Hi, I just wanted to ask you about how do you like the sound of the engine (not exhaust) because when I test road the bike for 20 min I was quite disapointed with the sound because it sounded more like a tractor then any gs before. I now own a 2023 1250 gs rallye and it does not sound like that. Also it looks like there are more vibrations from the engine than on the 1250 gs. One other quite concerning thing is the gearbox which makes quite load noise when changing gears. Did you notice that and did you have any problems with the gearbox? Thanks, Chris from Croatia, Europe
I watch everything you put out there... But I'd think the smaller bikes would be better for the channel. The potential buyer pool for the new Himalayan, or something similar, has to be orders of magnitude larger than prospective 1390 KTM owners, or whatever. But you have the analytics at your disposal, both RU-vid and for your business, so... Do more of what works for you.
I'd like you to address why you removed the short-lived video about positive bike reviews. I figure either you reconsidered what you said or didn't like what the commenters were saying. I think it's an important topic and kudos to you for bringing it up - even though it lasted less than 24 hours. 🤐 Love your reviews!
It was probably not a good business decision to leave it up. Big Rock Moto is probably in the top 3 when it comes to journalistic integrity for this industry. But he identifies the biggest issue with all ‘review’ channels, maybe unwittingly. Namely, that regardless of industry, to keep their business model viable, reviewers must carefully nurture relationships with their related manufacturers. This makes genuine objectivity practically impossible. Consumer beware. Always. BTW, I want to thank Big Rock Moto for informative and thorough content.
The drive shaft replacement every 48k miles will cost about $3k for parts and labor at my dealer in California. This is 10% of the bike price! And for me personally it will be quite an incentive to keep my 1250GS for as long as possible, where the replacement will be free every 36k miles. Not a very smart sales strategy IMO. (Plus the 1250 has a better seat! :-)
Calling the shaft drive a consumable item mostly sours my interest in this bike. Do other manufacturers make such "delicate" drives? Honda Goldwing, VFR1200? Super Tenere, Triumph Tiger 1200, others?
Shocking that the drive shaft would even need replacing that often. Yamaha aren’t that weak. How can you call something a premium product that is not really fit for purpose?
I appreciate all the work that you have done to give us an accurate, data driven, review of the R1300GS, Ian! But, if anything, you've convinced me to get the 1250 instead. There isnt enough of an advancement to warrant the price tag and the 1250 is simply too good of a bike to pass up on the used market.
I found that my GS R1300GS is a game changer. I've had GSs for years and I see how they improved the suspension and balance for better enduro riding. Can't wait to tackle BDRs with it soon!
Greetings from Germany. For your Information: 1. The first Service 600mi/1.000km is not free of charge here, of course not :D 2. The final drive change is due to the fact, that some of the previous versions broke. So now it`s easier for BMW to claim its a wear part and they are not responsible for these costs. 3. Most BMW bikes don`t have a tail-light anymore, thats just cost saving. It started with the RR, because it was easier to modify it for the track. But now the implement it everywhere.
Hallo Chain Brother! Cool, dass du auch hier bist. Gut, dass du das hier aufklärst. Wollte ich auch schon machen. 😉 Viele Leute in den Staaten wissen nichts von den gebrochenen Kardanwellen und den resultierenden Unfällen. GS is not for me. Ich habe mich inzwischen übrigens für die T7 World Rally entschieden und könnte nicht glücklicher sein. Weiter so, Junge! Du hast einen genialen Kanal.
@@ChainBrothers da stimme ich dir komplett zu. Bis auf deinen Kanal schaue ich nur englischsprachige Kanäle. MAD TV, Dork und Chris von Bike World mag ich beispielsweise auch. Ian ist unschlagbar, wenn es um gründliche reviews geht. Nur die GS mag er ein bißchen zu sehr. 🤣 Aber das verzeihe ich ihm, weil er unfassbar integer ist. 😉 P.S.: 1000 PS hat sich leider völlig disqualifiziert
'Probably the best overall motorcycle I've ever tested' - I think this sums up your review pretty well! I currently have 7 registered and rideable bikes and there's no doubt that my R1300GS is by far the best all-round bike I own. I love the thing. If I didn't have an irrational soft spot for my old GSXR-1000 the 1300 would easily be my favorite bike. By far.
