Test fleet: BMW K1600 GTL

Mikko says goodbye to the giant of touring with lots of happy miles

You don't have to Y even sit on the K1600GTL to appreciate that big-mile touring is what this bike was built to do.

Just looking at it, you can tell pretty much where it excels and struggles. But for most of this year I had been limited to fairly short runs on the bike, so when the opportunity presented itself I was delighted to put some serious miles on the bike, and test the theory: Is this THE bike for long-distance touring?

Screening the elements

Most long journeys start on motorways, and I have spent a lot of time on the A1 recently. It's great for me to dash north or south pretty rapidly, but exciting and entertaining it is not. But that's okay as it gives me time to home in on what the BMW is like to ride.

One of the bike's features that has taken a while for me to fully appreciate is the screen. It is which electronically adjustable, is hardly essential, and big, which isn't all that motorcycle-like. But the combination makes it a superb shield against wind and rain. I have found the perfect height for it now, where the top of the screen is just below the horizon in my vision.

That's high enough that all the buffeting and noise is killed, but not high enough that I'm looking through the screen (which doesn't really work at all in rain). Small adjustments for different wind directions are easy with the electronic control. It's a luxury, yes, but it's a very nice one.