In what is becoming a frequent pilgrimage for me, I attended this year’s The Quail MotoFest—formerly The Quail Motorcycle Gathering—now in its 15th year in Central California’s scenic Carmel Valley. It’s a Concours d’Élégance with motorcycles of every type vying for recognition in segments such as British, Italian, American, and Japanese. This year’s MotoFest featured classes included the 45th anniversary of the BMW GS, Italian Innovation by Bimota, and Yoshimura. There were some crazy customs, too, with about 200 bikes on display all over a lovely grass field near the golf course. Bucket list this if you’ve never been here.
BMW Motorrad invited me, along with a few other moto writers, to ride almost 300 miles from Hollywood over some great back roads on the new R 1300 GS Adventure to Paso Robles for an overnight stay. The next morning, it was on to Carmel Valley for The Quail MotoFest. I was eager to explore the improvements in this new model and the ever-evolving tech integrated by the manufacturer. A new motor, new transmission, new chassis, and familiar user interfaces compelled my interest.
The 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure delivered in every way possible during this on-road trip. There wasn’t much dirt involved outside of a few gravel, side-of-the-road stops, and maneuvers, and that’s okay with this New York City-born rider who never saw a patch of dirt until moving out west.
The GSA for 2025 has been completely redesigned and is svelte but for the look that is dominated by the 7.9-gallon fuel tank. Given the equipment it possesses, the motorcycle weighs in at a claimed 593 pounds unladen, fully fueled, and ready to go. It has been the better part of a year since we had our detailed First Look at the R 1300 GS Adventure, so I won’t go over all the details. Rather than a traditional test, this is a travel story that incorporates some of the features and performance observations I found essential.
Our journey started on U.S. Route 101 from Hollywood to Santa Barbara. On that 85-mile stretch, I was able to get a feeling for the bike in traffic, and I explored the speeds one can ride when unhindered by pesky vehicles. The adaptive cruise control (ACC) helped make this easier—more on ACC later.
The GSA simply wants to run at any speed your driver’s license can support. It’s smooth, with a tremendous ability to add velocity quickly with just a twist of the wrist, even in top gear. There does not seem to be a limit to the boxer’s comfort zone. If you need to add 30 mph for a quick pass in a tight spot, just blink, and you’re there with calm precision. Thanks to 110 ft-lbs of torque at 6500 rpm, it’s no surprise, and the 145 horsepower at 7750 rpm doesn’t hurt.
Approaching Montecito, south of Santa Barbara, we exit the 101 and climb to the top of the Santa Ynez Mountains. There, East Camino Cielo is paved but rough and follows the ridgeline west until it meets California State Route 154. A right turn sends us northwest toward Los Olivos in the Sanya Ynez Valley wine country.
While I have ridden up on the east end to visit Big Caliente Hot Springs, I haven’t traversed the westerly route we took. Looking south is a breathtaking, panoramic view of greater Santa Barbara and the Pacific Ocean—a magnificent sight.
East Camino Cielo includes every kind of undulation known to man. From rare 70 mph straights and sweepers to miles of switchbacks and low gear, tight corners. It’s a perfect place to test the GSA’s mountain goat-like abilities, albeit on pavement. It simply soaked up the rough road sections.
I selected Road mode (versus Eco, Rain, Dynamic, and Dynamic Pro) because it provided softer suspension settings, allowing for the smoothest ride possible under these conditions. Later, I learned that I can independently adjust damping within the Settings menu to further dial in the ride.
SR 154 is about 15 miles of two-lane, with occasional passing lanes. The GSA gobbled them up just as we would consume lunch in nearby Solvang, a Danish-themed tourist town offering various food types and high-calorie baked goods. It’s picturesque, yet I couldn’t wait to get back in the saddle for the final segment of day one to our Paso Robles overnight stop.
This last leg is one familiar to me and many SoCal locals and a Top 10 favorite. Foxen Canyon Road heads north out of Los Olivos past countless vineyards and wineries, including Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard and Zaca Mesa Winery.
A right turn after Riverbench Vineyard & Winery onto Tepusquet Road—it’s pronounced like it’s spelled—which basically parallels the 101 to the east. This route serves up another dose of the twisty bits popular with sport-tourer and adventure bike riders. Much of it is narrow with no painted center strip—Heaven, I’d say. This road ends at Cuyama Highway (aka California State Route 166). A left turn and 15 miles put us on El Camino Real (the original name for U.S. 101).
We head north on the 101 through Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo. After avoiding the temptation to turn right at the famed California State Route 58 for another go at the twisties, we slog 20 more miles to our lodging for the evening.
Dating back to 1857, Paso Robles Inn sits on the edge of Downtown City Park. Paso Robles is a lovely town. The region is renowned for its world-class Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and other Bordeaux-style blends. I will admit to savoring several over dinner.
