K 1600 B COMPARISON

BMW K 1600 B vs. Harley-Davidson® Street Glide®

BMW’s New Bagger is the Segment’s Most Powerful Bike

BMW Motorrad’s ambitious Concept 101 project comes to life in the BMW K 1600 B – the BMW bagger. Based on the K 1600 GT/K 1600 GTL, the K 1600 B is a first-of-its-kind American-style BMW bagger bike. This low-slung cruiser prioritizes long-haul rider comfort, storage and control in a way that makes it perfect for country cruising. Let’s see how the newcomer BMW K 1600 B bagger stacks up against tough competition in the Harley-Davidson® Street Glide® Special, the segment benchmark.

Performance Comparison with Harley-Davidson Road Glide and Street Glide Special

The heart of the BMW K 1600 B is the 1649cc inline-six engine that puts out 160 horsepower and 129 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine far outpaces the 90-horsepower V-twin you’ll find in the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special and Road Glide®. That extra horsepower gives you the breathing room you’ll need on those long rides on the open highway. The BMW K 1600 B is the most powerful and fastest bike in its class by far and a full complement of control and comfort hardware including optional Gear Shift Assist Pro makes sure that power is properly put to use.

BMW K 1600 B and Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special Technology and Design Features

BMW Motorrad is a bikemaker that’s no stranger to technological innovation on two wheels and the K 1600 B is especially no exception. The BMW K 1600 B’s feature set outdoes the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special, a bike that’s about due for a technological update. The BMW K 1600 B features Dynamic Traction Control, self-leveling headlight, Dynamic Electronic Suspension Adjustment with selectable damping modes (Road and Cruise) and selectable ride modes (Rain, Road and Dynamic) – none of which you’ll find on the Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special.

Beyond that, the design of the BMW K 1600 B leaves nothing on the table. The bagger’s sleek front end starts the curve that flows gently all the way to the tip of the chrome exhaust pipes. BMW’s bagger brings a fresh new design to the segment without getting too in your face about it. With the optional Low Seat, the 29.5-inch seat height of the BMW 1600 B puts you lower to the ground than any other BMW bike (2.75 inches lower than the K 1600 GT), and almost as low as the 27-inch unladen seat height on the Street Glide Special.

Which Bike is Best?

On paper and in person, the BMW K 1600 B outclasses, outrides and outperforms the competition’s best efforts. The BMW bagger’s short, long, lean and elegant design makes other baggers look downright clunky, and the massive inline-six engine will leave other bikes in the dust.