BMW R 1300 GSA (2024 – ) review

With BMW’s class-defining boxer GS best seller of a decade’s standing the of the latest-gen R 1300 GS was a big deal. The arrival of its bigger and even more popular Adventure version is more significant still. The formula is as before, with a 30-litre fuel tank in place of the 19-litre one on the standard GS, improved touring comfort through things like the bigger screen, a dose of off-road cred through the fitment of wire wheels and crash bars and a stronger rear subframe for your luggage. The boxy styling has caused some controversy but makes sense out in the real world and combines the traditional GSA presence within the standard GS’s more manageable size and weight. While still based around the same foundations of a 145 horsepower engine, lighter chassis and tech like radar cruise and automatic seat lowering. As such it manages the neat trick of being just as imposing while also somewhat less intimidating, as well as faster and better equipped.

The GSA remains, inevitably, a big and tall adventure bike complete with the upright stance, wide bars, comfy seat and adjustable screen to make big miles a breeze. You can also tailor it further to your tastes with a choice of screens or saddles. Most impressively, while it’s inevitably bigger and more imposing than the standard GS it’s barely more awkward to live with, and significantly more manageable in this regard than its 1250 predecessor. Fully loaded up it was a bit of a beast but, while this new GSA weighs about the same overall, the seat is a useful 20mm lower and it seems slimmer and more wieldy. In one example the tank is now wide and low rather than tall and top-heavy, contributing to the sense the centre of gravity is a lot lower.

The GS’s versatility has always been impressive. It’ll tour, take a pillion, is sporty enough for most, endlessly customisable via the extensive accessories catalogue, has a prestige badge and will even go off road. The Adventure version has always been all of that and more, this new 1300 continuing that tradition while being better in virtually every respect. It’s sportier thanks to its reduced weight, this helping handling and off-road ability alike. New features like radar cruise and automatic seat lowering add to its appeal and the relatively more compact size makes it more manageable around town as well.

Another step change over the previous 1250. Like the regular GS it has the more powerful 145 horsepower 1300 engine, the same lighter foundations and the latest electronics and brakes. You can feel it, as well. There’s an extra verve and immediacy to the new 1300 compared to the old 1250 and, while the heavier GSA can’t quite match the regular GS, it’s more than enough for most. Though, perhaps, still in the shadow of the more powerful Ducati Multistrada V4 and inbound KTM 1390 Super Adventure if outright performance is your primary consideration.

The Adventure versions of the GS have always felt a little more top-heavy than the regular model but with that new tank shape and other changes it’s less noticeable on the 1300 than previously. You can’t escape the extra weight but it shares the nimble feel of the GS, the ride is plush and the optional Automatic Suspension Adjustment permits changes the feel of the bike at the press of a button. We’d be ticking that box for sure, the generally lower centre-of-gravity making twisty roads less of an effort than on the old 1250. Overall, for a big-tanked adventure model the GSA hides its bulk very impressively indeed.

The R 1300 GSA is an uprated version of an already premium adventure bike, so running costs are never going to be cheap. It’s also a chunk more to buy, and more than two grand more expensive than the old R 1250 GSA which, at the time of writing, is still available. Shaft drive means one less thing to wear out but there’s no escaping a heavy and powerful bike will get through tyres, brakes and the like, though the slightly mellower power output may help its case when compared against harder-hitting rivals from Ducati, KTM or Triumph.

Like the regular 1300 GS the Adventure version is built around an all-new engine, so we’ll have to wait and see on reliability for now. Early electronic niggles reported by owners are to be expected with a brand-new bike but BMW has, on the whole, a decent reputation for reliability and has played this game before.

The GSA also comes with a manufacturer-backed three year/unlimited mileage warranty covering all parts and labour, which is a year more than the industry standard and should be enough to calm any concerns even if Ducati is currently offering four years on its Multistrada range. Even with the new engine servicing intervals are as before, coming up every 6,000 miles or annually.

If it was difficult to fit everything into this section with the standard GS it’s even harder with the Adventure! Again, three main variants are available, comprising the more off-road Trophy, the all-rounder Triple Black and top spec Option 719 Karakorum. All have an electrically adjustable screen, a 6.5-inch TFT dash, riding modes, traction control, ABS, LED lights and X-shaped running lights, radar assistance and more. Keyless ignition and heated grips are now standard but, as ever, the options list is both extensive and expensive. Upgrades include forged wheels, Akrapovič exhaust, adaptive vehicle height control and more, one stand-out option being BMW’s new Automated Shift Assistance that does away with the clutch lever and works impressively well in both ‘manual’ and full auto modes, the latter basically turning it into a (very) big twist’n’go scooter!

If you want the ultimate version of the most popular adventure bike of all you won’t be disappointed in this new Adventure. The looks make more sense in the metal than some feared and the improved performance and manageability over the old 1250 are also big gains. Yes, it’s more expensive, too, but standard features you’d have paid extra for before such as keyless ignition, heated grips, crash bars, riding lights and more just about covers it.