Complete book of BMW motorcycles

October 2015

Ian Falloon | Motorbooks | R31 | K1300s | R24

"Every model since 1923". That's the claim on the cover of this new book by established author Ian Falloon. So naturally we checked, and as far as we can tell, it's true. Every model since 1923. Every production model, that is.

Not that we're BMW experts. But we've owned a few, and have lusted after many others. And this book certainly covers all the ground that we're interested in. And more.

Overall, it's impressive stuff. Plenty of images, new and old, black & white and colour. Plenty of technical shots too, and a lot of images we haven't seen before. So okay, the cover is a little uninspiring. It looks like this tome is a directory rather than a heartfelt examination of the marque complete with new insights and interesting/oblique opinions, etc.

▲ BMW R24. By 1947, with the war soundly lost and the German nation wrecked, this 247cc, 12hp, shaft-drive single re-lit the fuse for one of the world's most dynamic and innovative motorcycling firms. Ian Falloon's new book has this bike, and much more covered. Check it out.

But then, it IS a directory. A list. A catalogue. A register. That's not necessarily a bad thing. If you're a fan of the bikes and want a reliable reference book on your shelf, this one will perhaps suit you well. It feels like there is some padding, notably with the specification boxes. It's as if the publishers (Motorbooks) wanted a publication of a certain size, weight and feel, and gave the designers a lot of latitude (cue: large point type and a lot of white space). In other words, this book could have been compressed thereby saving a few trees. But if you like your books to breathe a little, this one sucks a lot of air.

The writing is good, but a little dispassionate. Call it plainly factual, if you prefer. Clearly there's a lot of research here, and clearly Ian Falloon has worked hard to get the detail right and present an honest account of the marque. The book doesn't try to be witty or clever. It doesn't try to impress. It just presents the material in a direct and matter-of-fact way.

The narrative begins with the R32 and ends with the K1300S. There are 288 pages. The dimensions are 255mm x 315mm. There are wall to wall photographs (pretty much all of them high quality). There's a decent index. The covers are stiff and protective (with a jacket). The RRP is £35. And it should be available as from now, October 2015.

Is it worth it? Yeah. We think it's worth every penny. In fact, we don't understand how publishers can knock out stuff like this and make a decent profit. Falloon must work a fifty hour day and a thousand hour week. And it's hard to see how he's going to get rich doing this. But he's gawn and done it now, and his loss is your gain. It's a decent book, fairly priced. If you're a BMW man, or woman, dust a little space on your shelf and reach for your wallet or purse.

Check out his recent book on Triumph Motorcycles. See Sump June 2015.

www.motorbooks.com

— Big End