BMW R 1300 RT (2025) – Technical Review

BMW’s model range might have been dominated by a series of best-selling boxer GS adventure bikes over the last two decades but there’s an area where the company has an even greater depth of expertise and longer heritage: tourers. The new R 1300 RT sets out a new chapter in that history and on paper promises to be not just the best BMW tourer in nearly half a century of RT twins but a contender to be the most impressing touring bike on the market full stop.

There might be bigger bikes out there, not least BMW’s own, six-cylinder K 1600 GT, but the R 1300 RT is a big enough step forward over its predecessor to contend with any of them in terms of performance and equipment levels. Back in 1978 the R 100 RT essentially defined the modern touring motorcycle – building on the then-innovative idea of a full fairing, introduced to the masses two years earlier on the R 100 RS – and the R 1300 RT makes a case that it’s still the benchmark.

Pros & Cons

2025 BMW R 1300 RT - Price & PCP Deals

While the starting price of the new R 1300 RT is well below the £20,000 mark at £18,900 ( for comparison, the old R 1250 RT range began at £17,580) it’s going to be very easy to add thousands to that base price if you want to make the most of the options that BMW offers.

The base version of the bike comes in one colour, Alpine White 3, but at additional cost you can spec it into ‘Triple Black’ or go for the ‘Impulse’ option in metallic Racing Blue. At the top of the line there’s the Option 719 Camargue model, in a paler ‘Blue Ridge Mountain’ metallic finish. BMW also lists the bike in ‘LE’ form with a selection of extras fitted, starting at £21,325.

Bike are expected to start reaching dealers in July 2025.

2025 BMW R 1300 RT - Engine & Performance

The powertrain of the R 1300 RT is the same all-new boxer twin that debuted in the 2024 BMW R 1300 GS and has since found a home in this year’s new BMW R 1300 R.

Coming in at precisely 1300cc, up from the 1254cc of the previous ‘1250’ motor, the engine is a clean-sheet design, carrying over the classic opposed-piston configuration and technologies like BMW’s ShiftCam variable valve timing and lift system but packing them into a more potent and compact form.

As on the GS and R models, peak power is 143.5hp (it’s a neater-sounding 145hp in metric horses, or 107kW if you prefer to go fully European on the subject), arriving at 7750rpm. That’s up from 134hp (136 metric horses, 100kW) for the old 1250, at the same peak revs. Max torque rises less, but is still up at 109.9lb-ft (149Nm) at 6500rpm compared to 105.5lb-ft (143Nm) at 6250rpm for the older bike.

However, the big change is in the engine’s layout. Yes, it’s still a boxer, but the latest generation has the clutch at the front and the gearbox arranged underneath the crankshaft, rather than laying the transmission behind the engine. That makes for a much shorter, lighter package overall. The new motor also has a shorter stroke, bigger bore and substantially higher compression ratio than its predecessor, as well as larger valves.

As standard there are three riding modes – rain, road and eco – which can be bolstered with the optional Riding Modes Pro pack that adds ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Dynamic Pro’ settings, giving another later of customisation. Engine braking control is standard, as is Dynamic Traction Control (DCT) with settings to match the three standard riding modes.

BMW’s ‘ASA’ semi-automatic transmission is an option, replacing the conventional clutch and shifter with electronic actuators that perform their tasks either fully-automatically in ‘D’ mode or in semi-auto ‘M’ mode, which uses a foot lever to shift gears, giving a familiar action even though there’s no longer a mechanical connection between the lever and the gear selector drum.

2025 BMW R 1300 RT- Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

As on the R 1300 GS and R 1300 R, the R 1300 RT moves away from the tubular steel frame design that’s been used on generations of boxer bikes before in favour of a chassis made of pressed steel sections that are welded together to give an appearance more akin to an alloy frame. At the back, the subframe really is made of aluminium and bolted onto the main frame.

Although the frame design is similar to the other R 1300 models, each bike has its own variant, notably differing in changes to the rear aluminium section and to the front suspension. The RT, like the GS, uses BMW’s signature Telelever fork design – with a lower wishbone connected between the forks and the frame and a single coil-over shock rather than springs and damping inside the fork legs. The R, meanwhile, has more conventional upside-down telescopic forks.

On the RT, the Telelever is BMW’s new ‘Evo’ version, which made its debut on the R 1300 GS. This system is designed to take the best elements of two previous Telelever generations. Because the rake of Telelever forks changes slightly as the suspension compresses, the top connection, where the forks join the main frame, needs to be able to flex, and in the past BMW took two approaches to this. On sports bikes, the pivot was in the steering stem itself, with the forks gripped tightly in the top yoke, but that wouldn’t work on tourers and adventure bikes, as their longer handlebars would transmit the movement of the top yoke to the rider’s hands. As a result, those models allowed the forks to pivot where they met the top yoke, so the yoke itself and the bars attached to it don’t undergo angle changes as the suspension moves

The Evo system works like the sports bike setup, with a top yoke that rocks slightly as the forks compress, but the mounting bracket for the bars is a separate piece that turns with the steering but doesn’t tilt as the yoke angle changes. A flexible stainless-steel plate connects bar bracket to the top yoke, allowing the yoke to rock while the bars don’t, without introducing any slop into the steering.

