K1600 or what?

tanneman

Incomplete Arse
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Let me state the obvious, from BMW's own stable there are the new RT and GS/GSA (I still have to test ride the RT and GSA) that can comfortably tour the continent 2 up. I have owned the GSA MU and for me it was a very good bike and could be loaded with our camping kit and we would be off for a couple of weeks. The panniers for the GSA are perfect for this and together with a 90l Ortlieb bag it was all we would need. Now I have looked at various other makes of bikes but the pannier space and a place to tie down the Ortlieb bag are my concern. The K1600GT has caught my eye for touring duties. But the problems experienced by owners puts me off. How common the problems are I don't know. This ranges from pulling left, gearbox issues, drive train backlash, switchgear faulty, overheating, cracked pistons and satnav problems from reading on the K1600 forum. I had one as a loan bike 3 years ago, the bike wasn't even a week old, and can distinctly remember the clunk from the drive train every time I changed gear and the pulling left issue on the motorway. So despite my reservations I took the revised model out for a test ride today.

First impressions as I can remember is that it is a heavy bike but well balanced as you heave it upright and set off. The engine is a peach, overtaking in 3rd and 4th on B roads is the way to do it. The torque of the machine makes riding easier and it is so smooth coming from a boxer (it should be, it is an inline 6). You still need to be in front of the bike, more than the GSA especially at town speeds. The fly by wire throttle doesn't like the rear brake and balance thing when you crawl in traffic and I could smell the clutch after being stuck in a long cue. Only when I looked down I noticed I was in 2nd may be that's why. The screen has changed from what I remember and I can now find a position where the buffeting is acceptable, not as good as the GSA though. Handling and direction change is good for such a big machine. I even managed to scrape a foot peg. The backlash from the drive train has gone. Negatives, the buffeting above 100mph (private road of course near me :D), ground clearance, too many toys to make you take your eyes off the road ( but it is loaded with all the goodies), pannier space (but then again nothing is going to beat the GSA), numb bum after an hour. These would not deter me from buying it except for the price and approval from the pillion.

What I would like to know from the K1600 owners or ex owners on here are what their experience are with this bike. Good and bad. Do you go camping with it, if you do how do you load it and do you use the top box with the GT? How adept is the GT for carrying camping gear? I can always figure this out by just bringing the bike home and give it a try but any insight would be appreciated. How often do you ride the machine, miles per year, 2 up or single. Any advice on buying a used machine? Why did you buy it or sell it?
 
I love my 1600 GT
No serious problems in 20,000 miles.
I am sure you can camp - not sure I would want to take the bike off road though.
2 up or single, 4-5000 mile trip, 400 mile per day is easy.
Tomorrow I am riding Cardiff to Glasgow via most of Wales and the Lake district - I can't think of a bike I would rather do it on.

Now, after 3 years, there are some good value 1600s about.
 
In 3 years time when I retire I shall treat myself to a K1600 ... I won't worry about any of the above. If you go on any bike forum the chaps will always bitch about their steeds ... it's a wonder that anyone buys the bikes in the first place ! You can't please everyone all of the time and from what I have heard read and seen the K1600 is a stonking bit of kit so don't worry yourself with all that minor stuff just go out and buy one.
 
Ps .. just read Mr Bladerunners input .... so right .. there are many K's about that are only 2/3 years old around the 12 grand mark ... thats good money for a monstrous bit of kit. :thumb2
 
I bought mine from new in June 2011, with now over 30k on the clock. I was running an F800R in parallel, or it would have had 20k more on it.

Mine has always tugged a bit to the left, less so once the whole chassis, suspension loosened up. You don't notice it whilst riding.

It's a heavy bike at 320 Kg but you really do not notice it on the go. That being said, you really do not want to find yourself pointing in the wrong direction too often.

The drive is slightly odd, you do get an odd 'egg beater' feeling on a fixed throttle at about 3,000 RPM. It's no big deal.

It eats tyres, front and rear together. It's inevitable given the weight and power. I also got through a set of head races at about 25,000 miles.

Mine overheated; not a problem now I understand why.

There was a batch of faulty main beam switches, common to the F800 and radiator caps, also common to the 800. All fixed under warranty.

The lights are fantastic.

The iWheel / GPS integration is a dream.

The Akrapovich exhausts are not needed.

The screen and seat are excellent.

Tank size and range are fine.

