BMW R 1300 GS (2024) - Review

2024 BMW R1300GS - Review

Technical Review – Martin Fitz-Gibbons – 28 Sept 23
Riding Review – Adam ‘Chad’ Child – 27 Oct 23

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the biggest shakeup in the 40-plus-year history of BMW’s beloved GS legacy. The all-new R 1300 GS – and by ‘all-new’, we really do mean every single component on the bike – is more powerful, torquier, lighter and more sophisticated than the R 1250 GS it takes over from. The R 1300 GS is a true, literal, clean-sheet design: a totally redesigned engine, in a completely new chassis, featuring technology that’s never been seen on any production road bike before . And, perhaps most controversially, there’s also a dramatically different look from nose to tail.

We flew to Malaga for two days and close to 500km of extensive testing, both on and off-road, to put the all-new GS through its paces. However, with so many model variants, so much new technology and so many tweaks, upgrades and general improvements we will have to visit the 1300 GS again (and again...) and put some serious mileage before we can say that it's fully tested.

A manufacturer's launch test can only cover so much ground, and we came away from our ride on the GS still needing to test long-distance comfort, plus the heated grips and seat, the luggage system and pillion comfort. But two days in Spain did reveal some surprises. Has BMW’s benchmark adventure bike been improved, and if so by how much?

2024 BMW R1300GS - Review and Riding Impressions

BikeSocial's very own Adam 'Chad' Child takes the new BMW R1300GS, on-road and off-road, racking up over 500 kilometres around the stunning scenery of Malaga, Spain.

'Base' model, 719 edition, Triple Black and Trophy.

2024 BMW R 1300 GS Price

In the UK a base-model BMW R 1300 GS will cost £15,990, while the higher-spec TE version starts at £18,465. For the base model, that appears to be a whopping £1000 price rise on top of a 2023 R 1250 GS – however, as the R 1300 GS’s base model spec is higher than the 1250’s, it’s not really accurate to directly compare the two. For TE models, the 1300 is a mere £65 more than the outgoing 1250.

However, as anyone who’s ever tried to spec up a flagship BMW will know, prices (inevitably) don’t stop there. There are multiple packs, bundles and optional extras that can be added on top, for which full pricing information hasn’t yet been announced. What we do know so far is that the R 1300 GS TE will come with several options including extra riding modes, semi-active suspension, a two-way quickshifter, cornering headlight, pannier fastenings and more. But pricing hasn’t yet been confirmed for some of the real headline-grabbing tech extras including adaptive ride height, Riding Assistant (front and rear radar systems), an electrically adjustable screen, heated seats, spoked wheels, or a voice-activated artificial-intelligence BMW-branded pretzel maker. Alright, we made the last one up.

The list of accessories is almost endless and ranges from different seats to luggage, crash protection, rider aids and, of course, GS clothing. Once you start ticking the accessories boxes, you’ll sail passed the £20,000 mark without too much trouble. However, BMW has bunched the accessories into packages –Dynamic, Touring and Innovation – to make the process easier and more affordable,

As you'd expect from a flagship BMW, the build quality and attention to detail are both sky high, and now I’ve ridden the bike and appreciate the sheer volume of thinking, work and effort that must have been poured into its development, I'm actually surprised the GS's pricing isn't higher. On test we had the GS TE and the Trophy, which is biased more towards off-road riding. Out test bikes equate to £19,905 for the R 1300 GS TE and £19,495 for the off-road biased Trophy bike.

2024 BMW R1300GS – Release Date

All models are hitting dealers as we write this review, though early stocks will have been pre-configured and may include many extras, so prices will reflect this. If you’re looking for an entry level base model, this will probably need to be ordered and lead-times may vary. Best to speak to your local BMW dealer or configure your ideal bike through the BMW Motorrad Website.

2024 BMW R 1300 GS Engine & Performance

The clue’s in the name, but let’s start with the increased capacity. The GS now features a bigger Boxer, the total displacement boosted to exactly 1300cc – up from the previous 1254cc design. This extra capacity hasn’t been achieved by simply adding bigger pistons or a longer-throw crank to the 1250: it’s a completely new design. The R 1300 GS motor is the most oversquare Boxer engine yet, with a massive 106.5mm bore (up from the 1250’s 102.5mm pistons) mated to a shorter 73mm stroke (down from the 1250’s 76mm, funnily enough back to the same stroke as the old 1200 motor).

