FIRST 2018 BMW K1600B 'BAGGER' TEST RIDE AND REVIEW - BMW Motorcycle Reviews 

Love your enthusiasm Rodney - we're really passionate about these bikes and share your excitement. Thanks for watching and ride safe out there!

Thank you! Just spreading the word to those Harley riders out there and telling the truth!

... and then the fairy tale is over, good night children...

@Rodney Chersky: the interesting thing is, with all the heartache and expense many Harley riders experience through ownership, BMW has a poorer reliability record than Harley. Money spent on repairs is also more expensive on BMWs than Harley. I rode Harleys years ago and learned my lesson. I ride Metrics now, and a riding buddy has an R1200 that is very nice. He's never had a problem with it. Another friend drives BMW autos and has a Beemer bike as well, but he never rides it. I've never seen it, but a few other mutual friends have. In a four year evaluation, the only major motorcycle brand that had more failures than BMW was CanAm. Many of the failures were "minor" where the cost of repair across all brands varied from about $200-500. BMW was in the high end. Suzuki, Indian and Victory didn't have enough participants to get good sample data. Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha were all at the top with Yamaha having the tiniest edge and rated the most reliable. Ducati didn't fair well and was close to BMW. Triumph was in the mid range. CanAM bikes had about a 40% failure and pretty much 1 out of 3 Beemers.

My background included only two FLH Harleys, followed by Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki. I took about eight years off with no riding, and when I returned, I got the R1200rt and, just like Rodney, would never, ever think of any other cycle for me right now. You gotta get what is best for you in this cycle thing, and I got mine. And this K1600B seems to be light years ahead of anything in its class. For me. Buy whatever you like, but many, many riders are gonna choose this proven brand.

Why? What makes them better?

Selling My Street Glide in the spring

Wow - glad to hear from you. Most of our staff have been here for the last 15-25 years so I'm sure they'd remember you. Congrats on your upcoming K16GT! We'd love for you to stop by anytime you're in the area - don't be a stranger! Make sure to subscribe to the channel and check back with us - we plan on making a lot of local videos to make you miss it even more. Ride safe up there in all that rain : )

Thanks - ride safe!

Appreciate it - ride safe!

Thanks! Congrats on your GTL - excellent choice. Ride safe out there!

We've been waiting so long to do this video - thanks for watching & ride safe out there!

If you were at Sturgis this year you might have seen my K1600B there.

Appreciate it - hope you like the bike!

I'm spreading the word like I do butter. Lay it on thick...

Edysin Simon Amen - enjoy it & ride safe. Thanks for the comment.

Appreciate it - thanks for watching!

Hillbilly Grizzly make sure you ride a road glide too.

Black Dog why brother? is something wrong with it ? GODBLESS

Same!

Awesome - we hope you like what you see. Ride safe!

A many loyalists from HD would never consider another brand. Too bad. For a myopic view about life has serious limitations. This bike needs however, as great as it is, smaller, blackened pipes. A single seat factory option also.

You may be right. I can imagine a hardcore HD loyalist hoping on one of these for a test ride and realizing he/she could be spending less money on a way more fun bike. Who am I to judge that, though? I haven't even ridden a cruiser of any kind. I just know that raw hp and torque would hook me immediately.

Thanks! Walnut Creek, California - right outside of San Francisco.

I rode a B today and I own a 2014 RT. B is much more comfortable to ride and my feet were fine on the boards. It was just over 80 F today, maybe if it was 90 or 100 they would be hot.

Black Dog Hahaha, I doubt many BMW owners ride with flip flops, I haven't seen it. I might buy a B, it's nice indeed!

You'll fit fine at 5'7" - thanks for watching!

BMW Motorcycle Reviews So in other words he's screwed.

+GTLmike Thanks for watching!

Can't wait for you to see the K1600B in person! The K1600B is really striking - I'm sure you'll love it. No comment on that last part : )

freedom of speech bother

+jay7066 Nothing comes to mind - I'd say changing your boot option and carrying the steel toed boots in the bags.

I couldn't hardly get my toe under the shift lever in tennis shoes. I feel BMW should make the controls larger and more rider friendly.

Pat Booth Not on the bagger - but that is true of the “Grand America” version.

These are all great suggestions - going to run it past everyone at the shop. Thanks for your feedback & ride safe!

At the present moment there is no confirmed factory accessory backrest but we are anticipating one after launch. We've heard news that a seat company in Louisiana called "Bakup" is looking to develop one. Keep your eyes peeled for that backrest - this bike is worth it.

Ohhh you know Corbin and some of the others will be offering seats with backrests.

Just the standard gtl or whatever it's called, the full 1600 tourer

I think I bought the first Corbin sold for the K-B. over 10,000 miles on the seat now.

Can't go wrong with an RT!

