BMW K1600 GTL - realistic range on a full tank of gas

[Ani]

Hello all,
I recently completed my first Saddle Sore 1000 (on a HD Road King) and am a new member here.
Now that I have caught the bug , I am planning my first 50CC Quest. I needed a reliable motorcycle (my HD now has 40,000 miles on it) and therefore bought a new 2021 BMW K1600 GTL, primarily for my LD rides.

As I am planning my 50CC Quest, I am wondering how much range does the K1600 GTL really give on a full tank of gas (stock tank has 7.1 gallon capacity). The literature/forums seem to say 40-45 miles/gallon, which would be 280-315 miles on a full tank. But I am wondering if that is realistic at highway speeds(say 85 miles per hour). What has been your experience with the highway riding for all your IB rides on this bike? What range should I realistically expect on a full tank? I don't want to install any auxillary fuel tank.

Thank you for your help/insights.

Regards,
Ani.

 

[Marc11]

225-250 miles depending on many factors of course. Wing, weight, temps, speed, etc.

Although it has 7.1 gallons, real world you're generally looking for gas after you burn 5-6 gallons. And although the bike CAN get 45 mpg, real world you're looking at an average of 40 or so.

Therefore 5-6 * 40 and you're stopping every 200-240 miles on average. Sometimes a little more sometimes a little sooner.

 

[Shawn K]

It doesn't matter what other people experience, it matters what you experience. Too many variables otherwise.

To that end, you need to go ride your motorcycle and find out for yourself what your numbers are. That's the only actionable information you can use. Otherwise, you'll be sitting on the side of the road with no gas and telling yourself "But the other guys said I can go farther! What could possibly have gone wrong?"

I needed a reliable motorcycle (my HD now has 40,000 miles on it)

I thought that was the most interesting part of your post.

 

[Marc11]

It doesn't matter what other people experience, it matters what you experience. Too many variables otherwise.

To that end, you need to go ride your motorcycle and find out for yourself what your numbers are. That's the only actionable information you can use. Otherwise, you'll be sitting on the side of the road with no gas and telling yourself "But the other guys said I can go farther! What could possibly have gone wrong?"



I thought that was the most interesting part of your post.

I think the OP was just looking for some guidance for planning purposes. Of course the K16 has a fuel guage, range to empty display, low fuel warning light and a reserve so the OP clearly will have lots of notice along a ride of thier true range.

Should they find themselves on the side of the road out of fuel it will have more to do with thier own choices vs anything they hear on a forum.

Your words are all very true, but it is nice to have a general idea what others are seeing with the same bike to get a rough sense of averages out there from which to draw some comparisons and estimates with.

 

[Fun Bobby]

I start looking for petro stations at approximately 200 miles, at 230 miles I’m beginning to stress. I use the word “approximately“ because it depends on where I’m riding in the country and time of night. The best advice I’ve read and also practice is “Don’t pass known gas for unknown gas”. It is also tip number 19 in the “IBA 25 Long-Distance Riding Tips”.

Rob, 2013 K1600GT
Navarre, FL
IBA# 606

 

[Shawn K]

I think the OP was just looking for some guidance for planning purposes. Of course the K16 has a fuel guage, range to empty display, low fuel warning light and a reserve so the OP clearly will have lots of notice along a ride of thier true range.

Should they find themselves on the side of the road out of fuel it will have more to do with thier own choices vs anything they hear on a forum.

Your words are all very true, but it is nice to have a general idea what others are seeing with the same bike to get a rough sense of averages out there from which to draw some comparisons and estimates with.

Don't mistake my directness with insensitivity. (I'm not saying that you are, I'm just saying that it's easy to misinterpret.) After many, many years of experience, I've learned that there's a difference between reading about doing a thing and actually doing the thing.

As it pertains to the OP getting to know his new motorcycle, the only true way for him to learn the reality of his machine is to go out and ride it. It's a pretty objective statement, given all the variables that go into fuel economy (shoot, my own bike gets anywhere from 30-43 mpg based on any number of factors).

If the OP would like to know what other people have experienced, a good place to go would be Fuelly.com and search for that bike. But even then, the final measure - the one he'll make all his future decisions on - will be based on the mileage that he experiences on his bike, which he'll only find out by riding it. So it all comes full circle.

