BMW K1600GT/GTL - Six Appeal | Late Braking

Both the K1600GT and K1600GTL are dripping with personality, mechanical allure and functional excellence. That’s firstly thanks to the compact inline six-cylinder powerplant that measures just 22 inches in width. The 1649cc engine is claimed to produce 160 horsepower at 7500 rpm, but more importantly, it churns out 92.2 ft-lb of torque at just 1500 rpm (with a peak of 129.1 ft-lb at 5250 rpm).

At higher speeds, the BMW is surprisingly agile for such a big bike with a lengthy 66-inch wheelbase, thanks to the low center of gravity and 52/49 percent weight distribution. The K1600 in either version doesn’t exactly flick effortlessly from side to side along a winding mountain pass, but with minimal rider effort the BMW changes direction in a very assured and confidence-inspiring way, and ground clearance never becomes a problem on either bike, even the GTL with its lower footrests. The different footrest position also delivers a different shifter leverage ratio, resulting in lighter shifting than with the GT.

The ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) available as an option really makes a difference to the ride quality of these luxury tourers, as does the handling of the twin-spar aluminum chassis. Both models are fitted with BMW’s Duolever front and Paralever rear suspension. The ESA’s tauter Sport setting is good for firming up either end, although on roughly surfaced country roads, Normal mode is best, leaving the Comfort setting for tooling along a freeway at anything up to the 155 mph top speed that either bike is limited to. And you can electronically change the settings in motion, thumbing the button on the left handlebar to alter the rebound damping of each shock, plus the rear spring rate and preload.

When looking to get things slowed down, the triple 320mm disc brakes are undeniably effective. The twin front four-piston calipers are linked to the single twin-pot rear via the front brake lever, with extra stopping power available from the rear foot pedal.

But it’s that wonderful 72 x 67.5mm six-cylinder dry-sump liquid-cooled engine that’s the real star, primarily because of how it pulls in top gear from practically off idle up to the 8500 rpm rev limiter without a single hiccup or glitch in the transmission. Whatever gear you’re in, there’s a silky delivery of serious power needed to get such a substantial show on the road, especially between 4000 and 7000 rpm. It’s an enormously satisfying and responsive powerplant, especially if you select Dynamic mode for BMW’s so-called E-gas combined ride-by-wire control system, which delivers a smarter character to the engine’s performance without making the BMW’s throttle pickup abrupt. The Rain setting has a more leisurely throttle response by comparison, with the Road mode somewhere in between that you’ll end up using on fast open stretches, with the engine effortlessly purring at 5800 rpm at 124 mph.

Smooth, stylish, sporty-sounding, seductive, sophisticated and supremely swift, these sixes are special K on two wheels. Once again, BMW has raised the bar for its competitors, setting new standards for a significant model sector with the new K1600 duo. sr