BMW K1300S (2009-current)

I have owned my K1300s for nearly a year now. It is amazing. It has the power to give the 1000cc sports bikes a scare down the straights and the handling isnt that far behind them either, I have been held up behind more than one blade when the road got twisty. The bike is comfortable if you fancy doing a bit of touring and will return 57mpg if you stick below 80 on the motorway. Mine came fully loaded with all the toys and i have to say the quickshifter is well worth the money, even for use on the road. Forget about the Jap sports bike. Get one of these and you will wonder why you even looked at anything else.

I don't own one of these bikes but I have had the pleasure of plenty of riding hours under my belt through hireing one as and when required . Its taken a while but i'm finally getting to grips with this awesome machine and I have ridden the basic model(thats an understatement ) and the more expensive version with the comfy normal and sport mode with the quick shift and to be honest for every day riding there's not much difference , its still the same bike . The ride is totaly brilliant , stable ,secure at all speeds , hit a pot hole and the bike just soaks it up and says 'so what ' its all so stable , the power delivery is all controlable and you'd be pushed to find an A road where you'd use it all , this bike just powers on and on and on and 3 figure speeds are seconds away when you just slightly turn the throttle . I love the shaft drive and the duo leaver front end and two things I would never miss are a chain and standard forks , if you have the money test ride the competion first and this bike last , you will choose the BMW .

The K1300S is quite an expensive bike, but beginning to look much better value when compared to many current Japanese bike prices. I've ridden many bikes, of all different types over the last 30 years and can honestly say that the big BMW is the best bike I've ever ridden. Sure the S1000RR is quicker, as are several other bikes (but not that many!), but none combine this with the effortless poise of this bike. I was impressed by it's 1200 predecessor and was blown away when I tested this. I couldn't wait to get one and having owned it for a few weeks, I couldn't be more impressed. I've noticed that the fuel tank is supposed to be 19 litres. Mine is always full after about 16, even when the fuel warning says I only have less than 10 miles to go. This is a pity, as it limits the range to only about 160 miles - unless I take a chance that the fuel gauge is too cautious? Also, can I ask someone at MCN to have a sort through your specs on these pages. I think you have the top speed from the K1300GT on here! I've noticed many other such oversights.

After 4 years with a K1200S, this is a definite, but not huge, improvement. Sweeter steering and greater torque are the first things obvious. I disagree with the MCN test on 2 points. The quickshifter is brilliant and well worth the money. Also, I expected problems after those adverse tyre comments by the MCN tester, but in reality the Sport Attack tyres are fine: they turn in well and grip tenaciously in wet or dry, just as good as any of the many tyre brands I tried on the K1200S, and I do push them hard. On the minus side, the handlebar switchgear has failed already. A seriously quick but ever so civilised express. And, good grief, what brakes!

As usual, terribly expensive but a great sport touring bike. Don't agree with remarks about quickshifter being out of place on a bike like this... try one and you will never want a K13S without it. New single indicator switch is a nuisance if you're used to standard BMW arrangement. Well, you just can't make everyone happy.