BMW K1600 bagger and liquid-cooled R1200R spied

Finished version will be to K1600 what Honda's F6B is to Gold Wing

THIS spy photo reveals a new bagger version of BMW's six-cylinder K1600 tourer, in a similar vein to Honda's F6B bagger version of the Gold Wing.

The K1600 bagger is expected to go into production minus the top box and large fairing seen in the photo. The result will be a stripped-down K1600 with low-slung panniers, the same recipe used by Honda to get the F6B from the Gold Wing. The bike spotted in Germany last week is thought to have retained the top box and large fairing as a disguise.

It was undergoing tests at a track along with a new liquid-cooled version of the R1200R roadster.

Judging from the bagger's near-complete appearance, it's thought BMW could unveil the finished machine this October at the Cologne motorcycle show, along with the liquid-cooled R1200R, for production next year.

The K1600 uses a 1649cc inline six-cylinder engine making 160hp and 129lbft. The range currently includes the GT, GTL, GTL Executive and GT Sport editions.