Without BMW’s original GS there may never have been adventure bikes as we know them today. Sure, there were large dual sport or multipurpose bikes that preceded the R 80 G/S, but that was the motorcycle that most credit for creating what we now know as the ADV category. As has been the case since the original R 1150 GS Adventure back in 2001, this beefed-up variation of the model has always been the bike for those seeking extra long-distance travel capability. The goal remains the same for this fourth-generation R 1300 GS Adventure, which is based on the R 1300 GS that preceded it a year ago.

So what exactly distinguishes the Adventure from the standard model? A few key changes stand out, including a larger 7.9-gallon fuel tank (up from 5), longer-travel suspension with 8.3 inches of travel at the front and 8.7 inches at the rear (compared to 7.5 and 7.9), and it’s the first BMW motorcycle to use the new optional Automated Shift Assistant, which offers automated clutch operation and the ability to ride in a fully automatic drive mode.With so many new features, different options, and configurations we’d get to spend two full days in southern Spain riding the bikes on a variety of terrain from beat-up dirt roads to pristine asphalt in the mountains north of Gibraltar. Our goal? To determine why you’d opt for the “Adventure” version of the bike over the standard model.2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure EngineLast year the standard R 1300 GS received an all-new boxer engine that has carried over to this new model. The engine now displaces an actual 1,300cc with a 106.5 x 73mm bore and stroke (compared to the previous engine’s 102.5 x 76mm). Peak horsepower is a claimed 145 at 7,750 rpm with 110 lb.-ft. of peak torque arriving at 6,500 rpm. That’s a bump of 9 hp and 5 lb.-ft. BMW claims that the engine makes at least 96 lb.-ft. of torque between 3,600 and 7,800 rpm (redline is set at 9,000). The combination of the extra displacement, an increase in the compression ratio from 12.5 to 13.3:1, and larger intake and exhaust valves (up to 44 from 40mm and 35.6 from 34mm, respectively) are responsible for the added oomph. Optimizing performance for partial-load and full-load situations is the variable cam timing ShiftCam technology.

Another feature of the new engine is the relocated transmission which moves from behind the engine to below it, allowing a more compact layout (shorter length), better weight distribution, and a reduction in weight. The engine weighs 8.6 pounds less than the unit it replaces. Power is sent to the new cardan shaft drive (with larger U joints) via a 10-plate wet clutch with an anti-hopping (slipper) mechanism. We’ll go into detail about the new optional Automated Shift Assistant below.Our first day on the GSA kicked off on some twisty roads heading into the mountains toward Ronda, with a few dirt sections in the morning. Then after lunch we’d hit some much longer sections of gravel and beat-up dirt roads as we headed south again toward Tarifa near the Strait of Gibraltar.

First impressions of an engine are usually accurate and lasting, and so it is with this 1300 boxer. Having not had the opportunity to ride the standard bike previously, this was the first opportunity to get acquainted with it. The first thing that stands out is its broad spread of torque, which is then backed up with a spicy midrange-to-top-end delivery. Leaving the hotel in the morning and navigating the urban streets of Malaga—strewn with roundabouts—the smooth bottom-end is predictable and welcome. Road mode provides nice performance and response without being overly aggressive.Once our route started to get twisty and fun we switched the mode to Dynamic Pro, which we had already customized with the max power available and sharpest engine response. In this setting you get the maximum performance the boxer delivers with very sporty response and aggressive power. With the broad spread of torque, you can choose between a few gears on most roads. On tight roads, second or third gear is ideal, even in uphill 180-degree hairpins there is no need to drop down to first. When the road opens up with fast sweepers you can shift it into fourth and leave it alone, and with peak power arriving well below redline there is very little need to ever wring the 1300′s neck.

Without an amazing electronics package the 1300 would be an unmanageable beast off-road. Over the course of the day—on the dirt sections—we altered the Enduro Pro settings that are totally customizable. At first we had the power set to Rain, then quickly moved it to Road, and by the end of the day had it set to Dynamic. It’s really just a matter of building trust with the delivery and the traction control to find a setting you’re comfortable with. It’s not just about how quickly and aggressively the rear end snaps out, but also about how much speed the bike can generate in a very short amount of time. The electronics provide such efficient drive that the big bike gets catapulted toward the next corner, at which point your braking skills get put to the test.

