My First Euro Trip of 2017

[Belco100]

I have just got back from my first full trip on my new K1600GT, going to the Black Forest and back covering 2,500 miles in ten days, so here is a quick write up of the how the bike worked:

The seat still needs to break in, still a bit hard.
I swapped the standard screen for my trusty old dark tint K1300GT screen, which works well for me and isn't too bulbous.
New Hand Guards fitted – although it was so warm they weren’t really needed.
AC Schnitzer exhausts fitted with baffles out. Note that these are older pipes on a Euro4 model, so they do fit.
The standard BT21/22 tires were OK and look like they will last over 5,000 miles, but don’t feel as grippy as the Z8s. I had a few slides and wiggles, and they don’t like white lines or over banding. Considering how hard I was hammering the front end they done OK, but I prefer grip over mileage.
The Dynamic ESA was fantastic. I was a little worried how it would perform two up, but even in Road mode you could just forget about it. Across some of the bumpy mountain passes I could see the GS’ having an easier time, but it didn’t really hold me up. As I said above, I am still amazed how hard you can brake and turn on these things with no real protests.
Coming out of some of the really tight hair pins I felt that the Euro4 had taken the edge of the bike. Even in Dynamic mode I was pinning it to the stop and just about keeping up with some of the bikes with me which on my previous bikes I felt I had the edge over, and I always found myself in a gear lower than normal. I am going to try and get it booked into Hilltop Motorcycles for an ECU tweak and will report bake if this helps.
I got 48.5 on average, rather than the 49.8 – 50.2 that my previous bikes have averaged on these trips. Slightly down.
Top end felt a bit weaker from 150mph upwards. Never got it fully pinned, but my others have all hit 158mph two up with the same setup. This one felt like it would struggle and was a bit flatter.
The auto blipper is fantastic, and sounds great through my pipes.
I also got the knack of rolling off slightly slower than usual and it always gave a little burble as I done it.
I am kind of used to parking in places that wont be a problem to get out of, so I only really used reverse to show off.
The bike hit 44 degs of lean on each side without touching down.
The bike was faultless for the entire trip.

[kennyc]

nice looking bike, you realise its a tourer and not a racer? and that its a fair bit heavier than the 13? that might explain the differences 
PS how fast is the topbox rated for ?

[richtea]

44 degrees and reverse. Definitely a bike of contrasts 

Good write-up, and nice to hear you used it properly.

[alaskier]

Thanks for the write-up and glad to hear you were so impressed with it. One of these days I am going to throw caution to the wind and buy myself a K1600 ...

[gibbo]

Thanks for the write up and piccie Belco. Love that colour scheme as well. Enjoy. 

[black-k1]

Nice looking bike and good write up. It seems a shame that the replacement for the K1300GT, which is so much more (CC, cylinders, size weight, etc.) appears to deliver very little extra.

[TomL]

What is the valve out of in front of your bike?   

[Phmode]

Cummins marine diesel 

[kennyc]

Nice looking bike and good write up. It seems a shame that the replacement for the K1300GT, which is so much more (CC, cylinders, size weight, etc.) appears to deliver very little extra.

check the power output and compare it to the 13, pure performance is not what the bike is built for, its a grand tourer smooth with enough power to do anything you would want in a touring bike, but its not designed to be a scratcher, the fact it handles as well as it does is a tribute to good design .

[black-k1]

Nice looking bike and good write up. It seems a shame that the replacement for the K1300GT, which is so much more (CC, cylinders, size weight, etc.) appears to deliver very little extra.

check the power output and compare it to the 13, pure performance is not what the bike is built for, its a grand tourer smooth with enough power to do anything you would want in a touring bike, but its not designed to be a scratcher, the fact it handles as well as it does is a tribute to good design .

I'm not sure I agree. I believe that the K1300GT was originally designed to do the same job as the K1600GT is designed to do. Neither were designed as a scratcher in the way the K1300S was. As I understood it, the K1600GT was/is even presented by BMW as the logical replacement for the K1300GT. If all that is true, then it seems to me a shame that, other than in a game of top trumps, the K1600GT appears to offer little benefit over the K1300GT and where the benefit is evident, it's in generic functionality such as Dynamic ESA which applies to a number of different models and could, very easily, have been added to the K1300GT.

