Discussion
i'd appreciate any words of wisdom warts and all
thinking of getting one, i have done a google and watched a number of reviews, one by a couple of east European journos was quite good, one by coffee pot or tea mug - whatever, was ok but not very in depth. though he did say that himself
sat on one at the bike show and it appeared smaller than an RT, yet to find test ride one though due to work
just wondered what the issues are if any, day to day living with it - commuting, filtering, handling, electrics, reliability generally, service costs.
Ta
thinking of getting one, i have done a google and watched a number of reviews, one by a couple of east European journos was quite good, one by coffee pot or tea mug - whatever, was ok but not very in depth. though he did say that himself
sat on one at the bike show and it appeared smaller than an RT, yet to find test ride one though due to work
just wondered what the issues are if any, day to day living with it - commuting, filtering, handling, electrics, reliability generally, service costs.
Ta
fill your boots here https://www.k1600forum.com/
Engine - awesome
gear box - not
Running costs high, valve service eye watering. Due at 18k although usually they are all in tolerance, so many leave to 24k or even 36k. well over £1k from a BMW dealer. I plan to DIY, but it's a biggy!
Pre 2013 are higher risk.
Plenty of toys to play with and/or go wrong.
The Mrs loves the back, but solo I rarely choose it over a GS.
Engine - awesome
gear box - not
Running costs high, valve service eye watering. Due at 18k although usually they are all in tolerance, so many leave to 24k or even 36k. well over £1k from a BMW dealer. I plan to DIY, but it's a biggy!
Pre 2013 are higher risk.
Plenty of toys to play with and/or go wrong.
The Mrs loves the back, but solo I rarely choose it over a GS.
Wow, so much hate for the K1600!
Just rode one 1700 miles across 11 states in the USA for a friend. Long story, another time.
It’s not my thing, but it was far from bad. The engine is powerful and makes a pretty amazing howl when you wind it out. But it’s got plenty of torque so I found that I didn’t get it up into the higher rev ranges! Get it going though and it’s a bit of a rocket ship. Big tank, pretty economical too, if you ride it carefully and plenty of storage too.
Really comfortable for longer rides and I didn’t get any real aches and pains over the 5 days we rode, just my leg, but that’s my issue. Decent wind protection and the hand and but warmers are great, and it’s made me realize that I need a seat heater next time. Screen works great and good upper protection, which is rare for me, being 6’5”!
Cruise works well, electronic suspension is pretty good, but still felt a little soft for me. Personal choice I know, but it could have been a little stiffer and faster responding. But ride was excellent and it really does soak up the bigger bumps well. Didn’t use the radio or other stuff, but I assume it works well.
But, we did have an issue though. Bizarrely the starter switch went bad and stranded us. Seems that, when they get warm they can malfunction! Strange since it is in the sun, but there is a recall out for these. Seems a replacement switch and software upgrade fixes it. But there are a whole bunch of upgrades and warranty stuff that needs to be done on early ones. I understand that it’s much better in later models.
Oh, and I found the throttle a little jerky though. Roll off and it’s pretty abrupt, but rolling on again and it can snatch too. Maybe a software upgrade will fix this too, but didn’t really like it. Way better than a Honda ST1300 though, but far from great. I would ride it first.
Having ridden the RT1200 too, I would admit that the boxer is probably the better bike overall. But if you want something that’s faster, smoother and lazier, the K is better. But the K is way smoother and virtually no vibration, so it will be better for longer rides and higher speeds.
Is it bad? Hardly. I enjoyed it and it beat the alternative of riding a full dress HD!
Just rode one 1700 miles across 11 states in the USA for a friend. Long story, another time.
It’s not my thing, but it was far from bad. The engine is powerful and makes a pretty amazing howl when you wind it out. But it’s got plenty of torque so I found that I didn’t get it up into the higher rev ranges! Get it going though and it’s a bit of a rocket ship. Big tank, pretty economical too, if you ride it carefully and plenty of storage too.
Really comfortable for longer rides and I didn’t get any real aches and pains over the 5 days we rode, just my leg, but that’s my issue. Decent wind protection and the hand and but warmers are great, and it’s made me realize that I need a seat heater next time. Screen works great and good upper protection, which is rare for me, being 6’5”!