After two days riding the Adventure on a huge variety of terrain from some short single-track sections, fast flowing dirt, tight and twisty asphalt, and the highway, the thing that stands out is that this engine is perfectly happy everywhere. Not only do the great electronics, which we’ll talk more about shortly, give the bike an amazing spread of capabilities, but the nature of the engine’s power delivery complements a huge variety of situations. Whether you’re tiptoeing through rocks in first gear at 5 mph, blasting gravel at 60, or slaying sweepers at 100, the 1300 boxer is up for the challenge.Automated Shift AssistantOne of the headline features on the new R 1300 GS Adventure is the Automated Shift Assistant, an $850 option in the US. Back in May, we reported on BMW’s innovative solution to a semi-automatic gearbox, but didn’t know at the time which motorcycle it would make its debut in. Now we know that the GSA is the first bike in the company’s lineup to get the feature.

The way the system works is mechanically simplistic, yet electronically sophisticated. There are two electromechanical actuators, one that operates the clutch, and one that turns the transmission shift shaft. The clutch is a hydraulic system with a direct connection between the master and slave cylinders. The actuator regulates the required amount of slip and engages and disengages the clutch automatically. Sensors on the transmission shaft determine transmission speed and then the actuator executes the shift.Unlike Honda’s E-Clutch, which is simply an electronically controlled clutch, the ASA system enables a fully automatic Drive mode. The ASA-equipped models don’t have a clutch lever on the bar but still retain a foot-operated shift lever in the traditional location. The rider can choose between manual operation or the automated Drive operation from a button on the left control pod. If the rider chooses M, they must first apply a brake to allow the bike to engage first gear, then you leave the clutch work to the bike and pull away by rolling on the throttle. From this point on, in manual mode, the bike acts like a totally conventional motorcycle.

The ASA system’s other mode of operation is the Drive mode. Select D from the bar-mounted button, apply a brake and shift down into first, and then every other function is automated. The transmission becomes a fully automatic unit that will clutch and shift for you. The transmission’s algorithms are tied to the drive modes that you have selected, so if you are in Rain mode, it will take that into account and shift at very conservative rpm points, or if you’re in Dynamic Pro, it will hold gears deep into the rev range with quick sporty shifts.On our first day of riding, we were assigned an ASA-equipped motorcycle. Like any new system we had to first familiarize ourselves with its operation. The easiest way to do this was to start out in Manual and get accustomed to how the bike operated. After negotiating a ton of roundabouts leaving Malaga, we headed up into the coastal mountains on some tight and twisty asphalt roads. The first thing that you have to do is build confidence in it pulling away from a complete stop. Later in the day after having to do dozens of quick U-turns on a tight two-lane road for photos, we developed that trust and finally gave it our stamp of approval. It manages the engagement point incredibly well, even at very slow speeds in awkward situations.

In Manual mode, the bike gives you pretty much only what you ask for. It won’t shift for you unless you are about to stall because you forgot to downshift. And if you are wringing its neck up around the engine’s redline, it will upshift. But outside of those two scenarios it gives the rider a massive amount of control. In this mode the shifts are incredibly quick, smooth, and precise, both upshifting and downshifting. Once you pull away from a stop, the system essentially becomes a quickshifter, and as we discovered after riding the Shift Assist Pro–equipped non-ASA model later in the day, the shifts are actually much smoother and precise than the quickshifter.Later in the morning we decided to commit to the fully automatic D mode (no manual shifting) for a full hour’s ride between stops. The shift behavior is tied to the selected mode, but its decisions also take into account other factors such as how aggressive the rider is turning the throttle and applying the brakes, and the system of course knows your lean and yaw angles thanks to the six-axis IMU. This is important because this is where it really outperforms other systems we’ve ridden. With the bike’s mode set to Dynamic Pro the transmission acts in a very aggressive manner, holding onto gears deep into the rev range when you are accelerating hard, and then making quick downshifts as you brake for corners.

On the flipside, change the mode to Rain or Road and the shifts become much more conservative, quickly upshifting into tall gears much in the same way Honda’s Africa Twin is known for doing. But the beauty of the system is that there are options that you can select that will make the transmission work to your preference.In Drive mode there are a few instances in which the bike doesn’t do what is expected. While riding at a sporting pace and entering a fast sweeper on a neutral throttle the bike sometimes decides to upshift a gear because you aren’t accelerating hard. Another annoying thing that we discovered was when catching a line of cars before a passing zone the bike upshifted to sixth gear. When pulling out to pass and rolling on the throttle it didn’t know to downshift forcing us to make two quick manual downshifts. Talking to the ASA project leader later that day, he told us that the system has a couple of triggers that will make the bike execute those shifts: The first is by aggressively snapping the throttle open, and the other is to quickly chop the throttle and then snap it back open, both of which will trigger the downshift. Or you can always manually make the shift.