While I personally didn't really like the K1300GT (it was a little "big and chunky" - a situation not improved on by the K1600GT!) my point is that this is another example of BMW apparently changing their fleet for reasons other than the production of a better vehicle. Perhaps I'm a little bit "old school" but I like to think that the replacement for any model is going to be a better option than its predecessor.

[kennyc]

it would be a good trick to produce a bike with more weight and the same power and get better performance 
but better means so many different things  to different folk, what does it do better than the 13? is it smoother, more comfortable, easier to reverse out, better electronics, more room? I don't have either so would love to hear what the percieved differences are, but I'm pretty certain the 12/1300's are a hard act to beat on performance grounds in a tourer format.

[Belco100]

Nice looking bike and good write up. It seems a shame that the replacement for the K1300GT, which is so much more (CC, cylinders, size weight, etc.) appears to deliver very little extra.

check the power output and compare it to the 13, pure performance is not what the bike is built for, its a grand tourer smooth with enough power to do anything you would want in a touring bike, but its not designed to be a scratcher, the fact it handles as well as it does is a tribute to good design .

I'm not sure I agree. I believe that the K1300GT was originally designed to do the same job as the K1600GT is designed to do. Neither were designed as a scratcher in the way the K1300S was. As I understood it, the K1600GT was/is even presented by BMW as the logical replacement for the K1300GT. If all that is true, then it seems to me a shame that, other than in a game of top trumps, the K1600GT appears to offer little benefit over the K1300GT and where the benefit is evident, it's in generic functionality such as Dynamic ESA which applies to a number of different models and could, very easily, have been added to the K1300GT.

While I personally didn't really like the K1300GT (it was a little "big and chunky" - a situation not improved on by the K1600GT!) my point is that this is another example of BMW apparently changing their fleet for reasons other than the production of a better vehicle. Perhaps I'm a little bit "old school" but I like to think that the replacement for any model is going to be a better option than its predecessor.

I do understand some of the comments as I came from a K13GT. I wanted a Kawasaki 14GTR, had one lined up spanking new but then had a test ride and didn’t get on with it so test rode the K13GT and could believe how good it was. Fast and handled well, and at the push of a button it would ride just as well two up as one up – brilliant. I got it on three years PCP and I bought it out right at the end of the contract. Not really any bigger or clunkier the K13S as it has the same frame and engine, just different bodywork and ergonomics, and actually has slightly sharper steering. Anyway, I eventually went on an extended test ride on a K16GT and it just felt like it was a newer generation and I really clicked with it. I would really have liked the K13GT to have been modernised, but as this was all that was available I eventually struck a deal and absolutely love the bike (each to his own).

[alaskier]

I agree. The K13GT is just the same as the K13S, it just has a bigger fairing with powered screen making it an all year round bike.

The K16GT is not much different to the K13GT, just a bit heavier (which I am sure you would soon get used to) and much improved electronics. All three have the same top speed and all three have warp factor 3 acceleration in all gears at all speeds.

Having ridden all three and for the hooligans amongst you, the K13S is slightly more "urgent" than the K13GT which in turn is slightly more "urgent" that the K16GT. My view is that 160BHP produces more than enough urgency for anyone's back tyre!

T.

[Costas]

It simply and utterly confirms that this is the best bike in roads at the moment, by far.

[Belco100]

It simply and utterly confirms that this is the best bike in roads at the moment, by far.

Such true words.

I love all of the slanted engine "K"s. I have now had a K13GT, K12R Sport, K13S and five K16GTs. From the first road test on the K13GT I was hooked and cannnot think of a better series of bikes (for me).

They are all so adaptable - Sport models can tour, Touring models have a bit of sport, I love the linked brakes, shaft drive and the funny front ends, all of the buttons and features.

It's a bit sad that the K16 maybe the last of the K range, I don't see a proper K13S replacement ever happening, which is a real shame.