Cruise works well, electronic suspension is pretty good, but still felt a little soft for me. Personal choice I know, but it could have been a little stiffer and faster responding. But ride was excellent and it really does soak up the bigger bumps well. Didn’t use the radio or other stuff, but I assume it works well.
But, we did have an issue though. Bizarrely the starter switch went bad and stranded us. Seems that, when they get warm they can malfunction! Strange since it is in the sun, but there is a recall out for these. Seems a replacement switch and software upgrade fixes it. But there are a whole bunch of upgrades and warranty stuff that needs to be done on early ones. I understand that it’s much better in later models.
Oh, and I found the throttle a little jerky though. Roll off and it’s pretty abrupt, but rolling on again and it can snatch too. Maybe a software upgrade will fix this too, but didn’t really like it. Way better than a Honda ST1300 though, but far from great. I would ride it first.
Having ridden the RT1200 too, I would admit that the boxer is probably the better bike overall. But if you want something that’s faster, smoother and lazier, the K is better. But the K is way smoother and virtually no vibration, so it will be better for longer rides and higher speeds.
Is it bad? Hardly. I enjoyed it and it beat the alternative of riding a full dress HD!
My Dad's had a K1600 GTL for 5 years and has done about 30,000 miles on it. It's now on 40k.
Helpfully for you, I rode it for the first time just this morning, he swapped onto my 1198 for half an hour and I tottered about on his K1600.
Engine: Fantastic, doesn't feel uber fast or torquey but then you look down and realise you're doing pretty decent speeds – it is definitely quick. Smoothest engine I've ever ridden, just above a Blackbird in terms of tranquility at a cruise. Throttle's a bit snatchy at slow speeds, but I'm used to the Best Ever In The World throttle connection on my 1198. It sounds like an E46 M3, and has a delicious induction growl.
Gearbox: Clunky from first to second and back, but other than that it was fine. Clutchless upshifts are fine - but it's not a buttery smooth box.
Screen: My Dad's got a wider aftermarket one on his. With it all the way up (it's electrically adjustable) the wind went completely over my head – I've never had that on a bike before. I'm 6'3". Sadly the amount of bugs on it was impinging my view a bit, so I had to have it lowered – then it was a buffety thing.
Handling: It turns from side to side very easily and it feels incredibly agile given its weight (I'll come on to that). I decked the pegs out on the first roundabout which knocked my confidence a bit – but my Dad later told me he's put lower pegs on it! It feels pretty stable mid bend, and even when you're tonking down a country road the suspension just about keeps everything in check.
Ride: Plush. I only rode it in sports mode, and it just sailed along for the most part. I was mostly aware of the imperfections in the road because I could hear bits of the bike clanging underneath me. But very little was transmitted to my arse.
Weight: I was riding it with all three boxes (empty) on it, and it's a heavy b
d at low speeds. I have long old legs but they'd get a knee-popping workout trying to stop it falling over if I got caught out stopping on a slope. The weight does disappear as soon as you're moving, and you can trundle around at walking pace easily. My Dad's dropped it numerous times on tours but it has crash bars and will just sit on them at a 45-degree angle rather than go right over!
Ownership: My Dad's had a few things go wrong with it as far as I can recall. The biggest problem has been corrosion - I think to the engine cases and shaft drive. BMW's put everything right so far as I know. And yes, I think the valve clearances will be expensive. It has six cylinders, so of course you need to budget more for all the engine gubbins.
He's got it up for sale on eBay at the mo - a few people are coming to look at it this coming week. For £7k it's a helluva lot of bike, and is perfect for crushing continents two-up. It's not really my bag, but it's an epic bike for that purpose.
Oh, and I think he hated my 1198.
Helpfully for you, I rode it for the first time just this morning, he swapped onto my 1198 for half an hour and I tottered about on his K1600.
Engine: Fantastic, doesn't feel uber fast or torquey but then you look down and realise you're doing pretty decent speeds – it is definitely quick. Smoothest engine I've ever ridden, just above a Blackbird in terms of tranquility at a cruise. Throttle's a bit snatchy at slow speeds, but I'm used to the Best Ever In The World throttle connection on my 1198. It sounds like an E46 M3, and has a delicious induction growl.
