For BMW Motorrad, the GS series is an important best-selling product. At the same time, it is no exaggeration to say that it is also a guideline for rival manufacturers. Rivals are followers of the so-called royal road that BMW has built, and they also counter it with counter punches. This original model has undergone a full model change for the first time in 10 years since 2014. In addition to the new addition of the ASA automatic shift, there are many points that make you think, "I see...". We tested its performance on all kinds of roads suitable for GS, including following the coastline of the Costa del Sol in southern Spain.
Development that will run through the next 10 years and a design that inherits the GS style.
July 2024. BMW Motorrad Days was held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a ski resort in southern Germany. The new R1300GS Adventure was unveiled there. There must have been a lot of excitement at the event, where many BMW riders gathered. As soon as the launch was over, the three motorcycles that appeared there set off for the GS Trophy 2024 venue to be held in Namibia in the southern part of the African continent from mid-September. Their mission was to go on an adventure tour and deliver the GS Trophy trophy. A very GS-like story, isn't it?
Despite being an extremely popular model, there were surprisingly few leaked photos of the R1300GS Adventure in advance. I watched the live broadcast in July with a first-time impression that... it might take some time to get used to the design.
THE RHINO - that is, the strength and toughness of a rhino. Development began with this image, which is essential for an adventure motorcycle. Some of the design sketches of the front area look like a warrior wearing a helmet, or a robot from Go Nagai's masterpiece, Mazinger Z.
The actual motorcycle has an eye-catching, never-before-seen surface design, perhaps inspired by the freedom to build up small bags using the countless loops on a tactical bag to suit your needs.
I approached the R1300GS Adventure in awe, thinking, "Wow, it's huge, as I expected," but when I saw it in front of me, although it did protrude horizontally, it didn't give the impression of being large in all directions vertically like the R1250GS Adventure. I had a similar impression when I faced the R1300GS last year, but while the R1250GS is a large adventure motorcycle, the R1300GS is similar in three dimensions - length, width and height - but due to the way the body parts are used, the way volume is given, and changes to the body layout, all the parts are small and mounted low, giving it a shaped impression that makes it look like a motorcycle one class below rather than a premium class motorcycle.
It's a heavy, large adventure motorcycle. BMW Motorrad wanted to alleviate that, and it seems to have followed the same philosophy when they designed the new R1300GS with a light, compact layout.
ASA - Automated Shift Assistant - is getting a lot of attention.
ASA (Automated Shift Assistant) is also used in the 2025 model R1300GS. In a word, this system is an AT version of a manual transmission. Manual mode and automated gear change (D mode) can be selected, with the former allowing the rider to perform only the shift operation at their discretion, and the latter automating the clutch and shift operations, allowing the rider to focus only on throttle work. ASA-equipped vehicles are not equipped with a clutch lever. Although they are equipped with a shift pedal, it looks the same as the MT model, but it is not mechanically connected to the transmission, but is merely an electrical switch.
The operating mechanism uses the same case as the MT model, and it is also characterized by the fact that there is no difference in appearance like Honda's DCT. Based on information obtained from various sensors by the transmission control unit, it issues instructions to the actuator motor that engages and disengages the clutch in accordance with the rider's throttle operation, and the actuator motor that operates the shift, and the system takes over the operation of the rider in a normal MT motorcycle.
There is only one clutch pack, just like the MT model. The transmission is also the same. Since it only has a control system, the weight difference is about 2.5 kg compared to the MT model. Honda's DCT has a parking brake because it is controlled to return to the neutral position when the engine is stopped. This is also a weight difference between MT and DCT vehicles, but in the case of the BMM, it will not go into neutral unless you operate it yourself. You can put it into neutral by turning on the ignition switch, holding the brake lever, and lightly pressing the starter switch, or if the engine is running when stopped, you can press and hold the D/M switch or shift pedal up or down for a long time. In other cases, it shifts into first gear when stopped and remains in that state even when the engine is stopped, so it is in gear and parked.
If you want to push the motorcycle around in the garage, you need to turn on the ignition switch and perform the above operations, so the owner needs to get used to the ritual.
ASA vehicles do not have a clutch lever. However, they are equipped with a shift pedal as standard. They also do not have anything like a shift paddle switch. The reason for this is that BMW Motorrad's developers, when considering switching from a manual transmission, felt that the lack of a clutch lever was enough to make it "special," so they adopted a very conventional switch design.
The BMW development team understands that currently, Honda's sales ratio of DCT and manual transmission models is about 50/50 for the Africa Twin, but looking back from 2010 to 2016, when the VFR1200F, NC series, and Africa Twin were all released, the DCT, which was the flagship technology, did not have a high market share right from the start, and instead was unable to increase it. It may have been decided that riders are more conservative than car users. It is not surprising that they thought that the scene of a switch box as full of switches as a large calculator should be avoided in order to attract new ASA users. In that respect, the switch areas of manual transmission and ASA models are almost the same.
