BMW Motorcycle Reviews

AFTER ALMOST 300km of on and off road in heat and humidity only South Africa can produce, I can safely say the new F800GS is brilliant bike and a machine that's worthy of the legendary GS badge.

Hogan earns the respect of BMW owners astride the funky G650 Xmoto

The long-term significance of the HP side of the HP2 (High Performance 2-Cylinder) may take some time to emerge, equally its merit as part of the Motorrad model line-up will need time to clarify.

The no-frills BMW for all types for riding, on all types of roads, through all types of weather. Just don't expect blistering performance.

BMW's all-conquering flat twin reviewed and rated on a French thrash

BMW are best known for tourers, and here we have the K1200GT, the more touring-oriented version of the sporty K1200S launched 18 months ago. The K1200GT has slimline, slab-sided, challenging looks but it's not the most unattractive sports tourer around by a long shot.

There's no getting away from it: the BMW R1200GS Adventure is a man's bike. If you're a wimp you can forget it, it's not for you. With a dry weight of 220kg (250kg with fuel), a lofty seat height and mental Mad Max looks it was never going to be a runabout for Kylie, even if she could get it off the side-stand.

How sporty is the new R1200S? Well it's that sporty BMW has taken luggage off the option list - this bike's built for brisk road riding and the occasional track day. It seems BMW is sick of people comparing the R1100S with sports tourers and wants this new model to compete head-to-head with the sports bike competition.

Giles finds another BMW that he loves, the R1200RT

Heading up into the mountains outside the Spanish town of Jerez I got the feeling all was not well ahead. The driving rain that had started the minute we left the hotel wasn’t really too much of a problem, luckily enough I had actually remembered to pack my waterproofs, what was worrying me was the front of the cars coming down the mountain.

Big, refined and desirable trailie which does the business both on and off road. Only obstacle is the price

Giles towers above BMW's R1100S

If you want a fast, comfortable tourer it’s ok, but it’s no ‘Busa, ZX-12R or Blackbird beater

If you really want a BMW cruiser, try the Montauk

No-one in the Visordown office knows who Johnny Daukes is, but presumably he's a relation of Simon Daukes from Haymarket days. Nepotism?

Named after a town in New York State, the new R1200 C Montauk boasts more chrome and retro styling than a fifties diner. But it's also BMW's most successful foray into the cruiser market to date

Questionable styling and a lack of performance means you should go straight past this and onto the R1200

The R1100S Boxer Cup Replika is a really individual, fun to ride sports bike that oozes quality and comes with a ton of presence

The GT is very comfortable in a straight line, comes with colour-coded panniers as standard and is solid at speed. The suspension isn’t the best, ground clearance is limited and acceleration is very poor

Wild looks and quirky paint scheme conceal a competent and well-built bike that goes, handles and stops well enough to be a laugh. Price is good too

Gus experiences the sporty BMW R1100S