My First Look at the 2024 BMW R 1300 GS
Alright, so I’d been hearing whispers and seeing the pictures online about this new BMW GS 1300. Seemed like a big deal, a completely new bike, not just an update. Curiosity got the better of me, you know how it is. Had to go check it out for myself.
Made my way down to the local dealership. Wasn’t planning on anything serious, just a look. Walked in, and there it was. They had a couple, but the white one with the blue frame caught my eye. First thing I noticed? It looked… tighter? Slimmer than the old 1250 GS. The headlight is totally different, that X thing. Not sure if I loved it immediately, but it’s definitely modern.
Getting a Feel for It
Asked the guy if I could hop on. Threw a leg over. Okay, interesting. It actually felt noticeably lighter just sitting on it. Not like night and day, but you could tell they shaved off some weight. The seating position felt familiar GS, comfortable, upright. Played with the controls a bit, the new switchgear seemed okay, maybe a little different to get used to.
Chatted with the sales dude for a bit. He was going on about the new engine, the frame, all the tech stuff. Honestly, half of it goes over my head until I actually ride the thing. Specs are specs, riding is riding.
Taking It for a Spin
Managed to talk them into letting me take one out for a short test ride. They prepped a standard model. Fired it up. The sound… it’s still a boxer, but maybe a bit smoother? Hard to tell right away.
Pulled out onto the road. First impression? That engine is really smooth pulling away. Felt responsive right off the bat. Gave it a little twist getting onto the main road. Yeah, it pulls strongly. Felt maybe a bit more eager than the 1250, quicker to rev or something. Not drastically faster, but definitely felt lively.
What really stood out was the handling. Tipping it into corners felt incredibly easy. Remember how I said it felt lighter standing still? You really feel that when you’re moving. It just seemed to flick from side to side much easier than I expected for a big bike. Felt very balanced, very stable too, even on some rougher patches of road I found.
- Engine felt smooth and punchy.
- Handling was surprisingly nimble.
- Felt lighter than the previous model.
- Brakes felt strong, good initial bite.
Didn’t get to try it off-road or for a long highway stretch, was just a loop around town. But the suspension felt pretty good, soaked up bumps nicely. The quickshifter worked well, both up and down.
Brought it back to the dealership. Got off the bike. Yeah, I was impressed. It felt like a proper step forward. Still unmistakably a GS, but refined, lighter on its feet, with a punchier motor. It felt less like a big, heavy adventure bike and more like a powerful road bike that could handle anything. Definitely got me thinking. Need more time on it to really know, but that first ride? Very positive.
