Advice for used K16 buyer?

Hello K1600 crew,

I am planning a cross country trip in about 6 weeks (flying out to Florida to meet up with a friend and riding back to Washington), and am thinking about buying a new (to me) cycle and riding it home. The K1600 is near the top of my list as a comfortable but performance-oriented touring machine; with what I want to spend I'm probably looking at an earlier model (2012-2015) and due to the circumstances I will likely be buying sight unseen. Wondering if anyone has any advice for things to watch out for based on specific model years, upcoming maintenance items due to mileage, etc, or just generally what your ownership experience has been. Probably the next likely candidate would be a Kawasaki Concours 14 (I could probably get close to new for the same money) - but I really like the K16 and the Kawi still doesn't have cruise control as far as I know - I have some carpal tunnel type issues that cause numbness in my hands and holding on to the throttle for hours at a time is pretty uncomfortable so that might be a dealbreaker. I've also looked at the FJR and even though it's not really in the same category, I really liked the Honda F6B too.

All the best and thanks!

Hallo Señor mzeitz:

Good Luck finding your preferred K16. When I bought my '14 GT in Dec '18, it had just under 10K in four yrs! I lived in MD at the time; we had four dealerships to peruse and they all had some used models to select from - so color, mileage, price and models were all up to the Buyer's Preference... I got a very good deal thru Morton's in F'Burg, VA. I'd consider first looking online at the BMW dealerships along your route at what they're offering, and then make travel adjustments to accommodate an anticpated sale. The M/C dealers are certainly willing to move used bikes in order to make space for the newest models...

Alternatively, start looking at the MOA Marketplace: >> http://marketplace.bmwmoa.org/classified/2013-1600-gtl-listing-23431.aspx << '13 for $13K conveniently in Sanibel, FL... May be worth a phone call. We just acquired a new-to-us R1200RS for Mrs-HSV from an MOA member in Missouri moving up to the 1250RS!



Have fun working out what & where to buy; you'll certainly save just from the depreciation standpoint!

Tally Ho - Ciao!
HSV-Phil & HSV-Karen
'14 K-GT -- '09 650GS-twin
'75 R90S -- '82 R100CS
- - - - - - - -'16 R1200RS

Buy the newest lowest mileage one that’s in your budget range. I would pick a 2014 & up. I had a 2013 but now have a 2018. A few upgrades were made starting 2017. The big K is a great bike ....have fun

I've been riding/maintaining (many) BMW's since 1989... first being a '87 K100RS so the 1600 is not my first rodeo.

About 6 weeks ago I picked up a '12 K1600GT with 23K on it and have put about 2000 miles on it so far. The bike had been sitting for 6 years due to the owner's health issues.

I went through the bike front to back as I always do with a new purchased and found a weeping water pump (typical for the original P/N) which has stopped leaking with use (can be replaced with newer P/N). Replaced tires, coolant, air filter, battery, did the 12K maintenance and brake system flush...all needed to bring it up to date maintenance wise. Deferring the 18K valve clearance check and spark plug replacement to 36K or maybe longer as experience has shown it unnecessary this early.

Per service records both switch clusters, radiator cap and front shock (squeak) were replaced under warranty (run the potential VIN through a dealer to check status).

It's a phenomenal bike and I'd ride it cross country tomorrow... may be headed to Great Falls. Cruise is a must... don't do without it.

Internet hype will steer you away from early 16's (and damn near any bike if you read enough)... B.S. as far as I'm concerned. It's a solid bike with an intoxicating engine.

Appreciate the suggestions, good reminder to check service records and run VIN to check for possible recalls, etc. I am watching a couple of 2015's with around 20k in my price range.

I have a 2018 K1600B Grand America. Cylon. She has 28k miles on her clock as of today. I am on my second shocks just this season. I am a svelte 250# and 6'1".

I ride Cylon very hard by bagger standards. My average tire lasts maybe 6k miles. The platform is amazing. You can torque your way out of problems very easily. Cylon will be my go-to ride for a very long time.

1. With the stock seat my arse was on fire after 500 mile on day one. I have a custom RDL and can easily time 18 hours per day (my person limit).
2. There is a transmission recall; be sure its done before you pick the bike up.
3. Forget the bike's built in audio.
4. The B is know for being light-footed in bad air. If you like a dresser and hate a sport bike, ride one.

It is truly an amazing platform for aggressive edge riding for its class. There is a difference between riders on Bs and on GTs, and on GTLs; you can look that up.

They could mistake "The Battlestar" for a hyper-velocity shooting star, but they’ll never be able to claim: “I just didn’t see him!”

Have fun galavanting across the Lower-48 this summerl... Wave as you go by

Ciao, HSV-Phil & HSV-Karen
'14 K-GT -- '09 650GS-twin
'75 R90S -- '82 R100CS
- - - - - - - -'16 R1200RS

K16 purchase

DJ failed to mention the wealth of information at https://www.k1600forum.com/forums/ that can answer your questions and there is also a Classified Bikes for sale section.

Wow, that's a great looking bagger!

I checked out the forum linked and a lot of great info there, nothing for sale near where I need it to be that I saw. Currently looking at a low-mile (17k) GT that just happens to be a couple miles from my sister's house in FL.

Edit: So the one I was looking at I ran the VIN and it's been re-titled 5 times since new which I assume means it's had 5 owners (a few thousand miles in between each so I assume probably not dealers), so I'm a little concerned about that, plus I offered to put a deposit to hold it for a few weeks and they don't want to do that (which I understand). There's another '14 GT I found for a great price but it's got close to 30k miles - i don't know whether that's a big deal or not given the price. Also found a couple of nice looking '15 GTL's for around 15 grand. I find both models fit me pretty well, I kind of prefer the taller more forward position for normal everyday riding but I suspect the GTL might be a little more comfortable for long trips.

Update: Purchase and Trip Completed

So I ended up with a 2015 GTL with 18,000 miles that I bought from a dealership in Sanford, FL. I met a friend of mine from PA on a Honda F6B in Miami, we rode down to Key West and then made our way across I-10 (mostly) to LA and then took the coast highway (1 and 101) back up to Washington. We put in north of 5,000 miles on the trip and the K performed flawlessly - what a joy to ride, took me a little bit to get used to but now feels like an old pair of shoes (in a good way). I put a new set of Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT's on in Tucson (shout out to Iron Horse Motorcycles - BMW dealer in Tucson, I called ahead and they hooked me up, as well as selling my Honda buddy on a new R18!)

Some photos: Destin, FL, New Orleans, at Santa Monica Pier, on the ferry back into Seattle, and the K in my garage next to my '99 R1100 scrambler.





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You did good!

Joe

Nice looking rig. Enjoy.