More is more: Get a load of the XXXL BMW R1300GS Adventure

No sooner had the new BMW R1300GS broken cover, than fans of the mile-munching boxer were clamoring for the much-anticipated R1300GS Adventure. After all, the flagship GS has had an accompanying ‘Adventure’ variant since 1999, typically offering more range, more protection, and more luggage capacity. Now, almost 10 months later, the BMW R1300GS Adventure is finally here… and it is chunky.

The R1300GS marks the biggest redesign of big BMW boxer since forever, and the new BMW R1300GS Adventure builds on this. It uses the same new-generation 1,300 cc liquid-cooled motor, complete with its transmission-under-the-motor layout and BMW’s improved ‘ShiftCam’ variable valve timing system. The numbers stay the same; 145 hp at 7,750 rpm and 149 Nm at 6,500 rpm.

The Adventure model also shares the ‘regular’ 1300’s Telelever front suspension, redesigned sheet metal shell front-end frame, and die-cast aluminum rear frame. The Adventure appears to sport a different subframe though (BMW is fuzzy on the details), presumably designed to cope with the added load that BMW expects of the Adventure variant.

‘Added load’ may as well be the new BMW R1300GS Adventure’s catch phrase. As with previous ‘ADV’ models, BMW has taken a more is more approach here.

The fuel tank gains an extra 11 liters, bringing its overall capacity to a whopping 30 liters [7.9 gallons]. Given its size, BMW’s engineers decided to make the aluminum fuel tank a feature rather than hide it behind more plastic, so most of it is visible. It also features three anchor points distributed around its fuel cap, designed to make BMW’s tank bag plug-and-play, and a small compartment to store a smartphone while it charges.

BMW has also utilized the extra real estate to offer more weather protection to the rider. Not only is the tank broader, but the GS Adventure also gets extra wind deflectors on its hand guards and alongside its primary windshield. Rubber pads just below the handlebars (where the fuel tank’s flanks create a natural shelf) offer a non-slip spot to stash tools and the like when you’re parked.

Previous iterations of the GS Adventure came with luggage racks as standard, but it appears that the R1300GS Adventure doesn’t offer that particular bonus. You do get a chunkier passenger seat than on the base model GS though, with what appears to be another special BMW luggage anchor point.

There is, naturally, a full set of aluminum boxes on offer, ex-works. The set includes a 37-liter top case with an 8 kg [17.6 lbs] load capacity, and 37-liter (left) and 36.5-liter (right) side cases, each with a 10 kg [22 lbs] load capacity. All the boxes connect to a forged aluminum luggage rack system, with a magnetic coupling on the left case that sends power to a USB charging socket.

The top box uses an anti-vibration mounting plate, and each pannier can be expanded by a further 10 liters via optional bolt-on extensions.

Under the hood, the GS Adventure boasts the entire array of electronic gadgetry that its stablemate does, and then some. There are mountains of acronyms to wade through, but the highlights include ABS, traction control, switchable rider modes, and BMW’s new and improved ‘Dynamic Suspension Adjustment’ (DSA), which dynamically adjusts damping and spring rate on the fly, depending on a variety of factors. (There’s also an adaptive ride height system that can be fitted as optional equipment.)

Cruise control is standard too, and is aided by the 1300’s front radar system. It includes a collision warning system, with a rear collision warning system available as an extra.

One particularly notable feature is BMW’s new Automated Shift Assistant (ASA). In a nutshell, it’s a semi-automatic gearbox and clutch that uses electromagnetic actuators rather than offering a direct connection to the clutch and transmission. You can still run it in ‘manual’ mode, or you can flick it over and let the bike do the shifting for you.

Up front, the GSA’s alien-esque X-shaped headlight is flanked by a pair of auxiliary LEDs. The quirky headlight design somehow seems to suit the Adventure model better than it does the base model GS, but we’re still not convinced that it’s an improvement over traditional BMW designs. What is abundantly clear when you look at the R1300GS Adventure from the front, is just how beefy it is.

The outgoing R1250GS Adventure is big to begin with, but the R1300GS Adventure adds just over an inch to its overall width. And while the base model R1300GS weighs in at a surprising-for-its-size 237 kg [522.5 lbs], the Adventure swells to 269 kg [593 lbs].

All of that bulk translates into a muddled aesthetic. Its narrow LED light and skinny 19” front wheel are dwarfed by its front view, and, when viewed from the side, its fuel tank and accompanying aluminum panels dominate the visual.

