BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Trophy X Review | Motorcycle Test

BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Trophy X Motorcycle Test

Review by Wayne Vickers

Been a big year of testing GS’s for yours truly. Obviously the new 1300 this year is a massive update. First I threw the leg over the road oriented Pure, then the more off-road ‘regular-sized’ Trophy X, now I’m on the big mama. The GSA Trophy X.

The big GSA has always been a bit of polarising bike. On the one hand it is the ‘ultimate’ Adventure tool from BMW, the biggest, widest, heaviest, most optioned, longest range, best appointed GS on offer.

A go-anywhere hauler that is undoubtedly the full fat, full sugar option. And this latest incarnation is undeniably well-considered and executed. There are a myriad of little details that make this bike a standout.

And yet, on the other hand,  I don’t think this bike makes sense for everyone. In fact, I’d say that for most punters, the ‘regular’ GS will be the better option. Bear with me.

Let’s talk about the Rhino in the room. This is a gargantuan bike. Positively enormous. By every metric. If I compared the normal GS to a Unimog, which I did, then this is a Panzer.

Make no mistake about it – this bike is not a toy. Not a bike you can just jump on without having your brain engaged. Not that I’d recommend that on any bike in the first place mind you, but you get the point. The minute you go to rock it off the side stand and feel the weight of it you are on high alert… At 269 kg all juiced up and ready to roll, it’s a full 31 kg heavier than the standard GS.

Two hundred and seventy kilos.

That’s a lot.

Then you throw the leg over and it only ramps that feeling up.

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That seat is wider and more square-edged than the other models. Which only accentuates the near vertigo-inducing seat height of 915 mm for the rally seat you see here (there are lower options you can choose – which I think I would). We’re talking tip-toe stuff even for me at just over 180 cm. And tip-toeing a 270 kg bike around at a standstill is not something you do lightly. There’s a weight pun for you. Boom tish.

As with GSAs of every incarnation, it feels notably different to the ‘regular sized’ 1300 GSs I’ve tested this year.

So let’s first talk about the way it steers. Initially I thought it felt a little reluctant to lean away from upright, then once past a few degrees it really wanted to fall on its side. It was a little unnerving at first in the non-linear way it wanted to lean over.

I say initially because something weird happened after about a dozen rides and 1,500 km. It didn’t feel like that anymore. Now that’s not enough distance to wear the tyre enough to change the profile, so the only thing it can be is that my brain re-calibrated and I started adapting to it – riding it differently – leaning the bike more and keeping my body slightly more upright. Keeping it smooth, letting the bike do the work.

The more time I spent on it, the better I felt it steered. It did take longer than normal to adjust to, but it definitely got to a point where I was comfortable. I just had to adapt.

It’s very different from something like the Multistrada V4 Rally, which feels lighter and more playful by comparison. But keep it smooth, get it flowing, let the bike do the work, and it’s certainly a very nice thing. The word efficient springs to mind.

Another big thing I noticed by comparison to the ‘regular’ GS is how much better the TC maps seem to be suited to this variant. I actually asked BMW Australia to try and confirm if the maps were different, but apparently not.

It could be the extra weight. It could be the 16 mm extra wheelbase that’s a result of the slightly longer suspension front and rear. That’s up 20 mm each end and now comes in at 200 and 210 front and rear respectively.

I think it’s probably a combo of all that but mostly that suspension that makes it a far more progressive bike to slide around than the regular GS. Where I found the regular variants felt like they had too much mechanical grip and would hook up a little fast for my liking, the biggest Rhino is a little more laid back in that regard.

I found it noticeably happier leaving the tail out a little longer than the regular GS. So if ripping skids is your thing, this could just be the one to choose. Once you get a feel for that extra bulk…

The suspension action itself is seriously impressive. I’m more impressed by the GSA suspension than the other variants. I’m not sure if that’s because I know how much heavier it is, but it soaks up bumps, potholes, and whoops with ease. Corrugations on corner exit when you’re getting hard on the gas will still chop a little, but it’s seriously impressive.

Speaking of suspension, while other GSA variants get adaptive vehicle height control that lowers the bike at both ends by 30 mm as you slow below about 25 km/h (and lift again as you increase speed above 25), the Trophy X doesn’t have that as an option.

The BMW team has opted to leave that off the bike, along with Active Cruise Control (Radar), Lane Change Warning and Front Collision Warning to keep the bike more focussed on off-road riding. So if that’s something that you’re really keen on – you might want to look at some of the other GSA variants.

The gearbox and quick-shifter were the elements that I was most critical of in my reviews of the other 1300s, but this GSA we had on test seemed much better by comparison. When I enquired if anything had changed – I was told there have indeed been some optimisation tweaks made to the MY2025 models.

