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The BMW F800S is a wonderful motorcycle out on the open road, less inspiring in town. At a pace, there’s huge torque and acceleration but stick the BMW F800S in traffic and it labours as you struggle to minimise the jumpy throttle response. It’s a real powerhouse motorcycle though: fast riding is a dream on this motorcycle while overtakes will make your hair curl. Roughly equated to a decent, 600cc sports motorcycle’s performance.

Unquestionably good. BMW’s build quality is excellent and the BMW F800S doesn’t let it down one bit. Reliability is equally revered, and with good reason. The BMW F800S is a well put together motorcycle and accommodating loads of well thought out little extras, the motorcycle is built (not just marketed) to really last.

The BMW F800S’ sporty riding position encourages silliness but it’s not too extreme: you can do sane too, if you like, and it won’t complain. The motorcycle is heavy but holds the road well, handling’s brilliant and the BMW F800S takes off like there’s no tomorrow. The gearing’s a bit stroppy but the brakes are great. The BMW F800S is a more agile motorcycle than you’d imagine.

Compared to rival motorcycle, the Suzuki SV650, the BMW F800S is a wallet-crusher, but you get that reliability, peace of mind and extra-special aftersales service which makes the whole motorcycle ownership shebang one hell of a lot more satisfying. Still, the really rather nice Kawasaki Z750 is quite a bit cheaper than the BMW F800S too.

Ooooh, lovely! Fuel gauge, gear indicator, adjustable levers, and a bar-mounted control button to run through the endless digital readouts on your comprehensive dash: superb! Fuel goes in at the rear of the motorcycle and pillion provision is good, too. The BMW F800S’ belt drive is great for the non-mechanics among us.

The BMW K1200RS is now only available used and at last, prices have dropped to a reasonable level, even at main dealers. Still do your research and don’t pay OTT prices no matter how clean / low mileage a motorcycle is. There are cheaper, faster machines, including the Blackbird but the K1200RS  beats it on quality and distance-ability.

The BMW K1200RS delivers long range comfort to match many full tourers. The riding position’s adjustable and the ergonomics well thought out and if you spend all day in the saddle this pays off. High level of equipment. Mirrors mounted on the bars look like an afterthought – surely they were meant to be in the indicator pods? At least they work well.

Weighing so much this motorcycle was never going to be nimble and the BMW K1200RS isn’t. The upside, though, is that stability is superb even with 160mph on the clock. The suspension’s a bit bouncy but you can tune it out. Adding a passenger and luggage doesn’t upset the bike at all. Brakes work ok and ABS is a bonus.

Loads of torque and plenty of power from the BMW K1200RS’s flat four. Unfortunately Japanese competition like Honda’s BlackBird make 30-odd bhp more and the K1200RS seems slow by comparison. Low down torque is plentiful, acing the BlackBird, although the RS’s weight negates some of it. Gearbox somewhat reluctant.

Like so many BMWs the K1200RS is a quality motorcycle with a few minor glitches. Electrics and small areas of corrosion are the most common complaints. Fortunately the excellent dealer network know how to avoid or cure these. The K1200RS also seems to resist winter better than most machines.

The BMW R1100S’s first incarnation ‘new school’ boxer engine is now thoroughly outmoded by later 1150 and current 1200 versions but it’s still pleasant, flexible and bulletproof. Don’t expect fireworks and you won’t be too disappointed.

The R1100S is a BMW so… the usual peace of mind applies. Although being the sportiest of the R-series the same is true of the S, especially as it’s powered by the understressed 1100 engine. As long as it’s been looked after and regularly  serviced, it should be fine, even well over 50,000 miles.

The plush ride usually delivered by BM’s novel Telelever/Paralever suspension set-up is present and correct on the R1100S but for some reason it manages to avoid much of the steering vagueness that comes with it. The BMW R1100S is no super-sharp sportster, but it is smooth, predictable and pleasing enough to hustle along country A-roads.

In terms of bang for your buck, the £9000+ when new BMW R1100S can’t hold a candle to the best from Japan. But as a classy, versatile, and durable all-rounder, there’s not much that comes close. Just don’t expect explosive performance. Replicas are best of bunch (but have high seats).

The BMW R1100S has nothing to get worked up about, unless a previous owner has treated him/herself to the BMW options list. In stock trim there’s OK instrumentation and… not a lot else. Cup Replicas get jacked up suspension, belly pan and special paint, but heated grips, luggage and a myriad other goodies are available.

Even really healthy BMW R1150GS’ struggle to make more than 77bhp from the antediluvian air/oil-cooled Boxer twin. However there’s immense torque from this motorcycle – over 70ft lb, so hauling ass past lines of cars is simplicity itself, requiring no more than a twist of the motorcycle’s throttle. That’s something of a blessing as the BMW R1150GS’ gearbox is robust, but imprecise and agricultural.

For such a tall machine the BMW R1150GS is blessed with extraordinary poise. The wide bars give you total control over the motorcycle in bends (no need to hang off like a monkey, here), the tyres grip like a drowning man and the brakes are phenomenally good. In the wet there’s probably no better bike than the BMW R1150GS to be on, such is the motorcycle’s balance.

