I have had many singles, many twins, a few Vs, parallel and opposed, one in line triple ( Yamaha XS750 shaftie) , numerous inline 4s, one V4, and now an inline 6. Most unusual bike engine I have ever had was the V3. In the last week of October, i picked up my K1600GT. Clearly this in-line 6 is in a class of its own. My Bike
On my third day of ownership I did a maiden run to Genting today. Two Up. BMW carrying MBW (Most Beloved Wife) . This bike continues to amaze. On the way to Genting, at Kerinchi Link, we met a Ferrari 430 and passed him easily with just a twist of the right hand even on 6th. "Accidentally" touched 170km/h passing Hartamas in the process. Duke Highway, the elevated portion, is undulating, but 140-160km/h is not a problem with ESA set for two up and damping on comfort mode. Slight swaying of the tail end but nothing disconcerting. Karak highway was busy, so cruised at 130-140km/h. Got passed by 4 sportsbikes. Wife behind so did not play. Up Genting, after the 1st Guardhouse, damping was set on Normal from Comfort mode ( adjustment by thumbweel ), bike handled beautifully, engine was really tractable on 4th and 5th gear. Steering was neutral and sweet, but brakes did not have the urgent apparent bite as on the my GS ( Maybe pads needs to properly bed in ). Despite that, I have no complaints as feedback was good. Stereo had a combination of the best hits by Keane and Coldplay, mood was just right. Coffee at Genting was good. On the way down we 'ambled' along, using engine braking, The sprague (slipper) clutch kept the tail tidy, masking my sloppy downshifts. Slight drizzle and the variable position windshield kept us both dry. As we got lower, it became gradually dry, temperature crept up to 31 degrees and the twin flick out air deflector ( brilliant ) kept the torso cool. Happily, there is absolutely no engine heat affecting the thigh area upwards, unlike many other in-line bikes. There is slight warmth around the left ankle area on the move, but it is only apparent if you wear paddock riding shoes. With proper boots, this is a non-issue.Karak Highway was fairly empty, so cruised at a liesurely 160km/h. Felt like 130km/h on the GS, such was the effortless feeling....The next day I got caught in the rain and had a chance to check out the "Rain" mode, one of the three Engine Ride Modes that can be adjusted by the press of a dedicated button on the throttle side of the handlebar. In rain mode it apparently 'softens' power delivery, in consideration of the reduced grip of wet tarmac. How i wish the ESA II adjustment comes with a dedicated button as well instead of having to enter the menu on the MFD using the thumbwheel. First wet ride.....
In the next few days rode around Putrajaya, as I've gotta put some miles as I planned to go Krabi within a couple of days, and gotta get the bike's first service done.Putrajaya
Soon enough I saw 980kms on the odometer and I found myself RM785 poorer after visiting Auto Bavaria at Glenmarie for first service. On my GS there is always perceptible difference in smoothness after servicing. Not so this SIX, no difference....I guess the Six cannot get any smoother. Recalling back almost 30 years since I last rode in-line sixes ( Cars don't count-Goldwings don't count too ), sixers are really smooth, apparently due to their perfect primary balance. The Honda CBX and the Kawasaki KZ1300 were good bikes in their day but has less than 100bhp. The CBX was a six cylinder aircooled bike, the KZ a twincam liquid cooled motor.The KZ1300 Six, pix shot in 1983
I also have an '06 R1200RT, a great Touring bike, with a appropriately retuned Boxer that it shares with my GS, although more refined in smoothness and longger legged gearing for highway cruising. A great bike, and my upgrade to the K16 was not without fear, primarily worried of losing the agility of a 70kg lighter bike. But the K16GT seems like a miracle bike, especially at low speeds as the neutral and light steering made it shed its weight once on the move. there is no reluctance on turn-in, and once banked, will stay banked with no further effort from the rider. The lack of bump-steer on undulations is also impressive, giving me the impression that BMW has properly sorted its Hossack derived Duolever front end.My RT
Happily the GT has the same rear rack as the RT and my topbox ( an aftermarket BMW unit ) fits in perfectly, ideal for two up travel with a wife who has her own idea of how to travel light........So far this K16GT has been beyond my expectations. Over the close to 40 years on big bikes, and having owned approaching 90 bikes through the years, this bike headed into my top ten list of best bikes I've ever owned. Its heavy no doubt, pushing it around requires care and effort, but its worth this minor hardship. The ride quality is just unmatched, and its a direct consequence of its significant sprung/unsprung weight ratio. Although some ( many? ) of the features may seem gimmicky ; such as central locking (!!!) its only so at first glance. As an example, the central locking system of the bike is useful, to avoid having to lock/unlock 4 compartments; left cubbyhold, right side Ipod/USB/Keys pocket, and the two panniers. The adaptive headlight; a gimmick only if you've never tried a bike with such feature in total darkness. The flick-out ventilation scoops; another useful feature, as the fairing/windscreen combo is very effective at keeping windblast away, great at high speeds, the flip side being warm/hot torso in sunny Equatorial climate.My long distance riding reprot will follow as i find time to put together my two-up Krabi report in due time. Two K1600GTs in Krabi
More to come.....
