Sharif
Well-known member
I got a good ride on a K1600GT as my brother and I took a loop from Chicago, up through Michigan (including the Tunnel of Trees), over the Mackinac Bridge to Toronto and Niagara Falls before taking the Talbot Trail back to Windsor and slabbing it home.
First impressions - the K1600GT is a big motorcycle. You never forget that fact when viewing it from the front or when you are riding it. There is a lot of motorcycle in front of you, especially compared to an FJR:
Huge bike
versus
tidy bike
Storage:
The fairing is wide, all the way down to your feet. One thing that surprised me is that there is no storage compartment which is accessible while underway. In-fairing storage is tight (smaller than FJR), but bags/trunk are bigger. The left lower storage pocket is pretty small and gets warm. The iPod attachment is on the lower side of the right fairing. Not a deal-breaker by any means, just inaccessible when under rolling. Not really practical to fiddle with an iPod at a stoplight, for instance.
One very nice thing is the disparity in factory trunks - the BMW is wider and shorter, allowing for two full-face helmets on board. The FJR can take a single helmet and is taller. I prefer the BMW design - holding two helmets is nice. The flip side is that the BMW trunk doesn’t open to 90 degrees. I like that for putting things on as I’m rummaging through on the road looking for snacks. BMW trunk is illuminated and has an optional brake light - very nice.
The alarm on the BMW is cool, and keyless access to the storage compartments.
Drivetrain:
First off, the K16 just sounds phenomenal. It has a nice, nasty idle and makes really appealing noises up the rev range. No discernible vibrations anywhere. Smoother than smooth. Amazing drivetrain. What surprised me was the amount of squat when whacking the throttle wide open in third - significant torque, but also significant squat. It also surprised me that in a drag race, there was not much in it between the K16 and the FJR. Acceleration is startlingly similar - it’s a power/weight/gearing question. The K spins 3200 at 70 while the FJR spins 3800. The K has 6 speeds, the FJR 5. The fuel economy was within 1 mpg, but the K has a slightly larger fuel tank, which equates to better range. Racing on a track, we ran 'em up to 147 GPS indicated, and either I weigh less than my brother (true), was packing lighter than him (probably true), or the bikes are simply that close.
Love love love that engine, just wish it was pulling a little less weight.
Comfort:
Yamaha’s marketing is spot on - supersport touring. The BMW is more of a Grand Tourer. As such, cushier seat, electronic suspension, all the electronic goodies, phenomenal nav integration are all part of the BMW package. Part of my slab ride was on a really hot (97) day, and I preferred the wind management on the FJR - the K was almost too protective for me. It has fairing vents which you can open which funnels quite a bit of air into your lap - almost punishing at highway speeds, nice in lower speeds.
One interesting thing is wind noise. For my brother (6 feet), he was fine, no ear plugs, nice pocket of air, no bugs AT ALL on his face shield. For me (6’3”), I couldn’t find the same pocket of clean air he did, and I got bugs in my face shield. Shows how much toller I am than he is, I guess.
The seats put pressure on different points - the BMW’s seat is wider and flatter. Not good or bad, just different. I was comfy on both machines, though I felt like I was sitting much taller on the BMW.
Suspension:
Hard to beat electronic suspension with its on-the-fly adjustability. Both my brother and I felt more comfortable placing the FJR in corners, probably just a function of seat time. I’m sure that in more capable hands, both bikes would walk away from me - they have cornering capabilities beyond mine. The FJR is just smaller and lower, so I felt more comfortable throwing my shoulder into turns.
Controls:
Nice electronics on the BMW with very intuitive thumb wheel on the left bar. It also took a much lighter touch - clutch, throttle, shifter. More finesse required. FJR is much simpler. It’s a bit like comparing a modern 911 to a mid-90s 911. More goodies in the new car, the old one is functional.
One example on refinement - love the foresight on maintaining tire pressure:
BMW versus fried hands.
I mean, kudos to Yamaha for ensuring that we check pressures when the tires are cold!
Overall, the K is one heck of an impressive bike. I really, really like the engine - smooth and powerful. For me, it’s too big for my daily ride - one could argue the FJR is as well...
Nutshell: feel like BMW went from sport touring to grand touring when they went from K13 to K16. Impressive motorcycle, but I’d be inclined to get the GTL or a Wing and dedicate it to 2-up if that was my bag.
At one point in Canada, the road we were on ended and turned into fresh, deep (2 inches?) gravel. We weren't sure if it was construction or permanent, so we horsed the bikes through maybe a quarter mile of the stuff. Then we realized it was permanent gravel, so we turned around in a farm and headed back. It was pretty hairy riding there for a bit front end washing out all over the place, some good pucker factor. I was not relishing the thought of picking the bike up.
