BMW R1300GS ADVENTURE BIKE TEST

[MotoFactory]

At one time, BMW was the Kleenex of the adventure bike world. Starting with the R800GS and moving through subsequent boxer twins of regularly increasing displacement, BMW maintained its status as the archetype all-surface travel bike. For years, the rest of the motorcycle industry looked to BMW to define that entire segment. In all that time, there has never been a complete reboot like this; the latest BMW R1300GS is totally new. It arrived early in 2024 to replace the R1250GS. That bike was substantially redesigned in 2018, but the 1300 has virtually no part numbers that have been carried over. This is BMW’s attempt to assert itself and redefine the adventure bike segment yet again.

BMW made its flagship adventure bike lighter and more compact. The list of electronic features is immense.

THE BOXER LIVES

In very broad terms, the 1300 retains most of the iconic features that have become its hallmarks. It’s still a horizontally opposed twin-cylinder motor. It still has Telelever front suspension and a driveshaft with the Paralever rear suspension. Every one of those components is new for the 1300, starting with the motor. It has more displacement (measuring 1300cc on the dot) with a large bore and a comparatively short stroke. The six-speed gearbox has been relocated under the longitudinal crankshaft. That allows for a longer single-sided swingarm.

Years ago, BMW devised a linkage system to deal with the torque reactions that are peculiar to shaft drives. That’s what the Paralever system is. The original R800GS had torque reaction so severe you could actually bunny-hop the rear wheel using nothing but throttle. The Evo Paralever system has been reworked with a rear shock that has variable rates. In the front, the Telelever front suspension uses a front swingarm and a centrally located front shock. That, too, has BMW’s new variable rates. The shock actually has two different springs so you can electronically alter the overall spring rate. That means you are no longer restricted to damping changes alone to tailor the bike to your needs.

The changes go on and on, but the bottom line is that the R1300Gs is a smaller, lighter bike than the one it replaces. The engine alone lost 8 pounds, the chassis is narrower and more compact. Total curb weight is said to be 522 pounds, which is around 27 pounds less than the 1250, depending on the option package.

PICK A CARD, ANY CARD

There are options, packages and configurations galore with all BMW motorcycles. The base price of the bike alone is $18,895, but virtually none are sold like that in the U.S. The one we have is the R1300GS Triple Black package (+$975) with the Premium package (+$3985), an Akrapovic double muffler (+$995), cross-spoke wheels (+$500), and other miscellaneous bits and pieces to bring the MSRP up to $26,705. It’s worth far more than the truck we loaded it into.

The list of individual items in the Premium package is very long, but the two items worth noting are ride modes Pro and Dynamic suspension adjustment. Ride modes can be selected through a dedicated button on the right, and they include basic Eco, Rain and Road, plus Dynamic, Dynamic Pro, Enduro and Enduro Pro. Each has its own pre-settings for throttle response, traction control, anti-lock braking and suspension. If you want to further tailor your configuration, it requires a deep dive through one of the most convoluted menu systems imaginable. If you own the bike, you’ll get it eventually. In our time with our test bike, however, we struggled to find what we wanted on the fly. In one case, we flagged down another BMW rider to help. He struggled as well. On your initial rides, it’s best to configure your bike beforehand. Later, when you’re a BMW pro, you will have an easier time fine-tuning your bike as you travel.

Our test bike did not have some of the items that many off-road guys would like. Number one on the list was proper tires. We had Michelin Anakee Adventures, which are considerably less aggressive than the Anakee Wild models. We also would have preferred the flipdown rear brake platform and wider footpegs that come on the Trophy package.

The BMW is a striking motorcycle.

BIG AND PROUD

One of the great appeals of the big GS-series bikes might be a little hard to understand from the outside. They are great, big, enormous motorcycles that handle misleadingly well in the dirt. There’s something very satisfying about riding along with your dual-sport buddies and then following them on dirt roads and two-trackers without making them wait. It’s like the Queen Mary racing buoys with jet skis.

