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I have now toured on both the Honda Goldwing and the BMW K1600GT and have a few comparison notes.
You would already know they are both similar size large motorcycles and both are similar weight. At a standstill the BMW feels the heavier of the two. The Honda carries its fuel low under seat the BMW higher up with a traditional fuel tank. The BMW also feels the bigger of the two at standstill however I only rode the bagger version of the Honda.
Once moving the BMW feels the lighter of the two and turns in faster. The BMW has more cornering clearance and can be ridden in a more sporting way. The Honda still has quite reasonable clearance and handles very well within that clearance. Riding at my usual relaxed touring pace I never touched pegs down cornering on the Honda, but I did not try to ride it faster.
The BMW can be ridden much faster and in a real sports touring fashion especially in it’s dynamic mode which sets the suspension firm. However I must say the dynamic suspension setting was too hard for me to use for very long. If cornering fairly fast is important to you then the BMW is the winner. However if that is the case perhaps the Sport Touring bike category might be a better match than the luxury tourer category.
Ride quality on the Honda is better than the BMW. Even in tour mode the BMW suspension does not ride over manhole covers or bumps as good as the Honda which delivers a magic carpet ride. And that is not wallowing or spongy on the Honda, just good engineering.
Now lets talk 6 cylinder engines which is one of the main reasons to consider these bikes.
The BMW 1600cc inline 6 has 160hp which on paper seems like a win however the engine needs to be wound up to its higher rpm range for you to feel that and you will reach or exceed the speed limit just in first gear. So unless you leave the bike in 1st gear which is going to be exhausting you more likely are going to be riding around in it’s low to mid rpms as happens with most high powered bikes.
The BMW has a vibration through the bars in its low and mid range that combined with a slightly firmer than needed throttle return spring numbed my right hand. The inline 6 is not as smooth as youtubers claim until you get to it’s upper rpm range where it is remarkably smooth compared to other engines at high rpms.
The Honda delivers almost max power just off idle. Twist the throttle from walking pace and the engine thrusts you forward like an airliner starting its take off. You can access and enjoy that all the time at legal road speeds. For me that is a win to the Honda since I think it can be enjoyed more on highly policed Australian roads.
Both sound very good while riding with standard mufflers. The Honda boxer 6 to me has the better sound track however that is my personal preference, you might prefer the inline 6 sound, neither will disappoint.
Brakes are powerful on both bikes. The Honda required less pressure applied to the lever and felt almost like it had power assisted brakes which I liked a lot.
Suspension adjustment on the BMW can be done electronically but not on the Honda (bagger version).
The aerodynamics of the BMW were lousy for me. Unless the screen was fully upright where I am looking through it there was wind hitting my helmet and around back of my neck trying to get down my jacket. Similarly the lower fairing does next to nothing and there is considerable air being directed at my legs and trying to get up my pants. Aftermarket screen might help but the design of the screen mechanism lifting at the rear seems limiting compared to screens that slide up.
The Honda bagger version I rode had the touring screen fitted. I would have preferred the regular shorter screen as it was hot couple of days in traffic. But no problems with aerodynamics the touring screen in its lowered position worked excellent and the short screen raised would be about same position.
Luggage is central locking on both and I could fit my helmet in the BMW side cases but not in it’s top box. The Honda side cases are smaller and will not fit my helmet. I rode the bagger so cannot compare top boxes.
My K1600GT had the older analogue dash not the LCD now fitted. I generally prefer analogue gauges and the Honda also has analogue. I found the BMW gauges much easier to read than the Hondas despite being smaller. I’ve ridden BMW’s with their colour LCD and it is fine but I actually found this older dash better in direct sunlight.
I prefer the switchgear on the BMW to the Honda. Especially the cruise control switches which I disliked being on the right hand with the Honda.
The BMW branded navigation is a Garmin underneath and worked well with very bright screen that looked about 5″. The Honda comes with a larger screen but asks you pair a phone and use carplay for navigation in most markets (built in navigation in North America). You could add Carplay easy to the BMW but adding a Garmin to the Honda is very awkward due to that center console.
