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/1538173
P110 RIDE REVIEW I 2026 BMW R 1300 RT as ever. The weight simply disappears. With the screen on its lower setting, it is perfectly positioned below my eye line, and low-rpm fueling is excellent. Negotiating our way out of the city, I felt comfort - able, the bike planted and stable, allowing me enough time to familiarize myself to try to find a decent German radio station, which is impossible. The trickiest moment is when the bike is fully loaded with fuel and luggage. For a short rider, it's not easy to get it off the sidestand, depending on the road camber. But I had no issues pedaling backwards on the flat (reverse gear is one of the few conceivable options that's not available). Once onboard, you're greeted by one of the most informative, neat and high-quality cockpits on the market, one dominated by that tablet- like 10.25-inch full-color TFT dash. The but - tons on the bodywork control the saved radio stations, while the majority of the informa- tion, rider aids, and electronically controlled gadgets can be accessed and activated using the controls on the left bar, accessed via the navigation wheel. We opted for the Automated Shift Assistant (ASA) version of the RT, which means no clutch lever, freeing your left hand to play with the controls to the music or seat temperature. Busy times. With ASA, you essentially have two op - tions: "M" changes the gears manually, but there's no clutch and no need to find neutral at a stop; "D" is fully automatic and allows the bike to do all the work. You can switch between the two options. I haven't used this system before, which is available on other 1300 boxer machines, and opted to change gears manually. I think it looked like I'd just passed my riding test during the first few clumsy stop-and-starts without clutch, but I soon got used to the new system and quickly moved on to the fully automatic D mode. All RT owners love the balance of this long- running touring boxer, and the new machine is no exception. At slow speed, it's as sweet (Left) The familiar boxer engine is taken from the GS and now 1300cc in capacity due to a wider bore and reduced stroke. (Below) BMW has maintained a low seat for a "large" sports tourer of just 32.2 / 33 inches. It can be swapped for a taller (33 / 33.8 in.) or lower (30.7 / 31.4 in.) seat. (Bottom) BMW has paid close attention to the needs of the pillion rider with more space thanks to relocated panniers and a longer seat.