It's heavy but light.
The base for this test was a hotel along the coast in Benalmadena, about a 30-minute drive from Malaga in the south of Spain. Right in front of us was the Costa del Sol, a sunny coastline that stretches out to the Mediterranean Sea. From here, we headed for Tarifa on the first day. Looking at the map, it is a town facing the Strait of Gibraltar, the closest point to the African continent, which spills out like a "belly button" into the Mediterranean Sea.
First up was the manual transmission model. It was a GS Sports grade model with a suspension stroke of 210mm at the front and 220mm at the rear, a low windscreen, and an integrated flat seat. The car had a so-called tricolor exterior color of Racing Blue Metallic, and was fitted with optional tank bags and forged wheels.
The impression when straddling it is different from that of the R1250GS Adventure. Although the fuel tank is wide, the top is kept low and flat, so from the rider's point of view it feels like sitting on a tiered theater chair looking down. It doesn't feel like it fits into the valley between the previous model's legs.
The riding form created by the handlebars, grips, footpegs, seat, etc. is typical of the GS. Perhaps because the design is lower in height and perhaps wider in width, the angle from the thighs to the knees seems to be more outward on the new model. The seat height has been changed from 840mm-860mm to 870mm-890mm. This is because if the vehicle is equipped with adaptive ride height control and the vehicle height adjustment is set to AUTO, the former seat height will be selected by lowering the vehicle height by 30mm when stopped. The 20mm difference is due to the use of a system that allows you to select high or low by changing the mounting position of the seat.
The front of the seat is well-narrowed, making it easy to put your feet down, and the footrest position does not interfere with your calves, so there are few concerns about foot placement. However, it is true that you should choose a model that can handle your feet.
Starting the engine. The Adventure was released one year after the new R1300GS. Perhaps the engine management has been updated over the past year, as the engine rotation feel has become even smoother and there is less noise from around the head cover. In addition, the clutch meet zone when starting from first gear seems to have been widened, giving the impression that it is much easier to handle.
Perhaps it is due to the extra starting stroke provided by the 20mm increased wheel stroke, or the weight of the vehicle being heavier than the R1300GS, but the ride comfort on urban roads seems to be even better. This generation has a Telelever Evo front suspension that reduces shocks from the road surface, improving comfort, but what's even more surprising is the soft, fluffy movement of the suspension.
In this test, we not only drove along the coastline, but also on mountain roads and dirt roads, so all the motorcycles were fitted with Metzeler Karoo 4 block tires for large adventure motorcycles. There is a sense of contact with the ground and direct steering, but there is also very little vibration caused by tires, such as roughness. With block tires, the steering feel is naturally a bit dull, but with the overall chassis update and the Metzeler development team working closely with BMW on the development, it is a perfect match for the Karoo 4, as I felt with the R1300GS. The sense of unity is not much different from when the R1250GS is fitted with the Karoo 4, or when the R1250GS Adventure is fitted with OEM tires.
The same was true when going through winding roads and turning left and right. The brakes have good controllability and stopping power. The turning ability and grip are also high, so halfway through I forgot about the block tires and enjoyed the turning ability of this motorcycle. Most adventure motorcycles are on paved roads. Agility is very important there. The chassis of the new generation GS and GS Adventure can be described as a fun motorcycle, considering the road conditions in Spain. The size of the motorcycle disappears and you are always enveloped in a sense of oneness. This motorcycle will not lag behind even when riding with a sports motorcycle.
The impression of the forged wheels is that they are a little lighter than the standard spoke wheels when turning in. They are said to be about the same weight, but there is a difference in the characteristics of spoke wheels, which tend to concentrate weight on the hub and rim, and forged wheels, which distribute weight evenly between the hub, spokes, and rim.
As a spoke wheel user, I envy the fact that the forged wheels save time when washing the car.
Traveling on the highway is very comfortable. The GS Sports model has a smaller windscreen than the standard model, but the aerodynamics of the new generation are quite advanced, and although it is compact, it covers a wide area of wind while riding. This is probably due to the effect of the side deflectors (which are also smaller than the standard model of the R1300GS Adventure) and the air flow around the tank. If necessary, the screen can be electrically raised and lowered from the left switch box, just like the R1300GS Touring model.
Even on dirt roads, the R1300GS Adventure not only showed a worry-free and dissatisfying ride, but also impressed us with the stability and unity of the R1250GS Adventure when transitioning into turns, and its ride left an impression of good agility.
