Can a motorcycle cosset? That seems the question BMW Motorrad is asking with the new K 1600 GTL, BMW’s flagship touring motorcycle. In the hierarchy of BMW automobiles, the 7-Series has long occupied the top step in terms of luxury and ability to effortlessly cover long distances in style. Each iteration seems ever more powerful, technically advanced, trendsetting in design, and outfitted to cover long distances with minimum fuss and maximum comfort. In other words: Cosseting.
So why am I mentioning this in a review ostensibly about a motorcycle? Because the K 1600 GTL is the closest thing to a 2-wheeled 7-Series that BMW Motorrad has yet built.
Released as a new model in 2011, the K 1600 has been BMW’s motorcycle standard-bearer ever since, as well as the Motorrad’s showcase for innovation. Electronically adjusted suspension? Adaptive headlights? Throttle-by-wire? Multiple ride modes? All pioneered on BMW’s K 1600 bikes. Newly updated for 2022, BMW started delivering this next generation uber-K bike to European customers late in 2021, and it’s now available here in the United States.
Over the course of several weeks, I had the opportunity to experience the K 1600 GTL in many different environments: From the urban landscapes of Dallas and Fort Worth to the rolling ranchlands of rural north Texas; from the treed hillscapes of eastern Oklahoma to the undulating prairies of southern Kansas and western Missouri; and back again. And after more than 1000 miles in all manner of weather and on a variety of road types, I came to anticipate and enjoy each mile on the renewed big Beemer immensely.
There are officially four models in the K 1600 family, but really there are two models with two variations apiece: The GT and GTL, and the B (for “Bagger”) and Grand American. The differences are subtle, though meaningful. Think of the B and Grand American as the longer and lower cruiser twins of the more mature GT and GTL and you’ll be on the right track. And the GTL and Grand American versions are more passenger-friendly than the more solo-oriented GT and B bikes. The GTL is the ultimate luxury-touring model of…