Power and torque figures both represent a healthy increase over the 1250. Peak power is up from 134bhp to 143bhp, making for the most powerful production Boxer engine ever. Maximum torque is up from 105lb·ft to 110lb·ft, but more importantly BMW say there’s more grunt “across the entire engine speed range”. As evidence, they offer the factoid that the 1300 motor makes at least 95lb·ft of torque (more than the 2013 R1200GS’s peak torque figure) all the way from 3600rpm to 7800rpm. Maximum revs remains the same 9000rpm as the 1250, hopefully offering reassurance that the new motor hasn’t become any revvier than before, despite its shorter-stroke design.

Passing air/fuel mixture to and from the bigger combustion chambers are larger-diameter valves, with intakes up from 40mm to 44mm, and outlets up from 34mm to 35.6mm. BMW’s ShiftCam system is retained, which can change the valve timing and lift on the intake side by switching between two cam profiles on the same shaft. At lower revs and smaller throttle openings a milder “partial-load” cam reduces lift and duration, and also staggers the opening between each pair of intake valves to deliberately swirl the air/fuel mixture on its way into the chamber, all improving efficiency. Work the motor harder and ShiftCam switches to the “full-load” cam profile, opening the intake valves further and for longer to let the engine guzzle all the air and fuel it desires.

Once the mixture’s in place it’ll find itself squished harder than before, with compression ratio raised from the 1250’s 12.5:1 up to a whopping 13.3:1. But despite this higher compression, the 1300 motor is still rated to run on regular 95RON unleaded. A knock sensor is included, so if you find yourself on your global travels with no choice but to fill up with low-octane fuel, the bike can compensate.

Despite the wealth of bigger numbers, not everything has gone up in size. BMW say this is a more compact Boxer engine than before, thanks to moving the six-speed gearbox from behind the engine to a new location underneath it. This means the motor is shorter and better balanced – in fact, the engine alone is now 3.9kg lighter, while the weight savings increase to 6.5kg across the whole powertrain.

Shorter, lighter, more powerful and gruntier across the revs – on paper, it certainly looks like BMW have done an impressively complete job of the most significant Boxer reinvention in more than a decade.

If you stand back and think about what BMW have done here, it’s rather remarkable. They have increased power and torque by increasing capacity, which is a relatively simple trick to perform, while also making the engine more compact and lighter than before. And let’s not forget the now old 1254cc is a brilliant engine.

BMW engineers were happy to tell me the new Boxer engine is significantly smaller but wouldn’t say by how much. But to save 3.9kg on the motor alone, plus 6.5kg on the powertrain (gearbox and shaft drive) is remarkable. And here's a GS fact to take to the pub tonight: for the first time in my or anyone's lifetime, the cylinder heads appear symmetrical, as the cam-chain runs on the front side of one cylinder and the back side of the other. Locating the gearbox under the engine hasn’t hindered ground clearance either.

On the road, we had the standard Eco, Rain and Road riding modes, plus the optional Dynamic/Pro, which optimises the rider aids, suspension, and power characteristics to the moment.

Leaving the hotel, I opted for Eco and enjoyed watching the Eco icon on the top right of the screen informing how economically I was riding. (Not especially as it turns out.) However, it didn’t take long before I dialled up Road mode, and that's when I encountered the noticeable jump in performance from the old bike to the new.

As with the R 1250 GS, fuelling at low speed is faultless. The optional Shift Assist Pro (an up-and-down quickshifter) has a lovely light feel and is more precise than the old bike's as the mechanism is more direct, while each clutchless gear change is sweetly matched by the rpm.

Despite making the new Boxer unit massively oversquare and upping peak power by a claimed 11bhp, you don’t have to chase the revs. The R 13 drives very much like the older bike – it certainly sounds like the old bike – but does so with more of everything. There is a now a deeply satisfying spread of torque from as low as 3000rpm, and I found myself accelerating briskly out of sleepy Spanish villages in high gear with effortless laziness.   

Peak torque is a fraction higher than before at 6500rpm, while peak power arrives at the same 7750rpm and, to be frank, you really don’t need to rev above 7000rpm, even when your brain is in sport mode.  I deliberately rode the GS in a gear too high as I carved up the multiple Spanish hillsides and was blown away by the endless surge of instantaneous and immaculately metered torque on tap. We all know how fast a GS can be but the way the new bike delivers whilst only using 60% of the rpm is truly impressive. It asks so little of the rider.

