BMW R 1300 RS SE ASA – Premium Velocity

If ever there was a manufacturer that covers all the bases, it’s BMW. 

If you want to ride around the world, through the most inhospitable territory imaginable, they have you back with the GS Adventure. If you want one of the fastest bikes on the planet, they have you covered with the M1000RR. Want a continent-crushing, luxurious tourer or heritage-styled factory custom? BMW Motorrad have it all and more. 

We recently had the pleasure of the BMW R 1300 RS SE ASA as a press loan for a couple of weeks.

The R1300RS is a premium sports tourer that offers a direct bridge into the future of high-speed European travel, hiding a staggering array of next-generation technology beneath its sharp, wind-tunnel-carved bodywork. Our bike was in triple black, in my opinion, the best colour combination. 

It is a beautifully focused motorcycle. Rather than chasing the nostalgia of a bygone era, the R 1300 RS leans forward into a bold, ultra-modern aesthetic, looking like a stealthy, high-speed interceptor. 

It’s hard not to fall in love with its relentless, mile-munching competence, its razor-sharp agility, and its ability to get from A to B at pace, delivering you to your destination, unflustered and ready and able to do it all again.

BMW gave its iconic sports-touring platform a ground-up, radical overhaul for this generation. The heart of the machine is the completely redesigned air/liquid-cooled ShiftCam boxer twin engine, now with its capacity increased to 1300cc. In a brilliant packaging move, BMW relocated the gearbox underneath the engine rather than behind it. This lowered the centre of gravity and made the entire bike feel incredibly compact and centrally mass-balanced. The engine and drivetrain became significantly shorter from front to back, allowing them to reposition the engine in the frame for better front-wheel weight bias and use a longer swingarm without lengthening the bike's overall wheelbase. 

Engine

The 1300 boxer engine makes 145 horsepower at 7,750 rpm, and 149 Nm (110 lb-ft) of torque at 6,500 rpm, compared to the older 1250 engine (which produced 136 hp and 105 lb-ft). This makes it the most powerful series-production boxer engine to ever roll out of Berlin.

BMW’s boxer engine wasn’t how I expected it to be. I was thinking it might be a bit slow to rev, a bit agricultural maybe, but it proved me very wrong. This new power unit is an absolute masterpiece. It has character, pulls cleanly from low down, and makes a wonderful, distinctive mechanical growl; there really is nothing else like it.

ShiftCam ensures a nice fat spread of torque. It doesn’t just switch blindly at a specific engine speed. The ECU constantly monitors how far you've twisted the throttle. If you're just gently cruising at 5,000 rpm, it will stay on the "partial-load" economy cam. If you crack the throttle wide open at 3,000 rpm, the electromechanical actuator physically slides the intake camshaft axially in just 10 milliseconds. The result is an engine that makes strong torque throughout the rev range.

If you are overtaking a lorry on a sweeping A-road, there is no frantic dancing on the gear lever. You simply twist the throttle, and the bike lunges forward with effortless, muscular poise. If you do decide to let it rev, you are rewarded with an incredibly smooth, urgent rush of power all the way to its redline, accompanied by a glorious, deep boxer bark.

Suspension

The SE (Special Equipment) designation brings a wealth of high-value tech as standard. For a start, you get BMW's incredibly advanced Dynamic Suspension Adjustment (DSA). On the older 1250 generation, changing your suspension mode (like switching from Road to Dynamic) only changed how fast the shock oil could flow through the valves, making the ride firmer or softer. The actual metal spring stiffness remained exactly the same.

DSA introduces a variable spring rate by using an innovative hydraulic chamber system alongside the main spring, which, in plush modes (e.g., Road), allows a secondary air/oil chamber to compress, effectively making the spring feel softer and more compliant over potholes and road imperfections.

In firm modes (e.g., Dynamic): The system locks out that secondary volume, forcing the main spring to do all the work, which instantly stiffens the suspension.

DSA also features a sensor that constantly measures the bike's ride height. Whether you throw on heavy panniers or Kate hops on the back as a pillion, the system automatically detects the extra weight and adjusts the spring preload to restore the bike’s optimal geometry and chassis balance.

It all works seamlessly, with no obvious signs that the bike is processing so much data, and adjusting things at such a furious pace. It simply works, and works very well. The bike always felt composed and stable. It inspires enough confidence to comfortably reach the edge of the tyre.

