R 1300 GS

The R 1300 GS is a clean-sheet design. The boxer grew to 1300cc with the gearbox moved beneath the engine, which shortened the whole package, and the frame is a steel sheet-metal shell rather than a tube trellis. Wet weight dropped 12 kg to 237 kg. The Telelever front suspension is a new EVO design with a stiffer, lighter arrangement, and the optional adaptive vehicle height control lowers the bike at a stop.

ShiftCam variable valve timing, a full IMU, radar-based adaptive cruise, and the Automated Shift Assistant clutchless transmission are available. Brakes are twin 310 mm discs with four-piston calipers.

The GS is the most competent motorcycle I have ridden. It is fast enough to embarrass sport bikes on a mountain road, comfortable enough to do 800 km days, and the electronics manage everything from wheelies to dirt. The 1300 engine's mid-range is enormous, and the new chassis steers far quicker than the old 1250.

What it does not do is make you feel much. It is a machine that does the riding with you, and some days I want to do it alone.

BMW's service interval is 10,000 km with valve checks at 20,000 km, and the boxer's exposed heads make valve adjustment the easiest of any big bike. Shaft drive means no chain. The trade-off is complexity: Telelever, ESA suspension, and a dense electronics suite that need a dealer with the right software.

BMW's reliability record on the boxer is good; on the electronics, it is merely acceptable.

The rider doing serious distance, two-up or loaded, who wants the most capable all-round motorcycle in the world and is happy to pay for it. Not for the rider who wants simplicity.