I would say after listening to the first videos the new GS looks and sounds anodyne even with the Akra…Not good for a GS that needs to be unconventional manly and ugly or angry or at least different…And the 9 hp or 6 nm wont make a (big) difference either especially with the taller 6th gear but the smaller tank will ! And the weight saving wont be 12 kilos either because I’ll bet they did not weigh the centerstand,luggage rack and passenger pegs that came stock on the 1250…The missing taillight looks awful and the little blinker taillights look very stupid on Harleys and have no business being on a BMW…All in all all I like on the new GS so far is the sports display on the TFT,the forged wheels and the toll booth coin compartment in the tank and the hope that the DB killers in the Akra are as easily removable as in the works Akra of the 1250…Because only thing louder now is the mechanical clatter of the engine itself listening to the videos sounding awful EU 5B compliant…I am waiting for the upgraded 155hp/nm M engine and 24 L tank on the options list before I am thinking about buying one…! What a joke ! As also aluminum bags should have been available right from the get go as an option from the factory or 17” wheels for Reggie…LOL
R1300GS / the good the bad & the ugly
- Thread starter Boxerlust
- Start date
Well I’ve seen it and on the whole I like it, I think they have had a real change of direction with the design. It’s not a dry sump motor and the redline is still at 9k. The clutch is at the bottom of the front of the engine now instead of the middle as the 1200/1250 is as the gearbox is underneath. The engine finish reminded me of the black finish moto guzzi did on the old v11. Non electric screen is either up or down. The main stand foot plate folds out of the way when the stand is up, kinda cool. Lever adjustment is just 3 positions on brake and clutch. The forks have grown massively compared to the 1200/50. Looking at the wheels I don’t thank they will swap with previous model wheels. The vario racking system is an add on now and looks a bit, well just a bit really. For me I liked the riding position a lot, feels like they have moved the footrests further forward and you are a lot closer to the bars now which means you can get really forward on it especially with the soft tank section. Standing it next to a 1250 it looks small and light, like a dirt bike which is fine be me. Not as focused as say a hyper motard but nowhere as roomy as the out going model. There was a lot of people ordering the triple black TE’s with all the packs today. For me personally I really liked it.
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Thanks for the proper update not the usual tripe we are subjected to at the moment lol
So I went to have a good up-close look at it today. I had high expectations. I was underwhelmed. Let me explain.
First of all - from 2-3m away, it actually looks better in the metal than in the pics! It is immediately recognisable as a GS - the proportion of the bike components, the design line, beak etc. Instantly recognisable. It does look more sleek, more taut all around, the new headlight is equally ugly compared to the 1250, and overall - it is possibly 5% smaller all round. It looks like the younger cousin of the 1250.
You climb on it. Instantly, I love how the base of the tank narrows in tighter than on the 1250. The front of the seat is significantly narrower. This means that when you stand on the pegs, your knees are comfortably narrower by 1-2" as they fit in perfectly to the space between the angled in tank and narrower seat. Really good for those who go offroad.
The regular seat in the high vs low position (by flipping the under-seat lever built into the seat this time) seems to make not a lot of difference. With a 32" inside leg, I was able to double flatfoot comfortably infront of and behind the pegs. For shorter riders, there was some confusion as to how low it might go, but it suggested 800mm with the low seat and the ride height adjustment option... which is the same as the low chassis 1250 with a low seat.
The holder for the phone will take a iPhone 14 Pro Max, but you will need an angled lightning adaptor in order to plug into the USB port underneath the rubber mat.
The electric screen is a waste of engineering and weight.
The integrated handlebar indicators are a win for fashion over form. They are nice to look at and function well if on the road, but they appear to be an expensive accident if the bike goes over (past the natural boxer engine 30degrees. A mistake.
Holding the handlebars... well, there is no discernable difference compared to the current 1250. The controls are the same. But this is where the disappointments start... the controls are not backlit. They should be. The TFT screen is identical to the 1250. In general, the black plastics on a 1250 are now clear plastic. This allows you a slightly better view of the immediate ground ahead of the bike... better in slow offroad manoeuvres perhaps... and it makes the overall front of the bike appear smaller from the riders point of view.
