The Overlooked Premium Touring Bike That Costs Less Than A Honda Gold Wing

Over the past 50 years, the Honda Gold Wing has dominated sales charts, and pretty much any touring bike shootout ever done. There is no denying its class. It has evolved into one of the most luxurious motorcycles in the world, but it is not alone in this space.

While there are several similarly priced American-made full dressers and baggers, those bikes all offer a slightly different riding experience. The most likely-for-like alternative comes from Bavaria. This is unsurprising considering how much BMW has leaned into this touring space. What is rather surprising is the fact that it is actually cheaper than the base model Honda Gold Wing.

To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from BMW Motorrad. Whereas, the opinions are our own.

The BMW K 1600 B Is The Overlooked Premium Touring Bike That Costs Less Than A Honda Gold Wing

MSRP: $23,395

Suffice to say, at this price point, you have options. The K 1600 B is currently the most affordable K-Series, but the price difference between this and its three siblings is not so significant that you wouldn’t consider them. All of them offer a selection of features that will appeal to different buyers. Then, if we were to look at other brands, the Gold Wing looms large.

The Honda Gold Wing isn’t just a motorcycle; it is an institution, with legions of fans all over the world. Its smooth flat-six is a legend within the industry, but Honda makes you pay for this legend. With a base price of over $25k, it is actually a fair bit more expensive than the BMW, and in reality, there isn’t much between them in terms of touring features.

If you are willing to consider something with fewer cylinders, the Harley-Davidson Street Glide is not a bad alternative. The latest 117 V-twin won’t leave you in want of more power like older Harleys did, but it is a completely different kind of riding experience. The same can be said for the Indian Chieftain, which offers a slightly different liquid-cooled V-twin and a little more peak power. All that comes at a $5k premium over the better-appointed BMW.

The K 1600 B Has A Powerful Inline-Six Engine

Power: 160 Horsepower

Interestingly, this is the only inline-six motorcycle engine currently in production. Honda actually had a go at building an inline-six engine decades ago, but with the history that BMW has with this engine configuration in the automotive world, it follows that this was the engine of choice for the touring class. It is a monster, and no matter which way you slice it, it makes the bike pretty wide. But, it certainly has its benefits.

Buttery-Smooth Performance

One of the reasons that this is a desirable engine configuration for a tourer is that it is inherently balanced. This makes it one of the few bikes on the market – if not the only – which can rival the Gold Wing’s smooth ride. Not only is it buttery-smooth, but 160 horsepower is impressive, and 133 pound-feet of torque is immense. This makes it both lighter and more powerful than the Honda, but in the touring class, power figures are not everything.

The K 1600 B Offers A Long List Of Luxury Features

Needless to say, a bike like this is well-appointed. BMW gives the K 1600 B electronic suspension as standard fitment, which is a key point of difference. It also gets all the regular tech features we have come to know and love, including lean-sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, cruise control, ride modes, and a ridiculously wide TFT dash.

Physical features include heated grips, heated seats, reverse assist – which is important for a big, heavy bike like this – and those side cases, which make it a bagger. On the face of it, you get everything you would ever want with the base model, but BMW knows how to dangle a carrot.

The BMW Options List

Over the years, BMW has become infamous for leaving off some features and charging an arm and a leg if you dare check that options box. In some cases, dealers have motorcycles already equipped with certain “Packages” in stock, but if you want the base model, you will usually need to wait. While the standard equipment is extensive, the most obvious omission is the quickshifter, which is called “Gear Shift Assist Pro” if you want it as a stand-alone option.

Or you can get the “Bagger Package” which will also include a few other nice-to-have features for the same price. What is so frustrating about this is that a quickshifter is standard equipment on a host of other, more affordable models, and just seems like a miss on a bike as well-appointed as this. It is also missing a center stand, which is something that really should come as standard on a big touring bike like this.

In reality, these are only minor misses on what is an otherwise luxurious bagger. It offers a level of comfort that is comparable to or superior to all its direct rivals, and wipes the floor with all of them in terms of performance. While there are several great bikes to choose from at this price point, the BMW stands out largely thanks to its incredible inline-six and the electronic suspension, which just makes life that much easier.