We all know touring bikes are some of the most luxurious two-wheelers on the planet. These usually get car-like creature comforts from the factory, such as full-blown speaker systems, large TFT instrument clusters, and even airbags (in some instances). They usually have massive engines, too—almost as big as a small-capacity car. For example, the Gold Wing’s engine has more cylinders and cubic capacity than Honda’s own CRV.
What we rarely see on these tourers, however, is impeccable performance. The horsepower figures stay around the 100-pony mark, with an emphasis on torque to lug around all the heft. That’s not to say you can’t have a luxurious touring bike with oodles of highway performance, though. There is one bike that well and truly breaks the norm.
Luxury Touring Bikes Average Around 120 Horsepower
Look at the large-capacity traditional touring bike segment, and you’ll notice the emphasis on peak performance isn’t all that much. Harley-Davidson’s mightiest tourers have between 100 and 130 horsepower. Yes, the 2025 CVO Road Glide RR broke the 150-horsepower mark, but that was an over-$100,000 limited edition bike. This trend remains the same for Indian, even though they have new liquid-cooled touring bikes on offer now. The question then is: what do you do if you want mighty highway performance with oodles of luxury? The answer comes from the metric bikemakers. Particularly, the gentlemen at BMW Motorrad.
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The BMW K 1600 GTL Has Heaps Of Luxury With Heaps Of Performance
Price: $28,885
BMW’s K 1600 range is special for several reasons, and the blend of luxury with performance is one of these. In a sea of bikes with 120/130 ponies, the K 1600 boasts a whopping 160 horsepower from its six-cylinder engine. That will take you beyond 150 miles per hour with ease, and it goes without saying that cruising at freeway speeds will be stress-free. At the same time, you get all the modern features you’ll ever need. We’ve picked the top-of-the-line GTL version here since that brings not just the usual luxury bits but also a cushioned top box for your passenger.
Some Non-Traditional Tourers Have More Performance But Less Luxury
While we’ve looked at the tradition segment because they offer unmatched luxury, you can sacrifice luxury for more performance. If that sounds good, you can unlock more highway performance by taking a look at the crossover and sport-touring segments. Two prime names here are the BMW M 1000 XR and the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX. Both have sub-1000cc engines, but the XR gets you over 200 ponies while the supercharged SX has 197 horsepower. Neither has luxuries like saddlebags or speakers from the factory, though.
More Pizazz Than Luxury Cars From The Factory
Diving deeper into the luxury items, the GTL comes with a massive 10.25-inch TFT instrument cluster, loaded with smartphone connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. BMW’s Audio System 2.0 also lets you blast music on the fly. Near the display, BMW has plonked a specific phone storage with an integrated charger and four configurable favorite buttons. Heated grips, heated seats, keyless ignition, an adaptive cornering light, hill start control, and a tire pressure monitoring system enhance comfort.
The same display also lets you control the safety aids. There are ride modes (Rain, Road, Dynamic), engine brake control, cruise control, and traction control. A reverse assist for moving this behemoth in tight spots is another neat touch. Surprisingly, a quickshifter remains part of the optional accessories.
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BMW’s Smooth Six-Cylinder Engine Is A Technological Marvel
Next up, let’s talk performance. The K 1600 features an oil/water-cooled, six-cylinder, 1,649cc, four-stroke, in-line engine. It’s tilted forward by 55 degrees to help with handling and joins hands with a six-speed transmission to put the power down. Instead of a belt or chain, the final drive has a shaft setup to keep maintenance minimal. All that, along with the 12.2:1 compression ratio, ensures an output of 160 horsepower and 132.7 pound-feet.
Fuel Efficiency Isn’t A Strong Suit, Though
The power is available at just 6,750 RPM, while the torque is even lower at 5,250 RPM. That makes it the most powerful six-cylinder mill in the two-wheeler world today. At the same time, it trumps all of its traditional touring rivals with ease. The price you pay for the performance is efficiency, though. We say so as the GTL has a claimed fuel efficiency of ~38 miles per gallon—almost 10 MPG less than the CVO Street Glide Limited.
Electronic Suspension Boosts Riding Comfort
Like everywhere else, the underpinnings are special, too. A bridge-type aluminum frame houses the engine as a load-bearing member, just like sports bikes do. It works in tandem with BMW’s duolever front suspension and paralever rear suspension. Each end has electronic adjustability as standard, and an auto-levelling function helps improve accessibility. Moving on, you have sporty 17-inch wheels, wrapped in 120/190-section tires. These house 320 mm disc brakes (two at the front, one at the rear). Up top, four-piston calipers bite the rotors, and there is a two-piston unit at the rear.
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The GTL Weighs Over 780 Pounds
With car-like luxury and a powerhouse, the GTL has dimensions like a car as well. It tips the scale at 789 pounds wet, while being almost 100 inches long and 40 inches wide. Luckily, the seat height is low at 29.5 inches. Just be wary of the width of the seat, which might make life difficult for short riders. Other notable dimensions include:
- Wheelbase: 63.7 inches
- Rake: 27.8 degrees
- Tank capacity: 7 gallons
- Suspension travel: 4.5/5.3 inches (F/R)