I've really enjoyed trying out this great little tool, and even though I haven't needed to use all of its extensive features yet I'm going to be very glad to have it by my side in case I need it.

To anyone who services (or is thinking of servicing) their own BMW motorcycle this is an essential tool.

Even if you only use it for checking the fault codes on the service intervals, this will save you money in the long term when you consider the dealer servicing rate per hour + you could consider clubbing together with a mate as even the basic enthusiast's version will let you service up to 10 different machines.

Even if you aren't going to do all the work yourself, how handy is it going to be to have a good idea about what the fault is before deciding if you need to drive/drag your bike to a BMW dealer who may be 50 to 100 miles away (often the case here in Wales).

I also enjoy touring in Europe and I'm definitely going to take this with me for the same reasons, and also because it's so light and portable.

So here are my ratings:

• Ease of use: 5/5
• Software: 5/5
• Range of diagnostic features: 5/5

Current details of the various models and prices are available at the Hexcode and Ilexa websites.