Rocking the bike side-to-side, and the 1300 feels like it has a lower CoG compared to the 1250. It feels lighter (even with the centrestand etc).
I saw 2 bikes: a Triple Black and the Trauma version with Option 719 pack. Option719 on the 1300 is a real disappointment compared to the 1250 version. The finishing looks rough, cheap, unfinished, and less special. The 1250 Opt719 mirrors are lovely milled billet, as are the head covers, and the fluid pots. On the 1300, Opt719 mirrors are still plastic, the headcovers have minor finish differences compared to standard, and the fluid pots look like poor AliExpress covers with no finishing per se. On the 1300, Opt719 is not worth it IMHO.
The Opt719 pegs are not as nice compared to the Gilles-made pegs available for the 1250. They don't have the spring-loaded rubber/spike mechanism, and are narrower offering a smaller platform. However, the new 1300 Opt719 rear brake lever with built-in spring loaded height adjuster is nicer.
The engine is nice... if you like black Hammerite. Most of it is coated in it. I prefer the glossier black paint finish of my 1250.
The passenger handles of the 1300 are no longer cast alloy. They are GRP. Even with the luggage rack which appears to have a built-in dampened slider that goes from side-to-side to allow some movement. It certainly does not feel as 'strong' or rigid as on the 1250.
My 1250 wants for nothing power/performance wise, although more is always nice - I'm betting the 1300 delivers here. But overall, my biggest gripe is that the bike doesn't actually look or feel like the big change it is compared to the 1250. Maybe it's because my 1250 is a fully loaded 40th Anni Bumblebee edition in its final iteration. My Bumblebee feels more exclusive whereas the 1300 - even the Trauma version - feels cheaper and slightly built to a price.
If I had to change and buy a 1300, I would go for a Triple Black with gold wheels. Forget Opt719.
For now, I will not be changing from my 1250 Bumblebee. But when the time comes to change (due to age/mileage/etc), I will probably go for the 1300. No rush though.
Long live the Bumblebee...
First of all - from 2-3m away, it actually looks better in the metal than in the pics! It is immediately recognisable as a GS - the proportion of the bike components, the design line, beak etc. Instantly recognisable. It does look more sleek, more taut all around, the new headlight is equally ugly compared to the 1250, and overall - it is possibly 5% smaller all round. It looks like the younger cousin of the 1250.
You climb on it. Instantly, I love how the base of the tank narrows in tighter than on the 1250. The front of the seat is significantly narrower. This means that when you stand on the pegs, your knees are comfortably narrower by 1-2" as they fit in perfectly to the space between the angled in tank and narrower seat. Really good for those who go offroad.
The regular seat in the high vs low position (by flipping the under-seat lever built into the seat this time) seems to make not a lot of difference. With a 32" inside leg, I was able to double flatfoot comfortably infront of and behind the pegs. For shorter riders, there was some confusion as to how low it might go, but it suggested 800mm with the low seat and the ride height adjustment option... which is the same as the low chassis 1250 with a low seat.
The holder for the phone will take a iPhone 14 Pro Max, but you will need an angled lightning adaptor in order to plug into the USB port underneath the rubber mat.
The electric screen is a waste of engineering and weight.
The integrated handlebar indicators are a win for fashion over form. They are nice to look at and function well if on the road, but they appear to be an expensive accident if the bike goes over (past the natural boxer engine 30degrees. A mistake.
Holding the handlebars... well, there is no discernable difference compared to the current 1250. The controls are the same. But this is where the disappointments start... the controls are not backlit. They should be. The TFT screen is identical to the 1250. In general, the black plastics on a 1250 are now clear plastic. This allows you a slightly better view of the immediate ground ahead of the bike... better in slow offroad manoeuvres perhaps... and it makes the overall front of the bike appear smaller from the riders point of view.
Rocking the bike side-to-side, and the 1300 feels like it has a lower CoG compared to the 1250. It feels lighter (even with the centrestand etc).