When riding the ASA bike on the dirt, it replicates those predictable street manners off-road. Switch the mode to Enduro Pro and the transmission makes good decisions for the most part. Out of habit we prefer Manual mode off-road, which allows us to ensure that we are in our preferred gear with the desired amount of engine-braking when entering corners or descending steep downhills on loose surfaces. But on long gravel roads at a normal pace Drive works very well.2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure ElectronicsThe amount of rider aids and electronic features available on the R 1300 GS Adventure is almost overwhelming. Some of the systems are optional and we got to try out almost all of them, so we’ll focus on those so you can decide what you’d want to equip your motorcycle with. But first here are primary electronic features that are standard on the bike.In terms of rider aids there are: four riding modes including Rain, Road, Eco, and Enduro; Dynamic Traction Control (DTC); Hill Start Control (HSC); Engine Drag Torque Control (MSR); Dynamic Brake Control (DBC); BMW Motorrad Full Integral ABS.Convenience features include: Dynamic Cruise Control (DCC) with brake function; Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPM); Keyless Ride; heated grips; Intelligent Emergency Call; and Smartphone charging compartment with integrated USB socket and 12V on-board power socket. Electronic Dynamic Suspension Adjustment (DSA) is standard on the models that BMW imports to the US.

From an electronics standpoint both machines we rode were equipped with the $3,275 Premium Package that includes: an electric windshield; Ride Modes Pro; Riding Assistant with Active Cruise Control (ACC), Front Collision Warning (FCW), and Lane Change Warning; Headlight Pro. Additionally they had the $625 Adaptive Height Control. All the bikes we rode also were equipped with DSA. There really isn’t anything in that package that we’d want to exclude, while the Adaptive Height Control is a welcome luxury that helps provide a lot of confidence for anyone 6 feet tall and under. The last à la carte options would be rider and passenger seat heating ($180 each), and $625 Adaptive Height Control Comfort (which permanently reduces the seat height another 3/4 inch).

If you want ASA, you first need to tick the box for the Premium Package, and then can opt for it as an additional $850 option. That right there is probably the single biggest decision to make as the value of the Premium Package is very good. We did get to spend about half of our time on the non-ASA bike (normal clutch), but equipped with the quickshifter (included no charge in the Premium Package). We’d opt for the non-ASA bike if we intended on riding the bike off-road on a regular basis, just having that familiar control is nice, and besides, dipping the clutch for little power wheelies, or popping the front over rocks with all that torque is blast. On the other hand, we totally get the appeal of the ASA and it’s an improvement over the other similar systems we’ve ridden. If that interests you, go for it, because in terms of performance it’s quite excellent.2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Chassis and ErgonomicsWhen you walk up to the GSA in the parking lot, the last thing that comes to mind is that this giant near-600-pound machine could ever feel nimble and planted off-road. So it’s always a surprise how incredibly competent the bike is in the dirt.

And while the GSA has always defied the odds off-road, this new model features a completely new chassis. At its core is a new steel-sheet main frame and a lattice subframe made from aluminum tubing and forged aluminum components. Hung fore and aft are the Evo Telelever front and Evo Paralever rear suspension systems. BMW says that this third generation of the Telelever is much more rigid and provides additional stability and steering precision. At the rear, the new paralever swingarm is longer than its predecessor thanks to the shorter engine, and the wheelbase has increased from 59.2 to 60.4 inches when compared to the outgoing R 1250 GS Adventure. Front end geometry figures are 26.3 degrees of rake and 4.7 inches of trail.

The latest iteration of the electronic Dynamic Suspension Adjustment (DSA) takes the system a step further than before. The new setup not only adjusts the front and rear damping, but also adjusts the spring rate depending on the selected riding mode, and the automatic adjustment of spring preload compensates for load and or a passenger. The rider can also go into the menus and manually alter these settings to preference.

