No great surprise here, but an important pair of bikes from BMW, all the same. We all knew that the new 1300cc boxer twin engine would progress from its initial installation in the GS through other models in the line-up, and this time, it’s the turn of the full touring models to receive it.
As with the R 1300 GS, the new R 1300 RT and RS models are both lighter and more powerful than previous models, featuring as they do the new engine, a new chassis and new aerodynamics to make arguably one of the best touring motorcycles on the market even better.
In truth, there was little wrong with the previous 1250cc models, but time and development never stand still, and the new models promise to be better in every area, even if it is by small increments.
A full touring bike is perhaps the most difficult to engineer as it has to marry the chassis and engine dynamics of a sporty bike with the comfort and weather protection of a touring bike.
The attention to detail is staggering; just when you thought a bike couldn’t get any better, BMW has somehow managed to do that. For example, the seating. The rider triangle – handlebars, seat and foot pegs – has been adjusted to bring the rider further forward, placing more with over the front wheel, which helps with feedback to the rider and controllability. The height and angle of the rider’s seat can be adjusted, while the pillion seat has been lengthened and the panniers redesigned to give more space to the passenger’s legs without compromising the capacity of the panniers themselves.
The panniers are electrified and can be locked using the central locking feature, feature interior lighting and a USB-C charging point, and there is an option to have expandable hard panniers, increasing capacity from 27 to 33 litres. There are two top box options, with 39 and 54 litres capacity respectively, while the pillion backrest is heated! The engine remains untouched from the GS, with 145 horsepower and 149 Nm of torque. Rev limit is 9,000 rpm.
All the usual electronic packages are available, offering multiple riding modes and user-configurable modes. Seats and handlebars are heated and the screen is electrically adjustable, there’s a quick-shifter, electronic suspension adjustment and automatic damping adjustment, ABS and traction control, LED lighting (with BMW’s Headlight Pro, which automatically adjusts the headlight when on low beam to keep it at the correct level, no matter the load or whether accelerating or braking), active cruise control, front collision warning, lane change warning, rear end collision warning, audio system, microwave oven and Nespresso coffee machine.
OK, maybe those last two aren’t strictly accurate…
The styling, as with so many of BMW’s products these days, whether two- or four-wheeled, will be polarising, but it does update the RT/RS theme effectively, with sharper lines than previously. You can guarantee that BMW has carried out extensive work in the wind tunnel to make it stable in cross winds and also supremely effective at protecting the rider and pillion when on the move.
You’ll have to wait for a full test of the new model to hear if the developments have worked, but if previous BMW updates and developments are anything to go by, then you just know it is going to be noticeably better in every respect.
