The BMW Motorcycle That Touring Riders Keep Coming Back To
There is a certain confidence that comes with knowing your motorcycle is ready for days on the road. You can point it toward the horizon, settle into the saddle, and worry less about what the next few hundred miles might throw at you. The trouble is, there are plenty of ways to get that feeling, and most modern motorcycles will happily claim they can do the job. But BMW has been playing this game long enough to know that there’s more than one way to build a motorcycle for the long haul.
BMW Has Always Excelled At Building Long-Haul Motorcycles
If your idea of touring includes leaving the pavement behind when the road gets loose, BMW has the GS family. The formula is familiar by now: long-travel suspension, substantial ground clearance, riding modes for different surfaces, and a chassis designed to handle far more than a smooth highway. The R 1300 GS brings 7.5 inches of front suspension travel, 7.9 inches at the rear, and a 19-inch front wheel, giving BMW’s adventure range the tools to tackle long road sections before turning onto something rougher.
If you like the idea of touring but still have a soft spot for sports bikes, BMW has an answer for that too. The S 1000 XR takes the 999cc inline-four from BMW’s sport bike world and gives it the upright ergonomics, wind protection, luggage options, and suspension travel needed for far more road miles. With 170 hp at 11,000 rpm and a claimed top speed of more than 155 mph, it is about as close as you can get to turning a sport bike into a long-distance weapon without actually giving up the sport bike part.
And if all that sounds a little too modern, BMW’s Heritage range takes a very different approach. The R 18 family brings back the big boxer, exposed mechanical character, and relaxed proportions of a classic cruiser, while the R 18 B and Transcontinental add fixed luggage and touring equipment to the formula. The Transcontinental’s 1,802cc boxer makes 120 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm, while its large fairing, 6.3-gallon tank, and passenger-focused equipment make it BMW’s distinctly Bavarian take on the American long-haul cruiser.
The K 1600 Lineup Has Been A Fan-Favorite
As good as all that sounds, the big daddy of the touring range is the K 1600 lineup. BMW’s dedicated touring range is built around the idea that a long-distance motorcycle doesn’t have to compromise. The GT is for the rider who wants their touring bike to retain a serious sporting edge, while the K 1600 B takes the same six-cylinder formula and gives it the long, low shape and relaxed attitude of a proper bagger. Then there is the Grand America, which leans even harder into the laid-back side of the equation with its high windscreen, footboards and passenger-focused setup. At the top of it all is the GTL.
The K 1600 GTL Is The Biggest And Baddest BMW Tourer You’ll Keep Coming Back To
BMW describes the K 1600 GTL as performance touring for two, which is probably the simplest way to understand where it sits in the family. This is the motorcycle for someone who doesn’t want to choose between performance and being completely spoiled on a long ride. It takes everything BMW has learned from the K 1600 formula and piles it into a machine designed around the idea that the perfect tour should leave very little to want, especially when there are two people on board.
Why Riders Keep Coming Back To The GTL
So why do riders keep coming back to the GTL? A big part of it should come down to how little it asks you to give up. The six-cylinder engine has the kind of broad, effortless power delivery you would expect from a motorcycle built for covering serious distances, while the chassis and riding position still leave room for some sporting character when the road gets interesting. Add the wind protection, luggage and two-up comfort, and the GTL starts to look like the rare tourer that can do almost everything without making one particular type of riding feel like a compromise.
The Price Makes A Strong Case
The K 1600 GTL starts at $30,095 before destination and other fees, but BMW’s own configurator shows how quickly that number can climb, with a well-equipped example reaching $35,970. That difference matters because some of the things that make a luxury tourer feel properly luxurious sit on the options list, including the Comfort Package, Option 719 seat, and forged wheels. So while the GTL’s starting price gets you into BMW’s six-cylinder flagship, it is easy to see how someone could spend considerably more once the “I might as well have that too” part of the buying process begins.
Six Cylinders Give The GTL Class-Leading Performance
There is a reason six-cylinder engines have such a reputation for smoothness. With six cylinders firing at evenly spaced intervals, an inline-six can spread its power delivery across a wide rev range while keeping vibration inherently low. BMW puts that formula into a 1,649cc inline-six in the K 1600 GTL, producing 160 horsepower at 6,750 rpm and 132.7 lb-ft at 5,250 rpm. Unlike the horizontally opposed six-cylinder used by Honda in the Gold Wing, BMW keeps all six cylinders in a straight line, giving the GTL a distinctive engine layout alongside the broad, refined performance expected from a flagship tourer.
Paired With A Chassis Built For Highway Stability
The engine would be a lot less impressive if the rest of the motorcycle could not keep pace. The K 1600 GTL uses a cast-aluminum bridge-type frame with the engine acting as a load-bearing member, paired with BMW’s Duolever front and Paralever rear suspension. Its 63.7-inch wheelbase and 17-inch wheels give the nearly 800-pound motorcycle a substantial footprint, while the suspension hardware should help keep it composed at highway speeds without completely taking away its sporting character.
The GTL’s Technology Makes Touring Easier
If you’re buying a motorcycle that BMW calls a performance tourer, you probably expect more than just a big engine and a comfortable seat. The GTL’s 10.25-inch TFT brings navigation and connectivity into the cockpit, while its adaptive LED headlight can adjust its illumination as you lean through corners. Dynamic ESA electronically manages the suspension and automatically adjusts for the load, which should be especially useful when you’re carrying a passenger and a week’s worth of luggage. Heated grips and seats, cruise control and tire-pressure monitoring round out the features that matter when the road keeps going.
Even Parking A Nearly 800-Pound Motorcycle Gets Some Help
When you’re dealing with a motorcycle this big, tight parking spots can get awkward quickly, particularly with a passenger and luggage on board. That’s where BMW’s Reverse Assist comes in, letting the GTL creep backward at walking pace at the push of a button. Hill Start Control Pro helps with uphill stops too, so getting 789 pounds of motorcycle moving again doesn’t have to become a full-body workout.
How The GTL Trumps Its Japanese And American Rivals
Full-dress touring might still be a smaller club than adventure or sport touring, but the K 1600 GTL is hardly without rivals. From Japan, the Honda Gold Wing Tour comes closest to BMW’s formula, right down to the six-cylinder engine, although Honda uses a 1,833cc horizontally opposed six-cylinder rather than BMW’s inline-six. Where the Gold Wing gets fascinating is with its seven-speed DCT, which can handle the shifting for you, and its top-spec version even adds an airbag. Those are features the BMW simply doesn’t offer, giving Honda a pretty compelling interpretation of what luxury touring can be.
The American approach is rather different. Harley-Davidson’s Street Glide and Indian’s Pursuit lean heavily into the big-bore V-twin formula, with engines displacing 1,923cc and 1,834cc respectively and making their strongest case with substantial torque. The Harley makes 131 lb-ft, while the Indian’s 112 PowerPlus produces 133 lb-ft, and both motorcycles carry considerably more mass than the GTL. There is plenty of character in that formula, but the BMW’s 160 horsepower and six-cylinder layout give it better refinement and performance. That is where the GTL makes its strongest case.
Source: BMW Motorrad
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments