Riding Out: A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings

Product Information

The short version is that the suspension can now automatically adapt to offer a better ride across a wider range of use cases, from sporty solo riding, to fully loaded two-up cruising. Stage 1 Care and Ride assessments can be taken at any BHS Approved Riding School and also be booked via the Education Team on one of our pre-arranged assessment days:

Power and torque figures both represent a healthy increase over the 1250. Peak power is up from 134bhp to 143bhp, making for the most powerful production Boxer engine ever. Maximum torque is up from 105lb·ft to 110lb·ft, but more importantly BMW say there’s more grunt “across the entire engine speed range”. As evidence, they offer the factoid that the 1300 motor makes at least 95lb·ft of torque (more than the 2013 R1200GS’s peak torque figure) all the way from 3600rpm to 7800rpm. Maximum revs remains the same 9000rpm as the 1250, hopefully offering reassurance that the new motor hasn’t become any revvier than before, despite its shorter-stroke design. The central LED unit at the middle of the X contains both low and high beams, while the four lines surrounding it serve as daytime running lights. BMW aren’t subtle in singing its praises, claiming it “illuminates the road with a hitherto unrivalled clarity, ensuring even better perception in traffic”. There’s also an option to equip the R 1300 GS with Headlight Pro, where the LED beam turns into the corner, informed by the bike’s lean angle sensor. Despite making the new Boxer unit massively oversquare and upping peak power by a claimed 11bhp, you don’t have to chase the revs. The R 13 drives very much like the older bike –it certainly sounds like the old bike –but does so with more of everything. There is a now a deeply satisfying spread of torque from as low as 3000rpm, and I found myself accelerating briskly out of sleepy Spanish villages in high gear with effortless laziness. MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible. There’s a real difference between fully lowered and fully upright. At motorway speeds, you can hear the wind noise vastly reduce as the screen rises. From low to upright the wind protection is greatly increased, too. There’s still some air cooling the rider, it’s not a complete bubble like a BMW RT, but I found the wind protection to be noticeably better than it is on the older GS. And I have to say that the adjustable screen is a game changer, not just for 5ft 7inch me but taller riders too. Shame it’s not standard.

So, yes, much like the 1250 GS only more so. What I wasn’t expecting was the performance higher up in the rev range. A jump from a 134bhp peak to 143bhp doesn't look too dramatic on paper, but on the road, it feels it. The new 1300 has some serious get up and go, revving with a freedom unimaginable by Boxer owners of a decade or so ago. In Dynamic mode especially it responds to handful of rpm by piling forwards, chewing up cars, zipping up mountains... It grunts, drives, punches, revs – the whole damn lot, and gives its rider aids a decent workout in the process. Full Integral ABS Pro, Dynamic Brake Control, Dynamic Traction Control, four riding modes, hill-hold control. Optional: Shift Assistant Pro, Headlight Pro, Active Cruise Control with Front Collision Warning and Lane Change Warning, Riding Modes Pro, Dynamic Suspension Adjustment, adaptive ride height control

As the awarding organisation, BHSQ is responsible for the processes through which learners seek and obtain certification for their achievements. BHSQ is responsible for verifying that assessment practice in approved centres is conducted systematically, effectively, securely and to national standards specified within the qualification.

We did get the opportunity to play with the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which uses the new radar. You set the cruise control the same way as before but now it’s adaptive, adjusting the bike's speed depending on the distance between you and other traffic. This combined with the Lane Changing Warning (SWW) system helps make touring near effortless. Thankfully we soon left the hell of holiday traffic behind and headed for the deserted hills. BMW have designed the electronic Dynamic Suspension Adjustment (DSA) to give a comfortable, smooth ride and it certainly does that. In Road mode the ride is outstandingly comfortable, on the verge of soft and wallowing at times, but always miraculously controlled too. There’s more suspension movement, and you can feel the EVO Paralever and EVO Telelever suspension working their magic, constantly reacting to the poorly paved Spanish roads.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard: Blimey, deep breath… The base-model R 1300 GS comes with a higher specification than the base 1250. Four riding modes are now standard (Rain, Road, Eco, Enduro), where the 1250 had three. All versions of the GS will come with cornering linked ABS, traction control, engine braking control, cruise control and hill-hold assistance. Leaving the hotel, I opted for Eco and enjoyed watching the Eco icon on the top right of the screen informing how economically I was riding. (Not especially as it turns out.) However, it didn’t take long before I dialled up Road mode, and that's when I encountered the noticeable jump in performance from the old bike to the new. In short, this uses the radar sensor to anticipate potentially dangerous situations ahead even when the cruise control isn’t engaged, and can alert the rider, then even apply the brakes, in an attempt to avoid a crash or at least reduce its severity. The third element is Lane Change Warning, which uses a rear-facing radar to monitor traffic approaching from behind, and warn a rider if vehicles are travelling closely, or approaching at speed.

Wordle Helper

DSA moves electronic suspension on to the next level by not only offering the ability to adjust front and rear damping in real time, but now also being able to change spring rate too. We’ve covered the system in detail before, so for more information on how it works, have a read here . BHS Qualifications (BHSQ) is an awarding organisation recognised and regulated by the Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator (Ofqual) in England, SQA Accreditation in Scotland, Qualifications Wales (QW) and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in Northern Ireland. BHSQ works in partnership with a variety of organisations to develop and award qualifications for the equestrian industry. This ensures BHSQ qualifications are fit for purpose for the sector. What they do highlight instead is the choice available for a rider to personalise the riding position, with four different seats (including the option for heated rider and pillion seats), three footrests, and different handlebars choices including a Comfort bar as well as a 30mm bar riser. In addition, the optional adaptive ride height control will let shorter riders feel more at home without having to resort to a low seat, or a Low Seat Height model with reduced suspension travel and compromised dynamics.