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K1600 discontinued?

taran1900

Member
I read this (translated) on the "Motorrad" site yesterday. I thought the K1600 was was going forward for 2021...

"BMW is (initially) discontinuing the complete K series around the magnificent six-cylinder without replacement. Let's see what's coming.

The complete K series from BMW will also no longer exist for the time being. The super six-cylinder is retiring. What comes next in terms of megatourers is still in the stars."

https://www.motorradonline.de/ratgeber/motorraeder-ohne-euro-5-diese-modelle-fallen-raus/
 
Reading the translated to-English version, it reads as tho the Euro-5 standards prompted the dropping of several models that were not doing well enough in the marketplace to justify the expense of reaching compliance. The Yamaha FJR and 1200 Tenere are also mentioned, as are the H-D Sportster and Honda VFR. But, that’s assuming the information is legit and the translation accurate. Also, it’s not clear from the article whether those models would be disappearing world-wide, or just in the EU.

I’d think it would make sense to still have a 2021 K1600 available even if it were being discontinued, since production on those would have started last summer after a vacation shutdown and a number of those bikes are already in the pipeline. It will be interesting to see if the article gets corroborated by BMW or the rest of the MC press.

Best,
DeVern
 
The 2021 K1600 still shows on the US and International BMW site.

Yep. Makes no sense to me. I figured the K1600 motor would be easy to get over the Euro 5 hump. Will be interesting to see if Motorrad is on to something or full of crap.
 
I believe BMW’s North American sales have been sluggish in 2020. They may be trimming their line up much like Harley. Also, there might be more profit in a Chinese made chain drive twin than a German made shaft drive 6. You can bet their decisions will be based on the bottom line, regardless.
 
The 2021 K1600’s are sitting on the show room floor at the local BMW dealer. Maybe the 2021 is the last year.
 
I wonder if the Motorrad article meant to say the the GT was discontinued rather than the whole series. The reason I wonder this, it the BMW NA site shows all the K1600s, except the GT, as 2021 models. This makes sense to me. Why? To me, the GT is simply a K1600 version of the RT. With the 1250 shiftcam motor, the RT is now pretty much on par with the GT power to weight ratio wise. The GT still beats the 1250RT on top speed but the two are very close together in quickness. Really, the ultimate top speed is irrelevant unless you are on a track. And the much lighter RT is more fun on the tighter stuff.

Really, only BMW knows. I was stunned by the Motorrad piece because it is kind of a big deal and no other publications seemed to have noticed. And like others have mentioned, BMW already announced K1600s as 2021 models and has them on their websites. Except the GT which is listed as a 2020. Why Motorrad tied this to Euro 5 is beyond me because by EU law, a 2021 model has to be Euro 5 compliant. And finally, BMW is still listing all K1600 models on the German site. They don't list the model year though.
 
I wonder if the Motorrad article meant to say the the GT was discontinued rather than the whole series. The reason I wonder this, it the BMW NA site shows all the K1600s, except the GT, as 2021 models. This makes sense to me. Why? To me, the GT is simply a K1600 version of the RT. With the 1250 shiftcam motor, the RT is now pretty much on par with the GT power to weight ratio wise. The GT still beats the 1250RT on top speed but the two are very close together in quickness. Really, the ultimate top speed is irrelevant unless you are on a track. And the much lighter RT is more fun on the tighter stuff.

Really, only BMW knows. I was stunned by the Motorrad piece because it is kind of a big deal and no other publications seemed to have noticed. And like others have mentioned, BMW already announced K1600s as 2021 models and has them on their websites. Except the GT which is listed as a 2020. Why Motorrad tied this to Euro 5 is beyond me because by EU law, a 2021 model has to be Euro 5 compliant. And finally, BMW is still listing all K1600 models on the German site. They don't list the model year though.

The K1600 GT shows on the US Motorad website as well https://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/en/models/tour/k1600gt.html
 
The traduction of the article says the complete line of the six cyl K1600 is being discontinued. The reason being the bike doesn't meet Euro 5 and the deadline to comply is Jan 1 2021.
I would think that the K16 will remain on BMW North America's catalog as long as supplies last. The same with the Kawi C-14 and the FJR1300.
 
I assume that it's the K1600 engine that can't be made to pass Euro5 without more work than BMW feels is economically worthwhile, therefore no more motorcycles powered by that engine will be made. GT, GTL, B, GA - none of them. I haven't researched it but wouldn't be surprised to find that Euro5 applies to all motorcycles built after 1.1.2021. So any 2021 models that have been completed and shipped prior to that date are still 2021 models, and can be advertised and sold as new until the existing stock is exhausted, which is why they still appear on the website. Eventually they'll disappear - how long after the K1200LT was discontinued did it remain on the site?

I doubt the non-European market for those bikes is big enough for continued production to be economically attractive to BMW, even if emissions regulations didn't restrict them.
 
I’m curious what will happen to BMW and the BMW MOA when Euro 7 is enacted and BMW will basically go out of business. Troubling times on the horizon.
 
I’m curious what will happen to BMW and the BMW MOA when Euro 7 is enacted and BMW will basically go out of business. Troubling times on the horizon.

BMW sold a folding pedal bicycle a few years ago that may meet Euro 7.
Maybe they will bring that back.

Is there a schedule for Euro 7? Is it already defined?
 
Last time I looked a substantial proportion of total Harley Davidson sales were in Europe. Does anybody have any idea what HD is doing to conform to the latest European Union requirements? How about Triumph?
 
Last time I looked a substantial proportion of total Harley Davidson sales were in Europe. Does anybody have any idea what HD is doing to conform to the latest European Union requirements? How about Triumph?

Triumph has released a number of Euro 5 compliant models already. Rocket 3, Tiger 900 range, Street Triple line-up and the Thruxton RS are all Euro 5-compliant.

No idea what Harley is going to do. Seems to me their current motors struggle meeting Euro 4 standards. They have incorporated "targeted" liquid cooling for the heads and top part of the cylinder like the 1250 boxers but it's only on their top end models and is optional I think. Seems to me they could better meet Euro 5 by putting the targeted liquid cooling on all their motors. Of course, this means Harleys will have to have a cursed radiator. If they keep it air-oil cooled like the R18 that means an unsightly larger oil cooler. Even then keeping the thing cool and have decent power is pretty much impossible. A 45 degree V Twin is a lot harder to keep cool than a boxer and continuing that design going in an air cooled/primary air cooled format is really impossible. At some point, Harley will have to go to liquid cooling to meet ever tightening emissions standards if they want the engines to have more power than a lawn mower. The R1250s get away with targeted liquid cooling and primary air cooling because they are longitudinally arranged boxers which are inherently easy to cool with air flow.

Back to the K1600. Long term, I think BMW have to revamp the motor to keep up. Right now, performance wise, the K1600 is about even with the 1250 RT. I number of K1600 riders have made the switch to the RT and I think the performance and increased smoothness of the 1250s is a big factor. I think this has or will kill the K1600GT. Maybe even the GTL. I think the K1600Bs will continue. That's just my opinion.

What I do know, is the K1600s have never sold as well as the boxers, and it was the R1250RT which got the new LED lighting, adaptive cruise control, and new 10.2 inch display. Not a K1600 model. This tells me that the the current K1600 iteration may be at the end of the line.
 
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