@@DB-sd3cwI can say this, the 1300 FEELS lighter and shorter than my F850GS did. And on my 850 I rode the WABDR, the WYBDR and the Continental Divide ride from Alberta to Mexico, dirt the entire way. For me this bike is easier to ride off road than the 850. I now have over 6000 miles on it with zero issues and it’s done a few trails including the IDBDR. So what makes a bike too big? Well, it’s a great size for an adventure bike. It’s too big for a dual sport and way too big for motocross. Choose the tool for the task you’re doing. I do adventure riding and it’s not too big.
Sterling commentry with solid integrity thanks Ian on your experience with the R1300GS. The fact that you are unlikely to keep it long(er) term speaks volumes. Appreciate the efforts and commitment you make for the motorcycling community and hoping manufacturers are taking note. Thank you
Ian. In my opinion the GS1200 ticked most if not all of the boxes for 80% of customers and the 1250 succeeded in polishing a few “rough edges” which, I suspect most average riders weren’t too fussed about!? However, I suspect the 1250 hit the sweet spot. The 1300, although a technical step forward has now put the GS into a financial no-man’s land. Yes, the Multistrada is comparable in both tech and price but the price has now moved the customer demographic into an increasingly small segment. Add to this the “consumable” nature of the prop shaft and I suspect BMW have inadvertently disenfranchised a big customer base. As for the GSA1300…….well FUGLY doesn’t even come close!
I have multiple bikes. I was just looking at the pan America yesterday. It feels pretty good. I have not sat on a gs. I know they are very nice as well. I’d like to get down too 2 bikes. My 300l and something else. Getting a bit older. My full dress Harley is nice for long trips but suck on secondary roads where I find myself a lot these days. Still would like to have the ability for a long trip. Dealers are limited where I live. Harley or Honda it seems. I’d have to drive over 2 hours for anything else. Oh well. That’s my dilemma. Love your reviews Ian. Thanks for the hard work. It seems like you’re having fun but it is also a weight you carry because of your honesty.
A superbly presented overview, with the bikes's most significant attributes and weaknesses, very well explained, including aspects for BMW to address. If I was fortunate enough to be in the market for a new, premium bike like the GS1300, you'd be the guy I'd like to contact for an honest opinion. Keep up the great work and I look forward to your next upload. Take care for now.
I can also add that if you have adaptive cruise on following a motorcycle, with speed set maybe 10 mph faster, and that motorcycle moves to the left of the lane and you are closer to the right the bike will go into "automatic passing mode" quite abruptly
Congratulations 🎊 🎉 you're the first to know that my family and I are currently accepting donations of 6 month old bmw r1300gs models. We can re-home your bike and let it carry new generations around the world 🌎 we can be on your doorstep faster than you can dry your riding boots. See you soon 😊 keep making the good videos 😘
I watch this video because of the yellow auxiliary light pods you mounted right below the front beak 7:33 This is the false trench of moving the stop lights to the turning lights, from bright sunny days the visibility is very unnoticeable and when using the hazard ⚠️ function, the driver behind will get confused. Ducati has rear radars and still uses traditional rear lighting setup
The bike will brake for you if you have the "brake assist " turned on. The seat was bad a first, but it feels a lot better now. The low beam is fantastic, but the high beam is kind of weak, and on my bike, I have to manually adjust it myself!. My bike used 750 ml of oil at 2500 miles. The seat was uncomfortable for me, because the angle of it points it down at the front. My solution was to use the " lowering pucks" they sell on amazon for the r1250gs, but installed backward, so they raise the front of the seat.is perfect now!
@@BigRockMoto the BMW tall comfort seat is the way to go if you want that extra 1250-like comfort. And the bike will still be accessible for a rider of your height thanks to the adaptive height control. A whole new spectrum of configuration possibilities.
Exactly. I put well over 100,000 miles on each of three older BMWs. Why is it getting more and more difficult for them to make durable drive shafts? Meanwhile, I can stretch the chain life of some of my other bikes to 48,000 miles with replacement costing me $100.
