America is vast. The extremes are an average of -17 degrees in places of Alaska, whereas Death Valley can get to over 120 degrees on a summer day. Then, there are places in Hawaii that get rain for up to 200 days a year! This means that roads aren’t always in good shape, and some of the best places to explore happen to be off-road.
In a car, these are challenges, yes, but if you have the right tires, a working HVAC system, and maybe good ground clearance and four/all wheel drive, then you will probably be able to deal with them relatively easily. With a motorcycle, things get a lot trickier because you’re exposed to the elements, and if you slip, there is an impact with the ground that you need to deal with. So you need something suitable for the job.
Why An Adventure Bike Makes Sense For American Exploration
Sport tourers are extremely quick, and traditional tourers have huge capacity for eating up miles in comfort, but when you have terrain and weather as diverse as we do in the USA, only an adventure bike will do. With an ADV, you don’t have to worry about broken patches of road or detours off tarmac. They are overbuilt and overengineered, so they are reliable. And their ability to let you stand and ride does take some pressure off sensitive areas whenever you need it.
The BMW R 1300 GS Is The Most Durable Adventure Bike For U.S. Conditions
There are many well-established products in the adventure bike space. However, only a few have established themselves as long-distance companions. The ultimate compliment for an ADV is the seal of approval as a ‘Round The World’ motorcycle. The flagship GS model has earned it – or rides like it – so many times, it is pretty much the main reason it sells so well. With this view, it is only obvious that the R 1300 GS is the most durable adventure bike for the extremely varied conditions we have in the U.S.
Priced Very Reasonably For A Flagship From A Premium Brand
The R 1300 GS’s base price is exceedingly reasonable, at $20,395. You get an extremely capable tourer with a powerful, torquey engine, bulletproof reliability, and a decent feature set. However, should you add things like the automatic gearbox and spoke wheels, the price can quickly leap to over $27,000. Thus, choosing your options well becomes key to value with the R 1300 GS.
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Powered By BMW’s Most Powerful Boxer Twin
BMW has been adding new features to each version of this engine: the R 1200 GS got water cooling, the R 1250 GS got variable valve timing, and the R 1300 GS gets an automated manual gearbox. The engine itself is an evolution of the 1250, with a bump up to 1,300 cc, and variable valve timing on the intake valves that is called ‘BMW ShiftCam’.
This is a short stroke design and a high compression ratio of 13.3:1, and the result is 145 horsepower at 7,750 RPM and 110 pound-feet at 6,500 RPM. A six-speed manual gearbox with an assist and slipper clutch is standard. A driveshaft transmits the power to the wheel.
Interesting Frame Design Promises Weight Reduction And Increased Strength
The R 1300 GS’s frame is a very interesting one. Despite this being a model known for its prowess off-road, it has more in common with a diamond frame than a traditional cradle frame. The engine is a load-bearing member, and the subframe is bolted on, promising a 26.5-pound drop in weight over the 1250. Joining hands is BMW’s well-known Paralever and Telelever setup, which is a double wishbone front with a single central suspension unit, and a single-sided swingarm at the rear. Suspension travel stands at 7.5 inches for the front and 7.8 inches for the rear.
The brakes consist of twin 310 mm front discs and a 285 mm rear disc. Radial four-piston fixed calipers do duty at the front, and a two-piston floating caliper is present at the rear. There is a ‘sports brake’ upgrade available that offers better front braking components. A 19/17 inch alloy wheel rim combination is present as standard, but can be upgraded to a tubeless spoke setup. It is similar to the tires.
As Heavy As The Competition
You’ll be surprised to know that the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally (four cylinders) and the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro (three cylinders) are both in the same ballpark as the BMW when it comes to curb weight. The R 1300 GS weighs 523 pounds with the twin-cylinder engine, but all the weight is low because of the boxer twin configuration. It is normal in other areas, although BMW doesn’t reveal its ground clearance.
Its length is just over 87 inches, and its width is 39.4 inches. The wheelbase is just under 60 inches. The seat height is 33.5 inches, but this is a narrow motorcycle, so it should be okay for a wide range of people. The fuel tank holds 5 gallons, again par for the course.
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The Feature Set Is Almost Unlimited With Accessories
The R 1300 GS has a 6.5-inch TFT screen, which is normal-sized for the segment. It has Bluetooth and navigation capability as standard. As with most BMW products, there are upgrade packages that add a whole bunch of options. The Touring and Dynamic packages are free upgrades on the face of it, but it can get confusing when you dig deeper. Expect to get near to $30,000 when you load up the R 1300 GS with options.
Items on the options list (that you may or may not be able to add individually) include:
- Electrically adjustable windscreen
- Center stand
- Engine protection
- Skid plate
- Handlebar risers
- Adjustable foot levers
- Height-adjustable footpegs
- Forged enduro wheels.
The electronics package is comprehensive as well, thanks to the by-wire throttle and six-axis IMU. There are all the usual things, but we’d like to focus instead on the interesting bits. The automated manual gearbox is essentially an automatic gearbox for all intents and purposes – and if you prefer to do the shifting yourself, you can add a two-way quickshifter to the base manual. The suspension has an optional DSA that is an electronic suspension adjustment. It changes the damping itself; you can also set the rear preload if you wish, but it will self-level once a pillion or luggage is added. It also lowers automatically at walking speeds to make this GS easy to maneuver.
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Fierce Competition That Is Very Capable
There are some extremely capable machines in this segment. We’ve already mentioned the Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally ($31,995), which sits somewhere in between the R 1300 GS and R 1300 GS Adventure. Ducati has done a great job developing a motorcycle that is capable in pretty much any conditions, retaining its reputation for speed, and then bringing an all-new dimension to its reliability with the Granturismo V4 engine. Oh, and a quickshifter is standard.
The Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro ($23,195) doesn’t get enough love despite having all the tools necessary to dethrone the king. You get a very different experience with the inline three cylinder engine and the ‘T-plane’ crankshaft’s firing order, but it has many of the same features as the BMW, like shaft drive, where the Ducati prefers a chain. If you’re on a budget, though, the Honda Africa Twin has no equal at its price of $15,199.
Source: BMW USA