So, yes, much like the 1250 GS only more so. What I wasn’t expecting was the performance higher up in the rev range. A jump from a 134bhp peak to 143bhp doesn't look too dramatic on paper, but on the road, it feels it. The new 1300 has some serious get up and go, revving with a freedom unimaginable by Boxer owners of a decade or so ago. In Dynamic mode especially it responds to handful of rpm by piling forwards, chewing up cars, zipping up mountains... It grunts, drives, punches, revs – the whole damn lot, and gives its rider aids a decent workout in the process.

Just so you know, with the traction control deactivated, the R 1300 GS will happily loft its 19-inch front wheel in the first two gears and, if you introduce a whiff of clutch, as serious investigative journalists sometimes do, even in third gear too. Yes, I know, very few R 13 owners will be stupid enough to pull a third-gear wheelie on the road, but my point is that it couldn’t be done on the old bike. The R 13 is simply more lively and more fun. 

2024 BMW R 1300 GS Handling & Suspension

That “all-new” goes much further than the motor. While every flagship GS has used a tubular steel frame for as long as anyone’s known what a GS is, the R 1300 GS is held together with something quite different. The main frame is now constructed from sheet steel, rather than tubular, and is described by BMW as a “shell” design. They say this makes for more compact packaging and offers greater stiffness than the 1250. The bolt-on rear subframe is completely new too, and is now die-cast aluminium rather than tubular steel.

Suspension has been thoroughly overhauled. The R 1300 GS retains BMW’s Telelever system at the front end, though it’s been updated to what BMW calls “Evo Telelever”. Claiming to represent a hybrid of the sportier, stiffer Telelever design used on the HP2 Sport and R 1200 S combined with the more flexible design of the previous GS, BMW say that Evo Telelever is the best of both worlds, with improved stability, more precise steering and reduced friction. Similarly, BMW’s Paralever system at the back has been updated to “Evo Paralever”, which claims to create a stiffer connection, and uses a longer swingarm for improved traction. We haven’t seen either system in detail or up close yet – we’ll add more info as we get it.

And as for the actual suspension units… well, here’s where it gets complicated. The base model GS, as before, features straightforward monoshocks at both ends: an unadjustable front with 190mm of travel, and a rear with hydraulically adjustable preload and 200mm of travel. But it’s fair to assume almost all customers will opt for the new semi-active system known as DSA: Dynamic Suspension Adjustment.

DSA moves electronic suspension on to the next level by not only offering the ability to adjust front and rear damping in real time, but now also being able to change spring rate too. We’ve covered the system in detail before, so for more information on how it works, have a read here.

The short version is that the suspension can now automatically adapt to offer a better ride across a wider range of use cases, from sporty solo riding, to fully loaded two-up cruising.

And, speaking of short versions, on top of the optional DSA is the option to have BMW’s new adaptive ride height control system. This can automatically reduce the seat height of the R 1300 GS by 30mm (dropping it from 850mm to 820mm) at slow speeds by quickly removing preload from both shocks, helping a shorter rider to put their feet down more confidently. As the bike speeds up again, a pump quickly adds the correct amount of preload, lifting the bike back up to its correct height, improving its centre of gravity, dynamics and ground clearance. Again, more details on how this works can be found at the link above.

But enough of the more, more, more… time for a bit of less. The kerb weight of the R 1300 GS is a claimed 237kg – that’s 12kg lighter than the R 1250 GS. Of that, 6.5kg comes from the powertrain, 2.5kg comes from a new lithium-ion starter battery and, if we’re being picky, a further 750g can be put down to carrying a litre less fuel. That suggests all the chassis changes contribute a reduction in the ballpark of around 2kg.

Stopping this reduced mass is a new braking system, with four-piston, radially-mounted, BMW-branded calipers at the front biting a pair of 310mm discs. At the back is a single 285mm disc with a floating two-piston caliper. All three discs are larger than those on the R 1250 GS (which used 305mm front and 276mm rear). In addition is something called Full Integral ABS Pro as standard, which in plain English is a linked braking system. Whether you squeeze the brake lever or push down on the pedal, both brakes are activated simultaneously. It’s all informed by an IMU, which means the ABS application is optimised for your lean angle, and there’s rear-wheel lift detection to stop stoppies. Skid fans haven’t been forgotten though: select either the Dynamic Pro or Enduro Pro riding modes and rear ABS can be deactivated.

You feel the difference between the old 1250 and new 1300 as soon as you throw a leg over the new seat. For a vertically-challenged rider like me, it is much more accessible, especially as a flatter and smaller (by one litre) fuel tank makes the bike instantly more manageable.

