One month with… BMW R 1300 GS Automated Shift Assistant (Verdict)

Are you ready to ditch your clutch lever? It’s an interesting question as clutchless gearchanging and automatic shifting gets increasingly common, and is now appearing on everything from sporty nakeds like the Yamaha MT-07 to big tourers and adventure bikes like the Honda Africa Twin and BMW R 1300 GS. One of several new technologies introduced on the latest GS, BMW’s optional Automated Shift Assistant is based on the conventional gearbox but automates clutch operation and shifting through computer controlled electro-mechanical actuators, which you can leave to their own devices in the Drive mode or override in the Manual setting. ASA adds a little over £750 to the price of an R 1300 GS or GS Adventure and seemingly sits well with the big BMW’s high-tech approach. But what’s it like to live with, and is it worth the extra money over the conventional manual? We’ve got a month to find out!
Skip to: Month 1 – Taming the beast Verdict – Gimmick or gain?

40-something newbie rider with a fresh licence and ambition to make up for lost riding time as I try and figure out what kind of bikes I like! Based up north, I’ve got great roads on the doorstep whether I’m riding for pleasure or the commute to Auto Trader towers.

Dan says: “Is the ASA option worth having or is it, with a more cynical eye, just another gimmick to help BMW to milk more money from the GS cash cow?”

A quirk of fate meant I ended up riding back from BMW’s press garage on this R 1300 GS ASA rather than the F 900 GS I went to pick up, this unexpected turn of events forcing me to confront my prejudices the big GS is, basically, the embodiment of clichéd mid-life crisis motorcycling. Could I be won over? Well, I’m still figuring out my riding tastes but given I’m seemingly erring towards simpler, lighter bikes and I enjoy the engagement of changing gear (to the point I tend not to use quickshifters much, even when fitted) a massively complicated BMW with automated shifting didn’t sound like my bag. With this TE-level test bike’s Dynamic Suspension Adjustment (DSA) electronically controlled variable spring and damper rates, the optional Vehicle Ride Height Control system, additional riding modes, radar-assisted rider aids and the ASA Automated Shift Assistant there was certainly a lot to get my head around, especially given I had to jump on the bike blind and figure it out as I went. So, credit to BMW for making the interaction with all this tech so easy, even for someone unfamiliar with the brand or, specifically, previous GS models. For starters I was immediately won over by the turn and nudge wheel on the left grip for cycling through the many and various menus, which follow a more logical and navigable path on the big TFT screen than many other bikes I’ve tested. A configurable ‘hot key’ meanwhile gives you instant access to a favourite function, be that the power-adjustable screen, suspension height, following distance for the radar cruise control or whatever. Hold it down and you get a short-cut to the flesh-sizzlingly powerful heated grips and seat, both welcome this time of year. An empty space by the left grip where you’d usually find the clutch lever takes some getting used to, but at least BMW sticks with a conventional style foot selector rather than the thumb switch on Yamaha’s equivalent Y-AMT system. As such, the muscle memory of lifting the bike off the stand and selecting gear with your left foot – and the familiar clunk as it engages – feels reassuringly business as usual. Pulling away on a pimpy GS as you might a twist-and-go scooter? Not so much, but the clutch engages smoothly and it quickly becomes the new normal. Even if the gear selector is actually little more than a glorified switch it also makes it less of a leap than just pressing a button on the bar as you do with, say, the DCT on the equivalent Honda Africa Twin and it at least contrives a sense of mechanical connection between rider and transmission. Even if there isn't. But is the ASA option worth having or is it, with a more cynical eye, just another gimmick to help BMW to milk more money from the GS cash cow? We’ve got some time with the bike to find out!

Mileage: 1,160 (on collection) Fuel consumption: TBC

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Dan says: “I can’t fault the shifting logic in Drive mode when it comes to downshifting or feathering the clutch as you would yourself at low speeds”

If you’re going to have an unexpected loan of a BMW GS the depths of winter is as good a time as any to do it, mainly for the fact it seems utterly dismissive of the sort of riding conditions that would have most riders parking up until spring. My pal Reg Local is a good example, his previous-gen R 1250 GS a genuine year-round machine he racks up huge mileages on, rain or shine. Based on this experience of the new GS I can see why. Even without a big fairing the clever multi-position screen and transparent wind deflectors below it seemingly contrive a cushion of calm air in which to shelter, the fact your legs reside behind the two giant (and toasty) cylinders helping legs and feet stay out of the slipstream. So long as you’ve got half-decent kit the heated grips and seat make even heavy rain just about bearable, while the LED headlight and foglight combo are the best I’ve yet used on a motorbike and capable of penetrating even the thickest moorland fog on the commute. Shaft drive is another godsend for winter riding, sparing the faff of looking after a chain. But what about the big story with this bike, this being the automated transmission? I have my doubts but it does suit the GS and I can’t fault the shifting logic in Drive mode when it comes to downshifting or feathering the clutch as you would yourself at low speeds. It’s a little clunky going up the box at lower speeds, and I’m not sure I buy BMW’s promise of upshifts so smooth you’ll never again clatter heads with your pillion. Even with my level of experience I think I’d be smoother doing it myself, though backing off the throttle between ‘manual’ upshifts helps. I didn’t get as many miles in with the DCT-equipped Honda Africa Twin I had a few months back but as memory serves this was smoother in auto mode, as you’d expect given it’s a mechanically more sophisticated system. Cheaper as well, an equivalent Africa Twin with DCT and electronic damping a couple of grand less than the before options price of this BMW. To be honest, though, the GS feels a much more versatile bike than the Honda. As I’ve been finding out in the last few days of the loan and my first chance to ride it on dry roads. It’s still a big old lump of a machine but I’m surprised how chuckable it feels, and how you can hustle it around if the mood and opportunity takes. Given I’m new to riding and came to this GS without the emotional baggage of riding the previous generations it’s been an enlightening experience. And an impressive one. As for the ASA system? If I were buying one I think I’d be happy enough with a clutch and quickshifter (and the £755 saving) but it’ll be interesting to see how many of the GS crowd take up the offer.

Mileage: 1,970 (on return) Fuel consumption: 47.6mpg (measured average for duration of loan)

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