BMW’s long-rumoured R 1300 GS has finally been revealed, with the bike often considered the adventure class benchmark moving forward in a number of ways.
Expected to arrive in New Zealand as early as January 2024, BMW has kept the flagship GS’s silhouette very similar, but much has changed the closer you look. BMW has dropped the asymmetric headlights that have been a key design feature of the GS since the R 1150 for two LED units for low and high beams along with four additional LED units for the daytime running light and the side light. The indicators have also been pulled from the body of the bike and are now factory-fitted to the handguards of the R 1300 GS.
Following the general trend in the premium end of the market, BMW has managed to shave weight from the R 1300 GS compared to the outgoing 1250, with the new bike weighing 12kg lighter.
As the name suggests, the R 1300 GS features a new engine measuring in at 1300cc exactly. Power is now claimed as a very healthy 145 hp at 7 750 rpm while the engine develops a maximum torque of 149 Nm at 6 500 rpm. According to BMW, the R1300 engine is by far the most powerful BMW boxer engine ever to be produced in series. As a comparison, the “Big Boxer” of the R18 series puts down 91hp and 158Nm respectively.
As per usual, the R 1300 GS utilises BMW’s Telelever and Paralever suspension systems, with BMW giving the latest iteration the EVO moniker to help differentiate it from the previous generation.
The new suspension also bolts onto a new sheet metal shell main frame made of steel, which in addition to being significantly optimised in terms of installation space also offers higher levels of stiffness than the predecessor model. For the rear frame, the previous tubular steel structure has now been replaced with a die-cast aluminium construction. The new EVO Telelever front wheel guide with flex element and the revised EVO Paralever rear wheel guide also provide even greater steering precision and ride stability.
Tech-wise, BMW has once again gone all out on the big GS. Dynamic cruise control will be standard on New Zealand bikes with the option to add what BMW calls the Riding Assistant package which adds active cruise control (which keeps a set distance from vehicles in front of you), forward collision and lane change warnings. As is starting to become a necessity for the heavyweight adventure class, BMW is also offering as part of the suspension system the option of adaptive vehicle height to help make the bike more approachable.
All these new updates to the flagship BMW adventurer have come at a cost, with pricing of the new R1300GS starting at a lofty $45,990 plus on-roads while the top-spec Option 719 is priced at $49,490.