Some excellent bikes sneak under the radar and never truly receive the attention or praise they deserve. Take BMW’s R 1250 R roadster, for example: a great bike but never the most attractive, desirable or sporty offering and, as a result, a relative rarity on the roads. But BMW plans to change all that with the brash and eye-catching new R 1300 R.
For 2025 BMW's naked boxer has, as expected, adopted the 1300cc flat twin from the R 1300 GS launched last year. This means a hike in power to 145bhp, and an increase in torque to 149Nm, but the increase in capacity hasn’t increased weight as the new motor and its integrated gearbox is considerably lighter than before.
Suspension and chassis are all new. Opt for DSA (Dynamic Suspension Adjustment) and all adjustments to damping are electronic – and for the first time on a production bike, fork spring rate can also be electronically changed. If you want to go one step further, you can opt for the Performance package, which increases ride height over the standard R 1300 R. It’s quite a transformation for the once conservative R.
ABS Pro, featuring lean-sensitive linked braking, is now standard along with lean-sensitive traction control. There's a new dash, a new headlight, a new design – all from a base price of £13,200. But who buys a standard BMW these days?
BMW wanted to make a bold statement with the new R 1300 R, and I think they have done precisely that. When they first unveiled the bike, like many I was taken by its stylish and sporty looks – not usually words you would associate with a naked from BMW. It’s still very much a BMW boxer and still exudes the rugged qualities of the breed, but there is also a new freshness and extra energy to it, even at a standstill and especially in this specific Performance model variant.
We will get into pricing later but it's worth noting now that the base model starts at a tempting £13,200 (€17,500 in Ireland), but that figure jumps to £15,500 for the R SE, while our Performance variant with a few extras is a more eye-watering £18,640 (that’s a 41% increase over the base price – Ed).
On first contact, the R 1300 R looks heavy and bull-like, and a little intimidating, but as soon as you throw a leg over the Sport seat (optional with the Performance model) you realise it is far from being any of those things. Quoted weight is 239kg with fuel, so it isn’t a featherweight, but it feels considerably lighter than the on-paper mass suggests. For reference, we had the optional sports suspension fitted, with a longer travel 47mm-diameter fork and longer rear spring strut, which gives more ground clearance but also increases the seat height by around 10mm.
Despite this, I nearly had both feet flat-footed and felt comfortable. On the standard bike, with standard suspension, I was flat-footed on both sides. Yes, the R is 1300cc, which is a big capacity, but like all the modern boxers is far easier to manoeuvre and handle than you would think. The new, larger capacity motor is 3.9kg lighter than before, and if you include the new powertrain as a whole, it’s 6.5kg lighter than the 1250 unit.
The 6.5” dash and switchgear combination is one of the best on the market. Every control is simple and easy to operate; a sense of high-end build and functionality abounds; and the dash is full of perfectly pitched information. Just in those first few miles, you feel at home and revel in a feeling of quality, which many BMW owners will argue justifies the price alone.
In the standard Road riding mode, the ShiftCam motor's fuelling is near perfect. There's a deep vat of gooey torque low down that's easy to use and manage. The optional Gearshift Pro works well, apart from being a fraction glitchy at very low rpm in the lower gears (like many boxer owners, I prefer to use the clutch from second to first and back again). Like the R 1300 GS, weight is carried low in the chassis helping to give a nice balance to the bike. Even relatively inexperienced riders shouldn’t be put off by the aggressive appearance of the 1300 R.
The riding position and ergonomics are sportier than before but by no means radical. While you can feel the difference between the old and new bike straight away, the all-important pegs-to-seat measurement is virtually the same, depending on which seat and suspension you have opted for. The bars, however, are a little closer and lower, moving your weight further forward and your head into a more sporty mindset.
Again, as you would expect from BMW, the riding position can be modified: the ‘bars can be rotated 180 degrees and shifted forward or back by 10mm, the optional Performance package has four-position adjustable pegs. The idea is that you can tick a few options and have a R 1300 R biased towards comfort and touring (there is hard and soft factory luggage available as options) or opt for the Performance package, get the ‘pegs even higher and set back, and head for the hills or even the track.
Interestingly, the standard and optional ride modes don’t just change the power characteristics, DSA suspension, and rider aids but also the linked braking. In the standard Road mode, the linked braking is very obvious; the front operates the rear and vice versa.
Braking is strong and controlled (and lean sensitive). In my opinion, the back operates the front with too much force; if you brush the back brake, you can feel intrusion on the front. I use the back brake to settle the bike and want it to be independent. This is achieved in Dynamic, where the front operates the rear but not so much the other way around – there is very little front brake applied, if any, when the rear pedal alone is used. Both are preferable when riding slow or fast.