@@toddsorel-pg4hr i just replaced my chain and sprockets on my Vstrom. It cost $400, doing it myself. Not $100. I think it’s been awhile since you have bought a chain and sprockets… but my OEM chain went 22,500 miles. So roughly half what BMW’s shaft will cost per mile
Your bike looks great Ian with the extras you have fitted! Really interesting listening to your opinions re it's ownership. The shaft drive is suddenly very concerning, if it's service life has been or is being reduced to a certain limit then BMW need to rethink it's viability or come up with a more reasonable solution for replacement. I'm not a lover of chain drive like most riders but it's reliable mostly and everyone knows it's limitations and service life, chains and sprockets are considered consumables and for most parts they are considered reasonably priced. All the best from the UK, Cheers!
The shaft recall is for all 1200/1250 watercooled bikes and is a free replacement for the lifetime of the bike. For the 1300GS, the customer pays to replace it. In terms of price it’s hard to be clear as BMW pricing has never been that transparent - for example the 1250TE model in the UK came with every extra, but the 1300 doesn’t include the “newer” features like ride height adjustment or ASA. In other territories it’s a base bike plus optional packs, so like for like is not easy. Then there are the discounts on the outgoing model making the price difference seem larger than it really is. Whichever way you look at it, it is a very sophisticated motorcycle, but it is also the equivalent cost of a pretty decent car. I no longer want to spend such huge sums on a leisure toy, so thank goodness for the rapidly expanding small to mid capacity market.
I fertinf old....53.....one big trip a year....15000km. i have a Gsa and a Xtz250 and more and more i discoverinf that is not about the bike. Its ok to feel all the power...etc...but motorcycling is more than that. I went with a Gs and with Xtz to Ushuaia and rhe two was amazing and different. I don t need to always change the bike anymore. Mu last 2 bikes i rode more than 100000km. Its good to broke the chain of the addict to change bike all thw time. But this its just to me....anyone has to decide your path....
Replacing the drive internal components was always a maintenance requirement, it's just that dealers didn't tend to do them unless the customer asked, and that was required were more frequently than on the 1300. The 1300 has a recall for a defective Relay, along with the panniers/top case (Shad) being on stop sale.
Thanks, as always, for the good and honest feedback. For me, the series on this bike has been especially helpful as I am considering trading my 2016 GS 1200 in for a 2025 GS 1300 next year.
In the uk bmw changed the maintenance schedule, they sent a letter with the changes to the 1250 gs&gsa. The shaft problem is now to be charged every 36,000 miles for the life of the bike & bmw will cover the costs . Can’t remember it off hand but something like I said above .
Great review and I agree with all of it. I ordered a GS after testing riding and being surprised by how much I liked the adaptive suspension and CC. I got it just the way I wanted it, made some tweaks to optimize it for solo ADV touring and really have nothing but great things to say. It’s not a KTM500, but it the hands of a skilled rider it rips on the street and will go most places off road. I’m keeping mine.
So much great info on this channel, thank-you! I’m in Australia and have just had the 1st service done on my Trophy. The 1st service here is not free. The consumables & labour added up to AUD$500 (USD$330) which is decent in comparison to other bikes I’ve owned - my Multistrada 1198 services were $$$$!
I’ve been watching your videos since I bought a 690 in 2020 or 2021. Main thing is just don’t talk about the business side or defend it much. I’ve started back watching after not being into bike reviews for a while and it seems like it’s regularly mentioned now on this channel. I just watch for your take on bikes and stuff. Whatever you’re getting paid for really isn’t my business and am just digging around on RU-vid looking at bike stuff. If the review sounds bias then it does but generally they seem objective regardless of the financials. Most of the observations you make can’t really be biased anyway. They’re just observations not marketing narratives.
You’re getting a lot with this GS. A legendary bike with the latest advanced systems. I like those forged wheels too. My only experience is putting them on a 911 which really decreased the unsprung weight and everything was sharper-quicker. Haven’t heard much about shaftdrive issues in the past - maybe due to the increased power? Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if they add in the proper rear brake light again next year. Germans are very big on safety obviously so I’m not sure what they were thinking there.
