Review of the fastest bagger on the planet! The BMW K1600 B... 

I have had Harley’s for 30 years and while fun at the time those days are over. I bought the first K1600B that was available in Michigan in late 2017. This bike without a doubt will out perform any Harley with technology Harley hasn’t even thought of yet. Plus this bike off the showroom floor is at peak performance! No need to spend thousands in add ons like HD.

You screwed up by reviewing this bike. Now you’re going to buy one haha. I love mine!

Thank you Jerry! For checking out the beemer. I am 5' 7 ish with boots on and I have the k1600 GT Absolutely love it. Scooped and saddled the seat with a local upholstery specialist. To reach the ground securely. The ride tho.. Ooh! The speed, the smoothness, the handling is fantastic. Slow parking lot is excellent one day a struggle the next for me. The high center of gravity with the wide girth and weight can be intimidating at first but the more I ride, :-) The better I ride . Luv my BMW & Head n Eyes Jerry!

You do have to wind it up to get all the torque, but the engine makes 70% of its torque at 1500 rpm. 70% of torque is about 80 ft/lb which is close to peak torque for a v-twin.

Simply the best RU-vid page for any motorcycle enthusiast in my opinion. I always learn something new from the motor mans videos

I’ve owned many BMW’s. Never once did any of them ever let me down. They always started. Some of the best engines around. Quality German engineering.

Didn't get to see it do reverse . Yes, you are correct in a perfect world I would have one. Question for all the Motorcyclists out there. How many bikes do you really need? Answer Just one more.

It’s like a most pleasant zen experience every time I ride mine, My wife packed with me to SanDiego and back and to Vancouver BC and back. Just love it!

Thanks Motoman for taking the Bagger out for a ride and sharing your thoughts! Your dedication to helping riders is unparalleled. Godspeed to you and Mrs. Motoman! You're both on my bucket list! Oh, the 2020 Bagger comes in a nice Lupin Blue color as well. Cheers!

Thank you for visiting us, Jerry! Great video and review.

I own the GTL version. A little taller, more baggage capacity and the luggage is removable, unlike the bagger. One other difference: The bagger suffers from high speed aerodynamic instability. BMW limited the top end to 125 mph, while the gt/l can go allegedly to 155 mph. There is a slight buffeting driven instability around 70 mph but smooths out as you get on it. The suspension is electronically. In "road" mode, I felt a disconcerting 'wallowing on long semi-sharp highway bends, particularly if the roadway was lumpy.bumpy. Put it "dynamic" mode and its a whole new machine. Holds the line tight. Goes like ten 'mo foes'. I do not believe these are true "touring" machines. In fact, they're closer to a FJR 1300 than a Goldwing. Think "Sport bike" pretending to be cruisers and tourers. Bottom Line, I absolutely love my GTL, while my neighbor who bought the 'B', doesn't care for his at all. If you want cushy and 'heavy handed', go with a 'Wing or Road King, etc. If fast is what you want, there are many faster bikes, but if you want a bike that feels like it lost 300 lbs as soon as you go over 15 mph, and handles great, has a built in speed shifter that never misses, and goes like it's shot out of a cannon but doesn't kill your ass or your back, take one for a ride. The pull seems endless from 0 to well over 100. I absolutely love mine.

no crash bars standard, that will cost you another ~$1500 or more with tax, or go naked and if you have a slow speed tip over, that will cost you ~$5K; no waiting. The maintenance, upgrades, recalls, etc on the electronics alone will cost you later, how much = who knows, but not cheap for sure. Great bike indeed, I owned a K1200GT which was expensive on the maintenance side. Fast forward 10 years, and we have this bike which is no doubt. premium, but I didn't buy it, I switched to HD and got a '20 FLHTP which is a lot of bike for the money; and a perfect tourer for me. thanks for the great review Mr Jerry!

a nice bike but i am leery of cost of ownership. I was all H D from 1972 till around 1995 when I couldnt keep up with old dudes on goldwings. well 2 goldies later I look at beemers but there is no way Im gonna switch away from hondas. too reliable, fast, durable, dependable, etc.

