2018 BMW K 1600 B Bagger First Test – BMW joins the bagger community with its own unique and sophisticated way of doing it with its all-new K 1600 B. All wrapped up into one very attractive and compact package, the BMW K 1600 B combines a little bit of cruiser, a little bit of touring and a little bit—well, more like a lot—of sport like no other bike in the bagger category.
I, along with about 20 other journalists, got the chance to experience the K 1600 B in its element by spending a couple of days touring the specatular back roads of the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina.
2018 BMW K 1600 B Bagger First Test
The BMW K 1600 B is not your typical bagger. That’s obvious by just looking at it, but it’s even more obvious when you first ride it. It feels very sporty, even for a fairly large motorcycle.The K 1600 B shares the same platform as the K 1600 GT and GTL BMW tourers, that means it’s also powered by the same super-compact, lightweight 1649cc inline-six engine with a claimed 160 horsepower at 7750 rpm and 129 ft/lbs of torque at 2500 rpm. Having not ridden either the GT or GTLs yet, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by how lively and, yes, even powerful this awesome engine is! And not only is it powerful, it is super, and I mean super, smooth. Plus, there is very little vibration as it delivers its power in a very linear and even way. And there is plenty of torque to pull you out of the turns in just about any gear.
This bagger has a fair amount of electronic gadgetry and perhaps most useful is ride mode that controls, in conjunction, ABS, traction control (with lean-angle sensor) and throttle response. You have three modes to chose from: “Dynamic,” “Road,” and “Rain.” Dynamic has the most aggressive throttle response with the least amount of traction control intervention; Road tones throttle response down a bit while increasing TC intervention, while Rain gives you the least aggressive throttle response with the maximum TC intervention. I played with all three and Road seems to be the best compromise; though, I did spend a lot of time in Dynamic mode because there really isn’t a huge difference between it and Road under normal riding conditions. Rain mode, however, is very noticeable and seems like it would indeed be very useful and comforting in slick conditions. You cannot disable ABS or TC, nor are they adjustable. For me, that was not an issue whatsoever. For whatever reason, I just never felt the urge to wheelie or slide it.
2018 BMW K 1600 B Bagger First Test
If I had any gripe at all with the engine, it would have to be initial throttle response—it lags a little bit when you first crack the throttle. I wouldn’t call it a bog or anything like that; it just seems to take its time to respond, or to rev up, as you start to twist the throttle, and it didn’t matter which ride mode I was in. For me, it was only an issue when launching from a stop; it was sometimes difficult to find that fine line between a smooth take off and it suddenly revving quickly before you were rolling sufficiently enough to let out the clutch lever completely. It wasn’t a huge deal, though, just an annoyance at times. Otherwise, the engine worked flawlessly.Our bikes were fully loaded with options, including Gear Shift Assist Pro. It seems like an odd option for a bagger but I say, “go for it!” It’ll add another $475 to the $19,995 base price but it’s a great upgrade that is not only fun but useful. It eliminates the need to use the clutch for shifting and you don’t have to let off the throttle while upshifting (you still have to chop throttle to downshift). Having it just makes life easier and, like I said, more fun. It’s way cool.Even though the K 1600 B bagger is a rather large motorcycle and weighs approximately 740 pounds, it feels ridiculously light, nimble and agile on the road. It’s well balanced and it doesn’t feel intimidatingly big at all, and it can be ridden with a lot more zest than you would think, especially for a motorcycle classified as a bagger. And, in the corners, you would never know that it’s shaft driven. It has a lot of ground clearance, too; I didn’t drag the floorboards, or footpegs, once, at least not on purpose, even when speeds picked up on the twisties.
2018 BMW K 1600 B Bagger First Test
I found the seat to be extremely comfortable with just the right amount of padding and density. It’s also not too wide, making it easy to plant both feet on the ground. You have two seat height options–29.5 inches or 37.2 inches. My 6’1″ frame preferred the taller seat, though I did not feel cramped at all on the shorter seat. Optional floorboards are a nice touch. They are an addition to the standard and normally positioned footpegs. I used the floorboard every now and then to stretch my legs, or to just mix things up a bit. I’d scare myself sometimes, however, because I’d forget that the rear brake pedal and shift lever are not accessible while your feet are resting on the floorboards. I came into a few turns a little too hot.The “chopped” windscreen can be adjusted electronically. BMW also gives you wings, which are located behind the headlights and underneath both mirrors. The wings (okay, slipstream deflectors) are fantastic! When deployed (you have to do it manually), they do an excellent job funneling air onto the rider’s midsection, which, of course, helps keep you cool when it’s hot out, or when traveling at slower speeds (aka traffic) but also relieves back pressure when the windscreen is in the full up position.Our baggers were fitted with BMW’s optional Adaptive Xenon Headlight that should light up the road well; I don’t know for sure because I never got the chance to ride the bike after sunset, but the high-beams will just about burn your retinas if you look straight into them, even in the daylight. They are powerful!