After I have owned the first 1250GS HP and without any off road experience for a little under 4 yrs and moving onto the 1250GSA Trophy I believe that taking the smaller GS off road is the best GS you can ride off road for what it is. The GSA can easily go off road (Ive done it again with no experience) going over ruts and stuff needs someone with quite the experience/skill for off road. I didnt drop her so kudos to me I guess😂 Live my GS but the GSA is more like it CAN go off road but Id rather not kinda bike. Thats MY experience with both off them. An expensive toy yes but a very good at that… Thank you Ian and gotta remind you that the TOUR package in Greece from example with an extra tag of $1000 gets you ALL three piece luggage where here the Stealerships are charging north of $2500+…😳
Thanks for the content. I have the same bike and the seat isn’t just bad it’s inexcusable. At $29k a miss like this should never happen. It is also horrible in a crosswind. So bad I don’t see myself buying another BMW.
Recently came across your page and love your content! I would absolutely love to hear you break down the Moto Guzzi v85 adv. really considering getting one but I can’t find anyone that will give it a real off road test. I’m between the Moto Guzzi, desertX and transalp. Love the channel! Keep it up!
Previous owner of a 2023 f750gs. You CAN NOT get a service manual for any new production BMW motorcycles. I had to email BMW Munich to get a special software flash JUST FOR KPH ON THE HUD. I sold the bike after 8 moths of ownership.
Regarding the driveshaft change. The driveshaft is improved compared to the 1250. Now, considering that for most owners, the bike will be out of warranty, one could simply make the decision not to proceed with the change and take the small risk of failure.
Sorry, that’s not better than having lifetime inspection and free replacement on the 1200/1250. Any mechanical part has some risk of failure, this part has a history of greater than avg, and lifetime care by BMW is far better than shelling out huge money out of warranty for any failure. I’ve been quoted at least 1700$ just parts for a 1300 shaft replacement btw.
@hunkyleepickle I never said it is better than having lifetime warranty and replacement. However the 1250 has been out since 2019 and the lifetime replacement came in effect in 2023.
@@Taz368 the vast majority of boxers from back to 2014 and before never had any issues with their driveshaft for the life the vehicle. Now 2014’s and up get free lifetime care. The 1300, every owner is on the hook for any failure or replacement. Both events have always been rare, but one costs me a shit load.
On the 1000ps RU-vid vlog it shows them riding the 1300 gs in Austria off road, and a simple fall over broke the gear shift ,finding out that such gearshift is made of plastic !
Great content. Major let down from BMW on the controlls not being back lit. That is wildly unacceptable imo. I never would have even thought to ask. I figure a premium priced motorcycle would include every premium feature and oem accessory
Most of the reasons you noted, are why I’m staying with my ‘21 GSA 40th Ed. The 1300 GS isn’t appealing, and the 1300 GSA…I guess when I’m ready to get a new bike (7’ish years down the road), I won’t have any other choices.
Shaft drive, it was obviously a consumable item on the long run, and the error was not officially addressing the “issue” until now. That made them replace our 1250’s drives for free for life, because it wasn’t explicit when we bought them, but it’s understandably not an option on newer models
The driveshaft on BMW motorbikes was introduced in 1923 (R32)... Making it a wearable item in 2023 is a great way to celebrate a century of progress, no?
I have to customize every seat and my 1300gs is no different. Comfort wasn’t bad but the forward lean is a no go for me. Similar to the Tiger 1200. My Ktm was the absolute worst, even the “comfort” seat I bought as an accessory.
Motoscan is a cheaper alternative to GS-911 for android phones only. Doesn't limit the number of bikes registered to the account. Software is 50 and the scanner is another 50
BMW does not sell the service manual for any bike starting a year or two ago. That's a great bike, I have two BMWs, but I'm going to stay the course with my Tenere 1200 for ADV as it's bulletproof and cheap to own, buy (used), and maintain. The GS outfitted how you'd want it is a huge chunk of cash. Maybe I'll win the lottery.
Ian I was working on same type video…as you know Im not a fan of the 1300…but personal preference…since I own a 21’ GSA (60K) and 23’ GS (2.7K) miles respectively BMW replaced my GSA drive shaft at 52K they are suppose to inspect at 37K and replace….I was told by my dealer that after every 37K miles BMW will replace the drive shaft for FREE on 23’ models and older…24’s and 1300 it is on the owner….again thats from my dealer. It’s expensive to operate the BMW’s I know trust me…hahah….thanks for sharing and great info!!!…maybe I should be your bike..ha!!