Interesting bike, just not for me. Is the FJR perfect? No, but it's close enough for me that I'm going to keep it for as long as possible - it's a heck of a great bike.
For pics of the rest of the trip, here you go.
First impressions - the K1600GT is a big motorcycle. You never forget that fact when viewing it from the front or when you are riding it. There is a lot of motorcycle in front of you, especially compared to an FJR:
Huge bike
versus
tidy bike
Storage:
The fairing is wide, all the way down to your feet. One thing that surprised me is that there is no storage compartment which is accessible while underway. In-fairing storage is tight (smaller than FJR), but bags/trunk are bigger. The left lower storage pocket is pretty small and gets warm. The iPod attachment is on the lower side of the right fairing. Not a deal-breaker by any means, just inaccessible when under rolling. Not really practical to fiddle with an iPod at a stoplight, for instance.
One very nice thing is the disparity in factory trunks - the BMW is wider and shorter, allowing for two full-face helmets on board. The FJR can take a single helmet and is taller. I prefer the BMW design - holding two helmets is nice. The flip side is that the BMW trunk doesn’t open to 90 degrees. I like that for putting things on as I’m rummaging through on the road looking for snacks. BMW trunk is illuminated and has an optional brake light - very nice.
The alarm on the BMW is cool, and keyless access to the storage compartments.
Drivetrain:
First off, the K16 just sounds phenomenal. It has a nice, nasty idle and makes really appealing noises up the rev range. No discernible vibrations anywhere. Smoother than smooth. Amazing drivetrain. What surprised me was the amount of squat when whacking the throttle wide open in third - significant torque, but also significant squat. It also surprised me that in a drag race, there was not much in it between the K16 and the FJR. Acceleration is startlingly similar - it’s a power/weight/gearing question. The K spins 3200 at 70 while the FJR spins 3800. The K has 6 speeds, the FJR 5. The fuel economy was within 1 mpg, but the K has a slightly larger fuel tank, which equates to better range. Racing on a track, we ran 'em up to 147 GPS indicated, and either I weigh less than my brother (true), was packing lighter than him (probably true), or the bikes are simply that close.
Love love love that engine, just wish it was pulling a little less weight.
Comfort:
Yamaha’s marketing is spot on - supersport touring. The BMW is more of a Grand Tourer. As such, cushier seat, electronic suspension, all the electronic goodies, phenomenal nav integration are all part of the BMW package. Part of my slab ride was on a really hot (97) day, and I preferred the wind management on the FJR - the K was almost too protective for me. It has fairing vents which you can open which funnels quite a bit of air into your lap - almost punishing at highway speeds, nice in lower speeds.
One interesting thing is wind noise. For my brother (6 feet), he was fine, no ear plugs, nice pocket of air, no bugs AT ALL on his face shield. For me (6’3”), I couldn’t find the same pocket of clean air he did, and I got bugs in my face shield. Shows how much toller I am than he is, I guess.
The seats put pressure on different points - the BMW’s seat is wider and flatter. Not good or bad, just different. I was comfy on both machines, though I felt like I was sitting much taller on the BMW.
Suspension:
Hard to beat electronic suspension with its on-the-fly adjustability. Both my brother and I felt more comfortable placing the FJR in corners, probably just a function of seat time. I’m sure that in more capable hands, both bikes would walk away from me - they have cornering capabilities beyond mine. The FJR is just smaller and lower, so I felt more comfortable throwing my shoulder into turns.
Controls:
Nice electronics on the BMW with very intuitive thumb wheel on the left bar. It also took a much lighter touch - clutch, throttle, shifter. More finesse required. FJR is much simpler. It’s a bit like comparing a modern 911 to a mid-90s 911. More goodies in the new car, the old one is functional.
One example on refinement - love the foresight on maintaining tire pressure:
BMW versus fried hands.
I mean, kudos to Yamaha for ensuring that we check pressures when the tires are cold!
Overall, the K is one heck of an impressive bike. I really, really like the engine - smooth and powerful. For me, it’s too big for my daily ride - one could argue the FJR is as well...
Nutshell: feel like BMW went from sport touring to grand touring when they went from K13 to K16. Impressive motorcycle, but I’d be inclined to get the GTL or a Wing and dedicate it to 2-up if that was my bag.
At one point in Canada, the road we were on ended and turned into fresh, deep (2 inches?) gravel. We weren't sure if it was construction or permanent, so we horsed the bikes through maybe a quarter mile of the stuff. Then we realized it was permanent gravel, so we turned around in a farm and headed back. It was pretty hairy riding there for a bit front end washing out all over the place, some good pucker factor. I was not relishing the thought of picking the bike up.
Interesting bike, just not for me. Is the FJR perfect? No, but it's close enough for me that I'm going to keep it for as long as possible - it's a heck of a great bike.
For pics of the rest of the trip, here you go.