The frontal area is pleasingly neat and gives the new GS a slimmer look and feel. Even without lowering the electronic suspension, I could get two feet securely, if not quite fully, on the ground. Shorter riders can opt for a lower seat option or the adaptive vehicle height control, which automatically drops the seat height from 850mm to 820mm at slow speeds.

Of course, the extra energy in the new R 13 must in part be down to its new chassis and its lower weight. The 1250 GS has legendary natural balance and carries its bulk low, but it still feels weighty, especially when fully fuelled. The new 1300 GS has a similar natural feel at low speed but is now less bulky and intimidating. BMW claim a weight reduction of 12 kilos but it feels like more, particularly in town and some classic Spanish congestion, where I found the new Beemer far easier to wiggle and weave through the chaos.

Thankfully we soon left the hell of holiday traffic behind and headed for the deserted hills. BMW have designed the electronic Dynamic Suspension Adjustment (DSA) to give a comfortable, smooth ride and it certainly does that. In Road mode the ride is outstandingly comfortable, on the verge of soft and wallowing at times, but always miraculously controlled too. There’s more suspension movement, and you can feel the EVO Paralever and EVO Telelever suspension working their magic, constantly reacting to the poorly paved Spanish roads.

I tried to tie it all in knots by deliberately hitting undulations in the road while on the power and carrying lean angle, or by purposely chopping the throttle to extend the shock, but it wasn't having any of that nonsense. The suspension travel may be long and the ride quality luxurious but stability is absolute too. On the motorway, it’s like riding a magic carpet, yet on the back roads there's true confidence-boosting composure.

Switch from Road Mode to Dynamic Pro and the DSA suspension loses some of that squishy, cossetting movement but delivers a surprisingly sporty ride. Yes, you did read that correctly: what you can get away with on the new GS defies belief. That new lightness, the new chassis and the manner in which the semi-active suspension reacts to everything you can throw at it, conspire to create a platform that feels up for anything. When pushed, BMW's engineers put the step-change in chassis performance down to the suspension's ability to change spring rate whilst riding.

I shouldn't get too carried away. GSs have always handled, and the R 1250 in particular can dispense a poorly surfaced B-road more efficiently than many a sports bike. The new one, though, this R 1300 GS thing, is on the next page altogether with more comfort – an immaculate touring set up, in fact ­– in Road mode, and a sharp, stable and sporty ride in the optional Dynamic mode. And I should add that even at 47-degrees of lean (indicated on the dash) I still did not manage to introduce my BMW's undercarriage to the Spanish road.

The only real-world limitations to the BMW's cornering ability are the Metzeler Tourance Next 2 tyres. I had to remind myself that this is an adventure bike on touring rubber designed for mileage and all-around grip, and not a big supermoto. A 1300 GS on stickier rubber would be an absolute weapon in the right hands. Be warned sports bike fans, don’t take on GS thinking it’s an easy win.

As with many semi-active systems, there is an element of having to trust the suspension as it lacks the intimate, granular feel of a good conventional set up. Telelever cops a bit of criticism, too, for a degree of mid-corner vagueness but, with the new Evo Telelever, the connection between front tyre contact patch the rider's confidence glands is stronger than before. You simply have to take a little time to learn the ways of the GS: to get acquainted with its shaftiness and lack of dive – and trust the rider aids to step in should you get carried away. (If you select the sports dash display you can see a live view of the level of traction control intervention.)

Braking is by new four-piston radial mounted calipers up front and linked via Full Integral ABS Pro, with rear pedal also activating the front brake and vice versa. The amount of brake applied to the front from the rear depends on the current riding mode and other live data harvested by the system. For example, when using the back brake, ABS Pro will apply less front brake when the bike is banked over at high speed but will apply more if the bike is upright. It also won't link the brakes at low speeds, which allows you to use just the back brake at low speeds. I experimented using only the rear brake and could feel the system seamlessly apply the front. Meanwhile, the lean-sensitive ABS is excellent, allowing you to ride with confidence on unfamiliar roads, knowing you can brake while leaning, even on poor surfaces, in safety.

I didn’t test the Front Collision Warning system, which uses an optional front radar to detect an imminent impact and then assists you, hopefully, by shortening the bike's stopping distance by applying more power to the already activated brakes. It won't apply the brakes for you but will give a warning on the dash. If that is ignored a ‘haptic pulse' in the system should get your attention.

