My New K16GT

[Belco100]

After having a strange time on bikes for a few months, I am almost back where I started.

Had the XR, which I loved owning but couldn't get it around corners for some reason, and traded it in for a R1250GS HP, which I love riding but don't love owning. Strange world.

My K16GT Sport hit two years old and went out of warranty, so I sold it on and convinced myself I could be without a "K" for the first time in 10 years. 2 days later my wife caught me looking at pictures of the K16 again.

I spoke to Reiten Mottorrad, and they put together an amazing deal for me on a base level K16GT with a few extra bits added on, and I am please as punch with it. Better still it comes with three years warranty and three years free servicing thrown in:



And with my old Akras fitted, new "Held" crashbars and my old topbox re-keyed.

[richtea]

Nice. I prefer the black to the other colours.

Three years servicing is a very good deal! Any limit on the mileage?

[Belco100]

The Free Servicing is a BMW Motorrad offer that is on all K16s at the moment and covers the 600, 6,000, 12,000 and 18,000 mile services each year.

This ties in with the PCP deal of 6,000 miles a year.

[jesim1]

Great result, I was at a Harley do over the weekend up in Scotland - The Gathering near Dunoon - so from where I am it meant over 800 miles from Thursday to Monday taking in some stunning scenery - all two up with luggage. I've got a GTLE and it never missed a beat, it coped fantastically with everything I threw at it including 20mph single track loch roads and 90mph large winding A roads - plus about 5 hours of boring Motorway in both wet and dry conditions - I get why you wanted another K1600 

Congratulation on your new bike, I like the look of the Harleys and my mates all try to get me to spring for one, but the two up effortless and fast mile crunching of a K1600 is on another level 

Sounds like you got a great deal, and I notice form your bike list you have had a Hilltop tune - was it on a K1600 and what did it do for it? I had one on my R1200GS and I could feel the difference straight away, but with the smooth 6 cylinder of the K1600 I was not so sure I would notice?

Thanks

James

[fjtwelve]

As an experienced K16 rider, what extras did you feel were worth having? Asking for a friend....

[Phmode]

Nice looking bike but it won't fit in my 6m x 3.5m garage 

One wonders why you still had the old Akras gathering dust...

And I can feel Martin toppling to the dark side. Friend indeed 

[Belco100]

As an experienced K16 rider, what extras did you feel were worth having? Asking for a friend....

In a perfect world I would of had a fully loaded K16GT Sport again, but this is a base model K16GT, and BMW had a few around at amazing prices. Luckily it has most of the options as standard:

• ABS pro with dynamic brake light
• Dynamic Traction Control
• Heated grips and seats (keeps the Missus happy)
• Cruise Control
• Hill Start Control (HSC) Pro
• Dynamic Electronic Suspension Adjustment (D-ESA)
• Xenon Headlight - but not one that points around corners as you lean
• Preparation for GPS - so it just drops in the dashboard and is controlled by the wonder wheel
• Power modes
• Added the quick shifter-pro up for up and down changes - a really great addition and love the way it blips when you downshift entering corners etc
• Added the alarm for insurance purposes
• Added the GT Graphics from the Sport model as it makes the bike look less slab sided
• On-board computer

What it hasn't got is:

• Reverse Gear - I did have it on the last one but only really used it for showing off
• Sound System - never really used it and can stream music from my phone through the GPS to my headset anyway
• Full DRLs, but does have slightly duller Owl Eyes.
• Tyre pressure monitor - I will miss this
• Central locking paniers and top box - will need to use a key again
• Keyless Ignition - that key will get used
• LED fog lights

I would have the DRLs and Tyre Pressure monitor given the choice, but the other features I won't miss much.

[Costas]

Love it, enjoy for many many miles for long long days,

[Belco100]

... and I notice form your bike list you have had a Hilltop tune...

Hi James, just trying to see what you have under that Snow Foam - I think that is a pre-2017 model which is Euro3? They have a much stronger throttle response than the latter ones and in my mind it was much better - Dynamic Mode is really quick action on that version.

I had my last Euro4 version Hilltopped and that felt better on roll-on etc, but never as good as the older model. On ride by wire bikes the throttle map and the engine maps are seperate, and the engine can still be strong but the throttle bad. On the new K16 (and the GS range) the first 10% of the throttle does almost nothing, and then starts to pickup after that. It makes for a smooth ride, but its not for me.

There is a company in America that have copied the Euro3 throttle maps into a Euro4 bike, and it works well, but I am a bit worried about sending my ECU halfway across the world:


https://brentuningmoto.com/product/2017-bmw-k1600-bmsp-mail-in-ecu-tuning/

[jesim1]

Your correct, my bike is a late 2014 GTL-E (dec) and has the older maps for throttle. It feels very smooth and I didn't think a Hilltop would gain me anything worth the money, but I did have one on my previous R1200GS and it was a distinct improvement over standard.

I'm on the K1600 forum and there are lots of positive posts about Bren Tuning, so I'd trust them if no the couriers 

We seem to miss out on so much on this bike compared to the USA, RDL is another one - I've had one of their seats sent over from there and it's a massive improvement over standard. Last week I done around 800 miles over 4 days and there was no way I would even have managed half of that on the current seat which got uncomfortable in half an hour.

It's staggering to think how little manufacturers appear to listen to customers about a product and leave massive gaps in the market for the smaller custom shops with screens/seats/bars etc. made to alter the riding position/comfort - surely that is the whole point of a large tourer in the first place?

Anyway, at least your sorted - are you going to the K1600 meet up in Buxton on the 6/7th of July? Looks like about 20 K1600s of various types will be there? Not sure if the link will work? : https://www.k1600forum.com/forum/uk-riders/184262-location-date-confirmed-inaugural-uk-k1600-meet-summer-2019-a.html

[Belco100]

Yes - going up on Friday and there both nights. See you then 

[black-k1]

A nice looking bike. I hope you have many happy miles together.

What it hasn't got is:

…
Tyre pressure monitor - I will miss this
...


I would have the DRLs and Tyre Pressure monitor given the choice, but the other features I won't miss much.

I've just fitted a cheap Chinese TPM kit, bought of eBay, to my H2 SX. It does the job brilliantly, costs peanuts, and is highly recommended.