Gearbox: Clunky from first to second and back, but other than that it was fine. Clutchless upshifts are fine - but it's not a buttery smooth box.
Screen: My Dad's got a wider aftermarket one on his. With it all the way up (it's electrically adjustable) the wind went completely over my head – I've never had that on a bike before. I'm 6'3". Sadly the amount of bugs on it was impinging my view a bit, so I had to have it lowered – then it was a buffety thing.
Handling: It turns from side to side very easily and it feels incredibly agile given its weight (I'll come on to that). I decked the pegs out on the first roundabout which knocked my confidence a bit – but my Dad later told me he's put lower pegs on it! It feels pretty stable mid bend, and even when you're tonking down a country road the suspension just about keeps everything in check.
Ride: Plush. I only rode it in sports mode, and it just sailed along for the most part. I was mostly aware of the imperfections in the road because I could hear bits of the bike clanging underneath me. But very little was transmitted to my arse.
Weight: I was riding it with all three boxes (empty) on it, and it's a heavy b
d at low speeds. I have long old legs but they'd get a knee-popping workout trying to stop it falling over if I got caught out stopping on a slope. The weight does disappear as soon as you're moving, and you can trundle around at walking pace easily. My Dad's dropped it numerous times on tours but it has crash bars and will just sit on them at a 45-degree angle rather than go right over!Ownership: My Dad's had a few things go wrong with it as far as I can recall. The biggest problem has been corrosion - I think to the engine cases and shaft drive. BMW's put everything right so far as I know. And yes, I think the valve clearances will be expensive. It has six cylinders, so of course you need to budget more for all the engine gubbins.
He's got it up for sale on eBay at the mo - a few people are coming to look at it this coming week. For £7k it's a helluva lot of bike, and is perfect for crushing continents two-up. It's not really my bag, but it's an epic bike for that purpose.
Oh, and I think he hated my 1198.
Being a bit of a BMW fanboy I was interested in a 1600. I was somewhat put off by what I read regarding owners experiences in several countries. The main points were not to run one out of warrantee and don’t expect to be able to sell it easily. One guy tried to sell it back to BMW and they weren’t interested.
I know this could be said for many bikes. I might go for one eventually once prices are shed money.
I know this could be said for many bikes. I might go for one eventually once prices are shed money.
I was given one as a courtesy bike by Coopers a year or so back. I believe there are two versions, one is more cruiser-like/feet forward/lower than the other and I think that was the one I got. For context, I commute into central London every day on an RT, but I didn't like the 1600. Very long and all wrong with the seating position for me. They're actually quite rapid (for what they are; they're no 1000cc sports bike beater) but iirc it all feels a bit remote, detached.
wa16 said:
i trust filtering on an RT is just a matter of confidence and being sensible
Genuinely not being big & clever but I honestly don't believe I hold anyone up, other than the occasional wannabe GP rider who believes he can shave two tenths off his door to door record by diving underneath someone riding normally (there's always one!). On the RT the mirrors fit under the mirrors of vans, SUVs, anything much higher than a standard car, so where I might get baulked if two cars are close together, I sail through where higher-bar bikes are wriggling. Six and two threes. The bike looks big head-on but it's not massively so, and it carries its weight very low so you can be feet-up at barely-moving speeds.
Unbusy said:
I’m interested in how the RS and RT compare and what you think of them.
The new RS is lighter and more powerful than the 1200RS. It looks like it might be a great sports tourer.
I've test ridden both. The RT feels very front heavy, I agree with 'the weight disappears on the move' etc and it's surprisingly manageable at walking speed. But the weight distribution feels odd. Possibly it's something you get used to. The new RS is lighter and more powerful than the 1200RS. It looks like it might be a great sports tourer.
The RS feels more flickable as you would expect, the RT isn't at all bad round the twisties but the RS is a noticeable improvement. What I couldn't come to terms with was the head down riding position but that's probably because I'm used to upright bikes.
I'd say the GS is actually in between the RT and the RS, closer to the RS in handling but to the RT in comfort which is why I bought it. If you like the GS but aren't planning to go off road the RS makes a lot of sense. The only reason I didn't go for it was the riding position, I went for the GS even though I've no intention of emulating Ewan and Charlie or chasing ducks through sewage farms.
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