Mark 2025 down as a revolutionary year for BMW’s GS flagship. The 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure gets the latest ShiftCam boxer engine and an optional automatic transmission, which we tested as part of the Premium Package. Our test bike also had the new Adaptive Height option. This is an incredibly complex motorcycle with a vast array of adjustments, so find yourself a comfortable chair, and we will dive in while trying to avoid getting too arcane.
- The 145-horsepower motor is inherited from last year’s R 1300 GS. The six-speed transmission now sits below the motor, cutting some weight and lowering the center of gravity. The Adventure gets its own ShiftCam timing, though we’re still looking at a maximum of 145 horsepower at 7750 rpm and torque peaking at 105 ft-lbs at 6500 rpm. The four base modes—Rain, Eco, Road, and Enduro—almost get it done.
- With the $3275 Premium Package, you have a choice of seven ride modes—Rain, Eco, Road, Dynamic, Dynamic Pro, Enduro, and Enduro Pro. Oddly, you can only pick four to select from as you’re riding, though you can stop and swap available modes whenever you like. There is a dedicated mode button to cycle through the four modes you want displayed.
- The latest 1301cc boxer is a tremendous powerplant. It has more than enough torque at any speed in any gear, and you can decide for yourself whether you want it delivered via the seven modes. We kept it simple. When we were touring along on the open highway, the Road mode was smooth, while still allowing enough throttle response for authoritative passing. The Dynamic mode was our go-to for the twisties, if we were interested in making time. When tooling down dirt roads, we slipped into Enduro mode. We appreciate the snappiness of the Dynamic modes, and the most demanding riders will delve into the depths of the TFT’s menu and enjoy the fine-tuning options in the two Pro modes.
- There’s one interesting $850 option within the Dynamic Package—Automated Shift Assistant (ASA). Yes, the 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure can be had with an automatic clutch transmission that can be shifted manually or automatically. There’s no clutch lever to be found, but don’t worry—you won’t miss it.
- Whether in D (Dynamic/automatic) or M (Manual), you’ll love the automatic clutch. An electromechanical actuator lets the clutch slip as needed and pulls the clutch in for you at a stop. It all happens intuitively and smoothly, so all you have to do is twist the throttle. The clutch works perfectly on the road, in a parking lot, or when inching around in the garage. At a stop, you don’t have to apply the brake as you would with an automatic transmission in an automobile—there’s no forward creep at all when idling. The automatic clutch exhibits no bad behavior, and the only reason you’ll want a manual clutch is because that’s what you’re used to. You might even hate to admit that the automatic clutch works better than you do.
- Manually shifting the 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure is magic. It’s like a quickshifter, only smoother. Using a traditional left-foot shift lever, upshifts and downshifts are mere clicks, whether riding around town, in the canyons, or on the open road. If you’re lazy about downshifts, don’t worry. The ASA will step in and downshift to prevent the engine from stalling. If you’d like, you can never downshift in the Manual mode, though you will want to do that if you want a sporty ride. When you do shift, you’re not mechanically making the shift. Like the clutch, the transmission shifting is accomplished via an electromechanical actuator. BMW engineers absolutely nailed the automatic clutch and Manual shift mode.
- Things go a bit sideways when going fully automatic in Dynamic shifting mode. As smooth as the Manual mode is, the Dynamic shifting mode is often disconcertingly jerky. Just pulling away from a stop, the shift from 1st to 2nd gear is inevitably clunky, regardless of the power mode. Although the shifting predictably gets smoother in the higher gears, it’s never anywhere near as seamless as a Honda Dual Clutch Transmission.
- The problem is that it takes seemingly forever to complete each shift. As the clutch disengages, your momentum drops, the shift is made, and then the clutch abruptly reengages. Shifts seem haphazard and unpredictable, with the bike routinely unsettled. This is nothing like the silky Honda Dual Clutch transmission. Yes, it’s automatic and it does work, but I would rarely use it if I were an owner. Fortunately, the automatic clutch alone is worth the $850 price tag. I’ll just pick the shift points myself, thank you very much. It’s hard to believe that the same team that designed the automatic clutch was behind the automatic shifting.
- An automatic parking brake avoids embarrassing parking lot tipovers. On automatic transmission motorcycles, you usually have to invoke some sort of parking brake so it doesn’t roll if you’re not on flat ground. The 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure automatically goes into Park mode when you shut off the motor at a stop—it won’t budge. Getting out of Park mode requires powering up the GSA (a power button) and tapping the start button. That will get you into neutral. Manually shift down with the front brake applied, and you’re in 1st gear and ready to ride.
