Daniel Lange's blog

The BMW K1300S is only homologated to Euro 3 standards which means you can't buy a new one and get it on the road next year anymore. At least in Europe. Thus BMW has already removed it from its home page and sells off the remaining stock. Probably until the end of the year (they could license it and sell into 2017 but stock seems to be quite low).

I had the bike since 2009 as a company bike and when I returned to Germany that was the thing I found to have missed abroad the most. This is a bike from the time when the company strived to built the best motorbike technically possible. A time that has since passed in most of the automotive industry. Sad but true. Lifestyle products anyone?

So ... I've already bought mine last year.

It hasn't changed much from 2009 so there is no reason to buy a 2016 model year, buy any in good condition.

Double check that the handlebar switch units have been replaced with the improved versions (both sides). The stock ones don't like heat and stop working when it gets really hot. I got stuck at a friend's house after going for a long swim in the warm summer of 2015. BMW had a free replace-if-customer-complains (silent) recall until the end of last year. Prod your dealer to get some good will out of BMW Motorrad. Esp. before you buy. Also check the cardan drive for excess degrees of freedom. It doesn't take "binary" road racers too well. So make sure you get to know the previous owner.

As Motorrad 17/2016 put it:

In last years' sportstourer concept comparison the K 1300 S [..] still blew the competition away.
Brutal while well honed, that's the lasting impression. [..] Extra-ordinary stable, tight and still comfortable.
And still today the K 1300 [S] is the reference in breaking, because of the wide wheel base and because she stays up when breaking.
[The K-BMWs of the last generation] are cold perfection, executed into each detail. Just different.

That light we see is burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world. William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

Jake Edge of LWN wrote an excellent article on the presentation Felix and me gave at the 32C3 annual CCC congress in Hamburg, Germany on December 27th, 2015.

If you have an hour to spare, you can watch the video and/or browse the slides.

In case you wondered about the lack of activity here over the summer...

I've been working with the motorbikes unit of the company quite a bit as of late. They are great people and thus got me a bit enticed to try out their products. So I ordered myself a BMW K1300S.

And wow. This is simply the best bike I've ever ridden. It's extremely powerful while still agile and easy to maneuver. It's comfortable enough for a day ride and fun enough to take to the track.

The German newspaper FAZ found it flawless except for the price. I'd second that. It's nearly perfect. The small improvement I'd like on the 2010 model: make the windshield a little higher. The air flow basically ends up right on the helmet if you're above 6 ft. (1.82 m) tall. But that's really a minor issue, I'm sure accessory developers will take care of it if BMW doesn't.

I got the bike with all the electronic gadgetry available so it has ESA II (Electronic Suspension Adjustment), Quickshift (so one can switch gears up without using the clutch), on-board computer, tire pressure monitor and (...yes I know...) handle bar heating (to save me: the bike was pre-configured when I ordered), ASC, ABS, whatever. Being a geek that's fine: lotsa knobs to play with. After 7 months I have to say none of these are really needed but none are completely useless either.

My K1300S: 1,293cc, water-cooled four-stroke straight-four engine, DOHC, four valves per cylinder; 175bhp at 9,250rpm; 140Nm at 8,250rpm; 228kg dry.