BMW R 1300 RT (2025 - ) review

While BMW’s big boxer powered tourer has been dominant enough to see rivals like the Triumph Trophy 1200 and Kawasaki GTR1400 fall by the wayside it’s also fair to say it’s so efficient, sensible and (whisper it) dull that most buyers go for a GS instead. More fool us. Thankfully the RT prevails, and while it could have got by with a straight engine swap from the old 1250 to the new 1300 it’s much bolder and better than that. The new powertrain and frame design lower the centre of gravity while the massive 10.25-inch screen and neat scroll wheel interface are carried over. Comfort is total and the equipment can be as extensive as you wish. Highlights include the phenomenal power-adjustable screen, configurable side flaps to further improve airflow, optional ASA automated shifting, adaptive suspension and the choice of rider aids like radar cruise, proximity warnings, heating for backside and hands and more besides depending on how much you want to spend. Which could end up being rather a lot. If still not pretty it’s unquestionably the benchmark when it comes to dedicated touring bikes.

Whether it is actually sportier or not the 1300’s riding position is about as regal and effortless as motorcycles get. True, it’s no Gold Wing or Electraglide style full-dresser. But nor is it as wallowy or lumbering. Instead, there’s a broad but comfortable seat canting you slightly forward to a bar position that is completely natural and effortless – this may be a 281kg bike but it hides its bulk impressively and seems slimmer and lighter than most rivals. The rider’s eye-view, with massive TFT dash flanked by stereo speakers and topped with the biggest and most efficient touring screen we’ve ever tried to the degree you can comfortably ride at motorway speeds with your visor up when in its tallest setting. Heating for grips and both rider and pillion seats are a tick on the options sheet away, meanwhile. While up there with the most comfortable bikes we’ve tried it’s not totally perfect, there being some bum ache after six hours in the saddle, the adjustable side panels a gimmick we probably don’t need and its width sufficient not to fit through the side gate to our back garden without removing the panniers – something we managed fine with the K 1600 GT.

That the police still love RTs says plenty about practicality and kerb appeal. As a big tourer the new 1300 has more comfort and better luggage capacity within its powered panniers than the old 1250. Being a boxer twin it’s more manageable, and so a more viable commuter. With more power, improved suspension and a lower centre of gravity thanks to the new frame it’s more nimble and dynamically engaging on a sporty Sunday ride, too. and it now has more equipment options than ever. Whether that all makes it supremely practical is a little down to personal definitions and requirements and, inevitably, it has none of the GS’s implied off-road ability. But for big miles and long days in the saddle it’s hard to think of anything better, assuming you can live with the sober style, bulk and price.

You’ll believe a touring bike can fly … well, sort of. The 1300 RT has 145 horsepower to the 136 of the old 1250, better weight distribution, quality suspension and brakes and the resulting ability to effortlessly dispatch big distances. Our test bike also came with BMW’s semi-automatic ASA transmission, which we tried previously on the GS. It operates in full or semi-auto modes which along with Rain, Road and (optional) Dynamic riding modes turn the RT into varying degrees of seriously fast and incredibly sophisticated twist’n’go super scooter. Which is meant as a compliment for the fact two-wheeled transportation has rarely felt so effortless! Braking through the BMW-branded radial-mount calipers is, meanwhile, super slick and powerful, too. Sure, that doesn’t quite all add up to ‘performance’ in the conventional superbike sense, and you’re not likely to be popping wheelies or getting your knee down. But as efficient, comfortable transport the RT is endlessly impressive.

As with its performance, the new RT (like previous incarnations) offers effortless, ‘real world’ dynamism – and more of it than ever before. Thrill seekers may have to look elsewhere for their fix but the RT delivers near-silent, undemanding efficiency – and bags of it. The flexibility of that chunky power output and the slick semi-auto gearbox should be enough. But it’s the combination with the composed competence of the chassis and extra dynamism of the electronic modes and suspension that impresses the most. Sure, it looks dowdy and sensible – the antithesis, almost, of what many want from a motorcycle. Ride one, though, and you can’t fail to be impressed.

OK, the RT was bound to trip up somewhere. However capable, there’s no getting away from the fact a 1300 RT is a premium BMW with a price to match. At the time of testing the near-£19,000 cost is just an opening gambit, paint adding another chunk while the Dynamic Package of the extra riding mode, quickshifter and Electronic Suspension Adjustment sends it over 20 grand. By the time you’ve added the Comfort Pack with its auto centre stand and central locking, the aluminium fuel tank, the audio system and the ASA semi-auto shifting you’re well on the way to 25 grand without too much effort. OK, it’s not particularly thirsty, the shaft drive saves on running costs and its residuals will be good but, whichever way you slice it, RT life isn’t going to be cheap…

Although an all-new bike, the new R 1300 RT, the the recently launched R 1300 R roadster and R 1300 RS sports-tourer are all based on the engine and shell chassis debuted on last year’s R 1300 GS and GSA. This and the ASA shifting are, therefore, still very new to the market but we have few causes for concern as yet. And, if there were, given its premium billing we’d expect BMW to deal with any issues promptly.

Like the related 1300 models the RT comes with a manufacturer-backed three year/unlimited mileage warranty covering all parts and labour that’s at least a year more generous than the industry norm. Servicing-wise the RT’s service routine is unchanged from that of the old 1250, with scheduled visits to the dealer every 6,000 miles or annually, whichever comes first.

We’ve mentioned most of the features in the sections above but, short version, the RT’s equipment levels are basically only limited by your tastes and your budget, with everything from radar-assisted cruise to heated contact points and semi-active suspension there if you are happy to foot the bill. In stock trim you get plain paint, 10.25-inch TFT dash, panniers, three modes, electric screen and so on, which would probably do for us. But that’s not the way most BMW buyers think, and many will be happy hitting the options list and upgrade packages to make the RT hit the premium grade the target audience expect. And there’s nothing wrong with that if you have the necessary means to indulge yourself!

Simple, really. If the outgoing R 1250 RT was already by far the best tourer the new 1300 is even better by virtue of the extra dynamism of the engine and chassis, the improved comfort and the extra tech. If there is a problem it’s down to the image. This despite the fact the RT is probably better than the more fashionable GS it’s based on, just as those buying X5s would probably be just as well served by a 5 Series estate. If that’s what’s guiding your buying decisions we’d say try one all the same. Assuming you don’t mind looking like a police officer!