My Other Bike Is A ........

[fallenarch]

fallenarch post some more good close up pics of your sweet ride.
Can we see some pics of instrumentation and gauges

This is the dash. I think some of these maybe in a post earlier in this thread.

 

[kml]

Personally it's not my cup of tea. Your review was EXCELLENT, better than a lot of "professional" reviews online. It sounds like you have made a good choice and purchased a great bike that fits you needs. It has a great colour scheme.

cheers
ken

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

That's a busy dash. Remember when taking it all in at speed, that it only takes a second or two (too long) for your inattention to the road ahead to be...costly.

 

[fallenarch]

WOW Good for you.
I'm sure you will enjoy that bike as much or more than the Busa, as things are a little different the older we get.
The Cruise Control all by itself will add enjoyment to your long distance rides more then you can imagine.
I don't know if you had a Rostra on your Busa or not but the factory cruise will probably be better than the
one in your car.
The power may not be as strong as your Busa, but the other features will compensate for that very well.

If I was richer I would look at one of those bikes too. But I went with a Connie (used) and with all the upgrades
of about $4K into it, I'm still about ½ of what you spent. Granted it's not the same but like you I still have
my Busa and I'm glad I do - but I have put more miles on my Connie then the Busa the last 2 years because
I'm not getting any younger and sometimes the upright seating position is more comfortable for a long ride.
I assume that will be your experience as time goes by too.

Great first impression report.

Will be looking forward to more reports like can it carry more then your Busa did, and if you can get
the throttle play reduced or if it's something you will adapt to etc.

Show us the difference in GPS units too - please. Is it that much smaller?

Thank you Sir. I'm not a rich guy but I have been planning this bike purchase for awhile. I was not sure it was a BMW, although I was fascinated by the 6 when it broke cover years ago. My second choice has been the Connie 14 for a long time.

As for the Navs, mine is the 595LM Zumo. It's not a huge difference but the screen on the BMW Nav 6 looks cropped IMHO. BTW I absolutely love the 595. I'm sorry but no phone app matches what you get with on of these things especially if you use the phone for traffic.

 

[fallenarch]

That's a busy dash. Remember when taking it all in at speed, that it only takes a second or two (too long) for your inatention to the road ahead to be...costly.

The Speedo and tach on either side are the focus. Then the warnings are along the top between the speedo and tach. So when riding it's no more distracting than the Busa dash and the information is presented pretty much the same. My only gripe is not allowing you to switch to a digital speedo and the fuel level is very small in the lower right corner of the speedo.

 

[Bailey9r]

Good job Willie, about halfway through your "first impression" I was completely absorbed in the texture of your descriptions as only the best magazine reviews can do. Now you know where to turn if you get burned out on your current gig. ;<)

 

[MR X]

Thanks for the pics .
Looks like it would be good for iron butt comp.
Nice and comfy and fast

 

[ROADTOAD1340]

Excellent write up and impression Willie , enjoyed the full tour immensely . Mate , that is one technical marvel of a motorcycle , a full Bavarian Blaster . That beast is going to eat up the miles , bro , great choice . Those colors match up quite well with the Busa , I see . Looking forward to your future ride threads mate .

 

[1busa]

Outstanding review Arch Well Done!!!

Now all you need is some warmer weather and a destination in mind. Looking forward to hearing updates on the Beamer and your travels

 

[Kiwi Rider]

What a bike!
Very cool,I'm having trouble sleeping coz I'm constantly thinking about how I can wangle myself into one. . . . . . . . . .
As everyone else has said, excellent virtual tour of the K1600 GT.
Anyway, I'm just off to see my bank manager lol.

 

[GIXERHP]

Well Dam Willie,,, Very Sweet Scoot!,
Enjoy man,

 

[Hayabusa Wannabe]

"On the other hand, the center of mass for the bike feels sort of odd. The bike is quite top heavy, even under power the bike seems to want to fall into a lean quite heavily."

Have you adjusted the preload for your weight?

Take a look from the back. Do the stock tires appear squared off at all? (Actually you should have your weight on it when observing.) If yes maybe using the upper end of the recommended tire pressure range can round them off more. (?) Actually for the front tire lower pressure could be better. I'd fiddle with the pressures looking for a good balance.

Also, I don't know about their bikes but knowing BMW if this were their car I would talk to the dealer and have them inspect it. There could be something wrong such as something loose in the suspension or something torqued incorrectly. Under thrust no bike should fall over too easily. That hints more of an instability and not a character that you must get used too.

