Ten years is a long old time in the motorcycle industry,
but BMW's K1600 GTL has changed very little in that period. So does today's model still
stack up as a luxo long-haul tourer? That's what we're about to find out.
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BMW has long been renowned for its touring bikes, and at the top of the tree
sits its K1600 family. The K1600 GTL was introduced alongside the sportier K1600 GT
in 2011. The duo grabbing headlines for their many high-tech features, impressive handling,
and awesome in-line six-cylinder engine. Updates in the years since have been few and minor.
The range expanded with the K1600 B Bagger and K1600 Grand America a few years back.
Both are similar, but have tweaked styling and a lower rear subframe.
But the K1600 GTL has continued on as the epitome of euro touring elegance.
There's masses of luggage space and niceties like the electric screen, keyless start,
heated grips and heated seating. Add to that TFT instrumentation, electronic suspension,
ABS and dynamic traction control, plus three ride modes, adaptive Xenon headlights, and a stereo
that can be paired to your helmet's headset. The base model K1600 GTL is priced from just over 40k,
but our test bike's option 719 paint and forged wheels add $5300. Seriously,
I could waffle on about all the bells and whistles on this bike for ages,
but this is a touring bike, so let's get out there and see what she can do.
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It's easy to hop on thanks to the low seat, but with its expansive bodywork and screen,
upright ride position and wide handlebars,
riding the K16 can initially feel like you're commanding a battleship from its bridge.
It's long, large and heavy, but that superbly smooth and immensely torquey in-line six,
laughs in the face of that bulk. The weight simply melting away as soon as you twist the throttle.
In fact, with its decent ground clearance, superb chassis, and quality brakes and suspension,
the GTL can be ridden like a sports bike if the mood takes you, and believe me, it will.
That was readily apparent on a quick three-day 1500-kilometre tour from Melbourne to the Snowy
Mountains, where roads like the Alpine Way showcase the K1600's performance beautifully.
For long days in the saddle, riding this bike is just a sublime experience.
It's so big and so comfy yet so responsive. Downsides, well, it's a big brute to park,
but that's where the hill start assist and reverse gear are a huge help.
But it is looking a bit dated in some aspects of its tech. There's no touch screen,
no Apple CarPlay, and no integrated GPS as standard. BMW's Navigator is a $1300 accessory.
Even the recess for your phone is a bit too tight for today's smartphones,
and the TFT menu system now feels a little clunky.
Fuel economy, not too bad, while the big tank delivers a safe range of over 400 kilometres.
In some segments, a model can look dated after just a few years,
so it's a testament to BMW that the K1600 GTL is still a capable option 10 years after its release.
Yes, this is top dollar touring and it is starting to show its age in some respects, but for luxury,
features in general, and performance, BMW's K1600 GTL is still one mighty impressive machine.