I saw 2 bikes: a Triple Black and the Trauma version with Option 719 pack. Option719 on the 1300 is a real disappointment compared to the 1250 version. The finishing looks rough, cheap, unfinished, and less special. The 1250 Opt719 mirrors are lovely milled billet, as are the head covers, and the fluid pots. On the 1300, Opt719 mirrors are still plastic, the headcovers have minor finish differences compared to standard, and the fluid pots look like poor AliExpress covers with no finishing per se. On the 1300, Opt719 is not worth it IMHO.
The Opt719 pegs are not as nice compared to the Gilles-made pegs available for the 1250. They don't have the spring-loaded rubber/spike mechanism, and are narrower offering a smaller platform. However, the new 1300 Opt719 rear brake lever with built-in spring loaded height adjuster is nicer.
The engine is nice... if you like black Hammerite. Most of it is coated in it. I prefer the glossier black paint finish of my 1250.
The passenger handles of the 1300 are no longer cast alloy. They are GRP. Even with the luggage rack which appears to have a built-in dampened slider that goes from side-to-side to allow some movement. It certainly does not feel as 'strong' or rigid as on the 1250.
My 1250 wants for nothing power/performance wise, although more is always nice - I'm betting the 1300 delivers here. But overall, my biggest gripe is that the bike doesn't actually look or feel like the big change it is compared to the 1250. Maybe it's because my 1250 is a fully loaded 40th Anni Bumblebee edition in its final iteration. My Bumblebee feels more exclusive whereas the 1300 - even the Trauma version - feels cheaper and slightly built to a price.
If I had to change and buy a 1300, I would go for a Triple Black with gold wheels. Forget Opt719.
For now, I will not be changing from my 1250 Bumblebee. But when the time comes to change (due to age/mileage/etc), I will probably go for the 1300. No rush though.
Long live the Bumblebee...
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Sounds like BMW could/should have done more to create real excitement…The handling and engine are probably better but what were they thinking about smaller tank and not showing at least a psychological 150 for hp/nm ? And I would like to know from BMW how much lighter the expected Aluminum frame would have been and how much more expensive it would have made the bike…And the exhaust despite looking not bad like on the R Nine T has lress sound than the mechanical noise of the engine…Embarrassing ! I hope Akra has answer to this problem the EUro Twats created soon !
Now you mentioned it I forgot about the frame, I have only had bikes with trellis steel frames, I don’t know if that has been a conscious decision over the last 40years or not, probably not, but I didn’t particularly like the frame to look at but prefer it to an aluminium box frame. The engine does look physically bigger than the out going model and the bike looks really purposeful from the front especially with the massive forks.
From the sound of it boxerlust you don’t want a GS you want a fast road bike with a telelever front end, 160hp and 17” wheels.
That’s not a GS unfortunately, we all know what GS stands for.
But I think they should make a 17” wheel version with an extra bit of HP much like the Ducati Pikes Peak to keep the road warriors happy, and I’m sure it would sell well. Then maybe a focussed version with a 21” and 18” wheel set up for people like me in the minority but that will never happen.
I the real world 145hp is not to be sniffed at, and I bet there is only a handful of us who could lap the IOM on it quicker than Hailwood did on a 85hp Ducati.
If I had the cash I would probably buy a 1300 but riding home on the back roads of Norfolk and Suffolk my bike had more power than I could use.
But everyone is different thankfully and that’s what makes motorcycling awesome.
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From the sound of it boxerlust you don’t want a GS you want a fast road bike with a telelever front end, 160hp and 17” wheels.
That’s not a GS unfortunately, we all know what GS stands for.
But I think they should make a 17” wheel version with an extra bit of HP much like the Ducati Pikes Peak to keep the road warriors happy, and I’m sure it would sell well. Then maybe a focussed version with a 21” and 18” wheel set up for people like me in the minority but that will never happen.
I the real world 145hp is not to be sniffed at, and I bet there is only a handful of us who could lap the IOM on it quicker than Hailwood did on a 85hp Ducati.
