The K1600 series by BMW is a premium motorcycle that offers both performance and comfort. The engine is the star of the show on these bikes: an ultra smooth and 1649cc powerful inline six cylinder motor. The K1600 model replaced the K1200 and K1300 models. The jump from the K1200 to the K1300 is noticeable. But the jump from the K1300 to the K1600 is like being on a different planet. BMW knocked it out of the park with the K1600 series, and they’re still a popular bike today. There are four models of the K1600 series: GT (Sport Tourer version with removable panniers), GTL (similar to the GT but with a top case, touring seat, taller windscreen, and different handlebars), K1600B (the bagger version with non removable side bags), and the K1600B Grand America (similar to the bagger version but with a top case, touring seat, and taller windscreen).
The K1600 I bought was the Grand America version. The Grand America is BMW’s answer to the Honda Goldwing. In fact, when I bought the Grand America I was torn between the bike I purchased and the 2020 Honda Goldwing. The new Honda Goldwing is a fantastic bike in its own right. But due to the covid pandemic and lack of Goldwing inventory in my area, the Grand America became the obvious choice. I don’t regret that choice at all.
As a motorcycle technician I’ve put many miles on both the Goldwing and the K1600. I feel somewhat qualified to make a rough comparison of the two. This is simply my opinion and my experience…
Comfort – The Grand America is the most comfortable motorcycle I have ever owned, period. In fact, it’s the only motorcycle I’ve owned where I didn’t have to make any adjustments such as bar risers, seat upgrades, etc. It fit me perfectly right out of the box! The bike offers excellent wind protection, and the stock seat is comfortable and wide. Plus it has heated seats, grips, adjustable wind screen, cruise control, a decent audio system, and factory installed highways pegs which means you can ride from tank to tank wthout a hiccup. It really is that comfortable! The Grand America and Honda Goldwing offer similar seating positions. You sit upright with almost zero forward lean. This is a straight up touring bike…nothing sporty about it.
The Goldwing and the Grand America are both extremely comfortable bikes. They both have heated everything and all the creature comforts a guy could ask for. They’re both luxury touring bikes at the top of the bike chain. There are features on the Goldwing that aren’t found on the Grand America, and vice versa.
For example, the Goldwing has a convenient storage compartment in the front rider area where the Grand America doesn’t. And the Grand America comes from the factory with very comfortable and well placed highway foot pegs where the Goldwing does not.
Result: Tie
Engine – While the Grand America may be a touring bike, the engine will make you THINK and FEEL as if you are on a sport bike. That inline 6 really is an amazing engine from BMW. The power is addictive. It pulls hard and the higher the RPM’s the more it pulls. At low RPM’s the engine is smooth, quiet, and docile. But once you crack open the throttle it’s as if the bike becomes angry. The engine screams like a Formula 1 race car and within a breath you’re at triple digit speeds.
The Goldwing also has a 6 cylinder engine and it’s actually a bit larger at 1800cc vs 1600cc. However, the Goldwing engine is a boxer. But an excellent engine as well.
Both engines are extremely reliable and will last a long time if properly maintained. The Goldwing engine is quiet and offers smooth linear power. It makes you feel relaxed and confident. The K1600 engine is also quiet but offers a serious kick at higher RPM’s, providing kind of a Jekyll and Hyde experience.
Result: K1600…but simply due to the fun factor and engine sound.
Handling – The Grand America and the Goldwing are heavy bikes, there’s no way around that. Once underway, however, the weight disappears and both bikes feels quite light on their feet.
The BMW has some of the most advanced rider aids available. Everything from the duolever front end, dynamic traction control, dynamic ABS, multiple ride modes, quick shifter and electronic suspension make operating the Grand America a breeze. It really is an easy bike to handle which makes it very enjoyable.
The Goldwing is also an easy bike to handle that will make you question everything you thought you knew about physics. There’s simply no logical reason why a bike this size should be this easy…yet here we are. The Goldwing does seem to carry its weight lower than the K1600. I think this is due to the position of the gas tank and the fact that the engine is a boxer style engine vs the inline on the K1600. However, the K1600 has a few more rider aids which allow you to hammer through the twisties in a little more spirited manner.
Bottom line…at slow speeds the Goldwing handles better, and at high speeds the BMW handles better.
Result: Tie
Lights – The BMW K1600 models all come with adaptive headlights. This means that while leaning into a corner, the headlight will swivel in the direction of travel and illuminate the corner. It’s a nifty feature that works really well. Additionally, all K1600 models come with fog lights as a standard option. The bike will light up the road like an airport runway. I absolutely love it! As far as tail lights and turn signals are concerned the Grand America has integrated tail lights installed on rear of the side bags and the back of the top box. They look sharp and they are very visible.
The Goldwing has good headlights lights but they are not adaptive like the BMW. The tail light and turn signals are about equal to the BMW. They look sharp and are quite visible. Fog lights are not standard on the Goldwing, but you can get them as an option.
The BMW takes the cake here simply due to the adaptive headlight feature.
Result: BMW
Brakes – Stopping both the Grand America and Goldwing requires nothing more than a light squeeze of the brake lever. Both have linked brakes and very functional ABS systems.
The BMW duolever front end prevents front end dive during braking, keeping the bike stable during emergency braking.
The Goldwing brake double wishbone front end works very well and also prevents front end dive during heavy braking.
Both bikes have excellent brakes, no clear winner here.
Result: Tie
Tech – Both the Grand America and Goldwing are absolutely loaded with tech. Almost every creature comfort a motorcycle could offer is found on these bikes. Both offer multiple ride modes, navigation, reverse, electronic suspension, etc etc. That said, the Honda takes it a step further by offering Apple Car Play and Android Auto. Furthermore, the Goldwing offers a neat “walk mode” that is helpful when trying to slowly move the bike over rough terrain.
Although transmissions don’t really fall under the “tech” category, both bikes use a lot of integrated tech to enhance their gear box. For example, the Honda 7 speed DCT transmission is amazing…literally taking the comfort level to a whole new level. I was a skeptic, until I rode one. Honda nailed the DCT, it’s smooth, always seems to be in the right gear, and it allows you to just ride. You never have to think about shifting. On the other hand the K1600 offers a 6 speed quickshift transmission which works very well. The BMW gearbox is very smooth, but loud. It’s heavy duty. As a technician I can assure you that both Honda and BMW make a fantastic transmission.
One thing I love about the Honda Goldwing is that the buttons and switches are illuminated, which makes it easy to operate while riding in the dark. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but I found myself getting frustrated with the BMW when riding at night. I don’t like fumbling with switches and buttons I can’t see. That’s not an issue on the Honda Goldwing.
There’s a clear winner here.
Result: Honda Goldwing
Summary
I really enjoyed my K1600 Grand America during the two plus years I owned it. Perhaps I will own another big tourer in the future but there’s just something about the sport touring bikes that speak to me. I eventually traded my Grand America in for my current BMW R1250RT. The odometer showed just over 23,000 miles when I traded it in. All miles were trouble free and everything worked as it should during my two years of ownership. If you are looking for a very comfortable touring bike, the K1600 Grand America is a fine choice!
I’ve never personally owned a Goldwing so I can’t speak on ownership experience. However, I have wrenched on plenty of Goldwings and put a lot of miles on them. I love them and I wouldn’t hesitate to own one! Also, I’ve never met a Goldwing owner that didn’t love their bike. There’s something to be said about that.
Sport Touring Cycle Adventures 