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

Product Information

Peak torque is a fraction higher than before at 6500rpm, while peak power arrives at the same 7750rpm and, to be frank, you really don’t need to rev above 7000rpm, even when your brain is in sport mode. I deliberately rode the GS in a gear too high as I carved up the multiple Spanish hillsides and was blown away by the endless surge of instantaneous and immaculately metered torque on tap. We all know how fast a GS can be but the way the new bike delivers whilst only using 60% of the rpm is truly impressive. It asks so little of the rider. 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. 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. BMW has made the GS lighter, more compact, more adjustable, more accessible, more responsive, more comfortable, faster, gruntier – and done so without sacrificing the usability of the Boxer platform. It’s now easier to live with, but equally more fun with more punch and better handling. The level of usable technology is, as they say, off the scale.

As the awarding organisation, BHSQ is responsible for the processes which learners undertake to obtain certification. BHSQ is responsible for verifying that assessment practice in approved centres is conducted systematically, effectively, securely and to national standards specified within the qualification. BMW aren’t giving us much to go on for now, only describing that the “ergonomic triangle of the new R 1300 GS has been optimised for a sporty, relaxed riding position”, but not offering any details of how it compares to the 1250. Passing air/fuel mixture to and from the bigger combustion chambers are larger-diameter valves, with intakes up from 40mm to 44mm, and outlets up from 34mm to 35.6mm. BMW’s ShiftCam system is retained, which can change the valve timing and lift on the intake side by switching between two cam profiles on the same shaft. At lower revs and smaller throttle openings a milder “partial-load” cam reduces lift and duration, and also staggers the opening between each pair of intake valves to deliberately swirl the air/fuel mixture on its way into the chamber, all improving efficiency. Work the motor harder and ShiftCam switches to the “full-load” cam profile, opening the intake valves further and for longer to let the engine guzzle all the air and fuel it desires.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. Switch from Road Mode to Dynamic Pro and the DSA suspension loses some of that squishy, cossetting movement but delivers a surprisingly sporty ride. Yes, you did read that correctly: what you can get away with on the new GS defies belief. That new lightness, the new chassis and the manner in which the semi-active suspension reacts to everything you can throw at it, conspire to create a platform that feels up for anything. When pushed, BMW's engineers put the step-change in chassis performance down to the suspension's ability to change spring rate whilst riding. The all-new electric screen (yes, finally) can be actuated by creating a shortcut from the main menu meaning you can simply move the screen up or down via a switch on the left bar. However, if you have the shortcut set to, say, traction control then you must go into the menu to change the height of the screen – there isn't a separate button just for the screen. 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.

As for fuel consumption, the 1300 is only a fraction down on the 1250 – a claimed 58.9mpg for the new motor, compared with the previous bike’s 59.5mpg. What will make a slight difference is having a 1-litre smaller fuel tank, with volume now just 19 litres. That gives a theoretical range of 246 miles, which is down on the R 1250 GS’s max range of 262 miles. For now all these are purely on paper – we’ll bring you tested economy and real-world range as soon as we’ve ridden the bike.Despite the wealth of bigger numbers, not everything has gone up in size. BMW say this is a more compact Boxer engine than before, thanks to moving the six-speed gearbox from behind the engine to a new location underneath it. This means the motor is shorter and better balanced – in fact, the engine alone is now 3.9kg lighter, while the weight savings increase to 6.5kg across the whole powertrain. We flew to Malaga for two days and close to 500km of extensive testing, both on and off-road, to put the all-new GS through its paces. However, with so many model variants, so much new technology and so many tweaks, upgrades and general improvements we will have to visit the 1300 GS again (and again...) and put some serious mileage before we can say that it's fully tested.