BMW K1600GT (2017 - on) Review

A lot of bikes have required replacement wheel bearings under10k miles

Radiator not fit for purpose - easily gets clogged, costs a lot (circa £800) to replace and warranty does not cover blocked radiator - needs regular cleaning. Good fuel consumption.

Ride quality is very good on most roads. Soaks up bumps very well. Fairly easy to turn into corners but it does require a bit of a nudge sometimes to avoid understeer. The feeling of weight is always there. The linked brakes are good but not great. The "funny" front end stops a lot of the initial suspension dive you get on most bikes at the expense of front tyre feedback. Seat height allows feet flat to the ground when stationary which is just as well. You would not want to get this bike too far off vertical. Seat comfort is excellent but the knee angle for a bit tight for my 6ft 1 inch frame, although 200 miles without stopping is bearable. I have problems with past shoulder tendon injuries and the handlebar position is perfect for me on long rides.

The inline 6 is a gem. Its no sports bike but it will pickup its heals when needs be, helped by the quickshifter which works best when you are giving it some beans through the gears. I seldom used the quickshifter going down the box as it can be a tad harsh if you dont get the judgement perfect. I am mechanically sympathetic so I avoid snatching the cogs. Overall this is a bike that has effortless speed and acceleration without having to work the engine hard. Fuel economy on a mixture of roads returns in the region of 42mpg which I think is quite good.

Quality of finish is as good as it gets. My bike hasnt done enough miles to really know how reliable it will be over time but so far nothing has gone wrong. The hill start can be intrusive at sometimes, I would turn it off if I knew how.

Not had the bike long enough to know what servicing will cost.

This bike is very well equipped with everything you really need in the comfort stakes for touring. Accessing all the equipmeny settings is a bit fiddly and requires you to take your eyes off the road too long for my liking. Not to have a simple switch for heated grips is plain nuts. There are 2 small cubby holes up front, one for your phone ( my Samsung didnt fit) and another which just about holds a small bottle of visor cleaner and a cloth. Both are pretty useless which necessitates a screen bag if you require quick access for cards etc at tolls. My bike has the optional 52 litre topbox which helps create enough storage space for long trips. The panniers are a good size and shape so your stuff doesn't fall out everytime you open them. Overall the BMW luggage seems robust and well made. The centre stand requires a huge effort to get this heavyweight on stand. I fitted pannier crash bars that help provide a better leverage but its still a ball busting effort. The OEM Bridgestone T31 tyres grip well in any conditions which is just as well as its not easy to feel whats going on down below. You learn to trust them after a few miles. What I did find on this bike was, in the recent hot weather, the big screen and wrap around front end bodywork denies you most of the available cooling wind blast. Even with the "bat wings" fully out

Ride quality is excellent as you would hope. Pegs are higher than you might expect but I have found them more comfortable than my previous GS over long motorway way miles. Seat is level so even distribution of weight. Wind protection is better with the Wunderlich marathon screen. Standard screen bisected my vision when set to high. On board music can be listened to with open face helmet at high way speeds . Brakes good in the dry, have noticed a need for increased force for wet weather, still better than my GS 1250 despite the increased weight.

This is what this bike is about, an exceptional engine, in sport mode sounds like a formulae 1 engine, even on standard pipes. An incredibly smooth throttle, powered through the Hardknott Pass with ease, still 50 MPG.

A recall for the SOS system, a software update, otherwise has the feel and experience of bullet proof reliability. Quality exceptional, even compared to other BMW bikes.

No more expensive than most modern motorbikes. There is a high price in the 16000 mile service for valves due to complexity and number of cylinders. The price you pay for 6 cylinders.

Old school dash with integrated TFT, works well and very clear. Enough gadgets to keep you entertained for hours. Standard tyres Bridgestones have been good in the dry but less confident in the wet, maybe due to the BMW suspension, will change for Michelin pilot 4 GT.

Rides brilliantly, can ride everywhere in higher gears

Fantastic 6 cylinder

Been around for ten years but early days had lots of issues Recent recall sorted Bikes great when new but once a few years old quality depends on how well bike has been looked after Still long term problems with radiator and potential rust

Big service cost at 18,000 miles

Has everything you could possibly want

Hard to beat

6000 annual and 18000 big service (valve clearances and change of spark plugs)

Made for touring, you can ride for hours - tank about 225-250 miles depending on how you ride but it’s good to have a break every hundred miles. Engine performance perfect and excellent brakes.

Sublime performance. 2017 onwards slightly negatively effected by introduction of Euro4 but if you are willing to spend you can get ecu tweaked.

Other riders have reported rust on the centre stand. If you get into the habit of using a rust inhibitor after winter washing and garage your bike you should be ok. Radiators can get blocked so look after it and wash out from behind or you will soon need it replaced.

Annual service interval is 6,000 miles and a big one at 18,000 to check valve clearances and change spark plugs.

There are lots of worthwhile features e.g. electronic screen, heated seats and bars, engine modes, suspension modes, tyre pressure monitoring, oil check, radio/music and power sockets etc etc. Worth adding engine and pannier protection bars as it would be expensive repairs if you dropped it. Always a good idea to add a front mudguard extender to help protect the radiator.

brilliant smooth linear and bloody quick

Generally good but dropping it off the side stand is not recommended and bloody expensive - seems daft a £20k bike doesnt have better standard protection

all teh best bells and whistles