Some important aspects about these bikes were, once again, not mentioned... One big issue is aerodynamic instability. These bikes are awesome for the roads Jerry was on and more. Ironically, on the interstate, there is an issue speeds from about 65 mph to 75 and then a dynamic instability at higher speeds. BMW does limit the top speed on all the K1600 bikes. On my K1600GTL (cannot speak about the bagger other than to say my neighbor, who bought his bagger at about the same time I bought my GTL, had no good words for the interstate handling.) , The feeling is somewhat vague and 'not confidence inspiring' at highway speeds, in particular when there are trucks up ahead, say, 1/8 mile. These bikes, when compared to a Harley are quite top heavy. Can be treacherous at very low speed but honestly, once above about 15 mph, the bike seems to shed about 250 lbs and enters "sport posture". Bottom line :*TEST THESE BIKES AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS*.

It's interesting and looks great. I love seeing all the different bikes. Still sticking with the Goldwing though ;^)

I wanted to see you do your course on it!! Great review form a riders perspective, not the typical moto journalist.

Thanks a lot, Jerry, I love to hear your thoughts and yes I agree with all what you said about this machine, Got my K1600 GT about a week ago, Really enjoying every inch of riding and still missing my cruiser, it is a great Idea to have a Cruiser as well, will she let me? ......everybody knows the answer....Cheers buddy.

Thanks for the review Jerry- the K1600 models have 91.2ftlb of torque at 1800 RPM and up from there.. shorter first gear etc.., you can literally ride the bike down to 30MPH in 6th gear around sweepers/curves and never shift.,. it has that much pull. Its not everybody's flavor... but its a great flavor :-)

Hey Jerry! You need to find an empty parking lot when you ride different motorcycles like this one and do some slow turn maneuvers. Great video...Ride Safe!

This was surprising, The first manufacturer to engineer and design a shaft drive system for a motorcycle do this was Belgian arms and munitions maker FN (Fabrique Nationale de Herstal) that diversified its business in the early 1900s to begin motorcycle production. In 1901, FN made its first single-cylinder 133cc bike and the following year launched the world’s first shaft driven motorcycle with its FN300. But it was in 1905 that FN made its mark on the motorcycle world when it launched the FN Four that had an in-line four-cylinder engine with shaft drive. Picture and article. www.rideapart.com/articles/255343/motorcycle-history-shaft-drive/#:~:text=In%201901%2C%20FN%20made%20its,cylinder%20engine%20with%20shaft%20drive.

,I was noticing price drop on r18bmw,2022 models. Also here in SouthLouisiana they closed bmw motorcycle in Baton Rouge, Austin bmw,Austin, TX (7hrs.away),,is where we get service now,,and some people still think I'm a genius with riding skills, ,no,,I just watch & learn from the best ,then I give your channel out.THANKS for sharing 🤓💯Tee!☆

Thank you for an excellent review with none of the usual brand bashing that so many other RU-vidrs are so keen on. I love 💕 my k1600. I first looked at them in 2012 but waited another 6 years to get one. Coming from air cooled v-twins (which I loved) I was so impressed with the K1600 performance, cutting edge tech, aerodynamic design, fuel range, and futuristic look. The best part of any motorcycle is the engine and k1600 has the best motorcycle engine ever designed. Nobody else has anything close to a relatively small inline 6, liquid cooled, 4 valves per cylinder, dohc, 160 hp and 129 tq engine that is as smooth as an electric engine(yes I actually have an electric car) and very uncharacteristically of a super bike engine gets nearly 50 mpg. The bike does more than I can EVER ask it to do. It needs nothing.

I bought a 2020 bmw r1250rt last month and its an amazing motorcycle. I was very close to pulling the trigger on a 2020 street glide standard but the bmw fully optioned out was the same price as the street glide and had more features. Plus im 6'7" and it fits me better than the harleys which tend to be setup for shorter riders.

May be swell on paper, but I didn't gel with it. If I was buying a Beemer, I'd go with the boxer. I do love the floorboards on these though. A lot of maintenance in keeping 187 valves in spec. Funny thing is, even with all that power, BMW governs it at like 110 mph. Since I did the Stage 1, my Road King will do that. Not that it makes any difference. I preferred it even when it would only go 100 mph.

Magnificent bike but too complicated for me. Most things are too complicated for me. I love riding my 2014 Dyna Super Glide Custom.

