The hype is deserved: BMW’s R 1300 GS retains its place at the top adventure tourer heap.

Words: Pete Vorst / Photography: Motohead

Make no mistake, BMW’s new R 1300 GS is a significant departure from its predecessor, the R 1250 GS. It is an exercise in nitpicking to highlight an area where the 1300 isn’t objectively better than the 1250. The 1300 and the 1250 might share the GS moniker and have the same suspension and engine configuration, but that’s about as far as the similarities go.

I feel that I’m in an excellent position to offer up an opinion on the differences between the old R 1250 GS and the freshly minted R 1300 GS for several reasons. Firstly, I’ve ridden truckloads of R 1250 GSs of various flavours over the years, and just a few days after stepping off a plane following our 15-day Safari Africa tour of South Africa and Namibia on an R 1250 GS, I was sitting astride the R 1300 GS Trophy X you see here. On top of that, I was fortunate to be invited to and attend the world launch of the new GS in Spain last November. So, suffice to say, after the last two-and-a-bit weeks of careening through the bush on the Trophy, I’ve spent a solid block of time on both.

The boxer engine has been significantly updated for the R 1300 GS. There’s the obvious increase in capacity from 1254cc to 1300cc and the resulting increase in power, which is up from 100kW (134hp) to 107kW (143hp), while torque has been boosted from 143Nm (105ft.lbs) to 149Nm (110ft.lbs). The engine doesn’t immediately feel more powerful, and it’s not unless you’re alongside a 1250 that you notice the extra poke – although, if you fancy a wheelie, the 1300 is noticeably easier to get the front wheel in the air on. The 1300cc mill feels more refined, spins up quicker, and the gearbox is smoother. It isn’t the smoothest in class, but it’s better than the 1250s, and the same goes for the quick shifter.

The combination of the new pressed-steel frame (as opposed to the old tubular steel unit), revised suspension and geometry, plus its lighter weight, have conjured up an adventure bike that is an amazing sports tourer, and I really would like to emphasize the ‘sports’ here. Those in the know will tell you, should you inquire, how hard a 1250 could be punted through a set of corners on some twisty bitumen backroad. The 1300 is more of the same, only better. The 1300 feels more responsive to inputs and is a speedy steerer. In fact, tipping into a corner is significantly easier when compared to the 1250, and I found myself hitting apexes just a tad early until I acclimatized to the new chassis.

The electronic suspension is superb for all but the most spirited road riding, and considering its remit as an adventure tourer, it’s fantastic on dirt roads. Big power-slides are on the cards with the stability of the 130 letting you be very cheeky indeed. Being a larger gent, when I left the blacktop, I’d flick the Trophy into Enduro Pro mode and then go into the suspension settings and stiffen things up for my weight and speed. I’d do the same on the road where the 1300 is also a little soft at the speeds I like to travel at.

Soft at speed it may be, but when you’re behaving yourself, the Trophy returns a beautifully compliant and smooth ride. Rest assured that unless you’re rather fast, rather portly, or rather light, you won’t be needing to take the 1300 to a shop to have the suspension played with. While I’m on the subject of suspension, the auto-lowering suspension works smoothly, and you can barely notice the procedure happening. It’s not a game-changer for this 186cm (6’1) lad, but vertically challenged riders are going to love it, especially if you’re loaded up with luggage and/or a pillion.

Engine and handling aside, what really puts a smile on my dial is the diet that Beemer have put its adventure machine on (unlike the R 1300 GS Adventure!!!). If claimed weight figures are to be trusted, the R 1300 GS has gone from being the porker of the big-bore, multi-cylinder adventure machines to being the lightest. BMW claims that the 1300 weighs in at 237kg (522lbs) fully fuelled and ready to roll: that’s a 12kg (26lbs) reduction in wet weight. That may not seem significant but combined with the compact and low-slung new engine and reduced overall size, there is an absolute and apparent reduction in effort required to wrestle the 13 around. This is apparent whether you’re pushing it around in a carpark or carving through a tasty backroad, but it is never more apparent than when you leave the blacktop and hit the dirt. I’m no Dakar-riding Simon Pavey type, to be sure, but the GS had me riding with confidence just moments after first hopping on it. GSs have always handled off-road terrain better than they look like they should, but I have never felt as comfortable off-road on a GS as I do on the 1300; it’s as clear-cut as that. And if you have any doubt about how capable an R 1300 GS can be off-road, check out some of the official ride pics on the BMW Motorrad website and see what kind of wonderful and exciting shapes Miles Davis can make on one.

As with all GSs, the R 1300 is a rolling electronics showcase. The Trophy X variant is festooned with tech, including the Dynamic Package which includes the oh-so-swanky electronically adjustable suspension, quickshifter, and a ton of riding modes. You also get a flash seat (890mm), black cross-spoke tubeless wheels, the Enduro Package Pro with an exhaustive list of additions, including bar risers and adjustable shift levers and rear brake pedal, and to top all that off, the Trophy comes with heated seats, fog lights, off-road-focused rubber, and the very handsome looking twin silencers.

As you would expect from Beemer, all electronic doodads work as they should and are reasonably easy to navigate thanks to a relatively intuitive user interface; if you’ve come from an R 1250 GS or F 850 GS, it won’t take long to get your head around the gadgets. Although, I must say that there needs to be a dedicated button for regularly used features like the electronic screen, traction control, heated grips, and heated seat, etc.

So, less weight, more power, more torque, a smaller, nimbler package with fresh new looks, and more electronic fruit than ever before; what’s not to like? Well, not much really. The indicators built into the handguard look like a vulnerable and expensive addition on a bike that’s designed to head off-road. The other elephant in the room for those closer to the poverty line than penthouse suite is the price. The standard R 1300 GS will set you back just over $28,500 AUD, and the Trophy X that you see here will set you back the better part of $38,000 AUD. Rip the accessories catalogue out and you’re looking over $40k AUD without breaking a sweat. But, if you want quality, then you need to pay for it, and considering how popular the GS is, most understand this. It is a lot of equipment for the money, and the overall reliability of BMW motorcycles is hard to argue against.

The new looks might not blow your nighty up, but then I’m sure most riders purchased GS because of their ability and durability rather than purely for the looks.

I loved the 1250; it had its quirks and faults, but it earned its excellent reputation for a reason. Beemer has addressed the negatives and given us an adventure tourer that is arguably the pinnacle of the pack; still!

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