2024 BMW R 1300 GS Comfort & Economy

For years the GS has generally been considered one of the most comfortable motorcycles money can buy – upright, relaxed, spacious and unstressed. Many consider it an even better bike for covering distance than BMW’s own R 1250 RT tourer, thanks to the GS’s more generous legroom. So all eyes (and backs, knees and bums) will be on whether the 1300 can match the same level of ergonomic luxury.

BMW aren’t giving us much to go on for now, only describing that the “ergonomic triangle of the new R 1300 GS has been optimised for a sporty, relaxed riding position”, but not offering any details of how it compares to the 1250.

What they do highlight instead is the choice available for a rider to personalise the riding position, with four different seats (including the option for heated rider and pillion seats), three footrests, and different handlebars choices including a Comfort bar as well as a 30mm bar riser. In addition, the optional adaptive ride height control will let shorter riders feel more at home without having to resort to a low seat, or a Low Seat Height model with reduced suspension travel and compromised dynamics.

BMW R1300GS pillion review

Bennetts BikeSocial's John and Helen Milbank test the BMW's two-up touring ability

As for fuel consumption, the 1300 is only a fraction down on the 1250 – a claimed 58.9mpg for the new motor, compared with the previous bike’s 59.5mpg. What will make a slight difference is having a 1-litre smaller fuel tank, with volume now just 19 litres. That gives a theoretical range of 246 miles, which is down on the R 1250 GS’s max range of 262 miles. For now all these are purely on paper – we’ll bring you tested economy and real-world range as soon as we’ve ridden the bike.

The all-new view from the cockpit is well thought out, with a familiar full-colour dash that now carries more information and additional switchgear. I’ve ridden Beemers for centuries and am fully acquainted with the layout and usability of it all. For first timers, it may appear quite daunting but there is a lot of information at your fingertips, and it quickly becomes clear and easy to navigate.

The all-new electric screen (yes, finally) can be actuated by creating a shortcut from the main menu meaning you can simply move the screen up or down via a switch on the left bar. However, if you have the shortcut set to, say, traction control then you must go into the menu to change the height of the screen – there isn't a separate button just for the screen.

There’s a real difference between fully lowered and fully upright. At motorway speeds, you can hear the wind noise vastly reduce as the screen rises. From low to upright the wind protection is greatly increased, too. There’s still some air cooling the rider, it’s not a complete bubble like a BMW RT, but I found the wind protection to be noticeably better than it is on the older GS. And I have to say that the adjustable screen is a game changer, not just for 5ft 7inch me but taller riders too. Shame it’s not standard.

We did get the opportunity to play with the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which uses the new radar. You set the cruise control the same way as before but now it’s adaptive, adjusting the bike's speed depending on the distance between you and other traffic. This combined with the Lane Changing Warning (SWW) system helps make touring near effortless.

As noted, the petrol tank is smaller by one litre, and the new 1300 isn’t as frugal as the old bike. I carried out two tests, riding briskly on a selection of roads: test one covered 143km/89 miles and averaged 5l/100km/56.5mpg with 268km/167 miles remaining; test two covered 191km/119 miles and averaged 4.9/100km/58mpg with 212km/132 miles remaining. Tank range should be good for 220 miles or more.

2024 BMW R 1300 GS Equipment

Blimey, deep breath… The base-model R 1300 GS comes with a higher specification than the base 1250. Four riding modes are now standard (Rain, Road, Eco, Enduro), where the 1250 had three. All versions of the GS will come with cornering linked ABS, traction control, engine braking control, cruise control and hill-hold assistance.

Standard equipment also includes a new lighting system, with indicators built into handguards, and a brand-new LED headlight that’s certain to split opinion. Where every GS since the 1150 has used an asymmetric, two-light face that’s become synonymous with the model, the 1300 boldly switches to a brand-new X-shaped unit.

The central LED unit at the middle of the X contains both low and high beams, while the four lines surrounding it serve as daytime running lights. BMW aren’t subtle in singing its praises, claiming it “illuminates the road with a hitherto unrivalled clarity, ensuring even better perception in traffic”. There’s also an option to equip the R 1300 GS with Headlight Pro, where the LED beam turns into the corner, informed by the bike’s lean angle sensor.

That’s just one of a very long list of optional extras, including all the aforementioned additional riding modes, semi-active suspension, quickshifters and so on. Perhaps one of the most anticipated, especially for those who spend a lot of time on the motorway, is active cruise control. BMW are calling the GS’s system “Riding Assistant”, and it brings together a number of features.

