Fancy……letting a fat, bald, lazy geriatric old fart get hold of a brand new latest model Triple Black BMW R1300GS with all the goodies, such as an electric high windscreen with side wind deflectors, Adaptive Vehicle Height Control (AVHC) suspension – which drops the seat by 30mm as you slow to a stop., fog/driving lights, the Riding Assistant option which features several radar-based riding aids. These include active cruise control, forward collision warning, and lane-change warning (blindspot detection). The front radar sits above the new headlight (fully LED), while the rear-facing unit sits between the indicators. Believe the list price for this model to be $34,490, however with delivery charges, options, etc., on the road the quote given for this bike was $37,015.
Before I go any further I would recommend you bear in mind that this commentary is my perception of the bike and as such, in this instance, I won’t delve too much on the whole overall intricacies/details that can be applied to it. Also, I only had it for 24 hours and only rode it on the road – off-road, based on this short experience, I believe, it would be an impressive weapon.
In this respect, just to put the reader in the picture I’ll lightly go over the major changes concerning this model over the previous one, the R1250GS. Space and time are inappropriate to list the myriad features, accessories, options and farkles available, read somewhere there are 60 or so various add ‘Ons’ available – check the web site here or your local dealer and you can become as mentally muddled as I was. So now to describe the new R1300GS, it is a completely new bike when comparing/referring it to the previous model. It appears the only features that haven’t been changed are that it retains the horizontally opposed twin cylinder motor (now symmetrical with one cam chain in front of the barrel and the other at the rear), telelever & paralever suspension and shaft drive, though these have all been highly modified.
It would be remiss of me not to, at least, include some of the major changes starting with the capacity increase from 1254 cc to a full 1300 realised via a 4 mm increase in bore, however the stroke is now 3 mm shorter. Power is up from 136 horsepower at 7750 rpm to 145 horsepower at the same revs. Torque is up from 143 Nm at 6250 rpm to 149 Nm at 6500 rpm. The quick-shift is retained, the camshaft is now driven differently and the rev ceiling is raised to 9000 rpm. The valves have been increased in size as has the compression ratio.
As noted, virtually nothing carried over from the 1250, firstly there’s a new frame, now pressed-steel rather than tubular-steel, BMW claims the design is more compact and rigid than the earlier models. The rear subframe is made from cast alloy, which is said to be stronger, lighter and also tighter and neater looking. The engine is also shorter due to the six-speed gearbox now being beneath the engine rather than behind it, creating a bonus of lowering the centre of gravity. All this and various other modes have created a bike with a kerb weight of 237kg (BMW claim the R1300GS is a full 12kg lighter than the existing R1250GS).
The familiar Telelever and Paralever suspension systems have been thoroughly overhauled to be lighter, stiffer and give a more precise steering feel and feedback. As noted, the model I had was equipped with the AVHC suspension, but BMW also offer optional Dynamic Suspension Adjustment (DSA) electronic suspension – gives the ability to alter not just the damping and preload of both front and rear shocks while you ride, but also stiffen and soften the spring rate.
The R 1300 GS has four standard ride modes: Road, Rain, Eco, and Enduro. With Optional Ride Modes Pro, which adds three additional modes – Dynamic, Dynamic Pro, and Enduro Pro – and the two Pro modes can be customized. Each mode has presets for various standard electronic functions, including throttle response, Dynamic Traction Control, cornering ABS Pro, Dynamic Brake Control, MSR (engine braking torque), and Hill Start Control Pro, as well as optional Dynamic Suspension Adjustment.
Now my opinion of the R1300GS, I was simply blown away by it. The first thing I noticed is that the bike looks and feels lighter. The tank is slimmer, the profile is sleeker, and despite it still being a very large bike, it has a presence of freshness not normally associate with the earlier GS, which looked somewhat bulky when parked beside it. The engine was remarkably silky and seemed to spin up faster, but beyond that everything had a surprisingly similar feel to it.
I found the steering fantastic, lighter, sharper, very precise and feedback more responsive, the throttle control was amazing, the cruise control – particularly the radar controlled active cruise control, the seating comfort was exceptional, the balance of the bike a lot better than anticipated – handled ‘O’ so well, the screen was the biggest surprise as to how efficient it was, both in the lowest and raised position – really noticed how well it had deflected the wind from my head after I got on my bike (S1000XR) and was buffeted all over the place, which I had no issues with beforehand.
The only areas I couldn’t come to grips with was the quick-shift – typical twin cylinder problem with very rough shifts in the lower three gears (and in the end just used the clutch), however, couldn’t complain about it in the three higher gears – very good. The only other minor thing was in cruise control – found it couldn’t hold the selected speed and seemed to search up and down a few kilometres around it, also couldn’t release it with the clutch – apparently an enigma with the radar controlled active cruise control.
The R 1300GS was a challenging bike to review particularly over such a short time and I was markedly taken by the Triple Black I had and delighted with the options it had – would have been my choice. To recommend a particular one would be the ‘devils own’ choice, due to the total number of options, packages, colours, and settings available, means that there are so many different ways a BMW R1300GS can be configured.
Anyway, except for these minor issues, which can be navigated around I found the R1300GS to be superb – for some reason South Coast BMW wouldn’t swap it with mine though they did offer me a very attractive trade-in, but just couldn’t do it. So, in summation what I thought of the BMW R1300GS, it provided more power, better handling, a cleaner, less complex design, less weight, ergonomics suited me and the AVHC suspension should be mandatory.
I would like to thank Rob and Lou from South Coast BMW, Wollongong, for providing the Triple Black BMW R1300GS and putting up with me. Now the question would I buy/recommend one – wholeheartedly in a microsecond, and suggest, even if only partially interested, take one for a test ride – you won’t be disappointed, but make sure you have plenty is shekels handy.
Gerry (Bullfrog) Bloemen # 1309
