Thoughts of an old man who has owned a lot of bikes
Honda is now a worldwide company. Growth is coming from India and Asian markets with large populations which translate to big markets. However they are not the people who will pay cash for a $20K F6B. That is a limited market to affluent countries where I am fortunate enough to reside--so they ride that train with a solid platform and proven record and don't fix what is not broken. The USA is one of only a few places on this planet where there is enough disposable income to make those purchases. My son in law rides and when he lived in Croatia, just watching a big Harley ride in from Germany was a big deal to him just a few years ago.
Honda is building and investing R&D where they can sell the most---and I can't blame them. If my B had issues, then I would be singing a different song.
I have friends who have owned BMW. They may look great, but I learned from their mistakes. We were on a tour a few years back. There were 3 of them and 2 of the 3 broke down the first day. I watched both of them kill their cell phone batteries trying to get a repair done on Thursday afternoon in western NC.
I don't think the BMW is coping the F6B---just the bagger style whether it is the F6B, Street Glide, Cross Country, or Chieftian.
I love my F6B and the crappy red paint that covers it---everybody else can have the pretty Beemers. :stirthepot: It does not matter to me if Honda does a refresh/update or not. I am good with what I got. :yes:
6 Attachment(s)
BMW Adaptive Headlight on K1600 Bagger
The LED light source is fixed. The mirror redirects the beam when the bike tilts.
Attachment 24624Attachment 24625Attachment 24626
Maybe i'm misunderstanding your post.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dkooris
I've owned and ridden Beemers for a very long time. Still have my R1200RT. We had heard about this new bagger, but went for the F6B instead of waiting. For one thing, the service charges on a K bike are absolutely horrendous. THere's so much tech packed in there the whole bike has to be taken apart just to do fluid changes. On the old K1200LT, that meant $983 at the dealer. The bikes also have a CANBUS electronic system, no fuse box, so doing any work yourself is difficult. Many of the codes can only be read by a dealer, so your local multi brand shop is a no go. The nice thing is gobs of power, heated factory seats and grips, and great handling. But the cost is higher, BMW does not discount, and as I said before, the service charges will kill you, and that K engine, the flying brick, is expensive as hell if something goes wrong. If your ABS pump fails, you're out $2300 right there. I was happy as hell that my 2016 F6B doesn't have ABS. I am very, very happy with the F6B, and my wife finds the lower stance more to her liking and the seating more comfortable. The only thing we truly miss are the electronic adjustable windshield (putting on a Madstad), and an easily detachable rear topcase. Small sacrifices I can live with. I ride all year and this bike is perfect for me.
Geoff in CT
Just some thoughts -
The new K1600B is not the "flying brick" engine (I think you know that, but your post is not clear on it.).
The ABS brakes are no longer "servo" driven like the K1200. No servo pump to go bad. I was very disappointed that the F6B doesn't have ABS, it's the best thing that has happened to motorcycles in a long time.
Perhaps your BMW dealer doesn't discount, but every dealer I've dealt with has been fine with negotiating price.
While I love my F6b, I also love my K1200LT. It's the third one (2000, 2002, 2009) and I have over 135,000 miles on them. Typically get 14-16 thousand miles from the rear tire, and about 19,000 from the front. Maintenance has not been an issue. 2002 had a steering damper replaced under warranty, 2002 never needed anything but routine maintenance, and the 2009 has had 1 rear rotor replaced. Is the routine maintenance a bit more expensive than the F6B? Probably, but they're both expensive if you don't do it yourself. I think the biggest issue with the K1600 is the valve clearane inspection - that is complicated and will run some money. However, I never had any of the valve clearances on the 3 K1200's to be out of spec, and was told by 2 mechanics that if they were in spec at the 12,000 mile check they would probably always be. Just had the 2009 checked at 40,000 miles and they were still in spec.
So, I love my F6B, but will be looking at the K1600B when it's available. Maybe I need a 3rd bike................