BMW?s K Series lineup, which includes the K 1600 GTL and three other models, has been thoroughly updated for 2022. We logged 2,000 miles on the GTL for this road test. Photos by Kevin Wing.

It has been four decades since BMW introduced the K 100, its first motorcycle powered by a liquid-cooled in-line 4-cylinder engine. Known as the ?Flying Brick,? the 987cc Four was laid on its side, with the cylinder head on the left and the crankshaft on the right. In 1988, the K 100 became the first motorcycle equipped with anti-lock brakes.

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From such humble, idiosyncratic roots grew a K Series family tree with many branches, including the K 75 (essentially a K 100 with a cylinder lopped off), the futuristic K 1 (winner of Rider?s first Motorcycle of the Year award in 1990), the 167-hp K 1200 S sportbike (its transverse-mounted engine marked the end of the ?Flying Brick? era), and the opulent K 1200 LT luxury-tourer (available with such options as a CD changer and a small refrigerator).
BMW gave its K Series a clean-sheet reboot for 2012 when it launched the K 1600 GT sport-tourer and K 1600 GTL luxury-tourer. Compared to its K 1300 predecessor, the K 1600 engine grew from four cylinders to six, and displacement increased from 1,293cc to 1,649cc.

The K 1600?s six cylinders are canted forward 55 degrees, but Kevin Duke got them nearly vertical at the bike?s launch in South Africa. Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad.

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