2014 BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive – Road Test Review

2014 BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive
Despite its 807-pound wet weight, the Exclusive has light, precise handling. Heat shield where exhaust header meets the silencer is now larger.

When BMW’s K 1600 GTL streaked onto the scene for 2012, packing a 1,649cc in-line six that sends 135 horsepower and 114 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheel, it set new performance standards in the luxury-touring segment. It also raised the bar for technology with throttle-by-wire, riding modes, electronic suspension, lean angle-sensitive traction control and an adaptive headlight that points into corners. The K 1600 GTL knocked our socks off and easily clinched Rider’s 2012 Motorcycle of the Year award.

2014 BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive
Circular LED daytime running lights are new and the LED fog lights are standard. Central xenon headlight automatically adjusts for pitch and lean angle.

Taking a swing at Honda’s stalwart Gold Wing, which was updated for 2012, BMW boasted that it had built “a shark, not a whale.” Without a doubt, the K 1600 GTL offers more power and less weight, but when it comes to luxury touring, dyno results often take a backseat to comfort, wind protection and luggage capacity. When measured against these yardsticks, as our head-to-head comparison showed (Rider, May 2012), the Gold Wing reigns supreme.

The new K 1600 GTL Exclusive offers “the most comprehensive equipment level ever on a BMW motorcycle.” Setting it apart from an “ordinary” GTL is a special paint scheme—four coats of Mineral White Metallic on most of the bodywork, with contrasting Magnesium Metallic Matt that matches the unique upholstery material—as well as extra chrome and a brushed aluminum tank cover embossed with the “Exclusive” logo. The bike is laden with nearly everything that’s available for the GTL, from the premium option package to accessories such as engine protection bars, luggage liners and even floor lighting. The only thing you need to add is the BMW Motorrad Navigator V GPS ($799), which fits into a special compartment and can be operated using the Multi-Controller on the left grip.

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Any manufacturer that pampers the passenger with greater comfort and warmth certainly knows on which side its bread is buttered. The Exclusive indulges the passenger with a longer, wider seat, a backrest with more padding and heat (to complement the heated seat) and armrests that fold up/down. My wife, Carrie, already a fan of the GTL’s plush pillion, loved the more generous accommodations. But she was less enamored with the armrests, in part because she’s unaccustomed to using them on a motorcycle. The issue we both had with the armrests is that they don’t latch into place. They easily dropped from the up to the down position when Carrie mounted the bike and got in her way. And when I was riding solo on a gusty day, the wind repeatedly pushed them into the up position, putting them in my line of sight in both side mirrors. Understanding that they can’t lock into place for safety reasons, something like a spring-loaded detent to secure the armrests in both the up and down positions would help.

2014 BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive
The Exclusive has unsurpassed fit and finish, with a sumptuous paint scheme, special upholstery, extra chrome accents and a brushed aluminum tank cover with an embossed logo. Nearly every available option and accessory comes standard.

The Exclusive adds to the K 1600 GTL’s impressive array of technology with several innovations, including Hill Start Control (to assist with pulling away from stops on an incline), a “radio film aerial” (a wide, flat antenna inside the top trunk’s lid that replaces the stubby one) and redesigned analog gauges featuring “indirect illumination” (i.e., they’re fully backlit). It’s also the first motorcycle offered with BMW’s Keyless Ride system. When the key fob is within two meters of the bike, the steering lock, ignition, fuel filler cap and central locking system can be operated by buttons, and when the fob is out of range the alarm system arms automatically. Keyless Ride is convenient and easy to use, as long as you don’t put the fob in the trunk. The lid blocks the wireless signal and makes the system think the fob is out of range, which can leave you stranded if you also happened to hit the central locking button. BMW provides a “valet” key for such emergencies, but it must be kept handy and separate from the main fob. This is an easy mistake to make, so putting another fob sensor in the trunk would provide a failsafe.

Everything that makes the K 1600 GTL an impressive motorcycle—its smooth, powerful and symphonic in-line six, its sharp handling, compliant suspension and powerful brakes—carries over to the Exclusive. Racking up 1,400-miles-and-counting in four states on this bike has been pure pleasure, and I’m constantly looking for excuses to take it back on the road. It’s an ideal candidate for the riding-on-a-cloud comfort of BMW’s Dynamic Electronic Suspension Adjustment (ESA), but its more conventional ESA II is above reproach. Some of our previous complaints about the GTL—excessive driveline lash, confused throttle response at low speeds and clunky gear changes at times—still need to be addressed, but those are minor complaints on a bike this good.

2014 BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive
Electric windscreen provides good coverage and a wide range of height adjustment. Stubby radio antenna is gone, replaced by a “film aerial” inside the trunk lid.

2014 BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive

Base Price: $29,950
Website: bmwmotorcycles.com
Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse in-line six, DOHC, 4 valves per cyl.
Displacement: 1,649cc
Bore x Stroke: 72.0 x 67.5mm
Transmission: 6-speed, hydraulically actuated wet clutch
Final Drive: Shaft, 2.75:1
Wheelbase: 63.7 in.
Rake/Trail: 27.8 degrees/4.3 in.
Seat Height: 30.7 in. (optional seats: 29.5 or 31.5 in.)
Wet Weight: 807 lbs.
Fuel Capacity: 7.0 gals., last 1.0 gal. warning light on
MPG: 89 PON min. (low/avg/high) 36.3/38.5/40.5

(This article All In was published in the September 2014 issue of Rider magazine.)

2014 BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive Trunk
Embroidered liners for the top trunk and saddlebags are included, and total luggage capacity is 115 liters.
2014 BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive Gauges
Analog gauges are easier to read and are now fully backlit. Black button above the BMW roundel is part of the new Keyless Ride system. BMW Motorrad Navigator V GPS is a $799 accessory.
2014 BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive Motor
The compact in-line six is barely wider than a four and weighs just 226 pounds.
2014 BMW K 1600 GTL Exclusive Seat
The heated passenger seat is wider and longer, the backrest has extra padding and heat, and the armrests are new. Standard rider seat height is 30.7 inches; no-cost optional seats are 29.5 or 31.5 inches.

7 COMMENTS

  1. I have had my 2012 GTL for 3 years next month, I ride nearly every day except for 3 or 4 days a year when we have ice and I have never been disappointed with it. Over the 40 plus years I have ridden big road bikes this is by far the best experience I have ever had.

  2. I have had my GTL for two years and the only hassle I have experienced is the windscreen sometimes won’t raise. I have it in today to have this rectified on the warranty so hopefully the BM boffins can sort it out. I recently drilled out the four ‘plugged’ exhausts and enjoy the growl and howl a lot more than the whistle. Regards from South Africa – Ian.

    • I have ridden many bikes and none compare to my 2013 GTL 1600 The standard safety features, horsepower to weight ratio, handling, technology, etc. are bar none against any other sports touring bike. I normally ride 2 up; the majority of the time in the mountains of California. My wife enjoys ridding just as much as I do; that’s a real big plus!

      Ian, could you give me some more details or pics regarding the four holes you drilled out in your exhaust? I just can do without those exhaust tones after all these years!

      Thank you
      Barney & Marylyn

  3. I’m considering the BMW but have read a lot on the BMW forums about reliability issues. Additionally, excess oil consumption between changes.

    Any thoughts?

  4. 45years unbroken motorcycling
    i have had 6 cyl bikes cbx z1300 1800 wing i now have the exculisive well the engine is a peach it is a big bike but handles a treet

  5. I have a 2012 K 1600GTL and I love it. I was looking at the possibility of buying a new one but I don’t like the colors.
    So I will keep what I have but it is a wonderful bike

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