At the back there’s the Evo Paralever setup, with the usual single-sided swingarm encasing the shaft final drive.

New, lightweight 17-inch wheels slice 1.4kg from the rotating mass compared to the previous R 1250 RT, and improving both performance and handling as a result.

As standard, the R 1300 RT gets BMW’s Dynamic ESA electronic suspension, giving semi-active electronic control of the damping and the rear spring rate, but optionally that can be uprated to Dynamic Chassis Adaption (DCA) to add two rider-selectable modes that change the entire bike’s setup. One emphasises comfort, reducing rake to maximise stability, while the other raises the back of the bike for a steeper fork rake and less castor, making the bike more flickable in corners.

ABS is, of course, standard, with four-pot front calipers and a two-piston rear, and there’s the option to upgrade to a ‘sport’ version of the brakes with titanium-coloured calipers and slightly uprated performance.

At 281kg the R 1300 RT is no flyweight, and comes in a couple of kilos heavier than its predecessor despite its lighter engine and wheels. However, it’s vastly lighter than the 343kg, six-cylinder K 1600 GT, and the new engine means the boxer is now only 15hp down on the bigger bike’s peak power. That actually means it has a better power-to-weight ratio than the 1600, as well as offering a larger payload of 229kg against the K 1600 GT’s 197kg.

Adjustable side trim sections let riders tailor the airflow

2025 BMW R 1300 RT - Comfort & Economy

Unsurprisingly, comfort is where the R 1300 RT promises to excel. The new bike’s styling is likely to be divisive, with a hint of the square-edged look that emerged with the debut of the R 1300 GS Adventure last year, but it’s all done in with the aim of boosting comfort and aerodynamic performance while incorporating enough luggage to satisfy long-distance riders.

The nose is dominated by that vast screen – available in a variety of different hights – and there are adjustable side trim sections to let riders tailor the airflow.

BMW says that the rider triangle, defined by the position of the seat, pegs and bars, shifts the rider further forwards than before, improving controllability and feedback, and while the relationship between the seat and pegs is carried over from the old R 1250 RT, the bars are wider and swept further back.

The rider’s seat is adjustable for height and tilt, over a 20mm range, and there’s more passenger legroom than on its predecessor.

Optional comfort seats, low seats and hight seats are available, all with heating, and if you add the optional 54-litre top box the passenger even gets a heated backrest.

Official economy figures give a WMTC fuel consumption of 57.6mpg, and paired to a large, 24-litre tank that means a potential range as high as 304 miles.

2025 BMW R 1300 RT - Equipment

Talking about the equipment level of the R 1300 RT really poses a simple question: how much do you want to spend? As while the base bike isn’t under-equipped, many of the most desirable possibilities are extra-cost options.

For example, let’s look at luggage. As standard there’s a pair of 27-litre panniers, but you can upgrade these to BMW’s Vario cases, allowing their volume to be adjusted between the standard 27 litres and an extended 33 litres, so you can make a compromise between the bike’s width and its luggage capacity. Either way, the lids are centrally-locked and there’s both interior lighting and a built-in USB-C charging port in the left case.

You can also add either a 39-litre or 54-litre top case, the latter with the aforementioned heated passenger backrest, and even heated grips for the passenger are available as options.

Front storage includes a smartphone compartment in the fairing, which is both actively cooled and fitted with a USB-C charge port, and of course that phone can be connected by Bluetooth to the 10.25-inch TFT dashboard, which has its own integrated map navigation and a ‘Connectivity Hub’ to allow the connection and operation of accessories including heated vests and even smart glasses.

A bar-mounted multicontroller gives access to key, assignable functions, and the controls themselves have a two-stage function, so a light press brings up information on which function the key operates, and a stronger press applies that function. Options here include a pair of different audio systems, including DAB radio.

The radar-assisted Active Cruise Control (ACC) with Front Collision Warning (FCW) and Rear End Collision Warning (RECW) and Lane Change Warning (SWW) is another option that’s likely to be popular, adding both convenience and another layer of safety tech.

2025 BMW R 1300 RT - Rivals

The popularity of adventure bikes means there aren’t as many options in the out-and-out tourer realm as once there were – but even so the R 1300 RT is up against some stiff competitors, many at a lower price.

Kawasaki Ninja 1100 SX SE Tourer | Price: £14,999

Read more

Power/Torque

134bhp / 83.3lb-ft

Weight

234kg

Suzuki GSX-S1000GT+ | Price: £13,999

Read more

Power/Torque

150bhp / 78.2lb-ft

Weight

226kg

BMW K 1600 GT | Price: £21,640

Read more

Power/Torque

158bhp / 132.8lb-ft

Weight

343kg

2025 BMW R 1300 RT - Verdict

We’ll give a verdict when we’ve ridden the bike

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2025 BMW R 1300 RT - Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.