KIWI RIDER 08 2019 VOL.1 | Page 73

poor road surfaces. The brakes are 320mm discs all round, a single at the rear, two front with four piston calipers and the rear with just two pistons. There is, of course, integrated ABS. Stopping performance is excellent considering the Bagger’s weight The brakes are strong and have top-drawer feel and performance… but, as always, you cannot deny the laws of physics. There’s more mass to slow than say a 1000cc sports bike, so don’t expect sports bike stopping capability. Overall the BMW GT 1600 Bagger is a remarkable ride and an absolute tour-de- force technologically. It’s big, bold, fast and very comfortable. It’s also beautifully made. I’m of the mind that it’s the ultimate mega cruiser with bags. However, for overall touring of NZ, I’m not sure it’s the ultimate choice with some of our poorly surfaced and gravel roads. But if you want to stick mostly to our main highways and big, bold and beautiful is your thing – there is little that even comes close to this BMW K1600 Bagger. KIWI RIDER 73