BMW R 1300 GSA: Is bigger better?

Bruce Wilson finds out…

With a monstrous 30-litre tank, 269 kilos of Bavarian bulk, and more gadgets than a Bond car, the new BMW R 1300 GSA isn’t exactly lacking. It’s packed with power, tech, and a devilish ability to tackle trails and twisties alike. But is this heavyweight really the king of adventure?

That question was bouncing around my head as I struggled to take in the larger-than-life realities of the new GSA. Okay, it’s not as if the last iteration was a tiddler but seeing one of these in the flesh, with its all-encompassing 30-litre fuel tank, had me asking questions about BMW’s sanity. Am I sold on the looks? Not really, but lots of people are, so I’ll park my humble opinion on the styling and move on to the next factor to hit home – the sheer weight of the thing. 

At 269 kilos wet, this is a machine that you’d not want to drop on your worst enemy (well, maybe not), let alone yourself. But having cocked a leg over the relatively narrow, long saddle and wobbled the bike around, it didn’t take much imagination to see how throwing it at the ground could be all too easy. Admittedly, a lot of the weight in the bike is packaged nice and low, with the latest generation Boxer twin motor (the same 145bhp engine that’s found in the 1300GS) sitting at shin height, with enough ground clearance for the odd pesky boulder but still low enough to save the rider’s upper body from a sadistic- style workout. Afterall, motorcycles are supposed to be fun, right? Of course, there’s only so much reckoning you can do when it comes to new bikes and determining how good they are to ride. To get the true story, you’ve got to get stuck in and go for a blast, which is what happened soon after I’d been given a talk-over of the new models’ features. 

In essence, the new 1300 GS provides the backbone to the GSA in more ways than one, with the same frame, swingarm, Telelever system and front cowl styling. The major differences are the bigger tank and the heavier duty subframe, that contribute significantly towards the bike’s hike of 32kg over its slightly smaller brethren. As for the tech, a lot of that crosses over, too, but this is the point at which I need to flag up that the options and varieties of spec for the GSA are pretty gargantuan, with four colourways and three different specs on the cards. 

My bike for the day was a fully loaded ‘Option 719’ Karakorum, which came with green paint, gold wheels and so many rider aids it had my head spinning. It’ll set you back at least £20,905 and there’s scope to crank that figure even higher if you choose any number of optional extras, such as the Akrapovic silencers that were slotted on mine – costing a tear-jerking £925 – or the Adaptive Vehicle Height Control, which my machine also sported… to the tune of an extra £515. You get the point. If your wallet’s big enough, the world’s your oyster on this thing. But included in the TE spec – which forms the basis of this bike – are quite a few premium features, such as Pro riding modes, heated pillion and rider seats, plus an electronically-adjusted windshield. Over the years, BMW’s built up a plethora of great tech for its models, regardless of the genre, and it soon hit me that the only thing this bike was lacking was the proverbial kitchen sink. 

Knowing firsthand how looks can be deceiving on bikes like this, I’ll admit that I still had high hopes for the riding experience of this thing, that soon gained momentum when I slipped the fancy 719-spec adjustable span lever and felt the torque of the Boxer come into play. As big as this bike might be, and despite the fact the GSA ‘only’ claims to make 145bhp, I’ll admit the torque of the thing quickly got my adoration as the Beemer scurried up to speed at a rate a bike this size simply shouldn’t. With a claimed 149Nm on tap, with peak torque at just 6500rpm, it should have been no surprise that this thing would prove far more fruity than its looks would suggest, with the only limitation being the succession of speed limits we were finding on our route. I couldn’t wait to stretch the bike’s legs and see whether the low-down oomph stayed for the whole show, or whether it was just a party trick down low? Whatever the case, on first impressions, it didn’t do itself any harm, and nor did the tech. 

Another feature on the bike is adaptive cruise control, which meant I could put my feet up on the cylinders, while the motor cruised at a set speed, adapting automatically when a vehicle in front decided to throw havoc into the mix. Life felt pretty chilled on this thing, made all the sweeter by the big screen, set to its highest position, that pretty much meant the elements couldn’t touch me. 

You get the point. Armed with all of the aforementioned, plus a big, comfy seat and relaxed, wide bars, I was starting to buy in to this touring malarkey, but that side of the picture soon vanished when we made it up on to some twisty, mountain roads and the lesser-exposed headbanging side of the bike got tickled. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again that the GS and GSA are some of the most audacious, unimaginably playful machines on the market. Kneedown, jumps, drift and so much more… I’ve done it all on these bikes, that have also carried me across faraway continents along some of the most arduous trails on the planet. While the day’s riding wasn’t set to take in any hardcore off-road, unfortunately, I did have a bit of a play around on some rough stuff while waiting my turn on a photoshoot, being reminded how well balanced and pliable the bike was. 

The secret with this thing is confidence and forgetting about its size. Do that and you’ll be able to capitalise on the ridiculous turning circle the Beemer’s got, but also how docile and usable the engine is. On tick-over, this thing will pull you around with no qualms, but behind the sedate side of the twin is a much more fiery side that comes out to play the second you ask it. Riding in Dynamic Pro mode, with the traction dialled down to its minimum (you can’t turn it off altogether), the electronic suspension stiffened up and the characteristic of the bike in its sportiest of personas, the BMW proved an absolute hoot through the flow of tight bends we were riding. 