- Out on the road, Riding Assistant gets involved. It’s part of the premium package, and it adds radar to the mix. This gives you active cruise control, which Associate Editor Jonathan Handler loved on his ride to The Quail MotoFest. The Riding Assistant lets you know if a vehicle is in your blind spot, will flash the brake lights if someone gets too close behind you, and slows you down to make sure you don’t rear-end someone. I was good with all of these, except the last one. A couple of times when I was slipping diagonally through a gap between two cars, I cut it a bit too close to the front vehicle for Riding Assistant, and it slowed me down when I didn’t want the power cut and brakes invoked. Fortunately, each feature can be disabled via the menu.
- Adaptive Height Control is wonderful. As you come to a stop, the suspension lowers the 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure 1.2 inches. This allows me to be nearly flat-footed at a stop with my 30.5-inch inseam and motorcycle boots. In everyday use, you don’t feel the drop or rise. However, if you get on the brakes hard and come to a stop, it’s noticeable. It’s harder to detect during acceleration, as it takes three seconds to achieve full height and only 1.5 seconds to drop down. It’s perfect at stops, yet you still have that commanding world view as you ride around. Unless you’re well over six feet tall, this is an essential feature well worth the $625 cost.
- The R 1300 GS Adventure is terrific as a touring bike. At speed on the highway, you’re well-protected from the windblast. The electronically controlled windshield can be lowered to allow airflow when desired. On back roads, the GSA belies its 593-pound curb weight, though the bulky appearance necessitated by the 7.9-gallon fuel tank makes the bike feel bigger than it is. Still, the low center of gravity afforded by the boxer configuration reduces fatigue. Our test bike had the Comfort Rider’s Seat, and it was, indeed, comfortable. The ergonomics naturally ward off fatigue—this is an easy motorcycle to ride long distances.
- The suspension design helps the GS Adventure corner with unusual stability. As you set up for a corner, the Evo Telelever front suspension—a single shock rather than telescopic tubes—reduces front-end dive from the Premium Package’s upgraded braking, and settles the bike beautifully. The torquey motor and Evo Paralever rear suspension make it almost impossible to flub a corner exit. If the rear tire encounters a slick spot, traction control engages, with its calibration varying according to each power mode. The Premium Package gets a two-setting adjustable semi-active shock. However, as good as the suspension is, I would prefer full semi-active suspension with a nice array of adjustability.
- BMW keeps working on perfecting the UI for the dash. A learning curve is involved in getting the most out of the 6.5-inch TFT dash. There are plenty of buttons, plus the Wonder Wheel. What’s colloquially known as the Hamburger Button gets you into the meat of the menu, and you go to work on having it your way. An up-down rocker switch can be programmed to perform various functions, including windshield adjustment (my favorite), shock adjustment (Road or Dynamic), or heated grips. There’s a track-style dash lurking in there, though you aren’t likely to need it for adventuring.
- While it’s a GS, the new Adventure is not set up for anything but the lightest off-road duty. With the 90/10 Metzeler Tourance Next 2 tires on the tubeless wire-spoke wheels, you have to be a braver man than I to push the big 1300 hard off the pavement. The automatic clutch helps quite a bit, especially when making U-turns on dirt roads when the going starts to look a little too tough. There’s over eight inches of suspension travel at both ends, so you could get a bit more aggressive with the optional Metzeler Karoo 4 tires installed. Our 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure test bike had tires highly biased for the street, and the vast majority of riding was on pavement. Even with more dirt-ready tires, the big GS is wide at the waist, so you never escape its bulkiness.
- The silver aluminum cases are exceptional. If you’re going touring, this is $1878 well-spent. The cases are huge, carrying 73.5 liters, almost evenly split between them. These are the first cases that I can fit my Nikon Z9’s camera bag in. It’s easy to install and remove the cases. You don’t have to leave them locked, so they’re convenient at stops. The left-hand case has a powered USB-C charging port. They’re easy to carry. I don’t know what else to ask for, other than a lower price—at least the integrated mounts are standard on the bike.
- The 2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure is a monumental motorcycle. The big GS has always been capable of circumnavigating the globe, and this makes the idea just that much more enticing, even if you only end up riding coast-to-coast. BMW’s broad range of accessories, options, and Packages allows you to fine-tune the all-roads touring experience, and do it on a motorcycle that embraces industrial artistry.
Photography by Kelly Callan
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 manual shift (automatic or manual shifting optional, as tested)
- Clutch: Hydraulically actuated wet multiplate w/ slipper function (Automatic clutch optional, as tested; quickshifter optional)
- 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 (semi-active, as tested); 8.7 inches
- Wheels: Wire-spoke
- Front wheel: 19 x 3.00
- Rear wheel: 17 x 4.50
- Tires: Metzeler Tourance Next 2 (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
- 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 (sans paniers)
2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Price: from $22,745 MSRP ($31,523 as tested)
2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Review Photo Gallery