If I had the cash I would probably buy a 1300 but riding home on the back roads of Norfolk and Suffolk my bike had more power than I could use.
But everyone is different thankfully and that’s what makes motorcycling awesome.
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GB what I would like and a lot of other people too is a XR version of the GS…17 inch wheels , lower handlebar , but a high Torque Boxer instead of the inline 4 that needs at least 8000 rpm to go and of course I prefer Telelever and shaft over for and chain…And yes 149 NM Torque will make for a powerful feel kind of the first gen R1 but 1000 more on top would have given a fun top end rush or surge as real top end can only be felt by todays superbike fours but you know what I mean…And the lack of sound is just painful because the 1250 with a open Akra sounded so good ! A M1300GS with 10 hp more , 24 liter tank and 17 inch wheels would grace my garage immediately…! If I would total my 1250 tomorrow I would order a Triple Black 1300 with forged wheels , 20 mm taller sports suspension , sport brakes and drill the db-killers out of the Akra hoping for better sound and coursing the tank range wishing it would make 10 to 15 hp more revving another 1000 rpm on top…LOL
I personally don’t think Bmw will ever build such a bike, if you look at the progression of the gs from the start, what you want is so far apart.
I dont think it is far apart at all because there are 1000s of Reggies out there that do 17 inch conversions of the GS to run full on sports rubber and make the bike even more suitable for the Street because they never run off road with also 320 mm rotors up front despite loosing an inch of ground clearance and making the bike less stable at high speeds…The factory could do a much better job with the right geometry,brake / ABS adaption , lower handlebar and more Power to take advantage of the better brakes and 180 or 190 sports rubber…Look at the S1000XR from 10 years ago where people made fun like superbike on stilts which is the best selling S1000 version today with a M model coming in spring ‘24…Why not the same concept for people who prefer Boxer/TL&shaft over a conventional inline-4 ! And the R , S & RS variants if they come they better come with T-L because the R & RS sucked compared to the GS because of the fork…Slower steering , fork dive & less compliant !
Yeah its not a GS then, its just a road bike with a tele lever front end, The RS is their model for that just without a tele lever,
For fast road use (and off road use) forks rule , that's why no one uses tele lever in racing, what is it they say, "if you want to go fast spend your money on suspension not the engine"
I totally disagree with you…On the toad especially as bad as they are today T-L is way superior to any fork because spring rates are way softer and even on the brakes T-L soakes up all the bumps without suspending or bottoming out…Way superior to any electronic fork ! As for racing travks atr mostly super smooth and it is too hard to package on a inline4…I remember when the R2200R went back to a fork and rode the R1200GS on the same day about 8 years ago how much better the GS was compared to the R despite the bigger front wheel…And the RS felt even worse when it came to steering and compliance vs the T-L…I dont want to buy another bike without shaft or Telelever,ever as I love Both !
Then unfortunately I think you will never get the unicorn bike you want , well not out of the crate at least. The same as I won’t get a shaft drive GS with 21”and 18”wheels weighing just 200kg with 100/110hp. So I’ll keep lightening my GS and search for a secondhand 850gs front wheel.
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More people here seem to be asking for a serious 1200 GS based on the R9T camhead. Simple, light, air/oil cooled, with conventional forks, real suspension (not the poser Urban GS), minimal electronics and complexity, with 21/18 wheels. Sort of in between the HP2 and 2010 R1200GS. Some say BMW won't do it as it would take sales from their flagship 1250/1300 GS and F900GS, which might be right.
Clifton the GS you want is coming based on the new R12NineT…The bike I want I hope will be the M1300GS…I hope ! Or BMW gets their heads out of their asses and offers a 24 liter tank and gives the GS the 155 hp it should have had…
It IS? This is the first I've heard of a new Camhead GS. Any links?
There are pictures on the net probably in Enduropark Hechlingen where also the new 1300 GS seen first of a teal enduro based on the R12NineT with tall suspension , big tank and a new exhaust system to be taken off road unlike the hipster poser Urban…I would say if not for 24 it will be released for 25 as the second or third variant of the R12Ninety that also gets a cruiser variant called R12S…
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