B roke M y W allet

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEET Bike !!! You must have been very PLEASED to ride this BMW 1600 Jerry ..... NOT one negative thing was said about this one ..... And 160 hp ... GOD all mighty . NICE !!

First shaft drive motorcycle made by Belgian Arms and Munitions maker FN (Fabrique Nationale de Herstal) in 1905. BMW made the R32 in 1923.

Motorman-Hey, with that growing on your face, starting to look like Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire (refrigerator scene)

Experienced motorcyclists can chime in here but I was 61 before I decided to purchase my very first motorcycle. Bucket list thing. I seriously considered the K1600B but ultimately went with a 2018 Street Glide and am so glad I did. New riders are going to drop their ride, especially if their first ride is a heavy cruiser. There is just stuff that you have to learn the hard way and Jerry helps with that. Having access to a HD dealership which is 7 miles away from home vs. the nearest BMW dealership which is 50 miles from home saved me thousands of dollars in tupperware damage. Plus I love the that Harleys are simple machines, pure aesthetics in my opinion, that I can work on and upgrade myself in my own garage. If your interested in the wrenching on your investment, i.e. Harley vs. BMW check out Ryan Urlacher's Law Abiding Biker site and Shawn Smoak's (Certified BMW Master Mechanic) when it comes to simple air filter replacement and oil and primary changes on both the Harley and BMW heavy cruisers. Shawn is a wealth of information on BMW's, but, his latest videos are all about K1600 transmission recall work and his personal ride is a 2017 Harley Davidson Street Glide Special.

As a past owner, I can say it is an incredible machine. Kudos for a great review.

You mentioned your height in reference to seat height. This seems to be a misunderstood concept with a lot of riders. Two people of identical height can have different leg and torso lengths. I happen to have a long torso and short legs (27-inch inseam), which means most of the sportier bikes are impractical for me, especially when backing or maneuvering on less-than-level pavement (you can't just "lean it over farther"). Conversely, with my torso length, I can look over relatively tall windshields. Bike makers design for the average, and guys with short legs have fewer choices (as do guys with longer-than-average legs). This is an issue only if you happen to be outside the "average" range -- like me. I have test ridden and loved a number of BMW models, but their seat heights -- which require me to be on tiptoes with both feet -- simply aren't practical for me. End of sidebar.

I do love these bikes - that inline 6 engine is beautiful. I got the GT SE version - we dont go for the bagger style so much in Ireland. But basically the same bike foundation. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ride. Sounds great with the Akrapovic cans on it too!

Thanks Jerry, very comprehensive review. Honest and down to earth.

Reliability issues. Unfortunately. Because it’s a beautiful bike with all the bells and whistles but BMW motorcycles rank low in reliability. 😩

I have a 2013 K1600 and I still love it after 6 years, looked at others but nothing compares with the best.

Great review 👍 The motor does sound very much like a Goldwing. I like all the options the BMW has included & looks like a great bike for sports touring / cruising.

Great bikes. Motor, suspension, brakes...all top shelf. Ride a K Series (GT has even more jam), you’ll love the experience. Comfort vs Gold Wing-I’d give the Gold Wing a slight edge. Same where durability is concerned. But the BMW is durable. Some have some issues. Same could be said with most brands. Maintenance costs are higher. But not way higher. Goes with the territory. Performance, handling....exceeds Gold Wing. German engineering is stellar. Comparing to Harley. You can’t easily replicate ‘soul’. Harley shines there. BMW is trying with the R18. But, again, the K has other attributes in spades.

Time to do a commentary on disbanding Police, disrespecting, ECT. You got a platform brother use it.

I love that bike! Especially, the full touring version.

I shudder to think of the maintenance costs on this as it ages, perfect lease machine like most BMW's.

Nice video, Jerry. And good on you, Euro Cycles for allowing Jerry to come out and review your bikes. I hope to see more BMW reviews from you, Jerry. Now you need to get on the BMW 1000RR and tell us all about that bike. LOL!

Looks like it's a nice ride. I'm curious if you've ever gotten pulled over testing a bike. I know it's easy to go a little faster than you plan on sometimes especially on a bike that's new to you. Great video.

Old neighbor of mine had a huge blue Harley with bags & batwing fairing, for many years, the guy looked his early 60s & had that bike for many years , around 3 years ago he got rid of the Harley & bought a k1600.

