K1600 vs 1250 GSA

It makes me wonder why Biggles put his WWW up for sale….. and nobody bought it. Make him an offer…. :D :beerjug:



Wonder Wanker Wing
 
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Had all three and what I would say is my 1250GSA was the best for luggage capacity for two up touring.
RT1250 Another great touring bike that could be hustled along if wanted.
Out of the three it would be another K1600B if the finance officer had her way.
Having said that all bikes are great.
Apart from scooters. :LOL: 20220531_135945.jpgScreenshot_20230616_140330_Facebook.jpg20200728_120727.jpg
 
Ok so I’m going to ask the question although I know the answer is all down to personal choice.
Love my 1250 GSA Tripple Black. Great riding position. I’m 6’2 and 100kg. I find the bike is heavy but general comfort riding position is good for someone of my height.
I am not going for the new 1300 but am interested in the K1600 post 2022 model. Interested in the pro’s and con’s from those that have one. Thinking of maybe a second bike or part ex

And yes I have booked a test ride in a couple of weeks time….
Had a couple of 1200gsa from 2016, a 2018 RT and two k1600. Currently on a 16B.

Very different bikes, both with merits. Dynamically the GS is better. Faster, nimbler, for most riders, most roads most of the time. Better in town too. A faster point to point bike for sure. The K is not far behind, with a motor that has no equal in the biking world. For pistonheaded folk… its the one. It is heavier, and needs more commitment and possibly a more experienced hand at it. Does not like changing arcs mid turn, and won’t allow cardinal errors, hamfistedness and general hooliganism mid turn like the GS does.

I have enjoyed my weekly touring trips on the Ks more than on the boxers. I had an recent RT too. For me 75% of that is the engine. The filling cream, screaming 6 cyl torqueing up a mountain pass… nothing matches that.

Build quality is better (by a margin) on the K bikes. For sure. Weathering a lot better in my ownership and I treat all of my bikes the same, fairly well, acf etc, but no garage queening. I can see my K bagger (my avatar) that I bought new in 2021 lasting well over 15 years. Like my vfrs. The boxers..? No way.

If you find the GSA heavy, then K is not for you most likely. Try them. Give the K a good 1-2hr test.
 
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I’ve owned both.
If you are camping for two weeks and you have the wife and kitchen sink with you, a GS or equivalent is the bike.
If your taking the wife and staying in hotels, the 1600GT is the bike.
I have never had any trouble mid turn on my 1600, on busy alpine roads it stays with a GS.
How did you find your test ride?
 
Have a DCT Goldwing Tour, from new in 2020, and currently on a 2 up Iberian tour and about to hit 20,000 miles today.

It has been flawless and handles twisty mountain roads and small city streets without difficulty, and 1000 km+ days. Goes likes the clappers in Sports mode. Great tyre life (9,500 miles or more) although it gets ridden hard. Fuel consumption to date 56 mpg.

Drawbacks: it’s big and heavy when stationary and u turns need planning. Pannier space isn’t enough for a couple (so for 2 up I have additional bags).

Certainly worth a test ride….the eng8ne is a thing of joy.

Cannot compare GSA but have an 1150 GS and had a 1200 RT which I did 25,000 miles on……2 up in the mountains I had to slip the clutch on the hairpins whereas the DCT Wing just laps it up and you can’t stall it.
 
What's the rank range on the k16 just in case I need one

Five miles, but reducing to three when hooned and scratched through the twisties, which you’ll be doing, natch.

This is quite extraordinary, when you consider the 1600 GT has a 26.5 litre tank and the standard rule of thumb for many bikes is a range of 10 miles per litre.
 
6ft1” 110kgs… I too had all three…

BMW R1200GSA LC TE… a keeper… love this bike – I have not been tempted to change to the R1250 or R1300... lots of reasons, but mainly because I’m not a fan of TFT/more Tech/ConnectedRide ect ect.

A few years ago I purchased a new Honda Goldwing DCT Touring as a second bike for two up Euro trips….(SWMBO fancied the extra comfort). Unfortunately we did not bond with this bike for lots of reasons outlined in previous post…
K1600GTLE Has Replaced the Goldwing | UKGSer

BMW K1600GTLE – As others have mentioned… it is simply a fantastic bike, which I now tend to use more than the GSA.

However, not without problems… in the 3 ½ years of ownership the following has failed;
  • Starter sprag clutch (replaced under warranty),
  • Reverse gear Electronic Module (Replaced under warranty),
  • Throttle grip failure (bike goes into limp mode)
Whilst admiring Honda reliability, and despite all of the above, for two up touring, I don’t think there is a better bike out there (GW owners will obviously disagree :hide)

To summarise, I would recommend a long week-end test ride of the Goldwing & k1600 before deciding what’s best for you.
Personally for me, the more I rode the GW DCT...the more I disliked it, which is quite the opposite for the K1600GTL.
 

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Five miles, but reducing to three when hooned and scratched through the twisties, which you’ll be doing, natch.

This is quite extraordinary, when you consider the 1600 GT has a 26.5 litre tank and the standard rule of thumb for many bikes is a range of 10 miles per litre.
10 miles per litre is a good rule..... I refill around the 200 mile mark with 18-20lt. Mind you, tank range when traveling with others is not super relevant as its dependent on the smallest range of the fleet, which for my touring group is usually a certain someone on a Honda Firestorm or a Harley Vrod, just managing to break 120miles. So we stop anyway....
 
as its dependent on the smallest range of the fleet, which for my touring group is usually a certain someone on a Honda Firestorm

I took some bods on the forum on a Wander, on my HP2 Sport…. 16 litres. It covered the same daily distances as some others on their awesome 1200 GSA’s. I simply started each day with a full tank and looked for fuel at around the 120 mile mark, which is around three hours, so most bods wanted to stop anyway. Huge tanks, by and large, just add weight.
 
Huge tanks, by and large, just add weight.
Yes & no. When doing a weekly commute the GSA tank was a boon as I only had to fill up once a week and when travelling to our place in France I know I can get there on one tank from the ferry (&v.v.). But yes if in a group the larger tank is just dead weight (although handy if someone does actually run out ;)).
 
We saw one in the ferry queue at Plymouth a couple of weeks back .
It was a new model and had Remus exhausts.
Sounded the bollox.

I had the extended use of an early GT with AC Schnitzer exhausts on it (made by Remus), it sounded great and went a little better as well.
 


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