2024 BMW R 1300 GS: This Is It

Right now, it seems like everyone wants an adventure bike. Motorcycles like the Yamaha Tenere 700, Aprilia Tuareg 660, and Harley Davidson Pan America seem to be flying off dealership lots as fast as the factories can churn them out. But what about the original ADV, the progenitor of the category? Is the BMW boxer twin content to let these newcomers eat its lunch?

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Not if the new R 1300 GS has anything to say about it. The latest in BMW’s adventure line is a new flagship, a full redesign that adds power while shaving weight — and most of the beak, with the bike’s new face. The R 1250 GS is dead, welcome to the new era.

Photo: BMW Motorrad

The most visible change is the new bike’s appearance. Since the onset of the oilhead era, and the R 1100 GS of the mid-’90s, BMW’s adventure bikes (besides the G650 X-Country) have always had a long front beak sitting above a low front fender. This set the standard for ADV looks for years, which bikes like the Triumph Tiger line dutifully followed. But over the past few years, that standard look has changed.

Now, buyers want Dakar styling. They want tall, narrow bikes with even taller front ends. Aprilia, Yamaha, even Honda have catered to this desire, and now it seems BMW is falling in line. The beak is still there, but it’s small — almost vestigial compared to earlier GS bikes.

Photo: BMW Motorrad

Of course, new looks aren’t the only change with the R 1300 GS. BMW claims the engine is all-new, and that it employs the outgoing bike’s variable-valve tech for even bigger power numbers: 145 horsepower, 110 lb-ft of torque. This all moves a bike that’s lighter than its predecessor, at 523 lbs, and which looks to carry that weight low in its chassis. BMW claims that the new frame, which contributed to that weight reduction, also increases stiffness — for the riders who prefer the sport-touring side of ADV, this will likely be a very tempting proposition.

Sure, it’s no Multistrada V4S for horsepower, but the BMW also undercuts the Italian adventurer on price. BMW claims a starting price of $18,895 for the new R 1300 GS. It’s a $900 jump from the outgoing bike, but neither of those prices really matter — by the time a bike’s been spec’d and ordered by the dealer, you’re unlikely to find one for under $22,000 today. Expect the same with the new bike, if not a jump to $23,000 or more.

Photo: BMW Motorrad

The boxer GS has always been the gold standard in the adventure market, and this new update looks like a strong contender for the round-the-world crown. Expect to see these dotting the parking lots of your local BMW dealerships and dentists’ offices early next year.