You only have to touch the ride-by-wire throttle and the connection to the rear wheel feels not just instantaneous, but clinical, too, as you ask for more or less drive. Pull the throttle fully back and the GSA wants to crack on at an awesome rate of knots, while the exhaust barks out a deep, enticing soundtrack. That noise only gets better with down shifts, using the bike’s slick blipper, as the barks and burbles of the fuelling add even more character into the mix. One thing I soon learned was the lack of need to be absolutely clinical with your gear choice as the raft of torque meant the motor would pull through most scenarios, even when riding in the completely wrong choice. 

As for the way it handles, let’s just say it surprises there, too. It is a big unit, there’s no getting around that, but it isn’t afraid of lean angle, and, thanks to its long wheelbase and decent suspension, I found it pretty stable, too. Any wallowing that does join the party is soon ironed out, leaving you with a bike that is ready to attack the next bend. On a positive note, the Telelever front end definitely offers a supported stance, but it lacks in feel and on some of the sketchier, awkward hairpins I rode, I didn’t want to push my luck too much with this thing – more feedback would make the ride a lot better. At the rear, you almost get too much information, exaggerated by the sensation of nothing to little hitting you up front. As I’ve learned with the GS/GSA off-road, it’s something you just have to learn to trust and hope the grip’s there as you lob this thing on its side. Rightly or wrongly, that was my approach and it didn’t do me any harm as we ticked off the day’s ride and headed to a private playpen to explore a bit more of the BMW’s naughty side. 

While wheelies might be considered completely inappropriate by the likely end user that buys one of these, I couldn’t help but indulge in a few, realising that, once again, looks can be very misleading, because this thing is an absolute beast in that department. The same goes for skids, with rear wheel drifts in Enduro Pro mode proving an absolute hoot. Of course, no box of riding tricks would be complete without a burnout, which proved easier said than done. When you mess around doing stuff like this on a bike, you learn things you just wouldn’t know otherwise, including how controlling the bike’s traction system is. 

As mentioned, you can’t turn it off altogether (or, at least, I couldn’t), but with the bike in Enduro Pro, the slip is less limited than in any other setting… but it still ruins the party as at around 3-4000rpm the revs are limited. Another thing that had to be switched off to do a burnout was the Hill Hold function; a system that made sense on the roads but caused chaos when trying to spin the rear wheel. All of the changing of settings gave me a good chance to reacquaint myself with the Beemer’s tech and how easily it is altered. I say easily – it’s actually quite convoluted when compared to other marques’ offerings, because, modes aside, you have to dive deep into the TFT dash and skirt through several screens to find the feature you’re after. With so much info and changeability on tap, I get why this has to be the case, but I think it could be simpler. To try and ease that burden, BMW did introduce what they call the ‘burger’ button on the left switchgear, which gives you a quick access menu to features such as heated seats, but not everything’s on there… and even if you know what you’re looking for, it’s not always easy to find within the depths of the machine’s multitude of screens. Of course, if you owned one, I dare say you’d soon get your head around the offerings and make the changes required so that you don’t have to faff around so much. 

With just a limited amount of time behind the big bars, it’s fair to say the tech had me asking more questions than finding answers, but maybe that says more about me than the GSA. What I do know is that the lion’s share of the features really won me over, with one of the best bits of tech being the altering seat height. Below 20mph it drops to its lowest position, before raising up above that speed. At 5’ 9”, I’m hardly a giant, but I felt pretty well perched on the BMW and could get both feet on the ground when needed. 

A smaller detail, but something worth noting on a bike of this size. And that brings me back to my initial thoughts about the sheer size of this thing. There’s no getting away from it and, though when riding you don’t appreciate how vast that tank is, it is still something of a whopper which will split opinions like Marmite on Christmas cake – just me then? The point is, there will be those that’ll be drawn to this bike like a moth to a flame, while others will see it in words that I better not type. The big question is, which side are you on?   

 BMW R 1300 GSA (Option 719)

Engine Type: 1300cc, flat twin    

Bore x Stroke: 106.5mm x 73mm

Compression: 13.3:1

Fuelling: Electronic fuel injection

Claimed Power: 145bhp @ 7750rpm

Claimed Torque: 149Nm @ 6500rpm

Electronics

RBW/Drive Modes: Yes   

Traction Control: Yes

ABS: Yes

Wheelie Control: Yes

Launch Control: No

Quick Shifter: Yes

Autoblipper: Yes

Chassis

Frame: Two-part frame concept

Front Suspension: BMW Motorrad EVO-Telelever 

Rear Suspension:  BMW Motorrad EVO-Paralever

Front Brakes:   Twin 310mm discs, 4-piston radial brake calipers

Rear Brakes: Single 285mm disc, 2-piston floating caliper             

Dimensions

Wheelbase: 1534mm  

Seat Height: 870/890mm

Wet Weight: 269kg

Fuel Capacity: 30 litres

Price:

New: (from) £20,905 Contact: www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk