Anyone with even a casual interest in BMW Motorad has probably noticed that a very definite wind of change has been blowing over their corporate headquarters in recent times. This new wind is markedly influencing strategic direction.

Product directions that seemed to be evident just 3 or 4 years ago are now seemingly reversed.

The new crop of motorcycles clearly attest to this. Though each model targets a different market segment, they all have one thing in common. They offer perceptibly increased levels of refinement and performance along with decreased weight.

The new motorcycles not only weigh less (a desired trait when compared to the tendency which had weight creeping up in recent years) but they seem to wear this weight differently. This further adds to the perceived weight reduction. Mass centralization is currently a hot design parameter and BMW has not ignored it.

It was only a short three years ago that I was wishing for lighter weight, increased performance, and a higher level of refinement. To my mind, BMW has delivered.

The new motorcycles represent marked improvements over their predecessors.