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BMW K 1600 GTL (1981–2021) maintenance schedule & recalls

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Keep the service history on your 2018 K 1600 GTL

Log every service with date, mileage and cost, get NHTSA recall alerts, and hand the history to the next owner. Free for one bike; factory schedule tracking and mileage reminders come with Garage Plus.

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Maintenance schedule

General guidance

Typical intervals, not model-verified. Confirm against your owner’s manual. Factory-verified schedule coming soon.

Service Interval
Oil & filter every 4,000 mi or 6 months
Chain & sprockets every 600 mi or 3 months
Brakes every 12 months
Valve adjustment every 16,000 mi or 24 months
Battery every 12 months
Spark plugs every 8,000 mi or 24 months
Fluids/coolant every 24 months

Recalls

NHTSA · refreshed 3 days ago
26V214000 · Power Train:Manual Transmission:Seals/Gaskets affects 2018, 2019

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017-2025 K 1600 GT, GTL, B and 2018-2025 Grand America vehicles. The seal for the reverse gear control unit may deteriorate and allow moisture inside the control unit, which can result in the unit overheating.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the reverse gear control unit, free of charge. Letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 28, 2026. A second letter will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 25, 2026.

19V692000 · Power Train:Manual Transmission affects 2018, 2019

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2017-2020 K 1600 GT and 2018-2020 K 1600 GTL and K 1600 B motorcycles. Certain transmission parts may not have been produced to the appropriate hardness level. This could affect the function of the transmission, possibly causing double engagement of two gears and/or the damage of transmission parts.

Remedy: BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift forks, the selector sleeve of 5th/6th gear and the gear wheel of 6th gear, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk was mailed November 1, 2019. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

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Common questions

How often should the oil & filter be serviced on a BMW K 1600 GTL (1981–2021)?

Service every 4,000 mi or 6 months for the BMW K 1600 GTL (1981–2021) (general guidance; confirm against your owner's manual).

How often should the chain & sprockets be serviced on a BMW K 1600 GTL (1981–2021)?

Service every 600 mi or 3 months for the BMW K 1600 GTL (1981–2021) (general guidance; confirm against your owner's manual).

How often should the brakes be serviced on a BMW K 1600 GTL (1981–2021)?

Service every 12 months for the BMW K 1600 GTL (1981–2021) (general guidance; confirm against your owner's manual).

How often should the valve adjustment be serviced on a BMW K 1600 GTL (1981–2021)?

Service every 16,000 mi or 24 months for the BMW K 1600 GTL (1981–2021) (general guidance; confirm against your owner's manual).