BMW R 1300 GS first ride review: The GS is reborn
- Torquey engine
- Loaded with technology
- Lighter than R 1250 GS
- Heavy weight
- Tall seat height
- BMW R 1300 GS is built from the ground-up. It features a new chassis, suspension setup and a new engine as well. Here is our review of the motorcycle.
Back in the 1980's, the first GS from BMW was born when a few engineers decided to plonk a boxer twin engine into a motorcycle in their free time. The motorcycle was called R 80 G/S and if you are wondering then since then BMW has rolled out more than one million GS motorcycles from its plant. Till now, the BMW R 1250 GS was without a doubt one of the most popular adventure tourers globally. However, it was high time that BMW updated its lineup because the competition had finally caught up.
Last year, BMW Motorrad launched the R 1300 GS, the successor to the R 1250 GS and it has now finally reached the Indian shores as well. It is important to note R 1300 GS is all-new. BMW says that the new motorcycle is faster, lighter, more capable and should be more accessible for the riders. We got to ride the R 1300 GS in Ladakh where we took it from Leh to Wari La Pass and here are our thoughts about the motorcycle after spending a day with it.
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1300 cc
21 kmpl
2024 BMW R 1300 GS: All-new design
The design of the R 1300 GS is a big departure from the R 1250 GS. Gone is the asymmetrical headlamp in the front and in comes a totally new unit. It has an 'X'-shaped LED Daytime Running Lamp with the centre stage being taken by a projector that integrates the low beam as well as the high beam. There is also a cornering function and the turn indicators are now integrated into the hand guards.
The chassis of the motorcycle is all-new which has helped BMW body panels that are packed closely. This has helped in making the frontal area and the rear of the motorcycle feel a lot more compact. The fuel tank is now slimmer so it becomes easier for the rider to hold on to it. It is important to note that the tank size has gone down from 20 litres to 19 litres. However, there should be no effect on the riding range, says BMW. Yes, when the first images of the R 1300 GS were released, few people did say that it was a bit polarizing but in person, the R 1300 GS looks great. It looks sharp, slim and ready to take on anything that the rider has to offer.
2024 BMW R 1300 GS: How are the ergonomics?
Well, as expected the R 1300 GS is an adventure tourer so it is bound to have comfortable ergonomics. The handlebar is tall, the seat despite being slim is comfortable and the foot pegs are mid-set. The rider can easily grab onto the slimmer fuel tank while riding and standing up on the footpegs. One thing to consider though is the seat height, it is slightly higher than the R 1250 GS.
So, as a guy with a 5'8 height, I had to scooch towards the tank every time the motorcycle came to a halt to ensure that I was able to get my foot down. However, I was still tiptoeing. What does help is the new adaptive ride height functionality being offered on some models. What it does is drop the seat height from 850 mm to 820 mm as soon as the speed of the motorcycle drops below 20 kmph and it rises once again as soon as the speed increases to more than 50 kmph
2024 BMW R 1300 GS: How is the new engine?
The engine capacity has now been bumped up to 1,300 cc. It now puts out 143 bhp of max power and 149 Nm of peak torque. The bore of the engine is now wider while the stroke is shorter when compared to the R 1250 GS. The engine itself is compact and lighter by 3.9 kg whereas the whole powertrain is lighter by 6.5 kg. The internals have been redesigned so that the boxers themselves can be in symmetry and the compression ratio has also been increased.
The result is that the engine feels smooth, torquey and pulls towards the redline effortlessly. The torque is spread evenly throughout the rev range so all that the rider needs to do is twist the throttle. But don't get fooled by the easy nature of this engine, it would still sprint from 0-100 kmph in just 3.5 seconds. There are no vibrations to talk about and the only time you would feel the vibrations is when the engine roars to life with that iconic left-to-right movement of a boxer engine when the rider pushes the starter button.
At no moment, the engine feels stressed and it would cruise on the highways for the whole day without breaking a sweat. The fueling and on-off throttle transitions are also very smooth. The gearbox is also redesigned. It is now positioned under the crank whereas earlier it used to be behind the engine. It is a 6-speed unit and it does shift precisely and now comes with a magnetized system for the Shift Assistant Pro which is basically an up-and-down quickshifter. It works quite well for the most part, only at lower revs there is a bit of resistance from the quickshifter, but at higher revs, it is butter smooth for upshifts as well as downshifts. Moreover, the first and second gear are not shorter which has helped in improving the acceleration whereas the sixth gear is now taller to improve the fuel efficiency while cruising. Moving the transmission below the engine also helped BMW Motorrad in opening up space for a new exhaust that sounds throaty and it just sounds better as the revs climb.
2024 BMW R 1300 GS: What features is BMW offering?
The feature list is where the BMW R 1300 GS excels. It comes loaded up to the brim, there is electrically adjustable windshield, heated grips, keyless ignition, dynamic suspension and much more. The rider can choose through seven riding modes - Enduro Pro, Enduro, Dynamic Pro, Road, Dynamic, Rain and Eco. The riding modes alter various parameters such as traction control, hill start, suspension setup, ABS and engine braking.
For the first time, BMW is also offering an Advanced Driver Aids System so the the top-end variant which is the Option 719 Tramuntana motorcycle comes with Active Cruise Control, Front Collision Warning and Lane Change Warning.
2024 BMW R 1300 GS: How's the ride?
BMW Motorrad has made some changes to the Telelever suspension setup. The R 1300 GS comes with a rigid upper fork bridge but is rotatably bolted to the frame via a deep groove ball bearing. What this does is ensure that the handlebar is not affected by the suspension so it feels lighter to steer, provides better feedback and reduces the floaty feeling.
The suspension can still absorb everything that one can throw at it. Only the sharpest of rocks and bumps can filter through the handlebar. Otherwise, the suspension feels very compliant and well-tuned. The automatic Dynamic Suspension Adjustment ensures that the suspension does not feel too soft or too stiff.
Yes, the BMW R 1300 GS is 12 kg lighter than the R 1250 GS but it still weighs a massive 237 kg and if you mount luggage then the weight will just go up. So, moving the motorcycle around a parking lot would be difficult but the motorcycle still feels confident while attacking corners. However, you would still need to put in muscle if it is a winding section of road. However, it still feels quite nimble when compared to the R 1250 GS. This is because the centre of gravity sits lower as the transmission is now below the engine instead of behind it.
2024 BMW R 1300 GS: Verdict
The R 1300 GS might look like an evolution to the R 1250 GS but it is significantly improved over it. It is lighter, tighter, feels much more manageable and comes loaded with features. There is a huge following behind the boxer engine and the R 1250 GS itself and now that we have ridden the R 1300 GS, it seems like the R 1300 GS will follow the footsteps of the R 1250 GS.
BMW Motorrad has priced the R 1300 GS at ₹20.95 lakh ex-showroom, introductory for the Pro variant. BMW will also sell the Triple Black, GS Trophy and 719 Tramuntana which will be priced higher than the Pro variant. At this price, the R 1300 GS is just ₹40,000 more expensive than the outgoing R 1250 GS. It is slotted right between the Honda Africa Twin and the Ducati Multistrada V4. So the R 1300 GS is still one of the best adventure tourers that one can buy provided you have the budget for it.
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