k1600 advice please

fizzer

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for as long as i can remember in some form another i have had boxer engines be it a gs or an rt ,most recent r1250gs exclusive.
anyway i have an fancy for a k1600gt ,last years model black engine model,very low milage ,i would be buying from a dealer ,but any advice please are they sorted now what are the common issues with them if any.
i know it would have 24 months warrantee ,but i still like to know if any week points
cheers ian
 
Take a look on the K16 forum ....... www.k1600form/forum/uk-riders/

Last year's issue was a gearbox recall, which should have been sorted on your target bike.

Currently they are on stop sale in the US as the Fed authorities aren't happy with the pillion footrests; thought to be the angle at which they fold, but things are sketchy as yet, so we don't know whether this will evolve into a full recall - seems unlikely TBH. They are big & heavy, but carry their weight well once under way. Hard on tyres though if you push on. The engine is a delight, once you get used to the FBW throttle, just don't lug the gears too low. Some bikes seem prone to overheating in traffic, or say riding in the Alps - it's important to keep the rad clean.

They are Euro4, so no longer available new in the UK, which should mean some decent deals to be had. Get a good long test ride & see if you like it. Maybe try a Goldwing too, if touring is your priority.
 
They are Euro4, so no longer available new in the UK, which should mean some decent deals to be had. Get a good long test ride & see if you like it. Maybe try a Goldwing too, if touring is your priority.

They are still on the configurator as available new.

I was looking at getting one in the near future.
 
I have owned a 1600 since the model was first released and it’s the only bike I now own.

Have they had problems over the years? Yes.

Are there any problems that are not ‘sorted’? Only one, as I see it. That is, unless you keep the very large radiator pretty clean, the bike will overheat and eventually vent its coolant down the road.

What was the last problem I had? The starter motor sprag clutch wouldn’t function reliably, meaning that the starter motor would spin but the engine would not crank over. This manifested itself on the morning I rolled off the ferry in France in August 2020, at the start of a month away in France. Sometimes it happened, sometimes it didn’t. It was ‘sorted’ on my return, under the extended warranty.

My tips:

1. Each time you wash the bike, leave the hose running water down the radiator. Don’t blast the radiator, as all you’ll do is bend the honeycomb. To clean the radiator fully, requires removing the lower fairing.

2. Don’t fit a radiator guard. All you’ll do is add in something else for muck to accumulate behind. Are there umpteen stories of holed radiators? No.

3. Don’t go adding bling to the thing. It weighs enough as it is.

4. The black engine is not relevant, it’s only paint.

5. Have a look at this thread: https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/552194-I-miss-my-K1300S-will-I-like-a-K1600-GT-Sport

6. The best (it’s a relative term) source of information, once you filter out the usual bollocks, moaning, bizarre theories and the like, is the K1600 forum.
 
Just go and fucking buy it. Don't dither like I did and then not buy it and then regretting it or thinking would it have been better.
 
They are still on the configurator as available new.

I was looking at getting one in the near future.

You will be pleased to know that the engineers at Berlin are committed to taking the K16 Euro5, for the 2022 model year. Engineering solutions are one thing, the question is, will there be sufficient pent up demand, or will we see preference given to say an R18 tourer. There will be some tough choices for many manufacturers in a post Covid marketplace.

Currently, you can configure Euro4 bikes all you like, but AFAIK you won't be able to register one in the UK. There will still be a few Euro4 bikes available that were pre-registered in 2020, even a few micro-miles ex-demonstrators maybe, so you should be able to track one down easily enough.
 
thanks for the info guys,i have traded in my r1250gs for the k1600,coming monday :thumb
 

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I too fizzier traded my GS1200 lc for a k1600, was a bit apprehensive as to wether I was doing the right thing, needed have worried, the k1600 is a great bike, once on the move the weight seems to disappear. I love also the lack of buffeting from the wind. Hope you are enjoying your 1600.
 
I too fizzier traded my GS1200 lc for a k1600, was a bit apprehensive as to wether I was doing the right thing, needed have worried, the k1600 is a great bike, once on the move the weight seems to disappear. I love also the lack of buffeting from the wind. Hope you are enjoying your 1600.

yes i have done about 600 miles on it now and starting to love it now,i was a bit apprehensive about the weight but getting used to it now ,i have not needed the reverse gear as yet
 
Once you get used to reverse gear (it can be a little bit unnerving at first) it is really good. I like it, in as much as I like the ‘hand brake’, too.

The bike is easy enough to push around on its own but a real bitch to push backwards on an incline, particularly if it has gravel. I am still careful, despite the reverse gear, where I park. One trick, which works for all bikes (and is particularly useful when getting a bike into a narrow space) is:

Put the bike into neutral, on its side stand.

Stand at the front of the bike, legs either side of the front wheel.

Lean forward and grab the bars at the grips.

Lift the bike to vertical.

Push (or pull) the bike to where you want it to be

Lower the bike back down onto the side stand

This works really well in narrow spaces, where there is not enough room to stand alongside the bike. It also works as you can get more pushing or pulling ‘umph’ imparted, than you can just wheeling a bike. Not least, if the weight (of any bike) gets too much, it is easy to lower it back down onto the side stand.
 
Once you get used to reverse gear (it can be a little bit unnerving at first) it is really good. I like it, in as much as I like the ‘hand brake’, too.

The bike is easy enough to push around on its own but a real bitch to push backwards on an incline, particularly if it has gravel. I am still careful, despite the reverse gear, where I park. One trick, which works for all bikes (and is particularly useful when getting a bike into a narrow space) is:

Put the bike into neutral, on its side stand.

Stand at the front of the bike, legs either side of the front wheel.

Lean forward and grab the bars at the grips.

Lift the bike to vertical.

Push (or pull) the bike to where you want it to be

Lower the bike back down onto the side stand

This works really well in narrow spaces, where there is not enough room to stand alongside the bike. It also works as you can get more pushing or pulling ‘umph’ imparted, than you can just wheeling a bike. Not least, if the weight (of any bike) gets too much, it is easy to lower it back down onto the side stand.

good idea thanks ,always careful getting past my car to get in the garage
 
The lifting, pulling and pushing from the front, takes a little bit of confidence when you first start. But when you’ve done it a couple of times, you do wonder why you’ve never done it before.
 
good idea thanks ,always careful getting past my car to get in the garage

...and whatever you do, once you've gone round the front of the bike and lifted it up to the vertical, don't catch the side stand so that it folds back up...:blast:augie
 
You only do that once, trust me.

It’s amazing how you develop an unswerving devotion to God (and all his angels) at that point.
 


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