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BMW sent ripples through the motorcycle industry gathered at the European Motorcycle show in mid-October when it unveiled an in-line, 6-cylinder, K1600 series to be delivered to BMW dealers this spring.  The new BMW was featured in a special episode of Jay’s Garage with Jay Leno, and the thought that comes to mind is simply awe-inspiring.

BMW Motorrad first presented its in-line 6 concept bike in the fall of 2009, and the thought of a 6 cylinder cruiser from BMW has captured the imagination of many motorcycle enthusiasts.  In fact, one look at this touring bike and it makes you want to hop on it and head on down the road.  No matter where the road might lead, any motorcycle lover can see that the experience will be thrilling and exhilarating to say the least.

The key to any great touring motorcycle is the incorporation of safety, equipment and comfort elements, as well as prestige, performance, and luxury.  BMW has managed to seamlessly blend all of these elements in the K1600GT and K1600GTL to a degree that it creates a whole new dimension of long distance comfort and durability, along with unparalleled riding properties.

What you get with this tourer is engine output of 160 bhp, which is plenty of power to get you where you want to go under any conditions.  Additionally, since the engine is significantly narrower than other 6 cylinder models, there are no significant drawbacks in chassis geometry, weight distribution, or center of gravity in this marvelous bike.

In fact, the K1600GT and K1600GTL are breaking new ground in six cylinder bikes with engines greater than 1000 CCs.  BMW’s extremely compact design and engineering applications on this bike model make it a joy to ride.

The result is an extremely lightweight motorcycle at only 766 pounds, panniers and topcase included, which places this BMW model in the lower range of the touring segment.  However, if your first concern is safety, the lighter weight and great amount of power do not force you to compromise personal security.

The engine has three different settings available simply by pressing a button on the right hand side of the handlebars.  What you are able to do is change your bike from a touring motorcycle to one that handles well in the rain, and one that handles well under dynamic or sports-like conditions.

The bike is full of innovative concepts, such as ESA II or Electronic Suspension Adjustment II.  As a rider, you press another button, and instantly adapt rebound dampening properties of the front and rear spring, as well as the spring load or spring rest or the rear spring strut.  You also adjust the spring rate, or hardness of the suspension, which adds to the bikes outstanding stability and responsiveness in any load state.

Additionally, the bike allows for damping settings such as sport, normal or comfort, which creates a perceptible characteristic when touring.  Whatever damping setting you choose, you will never sacrifice stability, safety and comfort.