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- China Motorcycle Ride Part Two - November 30, 2024
- China Motorcycle Ride - November 27, 2024
I have now toured on both the Honda Goldwing and the BMW K1600GT and enjoyed both 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 a little better than the BMW. Even in tour mode the BMW front suspension does not ride over manhole covers or bumps as good as the unique front suspension of the Honda which delivers a magic carpet ride feel. 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 is not a stump puller at low rpm like the Honda. The straight six needs to be in it’s mid range and on into higher rpm range for you to feel the power and you will reach or exceed the speed limit just in first gear. So unless you leave the bike in lower gears which is hardly fitting the luxury tourer class you going to be riding around in it’s low to mid rpms as happens with most high powered engines.
The BMW I rented was not vibration free as youtubers claim until I got to it’s upper rpm range where it was remarkably smooth compared to other engines at their higher rpms but this could be it was due to be serviced and needed a throttle body balance.
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 where I’d never be able to open up the BMW.
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 but that could just be down to new pads or something and neither needed a lot of braking pressure applied to pull up quick.
Suspension on the BMW is dynamic and adjustment on the BMW can all be done electronically but nothing on the Honda (bagger version). That’s a big win to the BMW.
The aerodynamics of the BMW were not good 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 did not direct air around my legs well. 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 the larger screen was too much couple of days in traffic. No problems with aerodynamics the touring screen in its lowered position worked well enough 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 but they are intergrated into the bike well. The BMW cases just look stuck on even though they are non removeable same as the Honda. The Honda cases are one touch soft opening which is very nice.
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, the numbers on the Gold Wing instruments are not easy to read. I’ve ridden BMW’s with their colour LCD and it is fine but I actually found this older dash easier to see in strong 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. (new model BMW has navigation via phone app in the 10″ screen)
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 understand blasting music on a bike – just get a headset for your helmet. Perhaps it is like having straight pipes on a Harley or riding around town standing up like I see people on ADV bikes now doing…
Looks are a personal thing. I like the Honda more than the BMW looks wise but in this luxury touring category the Street Glide or Road Glide from Harley Davidson might also be considered and offer a lot of 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 think of the older huge bikes and have a negative opinion despite having never ridden the new one. The BMW escapes this as would any of the Harleys.
As far as being a luxury tourer the Honda to me fits that role more. Motorbike writers bang on about riding being about speed and excitement but are mostly blokes still fueled by too much testosterone and thus are yet to understand you can equally enjoy just cruising at your own pace without all the macho bullshit. That’s what I do.
The K1600 is the more engaging more sporting machine. The Gold Wing gets you to your destination in ultimate comfort. The Gold Wing is bespoke, everything on it is made just for the Gold Wing and it looks better finished than the BMW where the luggage seems tacked on and the battery can be seen in a gap in the side. But riding either of these bikes is an event thanks to their 6 cylinder engines.
Here are a couple of onboard videos from the motorcycle journalist Schaaf channel to give an idea of engine sound and cornering limitations for those who wonder.
Really wish Schaff had put the bike into manual shifting and changed gears with the paddles on left bar. That is how I’d ride the Gold Wing on roads like above.
It’s hard for older people like me to see the numbers on the Honda but it’s much faster than I’d be riding so I think corner clearance is fine for 99% of Australian roads with just a handful of twisty roads here where the Gold Wing would not be as much fun as the K1600.
Next look at the BMW video from Schaff.
Much faster than I would be riding on public roads but shows how sporty the K1600 can be. Note Schaafs comments mid way in the video about aerodynamics and question about it being fit for purpose. The Gold Wing is the more luxury ride of the two which is the class of motorcycles these bikes are pitched in.
The BMW debuted in 2017 but has had an update since then while the Honda has not been updated since it’s release in 2018. They both retail in the mid $40K price range in Australia although like new barely ridden bikes can be found for $10K below that.
The BMW K1600GT was a model I had been considering but no longer. I think the K1600B bagger model would be a better fit for me. The bagger is said to be tuned to deliver torque a little earlier in the rev range and the screen on the bagger by all accounts works much better with the lower seat to provide less turbulence around neck and helmet than the GT.
The lower seating on the K1600B might compromise leg comfort too much for me. I need to go and test this but it looks as if the knee is bent quite a bit when on the pegs. There are highway running boards included but my experience with those is that leg forward ride position causes me lower back pain. The mid mount footpegs on the Gold Wing were excellent and I’d say the most comfortable ride position I have ever experienced which again reinforces that the Gold Wing is the luxury ride.
However the Gold Wing requires an easier pace. For my own touring around Australia that probably isn’t a big issue. Having mastered the slow ride in Japan I don’t feel any need to ride a certain pace now, nor do I get frustrated behind cars because I’m no longer riding fast. If it’s a caravan I might just stop and let them go ahead or turn around and ride a nice section again because I always have lots of spare time and never feel any pressure to get to my destination. 99% of my time will be riding our heavily policed highways and country roads with gentle curves. Should the 1% twisty roads which are now all 60kph limited be given veto power over me buying this bike?
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 on most roads I found it hard to enjoy the engine at road legal speeds.
Much of the time in the mountains or on the back roads I was doing no more than 80kph. Even in lower gears this had the engine always in lower rpms below it’s sweet spot. 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 in the 2000-3500 rpm just below where the engine started to make more power and torque.
I like the Gold Wing’s engine more because it had a lot of torque from 1000 rpm. All the time I’m riding it on the Blue Ridge Parkway between 60-80kph but it’s not laboring and felt nice at legal road speeds.
I am starting to wonder if the NT1100 might be a good bike for me given it’s engine is more tuned for torque at legal road speeds. The 2025 model is revised considerably.
Riding at those speeds,did you have time to “smell the roses”?? enjoy the scenery?
What speeds are you referring to Michael?
Are you confused those videos are me?
Please take a moment to read the post.
Sorry Warren,had to reread, safe riding