 

[ali123]

Its a beautiful bike... I guess if one has to make certain concessions due to the aging process this is the motorcycle to have... lol... jk... (u knew I wouldn't leave it alone). I just hope that your busa doesn't become that proverbial "condom in the wallet" that never gets used...

 

[fallenarch]

Its a beautiful bike... I guess if one has to make certain concessions due to the aging process this is the motorcycle to have... lol... jk... (u knew I wouldn't leave it alone). I just hope that your busa doesn't become that proverbial "condom in the wallet" that never gets used...

Ha Ha. When I was riding it Saturday you actually came to mind as I was thinking Ali123 is going to wear me out. Funny but it's sort of made me appreciate the Busa even more. I now have the most gizmoed bike and the most mechanical bike. Sort of two totally opposite approaches to a motorcycle.

 

[fallenarch]

"On the other hand, the center of mass for the bike feels sort of odd. The bike is quite top heavy, even under power the bike seems to want to fall into a lean quite heavily."

Have you adjusted the preload for your weight?

Take a look from the back. Do the stock tires appear squared off at all? (Actually you should have your weight on it when observing.) If yes maybe using the upper end of the recommended tire pressure range can round them off more. (?) Actually for the front tire lower pressure could be better. I'd fiddle with the pressures looking for a good balance.

Also, I don't know about their bikes but knowing BMW if this were their car I would talk to the dealer and have them inspect it. There could be something wrong such as something loose in the suspension or something torqued incorrectly. Under thrust no bike should fall over too easily. That hints more of an instability and not a character that you must get used too.

Actually the bike adjusts preload automatically when you turn it on as the ESA runs it's setup. So it adjusts for rider weight, passenger weight, and luggage loads. Suspension setup is a thing of the past, rumor is the new Busa will have ESA too.

What I mean by falling into the turn is this: When you lean your Busa, it basically leans as you counter steer but it feels neutral. So basically it feels like when you stop counter steering the bike stays at the lean you are at until you apply opposite counter steering to pull it back up or you apply more power. So the lean is neutral and speed dependent. The BMW feels like when you tip it in it keeps tipping until you stop it. Subtle difference but when you first hop on the BMW it feels like it wants to fall over. On the Busa (and most bikes I have ridden) you set the lean you think you need and then adjust your radius with the throttle. The BMW just feels like you need the power to stop the increasing lean angle. This is by no means a feeling of being unstable however, it's just a bit different from most bikes I have ridden. I don't know if this is weight or the duo-lever or maybe both. Could also be that I have no idea what I'm doing frankly!

 

[ali123]

Ha Ha. When I was riding it Saturday you actually came to mind as I was thinking Ali123 is going to wear me out. Funny but it's sort of made me appreciate the Busa even more. I now have the most gizmoed bike and the most mechanical bike. Sort of two totally opposite approaches to a motorcycle.

haha... I got a 2014 mustang 5.0 and the clutch blew up in it... and yesterday my radio stopped working.. I ordered the car with ZERO options in it... because I didn't want the added expense or the gizmos to break.... I cant win.

 

[Hayabusa Wannabe]

The BMW feels like when you tip it in it keeps tipping until you stop it.

I will be curious if you load it down with a pillion or luggage if this behavior is identical or if it smooths out a bit.

 

[Kiwi Rider]

Quote= " I don't know if this is weight or the duo-lever or maybe both. Could also be that I have no idea what I'm doing frankly! "

You are a funny man Arch! I peed myself when I saw that lmfao hahahahah

 

[Hayabusa Wannabe]

The BMW feels like when you tip it in it keeps tipping until you stop it....This is by no means a feeling of being unstable however, it's just a bit different from most bikes I have ridden.

After lots of sleep I think I have a bit more clarity and realize I should have added what was circulating in my mind: For reference Arch, the phenomenon you described is well-known just not with new bikes but with mis-configured bikes. If you raise the rear of the Busa for a "more aggressive look", as you raise the rear (or lower the front), the geometry will very quickly exceed a "reasonable" rake & trail. The result will be that the bike falls in the turns and you must act to stop it, rather than the neutral feeling you described for most bikes where the lean stops as you stop counter-steering. A suspension builder used the phrase "unstable" when describing this to me.

This is why without knowing or understanding the BMW I wonder if there is an issue with the tires, or if perhaps unloaded the rear is too high relative to the front (if that is possible as I have zero understanding of that suspension's capabilities.)

Lastly, I sincerely hope that I am not being a wet blanket!

 

[Getn off]

Fantastic write up for sure. You have a talent Arch.
Great bike there. Enjoy her.
Troy