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WANT!
BMW has announced two new motorcycles built on a brand new Inline-6 powerplant. The K1600GT will presumably replace the K1300GT, while the K1600GTL will replace the K1200LT.
The powerplant is definitely the atttraction on these bikes. Weighing in at only 226 lbs, the motor puts out 160HP at 7,500 RPM and…wait for it…129 lb/ft of torque at 5,000 RPM. BMW also indicates that over 70% of maximum torque will be available from 1,500 rpm. So, right from a standing start, we’re talking 90 lb/ft of torque. That’s arm-wrenching acceleration worthy of a literbike. Indeed, compare and contrast to the 193 HP S1000RR, whose maximum torque is 83 lb/ft at 9,750 RPM.
Alas, there are no pictures of the bikes from BMW yet, except for a couple of crappy concept drawings that I’m uninterested in showing, as they are probably more misleading than accurate.
But from the specs, it looks like a monster power-tourer, with about 5 more horsepower hitting the ground at the rear wheel, and 27 lb/ft more torque than the current power king of sport-tourers, the Kawasaki Concours14.
The only remaining question will be how much it’ll set back your wallet to acquire the Beemer.