Motorcycle specifications BMWK 1600 GTL 2016 The symphony of a ship

2016 comes with a few bonuses: ABS Pro is included as standard. This improved anti-lock braking system varies braking pressure according to various parameters (cornering, lateral acceleration, angle of rotation). As a result, the more the bike is on an angle, the less the jaws are used, to avoid losing the front end when cornering.
There's also the Control Brake Light, a system that flashes the brake light faster or slower depending on the intensity of emergency braking, with the warning light coming on at the end of the deceleration phase. This way, those behind can assess whether you're braking more or less like a deaf man, and whether things are going badly up ahead.

2015 and its updates. Introduced on the Exclusive version, the Keyless Ride system arrives on the K 1600 GTL (and GT) as an option. Like a car, this system lets you keep the key in your pocket and remotely lock/unlock the fuel tank, suitcases, steering column and ignition. Also available as an option, the GTL can be fitted with Hill Start Control, which facilitates hill starts. Standard equipment includes DTC traction control. Also noteworthy is the slightly revised dashboard, with new calligraphy and inlaid chrome surfaces.

tHE ship for the road. A new dimension in dynamic touring, where comfort and liveliness cannot exist without each other. This symbiosis is the essence of the K 1600 GTL. An ambassador of BMW Grand Touring, with a prestigious engine, an empress-like silhouette and formidable pride.

the pinnacle of the BMW Motorrad range, the K 1600 GTL has replaced the K 1200 GT, shaking up all the codes established by the latter. Gone is the bourgeois GT concept to compete with the Honda Goldwing. The GTL is far more dynamic, less chubby in its lines and handling. In fact, it doesn't really compete with the GL 1800, but rather with the Pan-European and the Gold. The German is much lighter than the Japanese, 50 kilos lighter, and its mill does not play the same part. As Béhème is also a car manufacturer, we could easily draw a comparison with a 550i. Compared to the K 1600 GT, the GTL is more roadworthy, more comfortable, more sedan-like. Protection is better, with a larger-calibre bubble, and the seat is more senatorial, with a lower seat height and lower, forward-mounted footrests.

the big highlight of the new K is, of course, its engine. The in-line 6-cylinder is almost a religion at BMW automobiles, where the various displacements are benchmarks. But in motorcycling, this architecture has equipped very few models in history (Kawasaki Z 1300, Honda CBX 1000, Benelli 750 Sei). And today, only the GL 1800 Goldwing is powered by a 6-legged, opposed flathead. BMW has therefore given itself the means to offer a noble, extremely well-designed motorization. The boiler weighs just 102.6 kilos, and is 56 cm wide (narrower than a gas stove). It develops 160 hp at 7,750 rpm and almost 18 mkg at 5,000 rpm. 70% of this muscle is available from 1,500 rpm, i.e. just above idle. The brand is so proud of its engine that the cowling is cut away to show off the side casings. The mufflers also get a nod, with two triple exhaust outlets.
A must on today's temperamental engines, this GTL features a choice of three injection mapping configurations:
- Rain, with reduced power and smoother engine response
- Road, the right compromise between performance and a greater preference for fuel economy
- Dynamic, where the engine doesn't give a damn about fuel consumption, offering the driver the full force of its velvety cylinder ballet.

just as it has done with its cars, the Bavarian brand applies the same demand for excellence to its new powertrains for two-wheelers. If the S 1000 RR kicked Japanese ass in the sports sector, the K 1600's 6-cylinder engine brings top-quality vigor to the touring segment. But it's not just the mechanics that add value. Whether standard or optional, the K 1600 will be controlled by a small army of electronic chips. Injection mapping, ABS, traction control, ESA (automatic suspension adjustment), cruise control, tire pressure indicator, and a particularly interesting new feature, lighting that adapts to the road profile. The video below explains better than a speech how it works. Basically, xenon lighting corrects itself according to the motorcycle's movements, allowing you to light up the road once you've turned the corner, whereas traditional lighting tends to light up the roadside and the rabbits wandering around the fields. A nod to production harmonization: the nightlights are now circles of light around the headlights, as on the German manufacturer's cars.

just as technologically advanced, the chassis relies on solutions developed by and for BMW, especially in the area of suspension. Already present on the K 1300 (since the K 1200 S, in fact), the front axle consists of the famous Duolever double wishbone, backed up (as an option) by ESA 2 and a pair of 4-piston brake calipers. As attached to a BM tourer as a slider is to its combarde, the Paralever is still part of the equation, combining the elegance of a single-arm with a cardan drive, articulated to get rid of torque effects. These elements are joined by an all-new aluminum frame. Its perimeter-structured longitudinal members spread out at gearbox level to pass over the engine's cylinder head, which is itself inclined 55° to the front.

mechanically superb, technologically appealing, the K 1600 GTL must also be a top-flight cruiser. And cruising is its thing. It comes standard with two side cases, a large top case that doubles as a passenger backrest, 27.5 liters of fuel (the Kservoir of the K 1600 GT is smaller), sound system, heated grips and saddle, cruise control, on-board computer, and a control station reminiscent of a Bavarian sedan. A 5.7-inch TFT screen sits between the traditional needle-type meters, allowing you to control all the bike's functions. Between the dials and the electrically adjustable bubble, you'll find a slot for the in-house GPS, turning your dashboard into a real Airbus cockpit.

this K 1600 GTL completes the rejuvenation of BMW's image. Before, the brand's touring cars were cushy, comfortable machines, but they didn't really thrill. Now, BMW's Grand Tourisme will become a benchmark of dynamism and prestige. Its engine is the only in-line 6-cylinder on the market, its technology makes it a shock cruiser, and its skills seem clearly a notch above, even if fans of senatorial comfort will find it a hair too sporty. Today, BMW leads the way.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos

Want to take the K 1600 GTL for a virtual spin? Below, 11 min 30 of video.