Changes to the power delivery are also clearly noticeable between modes. In the default Road mode, it feels very much like the old bike, with lots of easy, arm pulling torque to drive you up a tortuous mountain pass. But in Dynamic, you can make full use of the R 1300 R's extra power and torque, which step up to a level of performance the old bike could never reach.
Now, finally, the 1300 R shows its teeth. It’s deceptively quick as, unlike an inline four-cylinder naked bike, you don’t need to rev it; instead you short shift at peak torque at 6500rpm – or rev just past 7750rpm if you really want to – and it’s fast. It’s always a little alien to those not familiar with boxers but you don’t need to rev past 8000 rpm for a very spirited ride.
In the twisties, much will depend on the variant, spec and even tyres of your R 1300 R. We only tested the Performance package with the increased ride height, and rode bikes shod with Bridgestone T32 rubber, not the Dunlop Sportsmarts which are also available.
As expected, Road mode is configured primarily for comfort, but still capable, whereas Dynamic noticeably makes the handling more agile and sharper. We didn’t have the conditions or roads to push the new chassis to the limit and it will be interesting to see if the R's new sporting ability extends to the racetrack in the future but, on the road, ground clearance wasn’t an issue. Stability was also flawless. Long, fast sweepers appeared to be the bike's perfect hunting ground.
Power and torque are strong, much more than before, while the handling was relatively light, if not pin sharp, but still engaging and energized. Stability, feel and grip from the longer-travel DSA (optional) suspension were impressive. Like all the best boxers, it’s a little quirky but deceptively quick.
Our test bike only had the standard cruise control fitted and there’s no optional radar on the rear; however, for throwing out motorway miles at a decent speed, the R can lap it up. Obviously, it’s a naked bike, meaning there are limitations, but the lower ‘bars, which slot you in the bike and make you feel an integral part of the BMW engineers’ thinking, make it easier – and you’re not sitting bolt upright like a flag in the wind. Long-distance comfort will again depend on the spec your bike has. Our sports seat was a little firm after a full day, but I’m guessing the optional comfort seat would be preferable if you regularly ride all day.
I imagine that if you want something more suitable for big miles or light touring, you’d opt for the upcoming R 1300 RS, and if you want something a little sportier, the four-cylinder BMW S 1000 R fits that bill. BMW in many ways have very strong competition for the naked R in their own showrooms.
The R is a step in the right direction over the previous model, being more desirable, far better looking and with more appeal, while retaining that high level of feel and quality.
Power and handling are again one step up from R 1250 R; it can perform and do things the older bike never could, and I suspect it wouldn’t look out of place on a trackday with some stickier rubber fitted. The brakes are strong, although I think the back operates the front too much in the Road mode.
In some ways, it’s a hard bike to evaluate, as we only tested the Performance variant, and the standard bike may feel very different. Tick the appropriate accessories boxes and you can have a very different boxer designed for distance over speed and handling. In many ways, BMW offers more than just one bike here, as you can easily change the suspension, comfort, accessibility, style, looks, and colours, which is great, but you are going to have to spend some serious money to do so.
As ever, it comes down to price. The standard bike, at £13,200 (€17,500 in Ireland), is tempting, but £15,500 (€20,115) for the SE is getting expensive, and our Performance test bike with accessories we tested came in at £18,540. As such it’s hard to say whether the new R is more expensive than the competition, because it depends on spec, but there is no denying that there are similar naked bikes, with similar or just less power and torque, which are less expensive.
2025 BMW R 1300 R specification
Price: From £13,200 (€17,500 in Ireland)
Engine: 1300cc boxer twin, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, air/liquid cooled
Power: 145bhp (107kW) @ 7750rpm
Torque: 149Nm @ 6500rpm
Transmission: Six-speed, shaft
Frame: Steel ‘shell’ type
Suspension: (F) BMW EVO Telelever (R) BMW EVO Paralever, optional ESA.
Wheels: Cast alloy, (F) 17 x 3.5in/ (R) 17 x 6in
Tyres: Dunlop Sportsmart or Bridgestone T32 (F) 120/70 x 17, (R) 190/55 x 17
Brakes: (F) 2 x 310mm discs, BMW four-piston radial calipers, (R) 285mm disc, BMW twin-piston caliper. Cornering ABS
Weight: 239kg (wet)
Wheelbase: 1,511mm
Seat height: 785-810mm
Fuel tank: 17 litres
Fuel consumption: 59mpg (claimed)
Service intervals: 6000 miles/12 months
Warranty: 36 months unlimited mileage
Contact: https://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk
