More is more: Get a load of the XXXL BMW R1300GS Adventure
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.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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].
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.