The next morning, we have 135 miles to go before we arrive at The Quail Lodge & Golf Club. Much to my surprise and joy, Jimmy Faria, BMW’s ride-leading ex-CHP officer—I rode with him for the 2014 R 1200 RT launch out of Sedona—takes us on a route I’ve never explored.
Ten miles north of Paso Robles, we exited El Camino Real in sleepy San Miguel. From there, we continued north on Indian Valley Road and Peach Tree Road—two more rustic routes with no centerline. Peach Tree Road ends at the intersection of California State Routes 25 and 198. We took 90-year-old Airline Highway (SR 25) 10 miles north to the hamlet of Lonoak. A left turn and 14 miles brought us to King City and back to the 101.
We’re now back on the northbound 101, and 12 miles later, we’re off on old El Camino Real at Greenfield. Instead of going through town, we turn left on Elm Avenue, which points us back toward the coast. Elm ends at Arroyo Seco Road, where we make another left after crossing the Arroyo Seco River on what is locally known as the Green Bridge, which features a now-off-limits steep cement staircase.
After seven miles on Arroyo Seco Road, we turn right on Carmel Valley Road, which takes us 37 scenic miles to The Quail Lodge. Carmel Valley Road is an excellent alternative to the freeway. It’s a bit rough—I drove it last summer and hit a pothole hidden in the shade—and you have to be careful as, again, there is no center line for much of the east end. Of course, I enjoyed it far more on the 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure than I did on four wheels.
As I was the first at Ultimate Motorcycling to get aboard the new boxer GSA, I was anxious to learn everything I could about this sophisticated machine.
Of most interest to me was the new and optional Automated Shift Assistant (ASA), which I chose over the standard manual transmission version. Essentially, ASA is an automatic transmission that can be operated in two modes: M (no clutch, requiring manual shifting with the foot shifter) and D (fully automatic, linked to the ride mode, with manual shift override).
I could wait until further down the screen, but I’ll say it now—I love the ASA transmission and the R 1300 GS Adventure. Now, hear me out before you hate me.
During my decades of riding, I thought that at least two elements were required on a motorcycle—two wheels and a clutch lever. Now, I find out that I can live without that lever. Diehard riders will likely dissent‚ at least until they try it.
Likely, all experienced riders can agree that shifting gears is easy and relatively automatic within our brains. It really doesn’t take any thought to make that happen. Yet, when I removed the need to shift and use the fully automatic transmission, I found that that small slice of bandwidth used to change gears allowed me to focus on the trip, giving me a greater sense of my surroundings and the experience. Never did I feel any loss in the soul of the ride.
From the outset, I was determined to ride in D for most of the trip. I knew I was riding the bike home and keeping it for a while so I could do more extensive testing. For now, I wanted to know what 700 miles was like with ASA doing all the work.
Acceleration through the gears is mostly smooth. As with any automatic transmission you’ve ever driven, various factors—speed, load, throttle position, and rev count among them—determine when the gearbox will upshift to the next cog. First-to-second upshifts can be a bit clunky, especially when powered by a motor delivering this kind of power. Low-speed acceleration, naturally, is smoothest. Yet, when you twist hard, there is a bit of a jolt during low-gear upshifts, but this is to be expected and does not interfere with the quality of the ride.
ASA lacks the finesse of human feathering the clutch when starting from a stop, especially if navigating out of a tight parking lot or other place where there is limited room. It can be slightly grabby, so slow throttle application is required to avoid any lurching until the bike gets going. This is not a big deal once you become familiar with the system.
BMW did not design a new transmission. Per our technical introduction to the bike, we were told that their engineers had adapted the new six-speed manual gearbox to make it automatic. When asked what was done, we were told it was “too complicated to explain.” My guess is that the transmission was fitted with some solenoids, servos, and logic boards to make this a reality. The foot shifter, while it appears to be a traditional mechanical lever, is an electronic switch. So, it does not have the granular feel of the manual transmission mechanism. However, it does the job of shifting gears.
The result is that the ASA simply works, and for a first-year effort, I give it high marks. I did not have to rely upon overriding the ASA’s gear choice even when rounding some 10 mph uphill switchbacks that I’d do in first gear with a manual. With ASA, when I entered a turn in third gear, it would sometimes shift to second and other times remain in third. No matter what the situation, a simple twist of the throttle sent me sailing through the turn and uphill.
The ASA likes to downshift when applying the brakes, and the shifts are perfectly rev-matched. Often, the transmission is a bit slow to downshift when I enter a corner, letting the boxer’s compression slow me down rather than using the brakes. So, when I am strafing some canyons, I often find the transmission in third or fourth gear at the apex when I would rather be in second. This is a perfect time to use the foot shifter to drop down one or two cogs. Still, even if I don’t override the selected gear, there is always enough grunt to yank me through the corner and launch me toward the next one.