If you want to tour, scratch on the way there, on the way back or whilst you are there, it will do it all, just fine. I have taken mine several times to the Alps, lots of times down big and very small roads, all without any bother. It's fine in London traffic, too. The whole 'package' just 'works', without all the clutter of a GS. It's the bike Honda should have built if they hadn't got lost in the whole Goldwing / PanEuropean development, thing.

PS It's a bitch to push backwards in deep gravel.

PPS My suspension is getting a bit spongy. Again, not bad for the mileage, use and weight.

PPPS. Some of the early bikes had a bit of a coolant issue. It was never really clear whether it was the water pump or the radiator cap. Mine never did; though the water pump gasket is just on its way out, judging by the flecks of bright green residue on the offside exhaust shield.
 
K1600gt

You can certainly go camping on it. :thumb2



They are also great for herding wanderers around France apparently. :comfort :whip

With all the fitted luggage on board it's not so easy to pile stuff on it as you can say a GS etc.

I loaded up my panniers/top box with so much cheese and wine on a recent trip to France that I had to leave my tent there. :blast :D

As others have said there are plenty of 2/3 year old fully loaded low mileage examples around. :thumb2
 
Thank you very much for the replies. I know Wapping does a lot of riding, seems he only owns bikes, but living in London you only need an Oyster card. I read Cooperman's tour in Europe and noted the extra rack on the top box. Could be an idea, the tent is a bit wider than the top box, we use a Kyham Biker - +-60cm across folded I think, fits nicely in the Ortlieb bag. Tricky, top marks for the cheese and wine, the missus will like that. She also likes camping but for us it is not without the ablution facilities nearby and usually a visit to a restaurant. As far as off roading is concerned I usually cover the hard packed gravel bit from the camp entrance to the pitch and a bit of maneuvering on the grass to position the bike. Other than that it is the gravel strewn across the tarmac. I did notice the prices of the K1600GTs are very much affordable maybe because of the reputation or complexity of the bike or that it is not every mans cup of tea. Hence the following questions.

Does your GT's still have that backlash in the drive train? I read that the gearbox had to be replaced if you want to rid of it completely (meaning the gearbox design has changed somewhere in the model life) or was the problem solved with the latter models from 12/13 plate on wards? Do you recommend buying from a dealer or private? I think that the BMW warranty would come in handy if anything goes wrong, or are there cheaper fixes that can be done by an independent. Or does BMW pull out the stops when one of their flagship models develop a problem, probably depends on the dealership and your relationship with them and if you bought it from them (BMW).

The reason for looking at this particular machine is that there is nothing else to compare it to. Honda Goldwing maybe but the handling of the BMW is better and I like to scratch. Maybe for saying this on GS forum I will be prosecuted but I have had enough of numb hands when touring long distance on the bike so a twin is the last choice. I do own an immaculate R1100S. There is only two at the moment including the new GSA and I know that the engine is a lot smoother than the previous model. I like the comfort of it and that engine, the sound I wont tire of, sounds like a E30 325i. The missus thinks the GSA would be perfect and she is not far from right given the bumpy b-roads, but there is too many white GSs in the club. Wapping you should have been at the AGM. So many in fact that one bloke (I will not name him) from this forum had many a mishap trying to start the wrong damn bike on more than one occasion whilst on tour. He got the pillock of the year award. So maybe I can avoid that scenario.
 
I read Cooperman's tour in Europe and noted the extra rack on the top box.

I didn't fit a rack as I was advised it's a tricky thing to do and the penalty for failure is expensive, being a new top box.

Simply I used a cheap camping roll, cut to fit the top box profile, as protection and sat the bag lashed on top. Worked a treat, but ensured I only put light voluminous gear in this bag.
 
Does your GT's still have that backlash in the drive train?

I have a 2011 GT which has had the new gearbox fitted - new as in the late 2013 version of the box. This pretty much eliminates the drive line clunk heard on some bikes at low revs when accelerating or decelerating. Gear changes on this new design box are lighter and more consistent in feel. The box is a cassette design and so far BMW has not supplied components, rather changing the entire unit.

I'm a bit surprised by
when you crawl in traffic and I could smell the clutch after being stuck in a long cue
as the K16 clutch is a wet, multiplate, slipper unit unlike the single plate dry one on pre LC boxers (they could smell if abused). There is no way for the clutch to smell, so it must have been something else ...

