K1600B – BMW has followed Honda down the bagger road by shaving, cutting and blacking out the company’s big dressed touring bike. Like the Honda F6B, the K1600B is intended for the US where both companies believe that a cruiser-ish bagger will appeal to the market. There is lots to like about the BMW – it still has the massive hp of the silky smooth K1600GTL but it has lost a some weight which should – even with the feet forward riding position – offer up sportier performance. If you are looking to thank some-one outside the BMW fold for the arrival of the K16B look no further than the ubiquitous Roland Sands who framed the idea with his Concept 101 bike last year.
In true bagger fashion BMW is said to have a whole garage full of accessories to personalize the K16B – unknown at this time whether any will involve tassles.
BMW’s list of highlights around the K1600B include:
• 6-cylinder in-line engine according to EU4 regulations with an output of 118 kW (160 hp) at 7 750 rpm and a maximum torque of 175 Nm at 5 250 rpm.
•Bagger design with eye-catching stretched streamline-style silhouette and low rear section.
•Low rear frame for reduced vehicle height, dropped passenger seat height (- 7 cm) and typical bagger look.
•Fixed side cases with a new compartment design, rear central cover and integrated light units in US-American styling.
•Chrome-plated parallel silencers with ribbed end caps.
•Folding rear mudguard for easy wheel removal.
•Effective wind and weather protection with wind deflectors stretched further back.
•Typical short bagger-style electrically adjustable windscreen.
•Electronic suspension Dynamic ESA with automatic damping adaptation and “Road” and “Cruise” damping modes as standard.
•Reverse assist for even simpler manoeuvrability as an optional equipment item ex works.