I'll back out now.

 

[EricV]

Shawn makes very valid points. Some riders are big throttle movement riders, others more steady state. Some row up and down the gears a lot, others use the torque of the engine and won't shift as much. Top box, no top box, loaded like a pack mule, no bags, only top box, no luggage at all. The variations are endless. Tire pressure makes a difference. On big bikes fully loaded I've been running 36F/42R since around 2005 for optimal mpg and handling, for ME.

Fuel stress can be largely eliminated by finding out what you can really get out of a tank. Take a 1-2 gal gas can, go fill the bike and the can and ride until the bike dies. Now you know how far it goes under your riding conditions *that day* and you know how many miles you can really get after it reads zero on the gauge. Most bikes will still be running when you hit zero on the 'range to empty' odo. That's your benchmark. More wind = less range. More speed = less range. Slower roads = more range.

Spend 444 miles on the Natchez Trace at ~50 mph and you'll be amazed at the mpg you get. Cross Wyoming on I-80 on a windy day, (aren't they all in Wy?), at K1600 Nominal and you'll be appalled at the mpg you get. It starts to make Winnebagos look economical.

My FJR had a 6.2 gal tank. I knew I had 1 gal reserve, because I took the fuel pump out and tweaked the float until that is what resulted. I new I could get 42 mpg average, but also that I could squeak 60+ out of reserve if I slowed down and really needed to. Knowing your reserve mileage for your bike is a big factor in fuel stress. If you know your miles on reserve at your normal pace, you really know if you can just keep going at normal pace when that gas station you planned on has burned to the ground, or if you need to slow down, or look for closer alternatives.

In various non LD venues, I know a lot of riders that start getting major fuel stress when the reserve light/marker comes on. Most of those bikes still have 1.5 gals of fuel at that point. 60+ miles usually. Take a poll at an endurance motorcycle rally and nearly every rider knows what they can get from 'reserve' and from a full fuel load. That's critical info every serious rider should know. Regardless of them being Cert riders, rally riders or touring riders.

 

[Ani]

Thank you Shawn.

 

[Ani]

I start looking for petro stations at approximately 200 miles, at 230 miles I’m beginning to stress. I use the word “approximately“ because it depends on where I’m riding in the country and time of night. The best advice I’ve read and also practice is “Don’t pass known gas for unknown gas”. It is also tip number 19 in the “IBA 25 Long-Distance Riding Tips”.

Rob, 2013 K1600GT
Navarre, FL
IBA# 606

Thank you Rob.

 

[Ani]

225-250 miles depending on many factors of course. Wing, weight, temps, speed, etc.

Although it has 7.1 gallons, real world you're generally looking for gas after you burn 5-6 gallons. And although the bike CAN get 45 mpg, real world you're looking at an average of 40 or so.

Therefore 5-6 * 40 and you're stopping every 200-240 miles on average. Sometimes a little more sometimes a little sooner.

Thank you Marc.

 

[Martien]

Hi Ani, I've done a couple of IBA rides on my K1600 GT, so consumption should be comparable. Normally I get around 30 to 35 mpg on long highway tours at 80-90 mph, and less if I ride in Germany at 90-100 mph (or more). So I plan my stops every 200 miles or so, a bit depending of the route and the corners or turning points of a ride.

The K1600 is a great machine for IBA rides, it is so incredibly comfortable and stable, almost makes it too easy...

 

[lakota]

In the ‘17 IBR I got 13 miles on my K16 after the miles to empty read 0. Ran out of gas 50 yards from the gas station.

 

[Ani]

Hi Ani, I've done a couple of IBA rides on my K1600 GT, so consumption should be comparable. Normally I get around 30 to 35 mpg on long highway tours at 80-90 mph, and less if I ride in Germany at 90-100 mph (or more). So I plan my stops every 200 miles or so, a bit depending of the route and the corners or turning points of a ride.

The K1600 is a great machine for IBA rides, it is so incredibly comfortable and stable, almost makes it too easy...