It gets better looking as you transition to the darker colorways on offer, but there’s no denying that the BMW R1300GS Adventure is almost painfully utilitarian. But perhaps that’s the whole idea. After all, even though a 1,300 cc, 593-pound adventure bike with 30 liters of fuel on board is total overkill, it’s never stopped BMW from selling bucketloads of these.

Source: BMW Motorrad

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Hot stuff: A brutalist BMW K100 street tracker from California

We’ve all heard legends of the classic K-series BMW’s reliability, but the tale of this BMW K100 street tracker takes the cake. After all, how many motorcycles do you know that can set themselves alight, but keep on ticking?

The bike’s current owner, Duncan Bonar, found the 1985 BMW K100 at a local shop with a clean title —but there was a catch. “The only caveat was that it had self-immolated via an electrical fire,” he explains. “But hey, a bike’s a bike, and a clean title is a clean title.”

Based in Los Angeles, California, Duncan is an industrial designer who likes to tinker on bikes in his downtime. By day, he works as a designer at the popular dune buggy manufacturer, Meyers Manx. And before that, he was part of the team at the boutique motorcycle brand, Arch Motorcycle.

Although Duncan has recently queued up several project bikes under the moniker Dunc Werks, he started the K100 build several years ago with less urgency, working on it as and when he found the time. The K owes its brutalist aesthetic to Duncan’s industrial design background and his propensity for figuring things out as he goes. “This was an exercise in doing it yourself with the resources at hand; an ‘often wrong but never in doubt’ kinda mentality,” he says.

Duncan’s first job was to get the K100 running after its little mishap. “The wiring harness, electric fan, and airbox assembly were all toasted. The motor and bike were quite caked with fire retardant, and there was a dent in the crank cover as the bike was dumped over at a traffic light when it decided to self-immolate.”

“Knowing that the K motors are relatively bulletproof, I wasn’t too worried about the internals. My bet paid off as no inner workings needed to be resolved—I just resealed and refinished the engine.”

Once the K100’s eight-valve powerplant was purring again, Duncan could get cracking on the rest of the bike. Embracing the K’s inherently awkward lines rather than trying to ‘smooth’ them out, Duncan kept the OEM fuel tank and fabricated an angular subframe with a kicked-up rear loop to juxtapose it. Next, he made the myriad aluminum parts that complete the bodywork.

“All of the aluminum parts were designed by myself with a set of calipers and CAD modeling software,” he tells us. “The laser cutting was outsourced to a third party, and then the bending was done by myself, using a manual bender.”

The custom parts include the seat pan, which integrates the bike’s electronics tray and battery support, and acts as a rear fender. A row of LED lights sit at the back of the subframe, handling taillight and turn signal duties as needed. At the opposite end of the bike, a number board-style headlight nacelle hosts a Baja Designs light and a tiny digital speedo from Motogadget.

In the middle of the bike, you’ll find a small custom-made plate, designed to hide away the coils. Duncan embedded the ignition barrel into it too, and then added a manual fuel pump switch when he realized the space was missing something. “Flipping the extra switch gives the bike a more fun startup sequence,” he quips.

Duncan pared down the BMW’s wiring harness, tweaking it so that he could use repurposed Kawasaki switchgear. The cockpit wears new Renthal handlebars; they’ve been bead blasted and clear anodized to give them a muted finish. Accompanying the Motogadget speedo is a custom-built warning lights panel.

Moving to the K100’s running gear, Duncan rebuilt the stock forks with progressive springs and fitted a new rear shock. The wheels and brakes are from a much newer BMW K1600, with custom axles, spacers, and brake caliper mounts accommodating them. The four-into-one exhaust is from BSK Speedworks—a race shop in the UK that runs K100s in endurance races.

Duncan’s area of expertise is color and material design, so although the K100’s finishes are simple, they’re very deliberate. “I was looking for something that was undoubtedly classic, blurring the line between bold and reserved,” he explains.

“Land Rover and their more expressive colors of the past have always been near to this mark. The resulting color is a variant of Shetland Beige, which is kind of a warm putty color that compliments the Brick well.”

Duncan opted to paint only the tank, leaving the aluminum parts raw to emphasize the concept of allowing the manufacturing process to lead the design. All the hard parts were powder-coated afresh, leaving this gnarly BMW K100 street tracker looking a lot better than the charred mess it was at the start.

Dunc Werks | Instagram | Images by Duncan Bonar

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