Not only is the balance of the heavy objects concentrated in the center of the body good, but the front's sense of contact with the ground and grip are even richer. That said, even when power is applied, the rear tire does not show unstable behavior. The handlebar grip is wide, and the footpegs are set back a little. This puts the rider in a good position above the center of gravity, and as long as he doesn't pull back unnecessarily, he's always in a position where he can make the most of the tire's grip. There's very little anxiety and the enjoyment is increased, so you can open the throttle. I've always felt that the GS is a fun motorcycle even on dirt roads, but it's clear that its worldview has been further updated as an adventure motorcycle that can take you anywhere in the world.
After riding nearly 250 km, including filming, we arrived near Gibraltar. We were told that we could see Africa from the high cape, but when we looked from there, the continent was hidden by clouds and unfortunately we couldn't see it.
The level of completion of ASA is beyond imagination.
On the second day, we left the town along the Strait of Gibraltar, drove along the winding and dirt roads along the coastline, and then along the Costa del Sol, driving on highways, public roads, and dirt roads, heading to the hotel at the starting point. This day was a Racing Jewels GS Adventure model equipped with ASA.
Today's model was also equipped with a tank bag, but the wheels were spoke wheels, so we could see the difference in handling. In conclusion, the turn-in seemed slightly more relaxed than with the GS Sport + forged wheels. The seat was not flat, but stepped and the seat height seemed low, and the rider was closer to the center of gravity, which could be interpreted as giving it a slightly relaxed feel. In other words, the difference in ride quality between the spoke wheels and the forged aluminum was subtle, so it was not clear whether it was due to the difference in specifications. Personally, I would like forged wheels because spoke wheels are difficult to wash when they get dirty. However, when I looked at the option list, the price for both the front and rear wheels was over 600,000 yen, so my dream was awakened...
When I turned on the ignition and pressed the starter button while holding the front brake, the gear that was in first gear went into neutral. If you hold down the starter, the engine will start. To shift from neutral to drive, press the D/M switch at the base of the left mirror while holding the brake lever. Once you confirm that the gear indicator on the TFT monitor has shifted from N to first gear, all you have to do is open the throttle.
Even when you shift into first gear, there is no torque converter automatic transmission-like creep, which occurs when the motorcycle idles forward. Clutch control begins when you open the throttle.
The first thing I noticed was how well the half-clutch is used at the start. In terms of engine speed, the clutch begins to engage at 1,400 rpm or lower, and the smooth rolling start does not make the rider nervous. I thought there was no way I could compete with this in a single start. People who miss the engagement will stall the engine. On the other hand, ASA does not know about the stall program. When I was briefed on the product, they said that ASA does not have a learning function, and I understand why. When I get nervous, I tend to keep the half-clutch engaged for longer and the engine speed higher, so there is no point in learning for me.
This logic remains the same when starting up a hill. It is extremely smooth and cool on both dirt and paved roads. For example, when you start on a hill and then immediately turn right. This is the same as turning left from the stop line when starting on a hill. Even here, the motorcycle moves forward with low RPMs and control that is so low that you can't even tell if the clutch is half-clutch, while continuing to give the rear wheel the torque needed to turn. There was no need to drag the brake and open the throttle like the trick with scooter CVTs.
You can forget about the stressful situations of starting on a hill and making tight turns. This is amazing. This is when I thought that the size of the adventure disappears with the ASA. I ended up having many experiences like this that day.
For a while after starting, I set the riding mode to road. This is a mode for typical dry packed roads. When passing through the city, I take advantage of the abundant low-speed torque of the 1300 boxer twin and shift up at around 2000 RPM. Even then, there was no sense of incongruity in the clutch and transmission control. When driving with very little throttle opening, the shift speed is not lightning fast, but the clutch engagement is still exquisite, with no disconnection or start to the drive that makes your head spin.
When you move onto suburban roads and the speed increases to around 100km/h, the throttle opening increases accordingly, and when winding roads are added to the mix, on-off shifts are added to the mix. The shift timing feels natural. When you decelerate from off the throttle, downshifts are made appropriately to match your speed. On winding roads, there are moments when the timing feels a little slow, but in ASA + road mode, downshifts are made with just enough time to make you mutter to yourself, "I want it now."
For example, when I put it in dynamic mode, the shift timing is almost synchronized with my consciousness. Moreover, it downshifts with a bouncing sound, which has the effect of making me feel even more excited.
What I thought was clever was that when I accelerated from there with the throttle open enough to maintain the pace, it continued to rev sloppily for an extended period of time, making throttle operation strict and preventing the rider from experiencing unpleasant behavior due to the motorcycle's lurching. Even in dynamic mode, if the acceleration was weak, the ASA shifted up smoothly as if it knew all about the deliciousness of a two-cylinder engine, allowing me to enjoy comfortable touring. It's good that the shift map for this area is variable.
Of course, even when I increased the pace, the shift program was clear enough to bring out the character of the 1300GS series engine. There aren't many situations where you would want to give the 1300 engine full throttle on a regular road. It's clear that the manufacturer and rider who wrote the map has a faithful understanding of this point. Of course, the decision is based on feedback from various sensors, but the way the power curve-like curve in the shift program was drawn was easy to understand.
