This popularity of this bike surged after it was made famous by Ewan and Charley's 'Long Way Down' adventure, and it's now an everyday sight on British roads. It has been updated for 2008 and, as JP commented in his launch report, BMW considers this bike the 'Land Rover of the biking world'. If you're not a fan of green wellies, don't worry – read on.

Versatility is certainly this bike's unique selling point. It may produce only a modest 105bhp, but it out-sold all of the sportsbikes in 2006, and beat all but the R1 and GSX-R100 last year. That's no mean feat. So why is the big GS so hugely popular?

The motor is still air-cooled, and it's still more 'tractor-power' than 'rocket-power', but it has been made slightly sprightlier for 2008, with a higher rev limit. The gearbox ratios have also been tweaked to suit these revised engine characteristics. JP said: “It's still nowhere near a Japanese in-line-four gearbox, but clutchless touches up or down the box are now possible with little mechanical protest.”

The brakes have also been tweaked, making the linked system less prone to lock the back wheel when the ABS is switched off. In the looks department, the big BMW is still no stunner, but it never set out to win beauty contests. It's meant to look rugged, and the '08 model certainly achieves that, with slightly kid-scaring ugliness than its predecessor.

In comparing this bike to a Land Rover, perhaps BMW were referring to its weight, because the GS is still one lardy machine. Even so, it's possible to have fun off-road and it's surprisingly manageable on the rough stuff. The electronically controlled suspension adjustment allows easy onboard switching of spring modes – useful when riding onto a different type of terrain.

Short of getting a new motor, the GS is about as good as any all-rounder motorcycle can hope to be. It does everything, exceptionally well, and in comfort, for mile after mile.