2012 BMW K1600 Seemingly directly on the heels of transforming the sportbike category with their stellar S 1000 RR this past year, BMW has its sights set firmly on revamping the sport touring and luxury touring segments of motorcycling.

North American journalists got their first view Stateside of the much anticipated 6-cylinder 2011 BMW K 1600 GTL the other night at Jay Leno's garage.

The new motorcycle (which will be produced as the GT and the GTL) is emboldened with a 1649cc inline 6-cylinder engine that is transversally mounted in a beefy, sportbike-inspired perimeter chassis.

The Motorrad (motorcycle) division put BMW's extensive history of engineering and developing in-line 6-cylinder automobile engines to good use. BMW engineers felt a 6-cylinder platform would provide incredible torque, gorgeous sound (especially at high revs) and, perhaps most importantly, silky smooth delivery.

This theory is reinforced in the BMW K 1600 with an exemplary 160 horsepower (at 7750 rpm) with a maximum torque rating of 129 ft/lbs (at 5250 rpm)-of which 70% is available at an astonishing 1,500 rpm. Adding credence to these performance-oriented stats is a compression ratio of 12.2:1.

http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/2012-bmw-k-1600-gt-gtl-intro

Definitely have to have an additional smaller run around; that 1600 will probably handle like an 18 wheeler in traffic; no lane splitting!

Nothing can top the self balancing Honda MotoGP V5.

Nothing can top the self balancing Honda MotoGP V5.

Easier to get a ride on the Beemer though . . . . no ride for regular plebs like us on that unobtanium RC212V.

Unless you're Alan Cathcart