Your videos are always great, but I found this to be overly negative compared to my experience with the 1300. This bike rules against anything else I've owned and is a joy to ride. I've started riding more now because I like this bike so much. Lights? Final drive replacement at 50k? To each his own, but these aren't problems for daily riding; when you get to 50k reassess. If I'm as happy then as I am now riding it, I'll pay the $1500. But that's a future-problem. Anyway - thanks for the insights. 🙂
I bought my 1300 in Canada (first one registered in this country ) but had the break in service done in St Louis MO while travelling. It was not free. Free break in service was never mentioned to me at any time
First service in the UK isn’t free unfortunately (by default), some people manage to negotiate it as part of their deal but it’s not automatically free for us over here 😢 I’ve had to pay for the first 600mile service on all 3 of my BMW’s from different dealers. Love the videos!
Hey Ian, Thanks for the in-depth 6 month owner review. While larger ADV bikes aren't my bag, I can totally get why people love them and get them, especially for Adventure Touring. How do you feel the accessibility is for home maintenance and simple repairs or installing addons? Is this something you'd be comfortable wrenching on at home and using a printed (or online) manual, or would you still bring it to the dealer?
I saw a video from ' Life is a ride motorcycle gear' where he reported the problem with the electronic suspension failure and how to detect the issue, also looks like some of the viewers also had the same problem with their 1300gs, but looks bmw hasn't announced any recall yet.
I finally saw them at the dealer. I like the looks much better. The GS was getting way too fat IMO. I like the smaller frontal area. It's like moving from American to European philosophy. Some people think they're getting their money's worth when there's more food on their plate vs better quality food.
RTW motorcycle off the showroom floor. Very few can say that. You get what you pay for, I have that much in my Yamaha Tenere 700 getting it up to the level I want for RTW travel. Over double the retail price in accessories. My BMW's, pretty much get on and go. I spring them to my load. Very few inexpensive accessories.
Thanks again for that great information, very interesting to hear about changing a driveshaft. As you have said not many owners are gonna have a bike for that long but a number of people do so what would the cost be for labor? You’d have to factor that into your ownership of the bike
In my opinion, Ian has quality character that does the talking. Viewers and manufacturers have seen his many reviews and believe this channel is trustworthy.
I have the bike for 2.5 months now and put 10,000km (6,200 miles) on it and so far absolutely zero issues, which of course is nothing special. There are very little things I don´t like about the bike. Most things are just great and I love the bike for them. It is a bike to stay in my garage for a longer time. There are two things I don´t like. The seating comfort is really not good. For what this bike is supposed to be, it is pretty bad to be honest. I will look into a solution now. I have had multiple 8-10h days and once 13.5h in the saddle and that is absolutely no fun. I am a bit younger for a GS rider at 34 so I just push thru it. But realistically speaking, after an hour I could easily have a break from riding already. My bottom starts to hurt and my knees aren´t really happy either. And that is with the high comfort seat and the enduro package footpegs at 190cm (6ft 2in). And the original cases. In 2025 they are supposed to be available. That is simply not okay for me. Not at a price of close to 1000€. I went with the Touratech case holders and the EMD Adventure Gear soft paniers now. I am very happy with those and after 3000 km and a good mix of weather, I can´t say anything negative about them. Off road I can´t say much jet. That I will do next year.
The 1st service is payed by the new purchase owner. It is part of the purchase price but not itemized as such to give the illusion BMW is doing the new owner a favor. Nothing is free with BMW, can we all agree?
Motorcycle builders only build a seat good enough to get it out the door and dealers know test riders are very unlikely to test ride a bike far enough to consider seat comfort in a purchase. I have had 3 seats made for my BMW’s. I love the bikes for thousand mile a day rides, but an aftermarket seat is required.
Is it possible for you to do a comparison of all fuel injected V-Twin Dualsport/Adventure bikes? I'm going in circles trying to justify one over the other or one over a parallel twin and afraid I'll miss out on something because I bought the wrong bike due to lack of information.