The K16 is excessive. Excessive can be great, depending on taste. I have one because time is not on my side to have a bike that size and I have no regrets at all. It is the archetypal iron fist in a velvet glove.

Gearbox aside, the most common issues experienced have not been not hugely expensive to fix if the bike has no warranty. BMW warranties are good, but pricey. There have been horror stories with the engine, but these seem to be thankfully very rare, though likely to be bank busting if they happen without a warranty. Do consider engine bars of some type as there have been cases where low speed drops have resulted in engine damage sufficient to write an engine off, and that can mean a complete bike write off.

If the bike is pre late 2013, and has not had a replacement gearbox, whether that bike has a gearbox that you might find unsatisfactory will show itself quickly on test. Just run it at about 2k rpm, shut the throttle then open it. Do that on mine with the original box and the result was a clank that I could not only hear (you'd have to be deaf not to) but feel as a distinct shunt. That is history with the new design box. So ride a few and decide. :)
 
Just got back from a week in belgium with mine. Wife on pillion and fully loaded and it performed faultlessly.Can`t think of another bike that I would rather have done the trip on. Get the right tyres on and it handles superbly (PR4`s in my case). I do about 10k pr year.
Mines a 2012 variety and theres a bit of backlash but once youve ridden it for a while you simply get used to it and adjust accordingly, never had an issue with the clutch. had both switch clusters replaced under warranty as left was playing up a bit but otherwise no probs. I would certainly buy another.
Plenty of used low milage examples about and if its not an price issue I`d always buy from a dealer as the peace of mind that comes with the waranty is worth the extra in my opinion.
 
mine was just a year old , wed last week, i love it like we all do, all bikes are individual mine has not been without the little issues that have been said before but they get fixed, if you read all the horror stories you'll talk your way out of it, i didn't even want one , i only went in for a new phase change jacket and i thought I'm having one of them, no test ride no review reading, nothing,and i bought it brand new on the spot and I've never regretted it , its a nearly black one and i refer to it as the death star lol. get busy living or get busy dying because yesterdays gone.ps i forgot the jacket an all..
 
If you are struggling for space, why not try a swinger :nenau :D

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I went from a K16 to the WC GS. I had no major problems with the big K, apart from the left hand switch replacement, which seems to be pretty much a standard issue.

The weight of the bike was about my only real gripe, but like stated above, you don't notice it when moving........ Brilliant piece of kit !

As for the camping...... I fabricated this to lug around my stuff....................





 
I bought my GT in August 2011, it was an ex-demo so I presume it was one of the launch bikes. I've put about 15000 miles on it, mostly 2-up touring, and it's not missed a beat. They are brilliant bikes!
 
Had mine just over a year - now on nearly 13k miles (and it's not my only bike - but if I had to have one, this would be it!). It is just simply awesome - every time I ride it, fast or slow (well, fast actually) it does everything well. Just returned from a blatt to Switzerland and back, all on D roads - 10 hour days driving through France, every minute fun. When you get to the mountains, just dial in 'Dynamic' and 'Sport' and the thing hurtles round corners like it shouldn't... But I have done just as much mileage commuting to London or round the M25, which it does without any bother and with the panniers off, it is no wider than most bikes.

Only thing to fail was the switch gear and this was replaced (both sides done at the same time) by Vines very swiftly (I do like them there.. but they also know me quite well...)

I love it.
 
I thank you guys very much for the input. There is a few shortlisted bikes for evaluation so hopefully next year this time we will have something to tour on in the garage. As I said to wapping I think BMW will add the reactive ESA to the K1600 lineup shortly or in the next couple of years. That may coincide with a model refresh or a completely new model to take on the duty of super tourer. Take into account of the rumored S1000F? for next year we'll just have to wait and see. What sets the K1600 apart is the engine and those deflectors that can divert airflow to your body when things get hot. None of that on the GSA or RT.
 
There's a bod on the first Wander with a red 1600 GT, first class condition etc. low mileage, that he's looking to sell.

Vendor lives in or near Cambridge.

You could do well.
 
This one

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...11-5800-miles-%A311-495&p=3777229#post3777229

and this one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-K1600...9243163?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item338d9d869b

Very tempting but the house move takes preference unless some gold falls from the sky. There are are a few K1600GT's for sale on ebay and such but it doesn't look like they shift very well secondhand. That makes for a decent bike at a knockdown price. The above bike is one in such condition I wonder why it hasn't sold.
 


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