Great review for a great bike. This is now my new dream bike. Thanks to the dealership for letting you take if for a rip. Any idea of what it might be like 2 up?

Wow It's a very good motorcycle.

The inset walk-around during the ride video was awesome. I wish we had gotten to hear it rev out past 6k -- it was starting to sound amazing right before you shifted. I imagine you would have wanted a lot more road to really wring it out, though.

That's a lot of features. It's the kind of bike you gotta take home and play around with it for an hour just to figure out what is what.

Jerry, another great review, you cracked me up when you were talking about all the different bikes you would have! I totally understand! Lol. A friend of mine is a Certified Master BMW mechanic, he always jokes and says, " You can always tell a BMW RIDER, you just can't tell him MUCH!" LOL.... Really enjoy your videos,and I love the Ride Like a Pro series, really enjoy them! One of the BEST ACCESSORIES I've ever purchased for my bike and me!!!

Would like to know your thoughts comparing this bike to the latest Goldwing??thanks

Like to see the reverse actuated. Awesome bike. Years ago I had a Dakar and the thing was an utter beast. I traveled all of S.and Central America on it. It would handle anything you threw at it.

Nice lookin bike. Think Ill stick with my road glide.

Great review, Jerry--for long days in the saddle, provided your knees are not too bent and you are not pushed too far forward, you'd be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable bike to swing your leg over, that's for sure. A neighbor of mine traded his Harley for a used BMW 1200 RT, and it has been a great bike for him--he absolutely loves it.

It is indeed by no means a bagger other than the plastics slapped-on in my opinion. The base is the K1600-series and that is by all means and purposes a sport tourer. BMW is indeed trying to gain (similar) grounds with the HD & H0nda G0ldwing et cetera. That does not take away it is a very nice bike. One ground rule with most, if not all, BMW's is they do need matriculate maintenance, you can not, pun intended, cut corners on that or it will bite you with something breaking down. Indeed, many police-forces around the wold use the K1600 (and/or R1200RT-series often in the -P iteration) and in the hands of a well trained person, it is a great bike. But it is truly a heavy-weight, too much for me, otherwise I would consider perhaps the K1600-series. BTW, for most BMW's the seating-position is indeed a bit "up-front". That can be corrected by the saddle (OEM or 2nd-source) and, I know from experiences myself, by changing the handle-bar. (kits to mover the handlebar more towards the rider) In my experiences, BMW motorcycles are often more design than comfort, especially their seats. They are often by no means sofa's. But any problem can be fixed. And yes, like any other brand/logo there are sometimes notorious problems, yes even formal recalls, fixing problems and issues. I would not mind owning one but that weight (and power too) is a beast. I like a bit more nibble bikes that do not require a reverse-gear, haha Thanks for sharing your experiences, much obliged!

I just did a comparison between my 2012 and my 2020 K1600GT on the dyno and you'll never guess how much the 2012 dropped with 65k miles on it... @

Here is my problem with German engineering, needless complexity. A rain mode that reduces hp by 20 is borderline useless.

You should have test rode that beautiful Aprilia @0:00

I just picked up one of these and I absolutely love it. Mine is a 2021, I actually like the analog gauges better than the electronic.

Love this bike.

Great bike fast agile the biggest con is maintenance is very expensive

My boss was riding Harleys for years, then bought one of these fancy BMW touring thingies that would even make an espresso and scratch his butt for him. Within a year, he traded back to a Harley. He just said it wasn't a Harley. Take that for what it's worth.

This might be a cool bike but i would never switch from HD to this just way too much tech and junk that is totally unnecessary don't get me wrong it's cool it has all that but it's just too much more then happy with my old xl and all the vibrations that come with it

I personally would choose the BMW R1250 RT instead of the 1600 GT because of the lower weight and centre of gravity. Nice bike though, thanks for the review

Way too many things that can go wrong.

Im in the market for a sport tourer and would only consider the BMW, Honda or Yamaha. Harley utterly sux, so I wouldnt bother with Harley. Indian is good but Im not spending $28k. In any case, the BMW is known for a much higher breakdown weight, is expensive and fumbling around with the electronic is a pain. The Honda Goldwing is subjective because of all the plastic, reduced bag size and stereo (not enough power). Im seriously considering the 2020 Yamaha FJR1300ES. Its fast, much cheaper and has gotten excellent reviews over the years.

