What do you get for your money?
It’s a modern BMW, so you get a lot of electronics and gadgetry including switchable, semi-linked ABS as standard, Can-bus wiring and a sophisticated engine management system (Central Vehicle Electronics — CVE), built-in immobiliser, LED rear lights and new switchgear called Moulded Interconnect Devices (MID) — though the exact amount of extra acronyms will depend on how enthusiastically the original owner delved through the optional extras catalogue.
Let’s assume he or she dived in head first… You might have Electronic Suspension Adjustment (ESA II — this is the second-generation system with spring-rate adjustment), Anti-spin Control (ASC — traction control, switchable), HP instruments (from the HP2 Sport), Tyre Pressure Control monitors (TPC), on-board computer, HP Gearshift Assistant (quickshifter), heated grips, adjustable footrests, Akrapovic silencer and much more. A lot of that stuff was standard on 30th Anniversary and Motorsport models, and few buyers of earlier models resisted the temptation to add as much as they could afford. As a result, probably the rarest of K1300s would be one with the most-basic spec. As well as all the above, BMW’S own sat-nav system (based on a Garmin Zumo but integrated into the controls) was a popular addition, along with luggage — though BMW’S own pannier system is a bit small for serious touring — and a centrestand. Oh, there was no toolkit as standard either — that was an optional extra…