BMW K 1600 GT and K 1600 GTL

It’s not often that a motorcycle press launch concludes under the stars. But then again, it’s not every day that you ride bikes like BMW Motorrad’s all-new six-cylinder tourers, the K 1600 GT and K 1600 GTL.

The pair, due to go on sale locally around mid-June, are the first motorcycles to feature adaptive xenon headlight technology, which means there’s no guessing game -- the lights turn their beams around each bend in the road, giving you a better view of what's ahead.

The technology is quite complex, and we’ll delve more into it in the full launch report, which will be published on the Bikesales Network next week.

But here’s the rub: it works, and when the adaptive headlights join forces with the LED fog lights on the GTL (standard fitment), it’s a light show par excellence and one that will reveal more than just a few of our furry roadside-dwelling friends.

The light show on the home straight put the final exclamation mark on the K 1600 press launch, which had already reached great heights earlier in the day thanks to the union of the smooth-running 1649cc six-cylinder engine and the sheer composure that both bikes displayed in all situations, even on twisty tarmac.

BMW already has over seven decades of pedigree in its car division with six-cylinder technology, so we shouldn’t really be surprised that the engine it has wedged into the 1618mm wheelbase is such a winner.

The engine weights 102.6kg and is just 560mm wide, with the compact construction and reduced width achieved by means of an undersquare 67.5mm to 72mm bore and stroke ratio. The effective distance between the cylinder sleeves is 5mm.

BMW claims the engine produces 160hp (118kW) at 7500rpm, with maximum torque of 175Nm at 5000rpm -- and over 70 per cent of that available from 1500rpm. There are three riding modes to choose from: Rain, Road or Dynamic.

The engine is not all about being a brutal power player (although it does start pulsing pretty hard from above 4500rpm up to the 8600rpm redline), but instead the creamy rich flat torque curve makes it such an effortless bike to ride.

The fly-by-wire, another first for BMW, and for a maiden voyage it’s a real feather in the company’s cap. There’s absolutely no throttle lag and the connection to the shaft-driven rear wheel is beautifully consistent, irrespective of what position the throttle is in.

Actually, it’s hard to find any real discontent from the throttle to the rear wheel, other than the odd clunk in the gearbox and a follow-up groan from the shaft drive. But that’s about the extent of it.

Compared to the rest of the world, standard specification for both models is high, and includes an audio system (with preparation for a GPS device), sophisticated multi-controller, traction control, tyre pressure control, adaptive headlights, second generation electronic suspension adjustment, central locking (yes, you heard right) and an alarm system.

The K 1600 GT will be priced from $34,990, and the K 1600 GTL will be $36,990. The GTL also comes standard with LED fog lights.

The bikes’ differ in a few areas, including ergonomics, and a bigger screen on the GTL. We’ll delve more into these in the launch report.