I own a 2016 R1200RT This new bike is simply more comfortable and the sound is something you probably will become obsessed with .Traded in a 13 FJR sure miss the sound of that rocket ship .RT was definitely more comfortable Like everything in this world hold your breath and something better will always show up .

Dos Equis those 1200rt are nice bikes! The B has swayed me with the hp and sleeker look... but what you get for the price on an RT... makes it a very hard choice! Let us know what you get!

Absolutely - it also includes options like satellite radio and bluetooth pairing.

Thanks for your questions - I looked into it and it appears the first major service is at 18,000 miles. Cost of service is going to vary from shop to shop but the costs are comparable and even cheaper than other brands. As for the quickshifter - it works for both up and downshifts. You only need to use the clutch when coming to a stop or taking off in first. Thanks for watching!

jemo951 check out the indians. I have a roadmaster and put one of the flip up windshields on it. I have been in two downpours and I hardly got wet.

Black Dog yes it is,it goes up and down in the fairing

Yes - electronic adjustment for varied heights.

Great perspective - thanks for sharing!

The K1600B base price is $19,995 fully loaded $24,885, less that a Harley FLH and to get a Harley that makes even close to the same power you are talking $40,000+. But without the handling, brakes or stability, let along the flexibility.

TX Camper Gear assist gives you option of clutchless shifting but you can still manually shift the motorcycle. You’ll still always need to use the clutch when launching in 1st gear or coming to a stop. Thanks for watching!

BMW Motorcycle Reviews - Thank you for your fast reply. I’d prefer to shift manually like on any other bike but maybe that’s just me. What’s the difference between this and the GL? I just discovered this bike today and have literally binge watched 15 videos and counting. I plan to take the MSF class this spring and one day I may own of these. I’ve seen 3 BMW bikes around San Antonio in the last month. Have a great day.

TX Camper There are 5 versions at the moment: GT, GTL, GTL Exclusive, Bagger, and Bagger Grand America. There’s too many differences to list in the comments but you can check them all out on BMW’s website: www.bmwmotorcycles.com

BMW Motorcycle Reviews Ok thank you will do that. Like the Grand America and GLT the most so far.

Speed limited to 130mph, exact same motor as the K1600GT

Thanks for watching! There's no definitive release date that we're aware of but dealers should be finding out soon. Keep checking back - ride safe!

Thanks!

Only in bed

That's a great way to describe it!

Judging by the initial feedback at our dealership it looks to be the opposite. I can see a lot of Harley owners purchasing this motorcycle in addition to the Harley they already own. Only time will tell - ride safe!

It looks like a decent bike, BMW makes good machines, I just can't see myself trading in my road glide for it. The 160hp is really cool, Harley pretty much has to stick to that v twin, and with 2 cylinders your power potential is limited.

I'm going through the same situation. These are both excellent motorcycles but the riding styles are going to be drastically different - the best way to find out is to go to your local dealer and ride them both! Thanks for watching & ride safe out there!

Dirt Beard I moved from hd to a 2016 BMW R 1200 R last year as it looks better than the gs adventure type bikes , really great all round bike with good power & comfort check one out first to see what you think yourself

Thanks for watching, Larry.

The mirror actually proved protection for your hands rode in 200 miles of rain and my hands did not get noticeably wet.

True or false BMW MR ?

No problem at all, have 15,000 miles on mine now, including a trip through Sturgis, Billings, MT, Cody, WY, Pikes Peak, 95+ days even 200+ miles of rain at 70+mph, in rain mode, without getting even my feet wet.

Road Glide There’s another color for the Bagger Grand America - it’s definitely something other than black. The color is “Austin Yellow”

BMW Motorcycle Reviews I like the color but it’s not a K1600 b bagger. It’s got a non-removable top box. It’s called the Grand America and has been speed limited to 100mph. Check out BMW spec sheet. Due to lift at speed. Why didn’t BMW consider this in their design. My guess, rush to market on adding a top box just to grab more Ultra Classic or Road Glide Ultra customers. Not happy about that.

Road Glide I’m aware as noted in other comments. While i would question your need to go above 100mph I certainly understand why this an irksome feature on paper. I can’t get inside of BMW’s mind but I can tell you that it’s slightly disappointing when you consider how well BMW usually engineers their motorcycles. Thanks for watching & ride safe.

It's not a rumor - however it's only on the Grand America version due to the top case. Thanks for watching & ride safe!

I have persoanlly tested the K1600B, speed limited to 130mph, on Hwy 212 between Alzada, MT and Belle Forche, SD, even passed a semi doing about 70mph in the process, the bike stable as rock at 130mph in the wake turbulence of a semi. Try that on a Harley, forget that the Harley death wobble comes in at at between 95 and 105 mph.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You should definitely go see it in person. Our first bagger was delivered to the dealership Saturday so they should be rolling into your local dealer as well. Thanks for watching and ride safe!