When I tried to accelerate from 100km/h at full throttle on the highway to check the kickdown, I was taken aback by the scene where I had to clearly release the clutch, downshift from 6th to 5th, and then accelerate while engaging the clutch, but if I understood the characteristics of the car, I would have accelerated, and if I had deliberately downshifted using the shift pedal to overtake, I could have corrected the difference in sensation.
As a result, the performance of this D mode was excellent. For example, when shooting on a winding road, I tried the MT mode, but there were moments when I forgot to shift up and revved, which made the rhythm shaky. I felt like I clearly saw the difference between an electronic control that controls in units of 1/1000th of a second and a person who cannot stably control in units of 1/100th of a second at best.
By the time I got on the dirt road, I had tuned the ASA and myself quite well. Yes, the logic is that rather than trying hard in MT mode, you can just use the shift pedal to downshift in D mode. This is the same as finding that, even with a DCT, the Rain Africa Twin allows you to ride more according to your instincts using this method than the Touring, and whereas the ASA controls efficiently, variably, and without deviation, you can use it only if necessary.
For dirt roads, I selected Enduro Pro mode. With only the rear ABS activated, I searched for a logic for riding comfortably on mountain dirt roads, and it turned out that I shifted down before entering a curve, transferred the weight to the front wheel, and when the direction changed, I used the throttle to return the weight to the front and rear with the image of it being even, while accelerating towards the next curve.
It feels great to ride without using the clutch, eliminating various tasks, and control the motorcycle so that it only traces the ruts on the right side. You can enjoy that sense of unity. This is the true essence of the GS, especially the R-series equipped with a flat-twin engine, and you can enjoy on-the-rails handling to a high level on dirt roads. Of course, once you exceed the grip limit there is another fun area, but rather than taking risks along the way and losing your pace, it is much more fun to enjoy riding by keeping your average high.
The latest Adventure has undoubtedly surpassed all that has gone before with ease.
In the end, the answer to the question of whether to choose MT or ASA, which had been a topic of discussion with many journalists, was easily reached after a 180km journey on the second day. If it were me, I would buy the ASA. It's been 15 years since Honda released the DCT. I remember that in the first few years, DCT went through a roundabout process of making an effort to get closer to the senses, and by emphasizing the unique characteristics of DCT compared to MT, some people were satisfied but some were dissatisfied. As someone who likes DCT, I guess I like the joy of meeting a machine. In that respect, the ASA seemed to match my senses normally and didn't feel like a foreign object.
This time, when I rode the new model-changed R1300GS Adventure, I thought that I had broken my personal record again. Considering that it is the world's best adventure motorcycle, everyone recognizes it, it might be appropriate to say that BMW Motorrad has set a new world record again. I tried it in the situation where this motorcycle would be used, including the experience of going to see the African continent, and although it was only two days, it was an unforgettable experience. All of that and more made me fall in love with this motorcycle instantly.
ASA will be installed on the R1300GS and R1300GS Adventure from the 2025 model. Vehicles equipped with the Automated Shift Assistant do not have a clutch lever. In other words, it will be possible to drive them with an automatic transmission license.
The gears with D and M on them are the shift switches at hand. They also have the function of switching modes and putting the motorcycle into neutral by pressing and holding them. The BMW Motorrad switches are the same as many other models, so it's great that you don't have to learn the switches individually.
●BMW R1300GS Adventure Main Specifications
■Engine Type: Air/water-cooled 4-stroke horizontally opposed 2-cylinder DOHC 4-valve
■Total Engine Displacement: 1300 cm3
■Bore x Stroke: 106.5 x 73.0 mm
■Compression Ratio: 13.3
■Maximum Power: 107 kW (145 PH) / 7,750 rpm
■Maximum Torque: 149 N・m / 6,500 rpm
■Overall Length x Width x Height: 2,280 x 1012 x 1,540 mm (windscreen high) mm
■Wheel Distance: 1,534 mm
■Seat Height: 820/840 – 850/870 mm (vehicles equipped with adaptive vehicle height control comfort) 840/860 – 870/890 mm (vehicles equipped with adaptive vehicle height control)
■Vehicle Weight: 269 kg
■Fuel Tank Capacity: 30 L
■Transmission Type: Constant mesh 6 Stage return
■Tires (Front and Rear): 120/70R 19, 170/60R17
■Brakes (Front and Rear): Hydraulic double disc (ABS), hydraulic disc (ABS)
■Suspension (Front and Rear): Telelever fork, Paralever/swing arm ■Body Colors: Racing Red, Racing Blue Metallic, Black Storm Metallic ■Manufacturer's suggested retail price (including consumption tax): From $21361.23
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