Anyone who rides this bike as it intended—meaning jumping from asphalt to gravel to dirt trails—will appreciate the DSA. It makes those transitions absolutely seamless, as you’re very likely switching your ride mode from surface to surface anyway, and having the suspension complement the engine/TC/ABS settings just makes sense. If there is one class of motorcycle where semi-active suspension has found its home, it’s the ADV market.

On the road, the big GSA’s chassis defies logic. Give credit to the well-dialed DSA settings for sure, but the thing that stands out the most is the confidence that the Evo Telelever front suspension gives entering corners. The system has always allowed the rider to trail-brake deep into the apex while retaining light and controlled steering. But this new design takes it a step further by instantly communicating the available grip entering corners without the suspension ever feeling bound up. Even under the load of heavy braking the suspension is plush and floats over midcorner bumps. Even with knobby tires there are no signs of compromised grip. Pretty amazing.

Off-road, that feeling is largely duplicated. We’re not going to say that the GSA floats like a 450 enduro over off-road rocks, ruts, and obstructions, but dang, does it do an incredible job considering its weight. We only did a few smaller sections of what could be considered trails, but we rode a ton of really beat-up single-lane dirt roads with a lot of embedded rocks and washed-out ruts. With the mode set to Enduro Pro, the suspension is soft and forgiving yet still has enough holdup to deal with bigger G-outs.Luckily all of the bikes we rode were equipped with Metzeler’s excellent Karoo 4 tires, as there were some sections of road that had soft sand midcorner, and some others that were like loose marbles on top of concrete. But the tires allow the front end to bite into the dirt and provide lots of confidence under braking.

When it comes to getting the big bike slowed on road or off, the braking hardware and excellent Full Integral ABS Pro provides total confidence. Setting up your modes ahead of time so that you don’t have to mess with ABS settings makes those transitions between surfaces much easier and more enjoyable. Additionally, the Dynamic Brake Control reduces drive torque to the rear wheel when braking allowing the system to be more efficient.Lastly, we have to mention the Adaptive Vehicle Height option because it’s a system that can benefit most riders without any negative effects. When slowing to a stop the motorcycle’s ride height quickly and imperceptibly drops by 1.2 inches allowing you to get firm footing on the ground. When you accelerate back up to speed (above 30 mph) it extends to its normal height in about three seconds. Considering the bike’s long-travel suspension and 34.3-inch seat height in the low position (35 inches in the high setting), even this 5-foot-11 rider was very happy to get feet firmly on the ground on such a heavy machine. And yes, you can turn it off for off-road riding, when riding at slow speeds and need full travel.

Ergonomics on the GSA are very comfortable when seated, while the electronically adjustable windscreen is another luxury that makes riding in variable conditions quite nice. Despite its huge appearance (much less shocking in person), the big fuel tank never gets in the way when standing on the pegs riding off-road. Furthermore, the reach down to the handlebar is natural and comfy in this situation, giving the control you need while allowing you to stand for long sections of dirt.ConclusionAs you can gather from above, the BMW R 1300 GS Adventure is a complex motorcycle with a ton of systems that rely on each other to make a cohesive package. From our two days riding the bike, we can say with full confidence that BMW has done a fantastic job of blending all of it together to make a great riding experience no matter what surface you’re riding on.We also walked away from our two days with a really good understanding of why you would buy the Adventure model over a standard model. We imagine that the standard GS can do everything that the bigger Adventure can (and maybe do a few things better due to its lighter weight). But we can guarantee that this bike achieves those same feats with better rider comfort, travels much longer distances between stops, and provides features that aren’t available on the standard bike.

The R 1300 GS Adventure is arriving in dealers right now. The US base price is $22,745. There are four color options available including: Racing Red, GS Trophy (+$845), Triple Black (+$895), and the Option 719 Karakorum (+$2,495). The bikes pictured that we rode were equipped as listed.Racing Red R 1300 GSA: $27,395 ($28,245 w/ ASA)Style GS Trophy R 1300 GSA: $31,225 ($32,075 w/ ASA)The Adventure model is incredibly versatile, and that’s what riders who are traveling long distances over mixed terrain are looking for. On road, the GSA is an amazing sport-touring machine that can eat up miles with ease, and slay corners without breaking a sweat. When the road turns to gravel, flick the mode into the appropriate setting, and it handles the dirt with confidence and poise. And since the bike was designed to be loaded to the gunwales with luggage and gear you can do all of the above and carry the kitchen sink with you if need be.

2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Specs