As a former motor officer myself, nothing beats BMW...

Excellent review Motorman...what an awesome machine...160 hp out of the box, amazing. The styling reminds me a lot of the Honda F6B...Very nice.

The Yamaha FJR1300 is a Sports Tourer and does not force anyone to lean forward. The rider keeps an upright position.

Wow Nice Video Man!

🔆K1600 sweet ride 🏍

This is a great bike if you want to dump that much money into a motorcycle. It compares to the cost of a Harley full dresser and you get way more bike. This is the beginning of the bike of the future. Of course no one in whats left of the middle class will be able to afford one. If you want to RIDE in the future I believe there will be lots of nice used bikes that have reverse, and it will still be your legs, feet and arms. And unlike this cruiser you won’t have to call On Star to get moving again. But an advantage to this bike is BMW can plug it into an analyzer and tell you exactly what’s wrong and that the part you need costs $1800.00.

I love my BMW R nine T. Never had a nicer bike!

Sounds like it has all the features my FJR 1300 has. The FJR has 16 less hp,but at almost half the price of the BMW it makes the Yamaha a little more attractive.

It's great that ur goin out of the box n test riding different models..its like u said if u do proper maintenance om whatever u own..should be for the most part reliable..but all brands have some inherent issues..some more than others n usually first yr production quirks..ride safe sir

Jerry... Love you videos. I have a K1600GT so great to see you reviewing things in my zone. I had an Ultra Limited before this one. Totally agree with your review.

I want the GA , but the governor at 100 mph due to wobbling is troubling. i still have my 2004 k1200lt though!

Nice review....thx Motorman....

@1:42 Whaaaat? Ya don't say...Salesman..Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!

I went from an 18 Ultra to a Grand America. People say BMW cost a lot to maintain. Haven’t owned a HD🤣

It’s a beautiful bike and I also ride a harley but it would be nice to add one to the stable. I don’t think it has to be one or the other, both would be fun to ride. Does the bmw have a sissy bar available and does it have a stereo? You have to have those to have a complete package. Thanks for the video! God bless!

Sorry GOLDWING …. But you’re a tractor 🚜 compared to this Jet 🛩️

Motorman, too bad you couldn't put it thru your course to see if it performs like a police Harley?!

Don't like the sound of the pipes. But, really nice motorcycle.

Thanks Motorman.

I own the GTL-Exclusive and have the ECU flashed. These bikes just swallow up the roads with incredible power and grace. I know many fellow BMW K1600 riders that made the shift from HD and are just thrilled. There is much more to the bike regarding options and technology which you are not able to review as its not your job however I find it to be the most impressive bike of the sport touring class no questions asked. Thanks for jumping on a bagger...

I like my Harley. It's got cruise control and heated grips- more than enough technology for me

I’ve been enjoying your reviews. Hard to pick a favourite video. If you were to have one bike only for the next three years. What of all the bikes you’ve ridden/owned would you pick?

I’m a Harley guy but I got to say that’s a pretty nice bike. It looks like it does but I wish Harley would have that type of technology. And that type of price and I bet you that thing is very dependable. About your feet are they under a year or can you put them in front of you for comfort? I don’t think my wife would get on that. Man the technology all standard. 25 something for the loaded up Model. I bet it’s good for 100,000 miles at least. I wouldn’t mind having one of those in my garage either. I’ll have to keep my Harley but that bike has everything. I wonder how much stuff it holds. Thank you

Make friends with a mechanic.

I’ve been told by the dealer here in the uk by dealers this bike is limited to 100mph? Is this correct?

These bikes are fun to ride. They handle really well and pull so strongly.

You were not riding in the power range of 4k rpm you are lugging it you should be shifting at 5k

Great review...

So which is your preference gold wing or this bmw k1600b

I got the impression you liked that! and you can't beat a 6 cyl engine

I like the handlebars on this model way better than the dirt bike style bars on other models.

Not for me. I think it’s pretty ugly and too damn quiet.

Jerry, always wondered what your opinion would be on a K16, thanks! if youre open to suggestions, maybe try an Eluder?

Mr.Paladino please test ride a yamaha vmax 1700

Damn that thing would be fast. Even if it had the same power as a street glide being 200 lbs lighter.