The new 1300 takes that concept to a whole new level. You can still follow your dual-sport bike friends on dirt roads, but then, when the road straightens out and traction is good, you can unleash 145 horsepower and warp the earth’s crust. That’s right, the R1300GS is insanely fast. Weirdly, it doesn’t seem insane when you ride it. It goes fast when you open the throttle, but it’s not frightening at all. Exhilarating, yes. Thrilling, certainly. Scary, no. That’s probably because of the way that the boxer twin makes power. It’s done with torque rather than rpm.

Horsepower, by definition, is a measurement of work done in a certain time frame. If you have enough strength (torque), you don’t need repetition (rpm). You feel the 1300’s 109 pound-feet of torque from the first moment you get on the bike, and it gives you excellent control over traction. Of course, traction control and throttle response can help in that regard. In the past, we have been less than thrilled with BMW’s take on traction control. It seemed like a controlled engine miss. In this case, we don’t mind. There are four levels, and two of them are useful off-road, allowing you to drift the rear end slightly, but keeping things from getting too far out of hand. When you have this much torque, you can give plenty away and barely notice. We feel the most effective means to control traction is to adjust throttle response, which has three levels. You really don’t need full boost in the dirt unless you have unusual psychological needs. A doctor’s prescription should probably be required.

The Akrapovic double-exhaust system is a fully approved accessory from BMW and can be ordered at the dealership. You can get carried away choosing performance

TIGHTLY WRAPPED

As we mentioned, the new R1300GS is more compact than ever before. It’s narrow, it has a very low center of gravity, and the wheelbase is only an inch longer than that of a 450 motocross bike. That gives you more confidence than ever before. That said, it’s much more fun to go up the mountain than down. Going up, you are only limited by traction. Going down, regardless of how nimble and light the BMW feels, gravity asserts itself. You have to allow lots of distance for braking, especially with the stock Michelins. There are three levels of ABS, and the least intrusive level is useful for off-road riding, but discretion, as always, is the best form of anti-lock.

Another factor that can encourage you to get carried away is the versatility of the BMW’s suspension. Electronic suspension adjustment has finally come of age. The base level is all about comfort. That’s what you use for street rides and highway trips. It’s one of the most comfortable bikes ever made. It also has settings for riding two-up and with luggage. The Telelever front suspension, if you’ve never experienced it, is unlike anything else. Its most distinctive characteristic is that it has very little dive under braking. That allows the bike to remain level and absorb bumps even as you are coming to a stop. In the past, the trade-offs for this were noticeable—mostly draggy steering and front-end weight. Now, you hardly notice anything unusual about the steering. You do notice a very level cushy ride on the road, which makes you leery about what happens when you get to the dirt. It’s no problem. You can switch modes to Enduro or Enduro Pro, and you actually feel the suspension change as soon as your finger leaves the button. The 1300 then rides higher in its stroke and is much more resistant to bottoming.

When you get into sand or really technical riding, there’s no denying the 1300’s sheer mass. Regardless of how much smaller it is this year, it’s still big. Expecting anything else would be silly. The seat height is reasonably low, which is helpful for those situations when you just give up and use your feet like a caterpillar to get through a section. We all do it, and if we’re lucky, no one shoots any video.

The R1300GS now has 145 horsepower. You don’t have to use it all if you don’t want to.

FEATURES AND MORE FEATURES

This is a bike designed to spend the overwhelming majority of its time on pavement, where it’s wonderful. The 1300 is comfortable, powerful and emotionally satisfying on long, interstate highway trips. The wind protection is much more extensive than anything this side of a Gold Wing, vibration almost nil, and you never, ever have to downshift in order to pass traffic. With all that street cred, it’s fascinating that BMW has devoted so much engineering and technology to improving its offroad performance, where the bike will spend about 1 percent of its life. That tells us that BMW takes its role as the father of adventure seriously and wants to maintain a technical edge. The new 1300 is a big step forward on every front—from technology to performance to manageability. It is, in every way, a machine worthy of the heritage and reputation that BMW brings to the table.

The post BMW R1300GS ADVENTURE BIKE TEST appeared first on Dirt Bike Magazine.

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