Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1528904
P102 RIDE REVIEW I 2025 BMW R 1300 GS ADVENTURE The brilliance of the Adventure is the way it has been designed to be friendly and easy- going despite its mighty size, but with a full tank of gas, you do have to work for your fun. Hit a switchback section on a mountain road at speed, and your inputs become more physical and, while the Adventure can certainly hustle, doing so requires more effort than the standard GS. Even the brakes, which are essentially the same as those on the GS, have to work harder and feel less sharp as a result. Like the brakes, boxer power is carried over from the R 1300 GS, giving a peak of 143hp and 110 lb-ft of torque. As noted, the fueling is im - maculate and, even in Dynamic mode, the Adven- ture will pull keenly away with the throttle barely opened. Over two days of riding I don't think I ever got close to the redline: there's simply no need given the twin's luxurious spread of torque. On the second day, we rode from Tarifa on the southern-most tip of Spain back to Malaga, with more off-road, as we hugged the coast with Africa in the distance. But soon the romance was over, and we had to churn out some big miles on the freeway. Comfort is relentlessly good for mile after painless mile, especially if you configure your Adventure with the larger screen, comfort seat and adaptive cruise control. BMW quotes a 380-mile range at a claimed 47.46 mpg USA, which is a long old stint between stops in any - one's book. On test, I averaged just shy of 41.6 mpg, which considering the abuse the Adventure took off-road wasn't bad at all. Verdict BMW like to go their own way and, once again, have succeeded with the R 1300 GS Adventure. The depth of thinking in its design and execution, in its useful features and vast range of accesso- ries, is exceptional. It is like no other bike on the market. A 593-pound motorcycle shouldn't work equally brilliantly both on and off-road, but this one does. It also has exquisite slow speed balance and perfect fueling plus a seat lowering device that makes this giant of a machine accessible to all. The hardest decision for many will be choosing which exact model variant to opt for and which packages and accessories boxes to tick. CN 2025 BMW R 1300 GS ADVENTURE ($22,745 BASE) ENGINE Boxer-twin, 4-stroke DISPLACEMENT 1300cc VALVETRAIN 4 valves per cylinder, BMW ShiftCam assisted BORE X STROKE 106 x 73mm COMPRESSION RATIO 13.3:1 FUEL INJECTION Electronic fuel injection system, 52mm throttle bodies, Ride-by-Wire throttle EXHAUST 2-into-1 TRANSMISSION 6-speed—optional shift assist and semi-auto operation CLUTCH Hydraulically activated wet slipper clutch CHASSIS Pressed/welded sheet steel with tubular aluminium subframe FRONT SUSPENSION EVO Telelever Electronic ESA fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION EVO Paralever Electronic ESA fully adjustable FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 8.2 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 8.6 in. FRONT BRAKE Dual 4-piston radial calipers, 310mm discs, Cornering ABS REAR BRAKE Twin-piston caliper, single 285mm disc, Cornering ABS FRONT TIRE 120790-19 in. REAR TIRE 170/60-17 in. RAKE 26.2° WHEELBASE 60.4 in. SEAT HEIGHT 34.3-35 in. FUEL CAPACITY 7.9 gal. WEIGHT (CURB, CLAIMED) 593 lbs. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S