If seeking maximum room for larger body shapes then a friend told me he tried both of these then went with a Harley tourer instead. But he is what I call “a big unit” and I don’t think too many other people would find these lacking in room.
I never tried the stereos on either bike, I personally don’t get people blasting music on a bike – just get a headset in your helmet.
Looks are a personal thing. I like the Honda more than the BMW looks wise but in this luxury touring category the bikes from Harley Davidson to many people might be the ones with the most style.
The Honda suffers from negative preconceptions which might be difficult for some people to deal with. Riders just hearing the name Gold Wing are likely to have a negative opinion despite having never ridden one. The BMW escapes this.
As far as being a luxury tourer, the category these bikes are in, the Honda to me fits that role more. Motorbike writers bang on about riding being about speed and excitement and thus don’t get the Honda however you can equally enjoy just cruising at your own pace without all the macho bullshit. I do.
Here are a couple of onboard videos from the excellent Schaaf channel to give an idea of engine sound and cornering.
Really wish he had put the bike into manual shifting and changed gears with the paddles on left bar. If you look on YouTube there is finally a video of someone riding a DCT like this but he is choppy on the throttle and not a good rider like Schaaf so I did not share it.
It’s hard for older people like me to see the numbers on the Honda but it’s 120+ at times on a road I’d be doing far less so I think corner clearance is fine for the pace I would be riding and in Australian this road this would be 60kph limit anyway. If wanting to ride faster then look next at the BMW.
The BMW has had a small update since the model I rode while the Honda has not been updated since it’s release 6 years ago. They both retail in the mid $40K price range in Australia although like new barely ridden Gold Wings are commonly being sold for 10K below that so they take a bigger depreciation hit than the BMW.
The BMW K1600GT was a model I had been considering but am not so sure about now. I think the K1600B bagger model might be a better fit for me. If I understand correctly BMW says the bagger power is a little earlier again in the rev range and the screen on the bagger would probably suit me more also.
The Gold Wing has the most beautiful engine but it is a big bike and requires an easier pace. For my own touring around Australia that probably isn’t a big issue. Most of my time will be on our heavily policed country roads with cruise control engaged and our handful of nice motorcycle roads all now have low speed limits. However I don’t want to completely rule out some slightly sporty riding and the Gold Wing is a bagger that leans to being a cruiser but the K1600 is very capable. I can see I need to try the K1600B in future.
These bikes are by no means performance touring bikes any thoughts lot in the mirrorms mon which bike feels great on the windy roads and red line pull ? My gold wing sees a lot in the mirror…
They are classed as Luxury Tourers by the industry, which fits my leisurely tour pace. If I see a bike or even a car behind me I pull over and wave them by, lost interest in riding fast long ago.
That said the BMW can be ridden quite spiritedly when put into Dynamic mode which firms the suspension up and it has more ground clearance than the Honda. But if I wanted to ride that way I’d choose a Sport Tourer.
I’ve owned several big Honda’s but not a goldwing, but have ridden several BMW K1600. . i liked the sound and performance of it. I own a BMW GSA 1200
Hi Richard,
It is a special engine but I found it hard to enjoy the engine at road legal speeds.
Riding north from Astorga Portugal I took a wrong ramp onto a toll road so after about 10 km had to get off and return. It was a divided road and I knew there were no police so I opened it up and got to feel the K1600’s turbine power from the midrange on – but even in lower 3 gears I was soon doing 180kph. That sort of speed in Australia you face serious criminal charges.
Much of the time in the mountains or on the back roads I was doing no more than 80kph. That had the engine always in the lower rpms and I would have swapped it for the 1250 boxer and been more happy. It’s not unsimilar to many bikes I have ridden. My FJR1300 claimed 146hp but I never ever got to feel any of that in Japan thanks to the gearing and speed limits I was always 2000-3500 rpm.
I like the Gold Wing’s engine more because it had this terrific stomp from 1000 rpm. All the time I’m riding it on the Blue Ridge Parkway between 60-80kph but it’s not laboring along but rather it felt in a sweet spot of the engine at legal road speeds.