BMW R 1300 RT (2025) – Review

Technical Review - Apr 2025
Riding Review - Steve Rose - Oct 2025

BMW’s sales figures might have been dominated by a huge GS-shaped bulge for the last two decades but there’s an area where the company has even more expertise and a longer heritage: tourers. The new R 1300 RT is a new chapter in that history. Every previous version of their RT range has been an improvement on the last (as you'd hope) and the R1300RT is probably the biggest leap in technology and design in 30 years.

BMW’s six-cylinder K 1600 GT allowed the twin-cylinder RT bikes to be developed to be slightly more manageable and even sporty (if you can call a 281kg bike sporty). And the new R1300RT nudges that definition even further being sharper and more dynamic than before.

Pros & Cons

2025 BMW R 1300 RT - Price & PCP Deals

While the starting price of the new R 1300 RT is below the £20,000 mark at £18,900 ( for comparison, the old R 1250 RT range began at £17,580) it’s always easy to add thousands to that base price if you tick to many of the many options 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. BMW also lists the bike in ‘LE’ form with a selection of extras fitted, starting at £21,325. And at the top of the line there’s the Option 719 Camargue model tested here, which has all the options including the auto-transmission and a price tag of £28,945. That's a lot of money, but still less than a Honda Gold Wing for a bike with far more tech and much higher spec.

A PCP deal on the standard bike costing £18,900 with a £3677 deposit works out at £229 a month for 36 months with a £10,527 final payment if you want to own it at the end.

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.

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, RS and R models, peak power is 143.5hp (107kW), arriving at 7750rpm. That’s up from 134hp (100kW) for the old 1250, at the same peak revs. Max torque rises slightly to 109.9lb-ft (149Nm) at 6500rpm compared to 105.5lb-ft (143Nm) at 6250rpm for the older bike.

The biggest change is in the engine’s layout. It’s still a boxer, but this latest generation has the clutch at the front and the gearbox underneath the crankshaft, rather than 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 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 layer of customisation. Engine braking control is standard, as is Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) 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.

So much for the explanation, how does it feel on the road? The simple answer is 'good'. Faster than before, flexible - there's no point having extra power on a tourer if its all at the top end of the revs - and easy to use. The cam chain sounds less rattly in the RT than the R1300GS and for a big bike, ridden briskly by a man usually in a hurry, an average of 55mpg is pretty good.

There's a great spread of power and impressive acceleration for overtaking, but it's also vibe-free on the motorway and not too lumpy at low revs in town.

I'm a fan of semi-auto transmissions and was looking forward to testing BMW's ASA system while applauding their bravery launching it in their big twins which have never been blessed with a slick gearchange. It's a simple system to use. Hold the front brake and push down on the foot gear lever to engage gear in manual mode. Open the throttle (there's no clutch lever) and off you go. Use the lever as normal to change up and down the box, but when you come to a stop it will find first automatically if younhaven't selected it already.

The changes in manual mode are ok...for a Boxer twin. They are still stiff (especially downchanges) but more consistent than BMW's quickshifter on a Boxer motor. There's no feel to the gear lever - it's a switch, not a mechanical control, but many riders will feel more comfortable with a foot control than finger paddles as on Honda's DCT or Yamaha's Y-AMT system.

Switching to auto-mode is via a button next to the lhs switchgear. It works really well, changing up at similar times to when I would do it naturally. Changing down is less consistent. If you roll off the throttle and slow down gently the bike stays in top gear for a long time. Downchanges seem to be triggered by actively braking rather than speed alone.

Filtering through traffic without a clutch lever on a big twin is both good (no hand ache) and bad (a bit lumpy and clunky at times) and most of the gearchanges in auto-mode are what you'd call 'positive' (at one end of the spectrum) or 'distracting' (at the other).

My verdict so far is that this is a good attempt for a first go, but I wouldn't spend my money on ASA on a Boxer twin. BMW's four-cylinder gearboxes are the opposite to the twins - beautifully slick and sublime in operation. I think this system would be superb on those engines.

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

As on the other R 1300s the R1300RT moves away from tubular steel to a chassis made of pressed steel sections that are welded together to give an appearance like 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 Telelever fork design – with a lower wishbone connected between the forks and the frame and a single shock absorber rather than springs and damping inside the fork legs. The R and RS models have 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 combines the best of two previous Telelever generations.