The first is Active Cruise Control (ACC) – which uses a forwards-facing radar to adjust the bike’s cruising speed to maintain a safe distance to the vehicle in front. On top of this is a new Front Collision Warning (FCW) system, which you can read more about here.

In short, this uses the radar sensor to anticipate potentially dangerous situations ahead even when the cruise control isn’t engaged, and can alert the rider, then even apply the brakes, in an attempt to avoid a crash or at least reduce its severity. The third element is Lane Change Warning, which uses a rear-facing radar to monitor traffic approaching from behind, and warn a rider if vehicles are travelling closely, or approaching at speed.

One other thing that’s a new option for the 2024 R 1300 GS, which hasn’t been available on previous models, is an electrically adjustable windshield. This doesn’t come as standard, but is included as part of the Comfort Package, or can be specified on its own.

As mentioned above there’ll be a TE version in the UK which includes many of the options (namely the Dynamic Pack and Touring Pack), but doesn’t include the Comfort, Enduro or Innovation Packs. In essence, it feels like BMW are offering so much choice that it isn’t a case of just asking for a bike with everything, but having the freedom to spec the exact bike that you want. Whether that’s a blessing or a curse may well come down to how much you like looking at online configurators, and how big your budget is…

There are so many accessories and options you can make that the list is almost endless. One of the hardest decisions is going to be choosing a configuration that makes you happy. BMW has simplified the process by creating special packages, and there are different models to choose from too: the standard ‘Pure GS’, the Trophy, Triple Black and the very attractive 719. But still, you can change seats, pegs, bars, wheels, luggage... Each bike can be created for the rider like a made-to-measure set of leathers, and I imagine it will be hard to find two bikes alike.

We had two bikes on test: the standard GS TE, with a comfort package, heated seat, comfort seat, and Riding Assistant; and the off-road biased GS Trophy paint style, with Dynamic and Enduro packages, plus Headlight Pro. They both share the same base but the Trophy, with a non-adjustable screen, no radar and a harder seat and off-road biased Karoo 4 rubber, felt very different. I missed the adjustable screen and lane-change warning system, which I’d grown accustomed to.

Off-road, we only got to tickly the GS, but the lightness and ease-of-use was evident off-road. In the optional Enduro Pro mode, ABS is still active on the front but removes the rear. The Enduro Pro DTC allows a small slide, but soon takes over when you get a little carried away. You can also remove the DTC should you wish to have some sideways fun.

2024 BMW R 1300 GS Rivals

There’s no doubt that the premium, flagship, big-cc adventurer is one of Europe’s most hotly fought categories, and one the GS has dominated for over a decade. For many GS buyers there really isn’t such a thing as a rival – if anything, the most pressing decision may be to stick with their existing 1200 or 1250, versus trading in for the 1300. But as far as the new-bike market looks in 2024, here’s the GS’s three closest competitors.

Ducati Multistrada V4 | Price: from £17,161

Read more

Power/Torque

168bhp/92lb ft

Weight

240kg

Triumph Tiger 1200 GT | Price: from £14,995

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Power/Torque

148bhp/96lb ft

Weight

240kg

KTM 1290 Super Adventure S | Price: from £16,599

Read more

Power/Torque

158bhp/102lb ft

Weight

238kg (Est)

2024 BMW R 1300 GS Verdict

It could be argued that BMW didn’t need to produce a new GS, after all it is still the best-selling adventure bike – a genuine motorcycling icon and legend by which all other adventure bikes are judged. The current R 1250 GS may lack a little cutting-edge gadgetry but if BMW had simply added a radar, we would have been happy.

Instead, BMW has created a completely new model that shares nothing with the older bike and in the process reminded the world what they can do. To improve an already excellent bike is hard work, but BMW has done it, and not by a fraction but by a significant step, one that will send current GS owners scrambling to the BMW showroom and owners of other brands questioning if they should, too.

BMW has made the GS lighter, more compact, more adjustable, more accessible, more responsive, more comfortable, faster, gruntier – and done so without sacrificing the usability of the Boxer platform. It’s now easier to live with, but equally more fun with more punch and better handling. The level of usable technology is, as they say, off the scale.

I rode the old 1250 GS recently and didn’t think it needed to be improved one jot. But the game moves on and with the new R 1300 BMW has improved the GS in every way. Watch out; the stampede to BMW showrooms is going to be alarming.

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2024 BMW R 1300 GS Technical Specification

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