HONDA GOLD WING TOUR VS. BMW K 1600 GTL
COMPARISON TEST
P96
down to having to push about 70 pounds
less and the fact it's mated to a tradi-
tional manual transmission. In truth, both
engines are spectacular, with any griev-
ances nitpicking at best.
But the Honda's lower-revving nature
yielded a resounding win over the BMW in
the fuel saving stakes. Over 191 miles, the
Honda used 4.19 gallons of 91-octane gas,
compared to 5.02 gallons for the BMW.
Just looking at these two side-by-side,
it's easy to see the BMW is going to be
the sportier of the two. The GTL also runs
17-inch wheels compared to the 18-inch
front and 16-inch rear on the Honda, al-
though there's only a 0.3-inch difference
in seat height at 29.6 inches for the BMW
to the Honda's 29.3.
Despite this, the BMW feels far lighter on its feet
compared to the Honda. There's a substantial weight dif-
ference of 70 pounds between the two, and the BMW's
choice of 17-inch wheels front and rear makes for a far
more nimble machine in the twisty roads circulating our
Joshua Tree test loop.
The GTL is more an overgrown sport touring motorcycle
than a traditional touring steed in cornering performance.
Matched to that stupendous motor, a much sharper steer-
ing angle, and a near three-inch shorter wheelbase, the
BMW will zip from corner to corner with outstanding ease,
the linked brakes keeping everything on line and offering
more than ample stopping power and an excellent feel at
the lever and pedal.
Combine this with the knife-through-butter feel of the up
and down Shift Assist Pro, in isolation the BMW is an abso-
lute peach of a touring motorcycle. Playing with the different
modes in the Dynamic ESA exposes the different sides to
the BMW's personality, with my personal preference being
the Road setup for a slightly more comfortable ride at the
Storage wars: The
BMW (left) wins the
all-important helmet
test, easily fitting two
full size helmets in
the top box.