2018 BMW K 1600 B Bagger First Test
There is a lot going on here, but button placement is well thought out, especially the multicontroller on the left grip. See the button with the “R” on it? Yup, that stands for reverse. Another nice option. It runs off the starter battery and goes no faster than 1 mph, and will maintain that speed even up a 7° grade. Handlebars are tubular and easy to replace for customizing.
2018 BMW K 1600 B Bagger First Test
The K 1600 B is offered with two electronically controlled suspension modes—Road and Cruise—which altars damping characteristics. For spirited rides, Road mode does the trick. It’s firm yet still comfortable for most conditions, while Cruise mode is noticeably softer for…well, cruising. I spent 99 percent of my time in Road mode. Overall the ride from the Duolever front suspension and Paralever rear suspension systems is outstanding and handling is extremely good, too. It’s very stable at speed and stays planted in the turns; it takes a good-size bump in the road to shake things up but only momentarily. It usually gathers itself back in right away on its own. I definitely felt at one with the K 1600 B.I immediately trusted the BMW’s brakes. It has dual floating 320mm discs with four-piston calipers up front, and a single 320mm rotor in the back and they offer plenty of power and have excellent feel. Initial bite is strong, not grabby, which I appreciated at parking-lot speeds.Everything you need to know is right here. Standard is a 5.7-inch full-color TFT LCD multi-function display with on-board computer. My bagger was fitted with navigation and an audio sound system, but I wasn’t overly impressed with the audio system. Sound quality isn’t great and is hard to hear over third gear without having to really crank the volume; then it just gets noisy. But I’m not a big fan of external audio systems on motorcycles anyway—I just haven’t found one that really works well enough for my liking, so I don’t blame BMW. I just prefer in-helmet systems. It also has a handy keyless ignition system, and heated grips are standard. Since it was 90°F with about 99 percent humidity, I didn’t even think about giving them a try, but BMW insists they get toasty. Seats are heated, too. The removable and, of course, lockable 37-litre hard side bags look nice and are easy to operate. They aren’t huge but will hold the essentials for an overnight stay or two. A BMW top case isn’t offered at the moment; I doubt there ever will be, at least not for a while. The seat latch is located inside the bags, which also contains an audio jack/USB.
2018 BMW K 1600 B Bagger First Test
For now, the BMW K 1600 B bagger is offered in one color—Black Storm Metallic, with blacked-out frame, engine, wheels, and tubular handlebars. And you can bet that BMW will offer plenty of accessories for it. Some accessories are already available but the shopping list is going to grow by the day in the near future. Single options currently available include: Keyless Ride ($350), Central Locking System ($400), LED Auxiliary Lights ($450), Gear Shift Assist Pro ($475), Ant-Theft Alarm ($395), Storage Compartment ($200, but not available with floorboards), Center Stand ($175), Engine Protection Bars ($200), Floorboards ($200) and Classic Forged Wheels ($1500). The motorcycle is also available in five different packages: Touring Package ($1850), Safety Plus Package ($735), Audio, Communication, GPS Prep Package ($1405), Luxury Plus Package ($1410) and Premium Package, which includes Safety Plus, Luxury Plus, and Audio/Comm/GPS Prep packages, ($3550). Base price is $19, 995.
So to say I was impressed with my first ride on the BMW K 1600 B bagger would be an understatement. It’s by no means your dad’s bagger—this thing rips and it’s plenty capable of doing long distances in super comfort. Want to go slow and smell the roses, it will happily oblige. Want to pick it up a bit and get the adrenaline pumping, it will happily oblige. There just isn’t much I didn’t like about it. This is certainly a bagger I feel is worth bagging.
