Tested: 2018 BMW Grand America
by Ray Peabody
Sponsored by Michigan Motorcyclist®
“LOOK TWICE, SAVE A LIFE” MOTORCYCLES ARE EVERYWHERE
Our first motorcycle test of 2018 revisits a model we first tested for a feature story in our October 2017 issue. In that review, we nicked the BMW K 1600 B Bagger, a luxury touring motorcycle, for the lack of a top box or the mounts that would allow the owner to add one later. It seemed like a glaring mistake at the time, despite the fact that it did reflect the styling of a typical “bagger” - long and low with a fairing, saddlebags and no top box. Other motojournalists, including those who contribute to national and international publications, also noted this deficit. BMW listened and introduced the Grand America (GA), the Bagger with a top case and few other minor changes, earlier this year. Arguing that I NEEDED to test the GA because of the changes would be pointless and probably laughable. I WANTED to do this test. While a bagger wasn’t my personally preferred style prior to riding the BMW K 1600 B, the test persuaded me that my biases were unwarranted. Style and substance in a single package are worthy of consideration. Two times, at least... Rain had fallen earlier on the day of the test and the roads were still
wet when I left the BMW Motorcycles of Southeast Michigan parking lot. Not wanting to crash a new $23,000+ motorcycle, I started out in Rain mode. Rain mode reduces wheel spin and increases stability on slippery surfaces through a combination of complex electronic changes to ride-by-wire throttle response, Automatic Stability Control, ABS, and Electronic Suspension Adjustment. Underway, the throttle doesn’t react as quickly to rolling on the throttle. I didn’t crash so it seemed to have worked. Once the roads dried, a switch to Road mode had the throttle responding crisply to each input. As mentioned in the previous review, the counter-balanced, 1649cc, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, in-line sixcylinder engine that produces 160horsepower at 7,750 rpms and 129 foot pounds of torque at 5,250 rpms is fast, flexible, and fun. Due to changes in the aerodynamics from the Bagger to the GA resulting from the addition of the top case, the top speed of the GA is governed to 101 mph. 101 isn’t fast enough for some riders but it’s plenty fast enough to lose your license; which is possible when considering how fast
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www.midwestmotorcyclist.com
May 2018