Bike: BMW K 1600 B
BMW’S sizeable straight-six provides an interesting alternative to the traditional V-twin cruisers
BMW knows a thing or two about building touring bikes. Wherever you go, you are bound to see more than a few motorcyclists chewing up the miles at high speed on a BMW. Usually, these will be 1 200 cm3 flat-twins – or even the older 900 or 1 000 cm3 versions – but, these days, if you like to blend some cruising with touring, you can add a few more cubic centimetres and four more cylinders, and go for something bigger (and heavier). The K 1600 B “Bagger” is one such bike.
Some may feel the 1,6-litre inline-six lacks the character of a V- or flat-twin, but there’s no denying its refinement. The engine’s noise characteristics reflect that and the massive exhaust pipes do a good job of silencing any six-cylinder sounds the engine generates. You really don’t hear much beyond what sounds a lot like gears and motors efficiently spinning.
Cranking the engine doesn’t even require you to remove the key from your pocket; simply press the black button for ignition and thumb the starter button. A reverse gear helps to manoeuvre the 337 kg bike out of any tight spaces by spinning the starter motor backwards and, after that, you have six forward ratios at your disposal. The gearbox is rather clunky, but BMW has added convenience by allowing you to change gears without the clutch. The ECU detects your foot changing gear and momentarily cuts power, allowing you to keep the throttle open and shift before it restores the horses once the ratio has been selected. It’s quick and slick on up-changes, but not quite as effective when changing down.
The cockpit is a comfortable place with bars and pegs set up in the style of a proper tourer, with no forward controls or boards. It features heated grips and even a heated seat – perfect for those cold mornings – and the screen is electrically adjustable. I found the highest position was best for attacking the wind and providing some protection, although that does increase wind noise.
Instrumentation is comprehen- sive, with an analogue speedometer and rev counter, digital fuel and temperature gauges and readouts for air temperature, tyre pressure, average or instantaneous fuel consumption, radio information, trip distances and cruise or road settings. A large rotary ring on the left bar toggles through menus, or tunes the radio, and a USB port is also safely hidden inside the right pannier. The latter is large enough to hold a full-face helmet and is ideal for touring.
During our test, fuel consumption was around 6,0 L/100 km, but this would vary according to speeds ridden, both in the city and on the open road.
Talking of speed, the Bagger’s acceleration is immense; for a bike tipping our scales at 337 kg to reach 100 km/h in 3,56 seconds tells you something about this engine. With 118 kw on tap and just one narrow patch of rubber to transmit it, this is not a machine to be taken lightly, although suspension and throttle settings are adjustable, helping to dial things down a little.
TEST SUMMARY
The Bagger is an interesting motorcycle owing to that large six-cylinder engine. That is unusual in bike design and quite a talking point. It’s also comfortable and capable of completing long trips with ease thanks to a big fuel tank.
To some, however, it lacks is a distinctive character and, whereas smoothness and quietness are certainly virtues, the Bagger doesn’t quite have the swagger and attitude of traditional American bikes from the likes of Harley-davidson, Victory and Indian.