Im not exactly sure what that entails, but it’s noticeably improved. The bike I rode here was essentially brand spanking new for what its worth. It’s still a little clunky in the lower three gears, especially if you’re cruising or coasting, but nothing like the previous variants. The quick-shift is much smoother. Hit it with a little confidence or enthusiasm and it seems to shift nicely. Especially so in the upper three cogs.

That leads us to modes. Plenty to choose from but you’re limited to four to be able to quickly toggle between. I chose Road, Dynamic Pro (which allows TC being off), Enduro and Enduro Pro (TC off). I found Road mode to be nice and smooth in all ways. Quick shifter especially. Dynamic Pro dials up the throttle response a little and the shift is a bit firmer.

Enduro mode seemed a much nicer place to play in the gravel than the other models as I mentioned earlier – with TC letting the tail wag a little more. And Enduro Pro with TC off was the go for when really dialling up the fun factor, even if it did feel like there was still a little TC happening in the background.

That 1300 cc shift cam boxer still delivers an astonishing amount of torque. All 149 Nm of it. And most of that is available from around 3000 rpm up. It rattles and shakes like the other boxers down low – constant throttle of about 4000 rpm has an especially unpleasant tapping/knocking at times, but once past 2000 rpm while under throttle it smooths out quite nicely… Still has more engine braking than I’d like, but no doubt I’d get used to that.

It is also exquisitely fuelled with a wonderful throttle feel. It’s easy to overlook that, but it needs to be called out. I found the throttle on this bike to be ‘carby smooth’. Very, very nice.

The electric height adjustable screen is excellent. I wanted the screen to be half way between the available settings on the regular Trophy X and this is the solution. Adjustable on the go via the left hand switchblock, it’s an easy task to dial in exactly the position you’re looking for, to reduce wind and buffeting to the minimum. It returns to its lowest position on turning off the bike too. Very nice.

Aside from the taller suspension already mentioned, the other obvious changes are the massive 30 L tank up from the standard 19 L. That and the rear subframe being a combination of tubular and forged aluminium as opposed to the monocoque rear end on the regular variants

Stying-wise it’s going to be subjective. This is my way of saying it doesn’t float my boat anywhere nearly as much as the standard models (I think the standard models look terrific). But there is no denying the bike is purposeful.

That tank pushes well into ranges approaching the 600 km mark for serious touring and there has also been major attention put towards ensuring you get maximum options and flexibility when it comes to hauling luggage. The mount points for side panniers will come as no surprise, but I do like the additional bag mounts on the sides and top of the tank. Handy to have another OEM option on either side of the bike without having to put too much weight up top if it can be avoided.

The R 1300 GSA’s permitted total weight of 485 kg will seem like a ridiculous number for most people (myself included). It’s 20 kg more than the standard bike for reference. And in my mind that’s when this version starts making a lot more sense. That 31 kg weight penalty won’t be nearly as noticeable when you throw 100 kilos or more of luggage and/or a pillion on there with you. And with the extra suspension travel it’ll haul that weight in a far more controlled way.

I’m assuming that the little extra loop on the engine protection bars is there to also help keep the big girl more upright when it does fall on its side, to make life easier hauling it back upright again. I can confirm that they’re a bit of a pain in the arse if you have to filter through traffic as they stick out at least as far as the bar ends do… but most GSA owners probably won’t be doing that often.

I don’t think they’re likely to be going much further ‘off-road’ than gravel tracks and the occasional 4WD trail either. Anything beyond that and I’d be looking for something less bulky and heavy. Only a skilled, strong, fit rider should be even considering doing hardcore technical riding on something of this size. I know I wouldn’t want to be picking it up often…

This brings us back to what I said at the beginning – that this bike makes far more sense for a select few. For anyone not loading it up with luggage and setting off for seriously long-haul adventures where max range is required, it may be unnecessarily bulky and heavy. They’d likely be better off with a ‘standard’ GS Trophy X. It’s lighter, more nimble and more usable.

But for those who want to go full heavy duty. Who are probably also riding either with a pillion or with another bike or two (so will have help to pick the bike up when the inevitable happens), this could make a lot of sense. Now that the gearbox issues from earlier models have been sorted it’s hard to find fault with.

At just over 42 big ones and with that impressive 5 year BMW warranty, I’ve no doubt there will be plenty of punters ready to lay down their hard earned for the latest and greatest GSA.

BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Trophy X hits

• If you’re looking to load up with maximum luggage and go Adventure Touring – the GSA remains one of the great options.
• Longer travel suspension is very impressive and seems to be more nicely matched to the TC maps than the standard bikes.
• Throttle and fuelling are exquisite.
• The gearbox issues found on previous 1300s seems to have benefitted noticeably from a recent production tweak.

BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Trophy X misses

• Overall size and bulk of the bike will be too much for many.
• That Rally seat is really quite tall when trying to get your feet down.
• Styling is polarising and will be an acquired taste I think.

2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Specifications

2025 BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Images