BMW of North America is recalling 1,625 units of its K1600 lineup because of a suspension issue. More specifically, the recall concerns the K1600GT, K1600GTL, and K1600B motorcycles, from the 2019 and 2020 model years.
According to the recall documents, the link strut on these models, which connects the rear suspension to the frame, may have insufficient strength due to a supplier not making the part to specification.
BMW Motorrad’s venerable K1600 platform is getting an update for the 2022 model year, which means we have new BMW K1600B, BMW K1600 Grand America, BMW K1600GT, and BMW K1600GTL motorcycles to talk about today.
While such news would usually be a lot to process, the Germans have made it easy for us, as all four of the K1600 models share in their revisions to BMW’s six-cylinder engine, which is now Euro5 compliant.
Determined not to let the new Honda Gold Wing have all the fun in the modern tourer category, BMW Motorrad too wants a piece of the American two-wheeled lifestyle, debuting today at the EICMA show the new 2018 BMW K1600 Grand America.
The production version of the K1600B bagger that we saw last year, the K1600 Grand America has grown a bit in a year’s time, and truthfully looks very similar to the BMW K1600 GTL, which already fills the German brand’s need for a full-on dresser motorcycle.
Still, BMW Motorrad says that the Grand America is built for cruising down the highway, and the German brand hopes that the more sweeping lines found on the BMW K1600 Grand America entice riders away from the offerings of other makers.
To our eye, the changes to the Grand America are incredibly subtle, though we prefer the new model to the others in BMW’s six-cylinder lineup.
Here at Asphalt & Rubber, we love the work of French designer Nicolas Petit — his Honda VTR1200 concept remains one of out all-time favorite concepts, and spurred me to think long and hard about the potential that the Japanese manufacturers could have in the two-wheel industry. Today’s post though, isn’t about a two-wheeler…it’s about a three-wheeler.
Pretty much the coolest trike we have ever seen imagined, Petit has once again inked a design for consumption, which features Bavaria’s favorite brand: BMW. Taking the 1.6L six-cylinder engine from the BMW K1600GT/GTL, Petit has mated a very recognizable front-end to his creation. The ultimate driving machine? We wouldn’t mind taking one for a spin around our local track.
