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BMW K1600GTL Motorcycle From A Professional Point Of View |
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File under BMW Honda
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
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 © City-Bird |
One profession that uses top end motorcycles all day long is the motorcycle taxi rider. Motorcycle taxi bikers ride through out the day, usually riding some 350 to 400 kilometers per day, almost always with a passenger riding pillion. The majority of taxi companies use the Honda Gold Wing 2012 , mostly due to its comfort, performance and range.
But with the new BMW K1600GTL , a motorcycle has arrived on the scene that could make a stab at the title "Most Luxurious and Comfortable Touring Motorcycle", a title held by the Honda Gold Wing for ages.
Many reviews have appeared recently about the new BMW, many comparing it to the Gold Wing, but here's a first review by the professionals, the motorcycle taxi riders. Two pros from Paris, France based City-Bird  took the BMW luxury touring motorcycle out for a test spin, and this is what they thought about it.
Below you'll find my translation of their report.
Rider's Point of View
The rider sits higher on the BMW motorcycle than on the Gold Wing, but low enough for height-challenged riders to put their feet on the ground. The electrically operated windscreen is a must, and works very well.
Once the rider took off, the sound of the engine was impressive, but a tad loud, with a whistling sound that could tire you after long hours of riding. The gearbox is typical BMW, clunky.
As for performance, the BMW is a dream motorcycle. Its handling is fantastic, you can ride it almost like a bicycle. The danger for motorcycle taxi operators is that you can very quickly forgo your driving license points with this motorcycle, it's so quick and maneuverable. The brakes on the BMW are very impressive.
For lane splitting, the BMW has a only slightly smaller rear (with the sidecases) than the front, while on the Gold Wing, if the front of the motorcycle goes in between an obstacle, the rear is no problem. With the BMW, you'd have to watch the rear, a item to take into consideration, and a habit you need to form.
Passenger's Point of View
Even if the rider spends some 400 kilometers per day on the motorcycle, it's the comfort of the passenger that will determine which motorcycle will be used.
#1: Getting on the BMW is more of an issue than with the Honda. The Gold Wing's center of gravity is lower, and easier to get on for a pillion. Because of the sidecase, smaller people will have more problems getting on the BMW than on the Honda. The taxi operator also stated that this might cause damage to the motorcycle. Another negative point was the small pegs for the pillion. Maybe when the third party accessory market will get into gear, bigger pegs/platforms will be proposed.
#2: The passenger sits closer to the rider on the BMW than on the Honda. Some space between passenger and rider is appreciated, specially when the rider is braking. The BMW is in fact one element seat (the Honda has two different physical seats), and when brakes are applied, the passenger feels that he/she is sliding into the rider.
#3: What to do with the passenger's hands? On the Gold Wing, there are two arm rests. The passenger can rest their arms on it, and as they often do, use their smartphones to send SMS/Text messages. On the BMW, there is no place to rest your arms. In fact, it is a major downside, since passengers will not know what to do with their hands.
#4: The passenger seat is higher than that of the rider, giving the passenger a great view of what happens in front. Some will like it, some will not. But the windscreen works very well for the passenger.
#5: The back rest of the BMW is less comfortable than the Honda. It's rigid and installed onto the top case. Since the top case is not part of the motorcycle's structure, it tends to move and bump into the passenger's back. Also, as far as they can tell, only the seat is heated on the BMW, not the back rest. The Honda has both, making it very comfortable in the winter months.
Rider and Passenger
From both rider and passenger's point of view, the BMW is more fun, more maneuverable than the Honda. The motorcycle "feels" like a real motorcycle rather than an armchair floating on air. People in the know (bikers) will prefer being a passenger on the Gold.
Conclusion
To make the BMW useable as motorcycle taxi, several items will need to be changed and/or added, raising the cost of the motorcycle, and bringing it closer to the Honda's price. Concern was expressed about the BMW maintenance cost, since the new bike has a lot of electronics onboard, and if that goes wrong, the repair costs might soar.
The storage space available is almost identical on both motorcycles.
Finally, as conclusion, the BMW will not for the time being de-thrown the Honda as the first choice for motorcycle taxi operators. Even the Suzuki Burgman Scooter is a more viable alternative. For those operators that use the Honda PanEuropean, the BMW may be a good alternative.
To read the original BMW K1600GTL Taxi test article, click here (in French).
Via: Moto-Taxi-Paris
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