Re drive shaft, I have a R1200R in the UK and I had mine replaced free of charge. They put a new leaflet/schedule in the owners manual with new item "at 36k miles replace cardan shaft". From what they told me, for R1200 and R1250 this is free of charge. Don't know what happens at 72k service, whether it needs replacing and who pays for it.
New $1500 driveshaft @48K? Absolutely not. I do not own a car and put 27,000 on my last GS in 18 months. My '21 bought new and has 25,000 today so not huge numbers but those of us that daily/grocery/dentist/tour will be changing them every few years if you followed that. I suspect a stock shaft that has been piloted by an experienced rider with fresh gear oil, that doesn't overload or lash it much would see 100K+ before it's even a thought.
I don’t think a 1500$ drive shaft every 80k miles is a dealbreaker on a 30000$ bike. If someone can afford a GS, they can afford a driveshaft. It’s nothing compared to what the BMW accessories and options cost that people add on without blinking an eye.
I have much respect for the big GS, but I like lighter and more simple motorcycles. The reason I don't enjoy driving cars any more is that they are too heavy, too automated, complicated and numb feeling. The big GS is following that same pattern
About the drive shaft, I just order the gs1300 adventure and I asked the dealer about the shaft replacement at 80k, he told me in here (Europe) it’s 800 euros
Ian, you didn't comment on the higher engine / mechanical noise, other RU-vidrs have even said they're selling thier 1300 over that issue specifically. Did you not find it to be an annoyance?
Hi Ian, let me start by saying Thank you for your RU-vid Cahnnel. Love your Honesty & content. Question; If I want to order the Cool Cover Seat Covers for my 2022 BMW GSA for both the rider & the Passenger Seats, Do I just click on the link you provided & you will be compensated for the referral (I Hope which is well deserved) and also, can I use YOU to get the Part numbers I need to order from them? Thanks in advance.
BMW like other manufacturers are probably making some decent money off the bikes but the dealers themselves probably rely on service to stay in business so just something to think about..
if the GS gets used in the dirt a lot, then the shaft will likely break at some stage- at the worst time (out in the bush). Seems to happen a bit. But if used on tarmac 100%, it'll likely be fine. Again, never seems to fail for road riders, but more than once for peeps who ride hard in the dirt.
I had a ujoint fail on my 2010 GS at about 90K. That was pure street riding. Leading up to the failure, I felt vibration when pulling in the clutch between 5th and 6th, then later between 5th and 4th, then eventually just while riding. It was vibrating so badly while riding one day that I pulled off the free way into a parking lot, and when I started the bike up again, the rear wheel was locked. The rear ujoint had broken apart and wedged somewhere. The extended warranty covered the driveshaft and also the swing arm, which dealer said was gouged. I could have taken it in at first sign of vibration, but was low on money, and ride it for another maybe 200 miles before it had that catastrophic failure of the ujoint.
@@powertrip1050 Well, to be fair it happened after just finishing a long road trip during summer, so basically one month of higher speed freeway riding, the tail end of it in hot and desert states, and also, the vibration was a warning that something bad was happening. Regardless, I was disappointed at the time that this part had failed.
I've spent a few hours today test riding the 1300GS ASA. Completely blown away, mind blowing system and best boxer gear changing bar none. Auto or Manual it's sublime! DCT owner's, it not DCT or a copy, it's better, far better!
How many miles do you have on the GS? I ask because your comment about the lack of backlit controls being inexcusable seems a bit dramatic...lol I mean, I have 7500 miles on my GS since I picked it up 4/24/24, and I don't look at the buttons to operate them. I understand that at this level of motorcycle , it is something you would think would be obvious, but is it really needed as you basically claim? Also , I have had many motorcycles. My 21 GSA I traded for the 1300 had 36k miles. It was the first bike I didn't feel I needed to change the seat. And this includes bikes like Goldwings. After 7500 miles on my 1300, I feel the same way. So maybe I just have a easier to please posterior...lol But that flies in the face of me having spent thousands of dollars for seats on other bikes, IDK.
The main buttons (ignition/turn signals) are second nature, albeit I don't ride at night, how many riders do suspect very few. Non issue for me. Seat I find ok for longer rides but not overly plush, I find myself standing up on the pegs at times.