Thanks Nathan. I am on the list and waiting for a call. I really want to like this bike, man. Wish me luck!

Hey Black Dog! As it turns out the K1600B is out of my price range. I was hoping it would come in lower than the GT, and it does somewhat, but not enough for me to seriously consider one. Oh well, my loss. Not really though, nothing is going to be more comfortable nor more reliable than this Vic. So I kept the Vision and bought another bike that I am totally stoked about. So it all worked out. Maybe in a few years I can revisit this situation.

giacotubo change is good sometimes! Hahha!

I'm 46 been riding Harley since I was 18 . 28 years we went to ride across California with a group of 12 people they ran out of Harley baggers at the dealer and put me on a bmw. Changed the way I look at motorcycle's I couldn't wait for this bike to come out. i think they got me

Been riding Harleys since 1968 starting with a 1952 chopped pan. Sportsters, FXR, soft tail FLH. I bought one of the first K600Bs sold in the U.S. there is no comparison, makes any Harley look like a Model T form with a fancy paint job and chrome. My K-B now has 15,000 miles was at Sturgis August 5-8, 130mph, will cruise at 110mph all day just flats burns Harleys to the ground.

I have never had a HD ,and i never will after seeing this review ,this motorcycle gives you... just speachless...everything you will ever need if you want to see the world on two wheels ,not only US

+Tadashi Davis We're already customizing one at our shop - and more will follow. Thanks for watching.

Its way cheaper. Load them both up with options and take a look. and BMW has 3 yr warrantee compared to harley 2 years. That's a 50% increase

BMW---BRING MONEY WITH YOU. Too bad they have one of the worst reliability records in the industry. Good luck working on your inline 6 when it breaks.

Val Now that’s pretty funny - thanks for watching & ride safe!

Thanks, truth could be funny too.

Astute observation - we do in fact sell them so we're inclined to point out the positive features of the motorcycle. As far as what we don't like... the speakers could be better but we've seen customers put systems in already. It shouldn't stop anyone from experiencing this machine. Thanks for watching - ride safe.

You are right, the speakers suck, just add some better speakers an amplifier and a Motochello switch to wired helmet speakers or Bluetooth

+TJ The majority of HD's 2018 lineup announcement was disappointing and frankly confusing to us over here. We'll see if these new designs resonate with riders. Thanks for watching!

W Tom the BMW is a sport touring bike and the goldwing is a full touring bike. I'm pretty sure Honda is redoing the goldwing for 2018

The Goldwing has come in several variations. Naked, full touring, and by other names like the Valkyrie and F6. There's also the ST1300 & CTX1300. Not a Gold Wing motor, but Gold Wing inspired.

yeah, good luck moving that bike with the rider standing right next to it right?

Lol, me too, BMW Beer Money Wasted 😂

I'm a harley guy for 20 years and I'm probably going to buy this bike. My harley dealership wont even service my bike any longer, because its a 2002! Well then I will go elsewhere and why not do a massive upgrade. Best thing about harley is the size of the after market. You can do so much to them' and the parts are 1/2 what BWM parts are' but with BMW you don't need much maybe just a better radio. I just need to adjust to those mid controls!

+Old Soldier The service really shouldn't be that expensive... I'd be interested to see a breakdown of what you paid and for what.

Old Soldier how much did u pay for the service & what did u get done ?

6,000 mile service was thrown in with the price of mine, but, the 6,000 service is essentially and oil change and about $250 if you paid for it.

Of course we want people to buy it - the bike is excellent!

+Alex Wencel It's been a winner for us so far - only time will tell. Thanks for watching.

There's a butt for every seat

Yes there is. After I put my butt on a K1600 I asked the dealer sales person about maintenance and he said to expect to return the K1600 to the dealership at 6,000 mile intervals. Then I gladly left on my Road Glide.

And then you parked your Road Glide and watched this video.

I actually watched your video before I tested out the K1600B. Informative although you missed any information on ownership cost as returning the K1600B to the dealership after every 6,000 miles made owning the Road Glide that much better.

I don't believe the BMW is any more expensive to maintain based on the intervals between the two bikes and the cost of maintenance. In fact you could purchase a BMW K1600B and service it 5 or so times before it ended up costing the initial purchase price of the Harley. You're allowed to love your Harley and other people can love the BMW - thanks for watching and enjoy your Road Glide!

Ride one - it might just change your mind. Either way, thanks for watching and enjoy that K1600!

Reverse should be on all 700Lb hogs

No arguments here.

Black Dog ; no not al all, but with this kind of bike i thought they would put Some money in to make a nice cnc inox steering frame instead of a simple tube bar ...

Setting your funny and interesting commentary aside... do people still buy Diavels?

You make me laugh.

Pretend it is a Harley and change the exhaust.

Thanks for watching - ride safe!