Automated Shift Assistant (ASA)

The headline of this machine, however, is the Automated Shift Assistant (ASA). Do not confuse this with a heavy, complex dual-clutch setup or with Honda’s e-clutch. Instead, BMW has used clever, electromechanical actuators to operate the standard clutch and six-speed gearbox directly. The most unnerving part of this system when you jump on is the lack of a clutch lever on the left handlebar.

ASA offers two distinct modes:

"M" (Manual Mode): You shift gears using the traditional foot pedal, but the gear changes are instantaneous, blipped, and completely clutchless. The clutch is operated by actuators, meaning you won’t stall, and the gear pedal isn’t physically connected to the gearbox; it simply operates microswitches that send signals to actuators, which physically change gear for you. The benefit of this is that the speed and smoothness are controlled by the bike, making every gear change at every speed smooth and seamless. You know how quickshifters are pretty useless at slow speed; well, this solves that problem. 

"D" (Drive Mode): The bike handles the shifting entirely on its own, seamlessly picking the shift points based on your riding style, lean angle, and throttle position.

What is truly genius is how this system integrates with the radar-managed Adaptive Cruise Control. If you are cruising on the motorway and traffic slows to a crawl, the bike automatically downshifts to keep you perfectly in the engine's optimal torque band, then seamlessly upshifts as the road clears, all without a single touch from your left hand or foot.

I thought that in manual mode, this system is excellent. The gear changes were perfect, the clutch allowing smooth changes at any speed. In auto mode, I wasn’t keen. It was just too much of a jump for me. It changes gear when it wants, so mid-corner or wherever, and I didn’t really like it. It might be perfect for you, and certainly would make a big difference to anyone who maybe was a little inexperienced or not so confident. It’s one big thing you don’t need to worry about.

I were impressed by just how versatile this bike is. With the adjustable screen raised and the panniers loaded, it is a highly capable, plush touring machine that can comfortably cross continents. Put everything in Sport, and the attitude changes, making this a fast weekend plaything. 

Unlike older, slower-steering sports tourers, the R 1300 RS has shifted slightly more toward the "sport" side of the equation. The ergonomics put you in a slightly more active, forward-leaning stance over the front wheel. It gives you incredible front-end feedback when you are carving through the twisties, yet it retains a comfortable pocket of clean air that keeps fatigue completely at bay.

For me, the riding position just worked. It is an absolute pleasure to ride for hours on end. Pillion comfort is fantastic, too; my partner, Kate, noted that the rear seat ergonomics and smooth power delivery make it incredibly easy to spend a full day in the saddle without feeling battered by the wind or tired out by gear-shift jolts.

The R 1300 RS SE ASA occupies a very specific, premium sweet spot. There are plenty of riders who love the idea of touring and having luggage space, but they don't want a massive, 250kg+ adventure bike like the R 1300 GS with its towering seat height, nor do they want a heavy, wide luxury tourer. Because the RS is lower, sleeker, and narrower, it is vastly easier to paddle around a tight petrol station or manage at slow speeds. It gives you 90% of the long-distance comfort of a giant tourer, but in a package that is light, agile, and incredibly rewarding when you find a twisty road.

We are fortunate enough to ride lots of bikes. Some are better than others, but the BMW R 1300 RS SE ASA is a machine that I would genuinely own. It is perfect for the rider who wants a do-it-all sporty sports-tourer, comfortable enough to ride across Europe, and packing the most effortless, futuristic gearbox on the market today.

• Power: 145 hp (107 kW) at 7,750 rpm.
• Torque: 110 lb-ft (149 Nm) at 6,500 rpm.
• Wet Weight: 245 kg (540 lbs)
• Dry Weight: 233 kg (513.7 lbs).
• Tyres:
• Front: 120/70 ZR17
• Rear: 190/55 ZR17 (Note: The rear tyre is wider than the 180-section tyre used on the older R1250RS generation).
• Full Tank Size: 17 litres (including approximately 4 litres reserve).
• Front Suspension: 47 mm upside-down (USD) telescopic forks. Since this is an SE specification model, it comes equipped with DSA (Dynamic Suspension Adjustment) featuring electronic, semi-active continuous damping adjustment and a variable front spring rate. Front suspension travel is 140 mm.
• Rear Suspension: BMW Motorrad EVO-Paralever single-sided cast aluminium swingarm with a central suspension strut. Managed by the DSA system for real-time electronic damping, variable spring rate, and automatic load/preload compensation. Rear suspension travel is 130 mm.
• Price - from £13,780.00 as tested in Triple Black - £17,765.00