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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