Their idea of cool is the
big cruiser – a bit like
their muscle cars
F
irst up, what is a Bagger? Well, largely
it is an American ‘thing’. Think of a full-
dress tourer that has been stripped of
the top box, rear seat back and arm rests to
make it look cooler, perhaps a little lighter
and more manageable too. Their idea of cool
is the big cruiser – a bit like their muscle cars.
You know, big engine, straight-line machine
that pretty well suits their huge, open, corner-
less roads. So, somewhere in the middle you
get the ‘Bagger’, a bike with panniers, long,
low cruiser looks, but also extra weather
protection in the form of a good screen.
What BMW has done with the K1600 is
totally next level. It gets the stunning in-line
six-cylinder 1600cc motor, more technology
than the average space shuttle, a remarkable
chassis that makes the 336kg behemoth
genuinely corner capable, and the all-around
excellence associated with the BMW brand.
I’ve tested a few bikes which could be
considered the 1600 Bagger’s competition.
There’s the Honda Goldwing F6B and
the Moto Guzzi MGX21. But… they’re so
distinctly different from each other that a
straightforward comparison seems vaguely
pointless. I’ll just say that the MGX21 is the
style and passion monster, the F6B the
ultimate turbine smooth wafter and the
K1600 the techno juggernaut powerhouse.
Sadly, I only had one full day on the BMW
Bagger and that day was all about rain. So,
to be fair I never tried to explore the outer
limits of its performance, but I do have an
excellent understanding of how wet you don’t
get when its pissing down. In fact, I believe if
you never had to slow for annoyances such
as traffic lights and could maintain a decent
speed, you could stay virtually dry in just
jeans and a T-shirt. The big electric screen
really does work wonders although at my
191cm height it could be a little taller… but
you can’t have everything.
KIWI RIDER 59