heard in one of the online reviews that the rake on this bike is incredibly steep. Suspect this was done to give the big K1600 a sportier, more agile feel. Wondering whether this was leading to some of the instability I observed on the highway, and the oscillations leading to the NHTSA report.

Would appreciate other first hand accounts of folks w/ 2018/2019 K1600's.
 
Karlos...i went from a 2013 kawi c14 to a 2016 k1600gtle this past winter and find it to be a bit twitchy at high speeds, i just assumed it was the trunk. i can tell you my kawi was rock solid at speeds in triple digits..so i had heard.

dont get me wrong i like the gtle , but do miss the kawi when speeds were over 75...of course this is kph as i would never speed.
 
2019 K1600GT Sport

Our bike now has 8,000 miles.

She is ridden two up 99.9% of the time with side bags, trunk and tank bag.

Compared to our past 2008 K1200GT Wedge, I find our K1600GT Sport to be a bit more sensitive to handle bar pressure and shifts in body position. Nothing excessive, though noticeable.

With my wife on the back I rarely take any chances. We do ride on the spirited side when the conditions are favorable, but not speedy or fast by any means.

Every time we go for a ride I try to hit 100 miles per hour at least once, usually when passing. Per the GPS we did 107 the day we took her home. Easy to do...

On our ride out to Cambria this past May 2019, we had 40 plus mile per hour winds with some serious gusts. With the two of us and five days of clothes, etc., we were never blown out of our lane. She always felt stable.

Currently the bike has Dunlop Roadsmart IIIs mounted with about 2,000 miles on the set.

To date we've had no wobble or anomaly at speed. Knock on wood...

Questions:

How many miles are on the bikes that have had a wobble problem?

Does the problem manifest itself on its maiden ride, or after X number of miles?

If you don't feel any wobble when new, then is it good to go from then on?

Thanks,
 
I now have 7k miles , changed to Michelin per gt when I bought the bike last Nov 2018 it then had just over 2k miles. I wouldn't say i have a wobble, more twitchy. Something my kawi never had. The k bike is nothing near as bad as my last 2 Hardley touring bikes, those were actually scary at speeds over 80.

The k bike almost feels like a tracking issue, when I'm due for tires I might try a different brand to see if this changes. My other thought was to take off the trunk.
 
Smooth as Silk

I took my 2019 GT out to CA and back to NYC this summer. I didn't notice a wobble at any speed. We hit some bad weather - including high winds, no problem there either. I will say Columbia River Gorge was exhausting because of high winds, but I never sensed an instability while riding through there.
 
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