Essentially the basic design of the BMW R1150GS means that, treated right, it’ll run forever. However, the paint on the motorcycle’s cylinder heads flakes off, as does the finish on the forks, the petrol cap lets in rain, the downpipes go brown, the O-ring inside the oil filler cap breaks causing oil to seep out the seal and you really need to keep an eye on the BMW R1150GS’ oil level.

BMW R1150GS owners love their motorcycles. They dealer service them on time, ride them kindly and don’t tend to behave in a manner prejudicial to the motorcycle’s longevity. Add in the cult of the BMW R1150GS and you can see why used motorcycles command such high prices.

Factory options for this motorcycle such as ABS, hard luggage and heated grips are well worth seeking out and there’s a raft of aftermarket stuff for the BMW R1150GS from crash bars to race-style exhausts to bolt on.

The R1150RS’s flat twin has its roots in the 1920s but BMW has managed to update it reasonably successfully. There’s torque a-plenty which keeps things nippy – fast even if revved hard. Six-speed gearbox is slightly better than the 1100s five speeder with superior economy from the overdrive but it’s still no smoothy.

The BMW R1150RS is well thought out, well built and better able to resist the UK climate than most other motorcycles – brakes don’t seize at a hint of salt, unlike so many bikes. A few niggles are reported at high miles – they’re mainly electrical and the R1150RS is still better than pretty much everything from rival brands.

The R1150RS’s Telelever front suspension is novel but works well with minimal dive when braking into corners. Wide, upright bars give good control. Stability is unswerving at any speed although the R1150RS is not as nimble as lighter motorcycles. Brakes are partially linked, servo assisted with ABS – it sounds complex but it’s an effective set up.

The BMW R1150RS’s new price was around £9K which was always more than rivals. Now more reasonable on the used market. The R1150RS holds its value well but doesn’t have stablemate GS’s cast iron residuals. Triumph’s Trophy and Honda’s VFR are cheaper but not quite so practical.

The BMW R1150RS’s comfort is superb. Seat, bars and screen are adjustable and most riders can get them just right. The R1150RS’s pillion accommodation is excellent, too, which matters more than an extra 20bhp at 9000rpm after a 500 mile day. Comprehensive instruments, shaft drive, centre stand loads of options including hard luggage.

The new 1170cc, Boxer twin SOHC motor in the BMW R1200GS Adventure is taken from the best-selling motorcycle, the BMW R1200GS. It’s powerful, torquey and well-geared for effortless cruising at motorway speeds. The  BMW R1200GS Adventure’s gearbox is pretty indifferent; clunky, with the odd false neutral, especially from second to first. Sixth is no longer the overdrive it was on the older BMW R1150GS Adventure, on this motorcycle the ratio is a normal accelerative gear.

Apart from an early recall over a faulty ABS switch the BMW R1200GS Adventure seems blessed with the same indefatigable reliability as its predecessors. The exhaust is fully stainless, the motor unstressed, the shaft drive is hassle-free and BMW R1200GS Adventure owners tend to keep their motorcycles in good condition and regularly serviced.

On the road the BMW R1200GS Adventure belies its weight and height and handles lightly and surely, though it takes a while to get used to the slightly detached feeling the front Telelever suspension produces. The servo-powered brakes are too powerful off-road, but work well on it, providing you swap the Continental Twinduro tyres to more road-biased motorcycle tyres like Bridgestone’s Battlewing.

There’s no such thing as a cheap BMW R1200GS Adventure and you can look forward to high prices and high residuals for this motorcycle for a very long time.

As stock the BMW R1200GS Adventure already drips with off-road protection like bash plates, hand guards and crash bars. There’s ABS, a sat nav system and heated grips as optional extras for this motorcycle along with a selection of hard and soft luggage.

New 1200 version of the BMW R1150RT, as debuted on the BMW R1200GS the year before, delivered 110bhp, 15% up on the old 1150 engine. And you notice it, too. The BMW R1200RT is vigorous and lively, yet with the same reliability and flexibility as ever – still no missile, though. If you want that, get a BMW K1200GT.

BMW R1200RT are good, although sometimes not quite as good as the reputation suggests… There have been no BMW R1200RT scare stories yet and metal and paint finishes are as good as any motorcycle, but you still need to fight off salt corrosion in winter.

Along with more power – came much reduced weight with the BMW R1200RT. A full 20kg has been slashed which transforms handling. Steering is sharp, it’s a much more flickable motorcycle than before and yet stability is as good as ever. The BMW R1200RT is great to hustle. It’s also great to cruise thanks to BMW’s plush Telelever/Paralever suspension set-up.

The thick end of £10K is a lot of money for a 110bhp twin cylinder touring motorcycle, especially when heated grips, stereo etc cost extra. But the BMW R1200RT is a stonking motorcycle that’ll go on forever and maintain its value. If you buy a BMW R1200RT, you won’t regret it.

It’s a BMW motorcycle tourer, so there’s the best of everything on the BMW R1200RT… if you pay the extra. In stock trim, however, the BMW R1200RT is still very comfortable thanks to comprehensive instrumentation, effective screen and mirrors and, best of all, the sumptious and usefully height adjustable seat. Every motorcycle should have one.