If you're a tech geek the next couple of paragraphs will be interesting. If not, skip them and understand that all you need to know is that it works really well at keeping a heavy touring bike both comfortable as a tourer should be but also as dynamic as a good sports tourer in the corners.

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 BMW's sports twins, 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.

Telelever also allows the BMW's brakes to be used as hard as you need to without the front crashing to earth. The brakes are superb - plenty of power but lots of feel too to control a heavy bike in all circumstances. Lean-sensitive ABS is fitted and completely non-intrusive. Another example of smart evolution over many years.

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, 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 where it gets interesting is if you choose the optional Dynamic Chassis Adaption (DCA) that adds a couple of rider-selectable modes which 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.

The sharper mode (accessible in Dynamic and Dynamic-Pro modes) doesn't turn the RT into a sports bike. What it does is add an extra few percent of confidence, ground clearnance and safety margin in those situations where you get a bit giddy and overcook it on a 143bhp tourer. Some might argue all this tech adds even more to go wrong, but that's for future owners in ten years time to worry about. While ever it's working, there's a lot to really like about this system.

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 still surprisingly manageable and a lot 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 gives it 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

BMW has been evolving the RT range for close-on 50 years and each generation has got more comfortable. The new bike’s styling will be divisive, 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 electrically-operated screen – available in a variety of different heights – and the fairing has adjustable side trim panels to tailor the airflow.

Like the R1300GS, the rider triangle, defined by the position of the seat, pegs and bars, shifts the rider further forwards than before, improving controllability and feedback. Unlike the GS, the relationship between seat and pegs is carried over from the old R1250 RT so there's more legroom and long-distance comfort than the GS offers. The new RT's 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 gets a heated backrest.

My longest journey was a four hour stint over 240 miles and I found the RT to be really comfortable. More importantly for me, it was easy to handle in slow-speed traffic and filtering and not too bad to push around with the engine off.

There is one oddity that bothered me though. The first time I rode it on a slightly windy day (gusts of about 20mph) the RT felt unstable at motorway speeds. In a straight line at 80-90mph it felt like the tyre pressures were low or the wheel bearings were worn. Turning off the motorway onto some twisty roads showed that everything was perfect with the chassis - the RT handles really well. Back on the motorway the gentle weave came back again. I switched from 'Dynamic' mode to 'Road' thinking it might be the differing geometry of the DCA system, but it was the same. The bike felt really light and loose on its wheels for pretty much the whole trip.

It never happened again to the same extent although the RT's roadholding does feel slightly vague as many semi-active suspension systems do. It'll be interesting to see if this becomes 'a thing' among customers as more riders put more miles on the bike.

Fuel consumption hovered around 55mpg no matter how I rode it, giving a theoretical range appoaching 300 miles from the 24-litre tank.

2025 BMW R 1300 RT - Equipment

Talking about the equipment level of the R 1300 RT poses a simple question: how much do you want to spend? The base bike is well-equipped, but the most desirable possibilities are extra-cost options.

Let's take 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 add more capacity at the expense of some filtering flexibility. 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 a grab-rail with a heated section for your passenger too.

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 - and effective - 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

It's hard to give a truly meaningful verdict on a bike like this from a two week road test. It's not about the miles, more about living with it and using it in all kinds of situations. One example was my last ride on the bike. It was 'only' 180 miles but at the end of a very long three days riding lots of other bikes for seven hours a day. I was knackered when I set off home and had the worst of the M11, M25 and M23 to face...in rush hour...on Friday.

It should have been a nightmare, but turned out to be one of the best rides of the year because the R1300RT is so flipping good at doing exactly what you need it to in a way that takes the least possible effort. In turn that allows a tired rider to use their remaining energy where it's needed to plot a course through the Friday night carnage in safety but also enjoyably too.

There's a whole load of different bits of the bike working hard to make this happen. It's hard to pinpoint just one thing. But the result is that it works.

I don't think I could spend £28,945 on this bike in this spec, but I could very much see myself signing up for the £21k LE version and selling my car, because (cliche alert incoming...) it might well be the only bike you'll ever need for everything including year-round long distance commuting.

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2025 BMW R 1300 RT - Technical Specification

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