Thank you Martien. That’s exactly the benchmarks I was looking for. In my ride plan, I’m planning to stop every approx. 180 miles for gas (will also help me stretch a bit). But there is just 1 stop that is 214 miles apart, which was causing me a bit of anxiety. But based on general experience, I should be ok I guess.

 

[Ani]

In the ‘17 IBR I got 13 miles on my K16 after the miles to empty read 0. Ran out of gas 50 yards from the gas station.

Ouch....but lucky it was only 50 yards.

 

[Marc11]

Thank you Martien. That’s exactly the benchmarks I was looking for. In my ride plan, I’m planning to stop every approx. 180 miles for gas (will also help me stretch a bit). But there is just 1 stop that is 214 miles apart, which was causing me a bit of anxiety. But based on general experience, I should be ok I guess.

You'll be fine. Watch your range, average MPG and your fuel guage, if you start to be close at the half tank mark, slow down a bit and increase your range.

Oh and make sure your tank is FULL,. Don't just stop at the click, look inside as you slowly fill and stop when you can see it's full. Sometimes I've gotten a gallon more into my K16 tank after the pump automatically clicked off.

 

[MarkG]

I had the 2016 GTL and traded it for the 2021 GTL in November. From past experience it depends on how fast you are going. Into a wind, uphill at 80 mph I can usually do 200 miles with a gallon or a little less to spare. That said, anybody who gets over 40 mpg at Interstate speeds is going downwind and slightly downhill. My average the last three years with 62,000 miles has been around 38 mpg or slightly less on the Interstate. If you want 300 miles on a tank it will be at 50 mph. My suggestion is make yourself a cheat sheet from 34 mpg to 42 mpg based on a 6.5 gallon tank. Depending on what you see on the average mpg will often determine when you stop. I run conservatively and like to fuel around six gallons to have a little left just in case.

The problem I discovered with the 2021 GTL was on the SantaSore 1000. I only had a five gallon tank. That's right the gas gauge and the tank to empty said zero. I put in exactly five gallons. Went back to the dealer after the holidays and there is a software upgrade that is supposed to fix the problem. They told me to put a couple of tanks through it and if it is still a problem then they will have to look at the sensor. Obviously I could have gone several more miles with the seven gallons but running it dry by accident is costly for a fuel pump repair. I'll know in another week whether or not I have seven gallons on the gauge and tank to empty again.

For the 50cc the section between Van Horn and Ozona will be annoying. Regardless of what you believe it is uphill into a headwind both directions. Slow down to 70 mph and you can go the full distance between cities. Do the 80 mph speed limit and you may need to stop in Fort Stockton for a couple of gallons just to be safe. That short stop verses 70 mph is the same time, you do not gain anything by the faster speed.

With the new bike I keep it in the Road/Road setting with baggage when I'm touring. Cruise control is your friend in the ticketing areas. Heavy wind you will find Dynamic/Dynamic with the two up setting will give better stability. I'll send a PM with some of the other things I've learned.

You will enjoy the GTL as you get used to it.

 

[Joe Pasquarello]

Back in the day we did what is called a fuel burn.

Joe

 

[Stephen!]

This was in Colorado after leaving Grand Junction on a 2012 GTL. I had just drained the aux tank into the main tank. Two-Up, rally loaded, getting 55 mpg. You mileage may vary.

 

[rneal55555]

Well assuming the 214 mile stretch is a couple stops into your ride and you do a couple of quick MPG checks for the ride your on and then decide. I usually compute my MPG every fill up Cert Ride or not and use that info to figure my next stop. I use search along route on my GPS and sometimes my phone to locate and plan my next stop. With Bluetooth in my helmet if I'm in an area where fuel is scarce and I'm going to be getting close to the limit I call ahead to make sure they are open and actually have gas, I have pulled up to pumps that had a two year old price before.

 

[Martien]

Thank you Martien. That’s exactly the benchmarks I was looking for. In my ride plan, I’m planning to stop every approx. 180 miles for gas (will also help me stretch a bit). But there is just 1 stop that is 214 miles apart, which was causing me a bit of anxiety. But based on general experience, I should be ok I guess.

To reduce fuel anxiety I sometimes carry a 1.5l (0.4 gallon) FuelFriend can. Small enough to keep in the tank bag, big enough to get you 20+ extra miles if you miscalculate...