I have found similar action with other manufacturers’ automatic transmissions, so this is not a challenge only to BMW. Twisting the throttle will not always cause the transmission to downshift as it might in some automobiles.
The road manners of the suspension are excellent. The Evo Telelever has been improved with a new flex element under the handlebar and a central dual-speed adjustable (DSA) shock. The Evo Paralever out back rocks a central DSA spring strut and electronic load compensation. Riders can dial in damping through the dashboard setup to further customize the stock settings associated with Road, Rain, Eco, Dynamic, and Dynamic Pro modes.
The 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure rails in the twisties better than one might imagine. At high speeds on straight roads, it is solid and smooth, perfect for all-day enjoyment. As for comfort, I’m six-foot-even, and the stock seat height and reach to the bars are just about perfect. Other seating choices can lower the seat to 31.1 inches or as high as 36 inches.
BMW’s Adaptive Vehicle Height Control lowers the bike three-quarters of an inch when coming to a stop, then rises when moving. I never experienced this, but it’s possible it did. I will experiment more on my next ride. The same goes for the Comfort Prop-Up Aid, which is designed to make centerstand usage easier when the bike is in the lowered position.
I enjoyed using the cruise control, which came with the optional Riding Assistant featuring radar sensors for adaptive cruise control, front collision warning, and lane change warning. I never felt the need for active cruise control until I was stuck behind slow-moving traffic that I couldn’t pass safely. When you’re stuck behind traffic or following a riding group, it is a joy to let ACC keep you at the right pace and distance from the vehicle ahead. Riders can adjust the spacing distance in the dash settings. It will also apply the brakes and flash a red warning on the dash when approaching other vehicles too quickly.
There is so much tech now that it would be impossible to have dedicated buttons for items like grip and seat heaters or windshield height adjustment. BMW has added a “hamburger” menu button on the left grip that allows you to control many functions. You can choose a prime function so that the up-down arrow button becomes dedicated to a function of your choice. It takes a bit to get accustomed to it, but once done, it works a treat.
I’ve now passed 1200 miles riding the 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure, and I am completely impressed. I’ll likely add another 600-700 miles this weekend before my editor steals it away from me for his technical review—such is the life of a motojournalist. I must reiterate that even after all these miles, I still adore the ASA. After testing fully manual shifting in M, I was quick to switch back to D. It just works, and I like the extra headspace provided by not needing to think about shifting.
The 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure is a fabulous bike and a significant upgrade from the last few years’ R 1250 GS, which was already a great moto.
Action photography by Kevin Wing
Still photography by Jonathan Handler and Kevin Wing
RIDING STYLE
2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Specs
ENGINE
- Type: Horizontally opposed twin
- Displacement: 1301cc
- Bore x stroke: 106.5 x 73mm
- Maximum power: 145 horsepower @ 7750 rpm
- Maximum torque: 105 ft-lbs @ 6500 rpm
- Top speed: 124+ mph
- Compression ratio: 13.3:1
- Fueling: EFI w/ 52mm throttle body
- Valvetrain: DOHC w/ dual profile cams; 4vpc
- Cooling: Liquid and air
- Transmission: 6-speed
- Clutch: Hydraulically actuated wet multiplate w/ slipper function (optional $850 automatic clutch and shifting option tested)
- Final drive: Shaft
CHASSIS
- Frame: Two-section steel sheet metal w/ bolt-on subframe
- Front suspension; travel: BMW Evo Telelever 37mm fork w/ shock; 8.3 inches
- Rear suspension; travel: BMW Evo Paralever and shock; 8.7 inches
- Wheels: Wire-spoke
- Front wheel: 19 x 3.00
- Rear wheel: 17 x 4.50
- Tires: Michelin Anakee Adventure (Metzeler Karoo 4 tires optional)
- Front tire: 120/70 x 19
- Rear tire: 170/60 x 17
- Front brakes: 310mm discs w/ radially mounted 4-piston calipers
- Rear brake: 285mm disc w/ dual-piston floating caliper
- ABS: BMW Motorrad ABS Pro
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 60.4 inches
- Rake: 26.2 degrees
- Trail: 4.7 inches
- Seat height: 34.3 or 35.0 inches (optional 31.0 to 36.0 inches)
- Fuel capacity: 7.9 gallons
- Curb weight: 593 pounds
COLORS
- Racing Red
- Style GS Trophy (+$845)
- Triple Black Package (+$895)
- Style Option 719 (+$2495)
2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Price: from $23,400 MSRP
2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure to Quail MotoFest Photo Gallery
