Let me start by saying that I've got a 1999 R1100RT and this manual is applicable to my bike as well. I'm not the most mechanically-minded bike owner out there, but this book has great pictures and descriptions that have helped me ease my fears and tackle a few basic tasks (so far). Individual operations are rated on a 1 - 5 scale of difficulty, and tool requirements are clearly spelled out. I regularly check several BMW-related web sites, and they strongly recommend this book also (which is how I found it).

Given that the BMW Shop Manual is over $100, I figured that I'd try this one first. Now that I've received and read it, I see no need to spend the extra $$$ - this manual covers all the stuff I'm likely to attempt on my bike (and a lot more).