2024-on BMW R1300GS Adventure ASA Review | The fully loaded GS is more capable and easier than ever!

BMW’s R1300GS Adventure is an impressive adventure motorcycle, continuing the trend set by its predecessors of being not only capable and comfortable over long distances, but also incredibly friendly and easy to manage too. However, equipped with a large chunk of the accessory catalogue, including the new ASA system, takes the big BMW to the next level. The additional technology is sublime.

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Although the Adventure has a fairly familiar feeling that almost emulates the R1250GS Adventure in its riding position, nature and presence, the addition of a host of new technology does take the 1300 to the next level – something which the standard machine does only to a certain extent, as you can read here when we tasted a BMW R1300GS Adventure far closer to standard.

The Automated Shift Assistant is a seriously impressive addition to the Adventure’s armoury, feeling not only refined, but confidence inspiring too thanks to its ability to take care of pretty much everything. City riding, motorways, off-road, faster stuff… it does everything, to a very good level – and there’s also a conventional gear lever (albeit just an electronic sensor, and not a real unit) if you want to override it too.

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That confidence inspiring nature only stretches even further thanks to the Adaptive Vehicle Height Control system, which lowers the chosen seat height by 30mm at slow speeds and a standstill. Thanks to the unique Telever and Paralever suspension set-up, the whole machine is lowered too which sets it apart from other lowering devices on the market.

Couple this with the optional Radar Cruise Control and you have a machine that is able to touch more bases than ever before: catering for all sizes of rider, being as friendly as possible yet still retaining that usability and functionality that has made previous GS Adventures the incredible sellers that they are.

BMW’s R1300GS Adventure is a big bike, yet it’s incredibly easy to manage – especially with the additional ASA option and Adaptive vehicle Control System.

By offering a lowering system the 269kg (at its lowest) GS is instantly transformed into a machine that can be flat-footed by an inside leg of 29” – something that is hard work even on some of the middleweight adventure bikes. With the Adventure’s incredible balance and weight distribution the R1300GS Adventure is impressively nimble at slow speeds and is not only confidence inspiring, but easy to manage at low speeds as well.

This is only assisted by the ASA system, which takes the thought process of having to use the clutch out of the equation and allows for the rider to concentrate on whatever awaits on the road, or off it, ahead.

As for the riding experience, that updated, long travel telelever and paralever set-up working its magic to transform over 270kg of metal into a machine that can be ridden as softly, or as savagely, as your mood on the ride is willing to go. It’s a machine that doesn’t only soak up undulations and poor surfaces but is also happy to push on and support no matter how much weight is stuck on top of it.

The riding position is roomy and comfortable, with the ‘bars, ‘pegs and riding triangle vast, but not too far to reach. Somehow, the positioning manages to fit my 5’7 frame with no complaints alongside a host of six footers who are riding with us as well. The screen is very effective (albeit slightly short) in terms of protection and a lack of buffeting, while the standard seat offers a good level of comfort too, especially if you’re slightly larger due to its sheer size.

That big, boxer motor has a huge window of usage, but the addition of the ASA system and Radar Cruise Control takes that another step further.

The clutch is controlled by electronic actuators, and at slow speeds, the response is not only incredibly predictable, but smooth as well. Manoeuvring and U-turns are an absolute doddle to execute, while pulling away on inclines is also an easier affair, without having to balance brakes, clutch and a throttle – Hill Start Control makes this even easier.

With different settings between riding modes, the ASA system also works impressively on the open road in its automatic mode. For faster riding it shifts predictably and after just a few miles to feel its algorithms, the way in which the GS floats up and down the ‘box becomes a natural affair, with little need to override using the conventional gear shift lever.

Gearshifts feel impressively smooth and it will be a godsend for riding with a pillion, while it’s happy to shift down and find the correct gear in quick time when pulling out for an overtake on the motorway too. On the road the ability to use manual is also available, but it’s rarely needed.

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Off-road, it’s surprisingly impressive too. It works without fault for nearly all the time, with only a switch to manual needed if you want to hold that big, boxer engine to the redline in order to get the Adventure turning from the rear. For the most part, it sits in the right gear and thanks to the lack of clutch lever, it’s impossible to stall or find yourself in the wrong gear.

The big BMW is made to eat through miles, and with a combination of motorway, B-roads and off-road the R 1300 GS Adventure tends to sit mainly between the 42mpg and 46mpg mark, which offers a real-world tank range that will very nearly make the 300-mile mark – and that will stretch to over 330 miles on an economical ride where the figure sits closer to 50mpg.

But, that 1300cc motor does still have a thirst to be revved relatively hard; for a monstrous, boxer motor it feels at its happiest when ridden a little harder, which isn’t something that is always necessary for such a machine that’s built to traverse continents. It’s more eager, and slightly less relaxed than ever before in its thirst for the redline when bouncing from corner to corner.

Another thing to note comes in the form of noise; the motor sounds a little more metallic which is slightly grating after a long day in the saddle, and is also more noticeable than on the previous generation R1250GS motor.

The GS Adventure does look like a quality product, and after seeing a few of them hit the deck off-road it’s fair to say that they’re built fairly robust as well.

However, the first year of the R1300 platform hasn’t all been plain sailing for BMW; there have been a few cases of electronic gremlins that haven’t been rectified straight away, and our R1300GS long-term test bike even experienced a slight issue too.

Even with the additional systems added, there’s no change to the service or maintenance schedule.

Depending on how you spec the Adventure, the price can skyrocket – it’s closer to the £23,000 mark when fixed up with a load of optional extras as the equipment isn’t cheap; for example, the Adaptive Vehicle Height Control is £515, while the Auto Shift Assist is £765

In terms of its big tank rivals, Ducati’s Multistrada V4 Rally will set you back £24,195 as standard, while Triumph’s Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer starts at £18,695.

You really can load the Adventure up with a whole host of tech, and in that case there’s nothing more that can really be asked for. For comfort, off-road and ease of use, the Adventure really can have it all.

The only issue may actually be in making use of it all and getting comfortable navigating the various systems, which does take a little time to master.