Customer Reviews

BMW Motorcycle: Illustrated Buyer's Guide

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great book and well written. However, it is more of a history book on the BMW motorcycles than it is a buyer's guide. There is very little information on pricing and the author is very generous to the BMW legacy without being especially helpful to prospective buyers. I put it down having learned alot about the BMW line but probably more confused about which BMW to buy than when I picked it up. If you want to learn about the bikes it is great, if you are a newcomer and you want basic buying info, I am not sure that this is the best book.

This is an excellent book for the BMW motorcycle enthusiast. It tells the whole story since the beginning until around 1994. It presents it chronologically as technical achivements so one can see how one model was improved upon to become the next. And it has a lot of excellent photos. There are a few gaps (like, what made the R60/6 to become the R60/7) but I guess that that is unavoidable. The authors are very knowledgeable but left out a lot of interesting information BY DESIGN. They don't give us their opinion about what is right or wrong with each machine, and I would like to know the opinion of experts! For example, I have learned somewhere else that the old R60 models from the 1970s are forgiving for not-too-expert riders, a bit involved in maintenance (like adjusting valves every month), but easy and cheap to repair whereas de K models are more difficult to ride, very easy to maintain, but difficult and expensive to repair. This is the kind of information I would have expected in this book. I would also like to see more technical specifications. I still think that this is a great book but I pray the authors: expand the book in its next edition and make it the dream of every BMW motorcycle enthusiast.

The book detailed the models, chronologically, showing how one cycle evolved into the the next model. It would detail the new models improvements. Numerous photo also aided in the descriptions of the improvements made year to year, model to model. Easy reading and a MUST read for all you BMW lovers.

This is a very complete and detailed book. I think that the authors give us a very good review of the BMW bikes. They write not only about technical specification, but history as well. They have good pictures, photos and technical data. What I miss is that they forgot to write about some types ( R-3, R-61 ) and they do not give the technical data of all types of BMW bikes. The advantage of this book - can be read as an interesting story - is also the disadvantage of it. What I would try, if I were the author, is that show the types one by one, not forgetting the stories, but more sistematically show us the BMW bikes, one or two page for each, including photos, pictures, data. Otherwise the best book I know about BMW bikes.

This book documents the production of all BMW motorcycles from the very beginning up until 1997. It has high quality pictures of most BMW models as well as rating the various models as to desirability of ownership from a collector's point of view.

The author is obviously an expert in this area and offers insightful comments. There are quite a few sidebars that detail his riding experiences on various older models

This book is a "must have" for any serious BMW motorcycle enthusiast or owner.

Indeed an easy to read quide with plenty of information on new and old BMW's. Nevertheless it is biased towards the vintage bikes and the newer K series as well as the new boxers are barely covered.

This "Hard to Find" is actually the first edition. The second edition is now currently making the rounds. I find it hard to believe that this edition could be improved upon. But being familiar with the thouroughness of the authors, I find it entirely plausible. For anyone considering the purchase of a BMW Motorcycle, this book will be invaluable. Specific without being wordy. The authors not only write about the machines, they ride them. The book is co-authored by Roland Slabon. It is picture ripe verbally and visually. The second edition, available through Amazon, is... I'm sure, just as quality if not more so.