Motorcycle.com

2012 BMW K1600GT Review
 

Original Article:
2012 BMW K1600GT Review

Please discuss the Motorcycle.com article 2012 BMW K1600GT Review in our Motorcycle Forums below. Use the reply button to let others know your comments or feedback on the article. Constructive criticism is always appreciated, along with your thoughts and personal opinions on the bikes and products we have tested.

First post!

I'll have to go test ride one of these as well. The 6 is on the short list for sure-it just comes down to which ergos I like the best.

My girlfriend is tiny and loves to ride on my 1300 but she is kind of perched up there in the wind even though I have a top box. I'm leaning forward to the bars so I'm kind of a long way from her. She gets a lot of buffeting and cold air (in the mountains of course) that I don't get behind the windshield.

The GTL might be best if you're two up a lot especially if your passenger is small. Of course, I haven't seen too many petite BMW riders out and about!

Too bad it doesn't have a better name. If you say "Gold Wing" or "Hayabusa" people know exactly what you're talking about. Kay Six Teen Hundred Gee Tee just doesn't roll off the tongue the same way.

It is indeed a beautiful bike but at nearly 40K Australian way out of my price range.

Yeah when you say "Gold Wing" people know exactly what your talking about!

Trailers, car tires, stuffed animals, lighting rigs, etc.

I am sure the bike is very powerful, suitably refined and functional, loaded with touring amenities, comfy and otherwise just fine. Watched the video, heard the exhaust note, sold. Holy crap that thing sounds awesome. :cool:

Short List
 

For some reason I was reluctant to add this bike to my short list of tourers. All things considered it has catapulted to my #1 spot.

We have plenty of dealers in SoCal

Go ride one.

No chance to test the GT but I took a GTL out for a short test ride and wasn't too impressed. The low-end torque felt pretty weak and even twisting the throttle WFO through the mid-range the motor didn't feel as fast as I was expecting given its 160hp rating. The bike was well-balanced and easy to ride even at a walking pace, but its legroom felt pretty cramped even with my shortish 30" inseam. More than anything else, it reminded me of a Burgman 650 on steroids — it was very competent but didn't stir up any feelings of excitement. Maybe I'd feel differently about it if I could take it touring for a day, but for now I like the K1300GT better.

I just picked up the K16GT we'll ride to Laguna. Holy crap, the exhaust note and its volume is even more impressive than I remembered! Makes you want to rev the piss out of it everywhere!