Stephen was happily cruising around on his BMW R18 Bagger, but he was missing the excitement of a sports bike. When BMW went all-out and launched the R1300 R with major upgrades, it was enough to convince Stephen to trade the Bagger on this gorgeous next-gen sports tourer, with Option 719 high-quality optional equipment and boasting state-of-the-art technology. This new model comes in an exclusive colour scheme: Blackstorm Metallic. With visual highlights, such as the painted seat insert, the painted air blades and the exclusive “Option 719” badge to complete the look.
Stephen gets the performance he was missing with outputs of 107kW (145hp) at 7,750rpm and 149Nm of torque at 6,500rpm. Max revs are bumped to 9,000rpm, with improved smoothness and fuel efficiency thanks to BMW’s ShiftCam variable valve timing technology.
A completely redesigned chassis with a new steel sheet metal main frame and die-cast aluminium rear subframe sheds weight while improving rigidity and mass centralisation. The result is sharper handling, and better cornering stability. Lighter 17-inch wheels save over 1.4kg in rotational mass.
The suspension has had a major upgrade with a new 47mm USD fork up front and revised EVO Paralever rear setup. For the first time on a production motorcycle, the optional Dynamic Suspension Adjustment (DSA) system allows the fork’s spring rate to be electronically adjusted mid-ride, alongside damping and rear preload compensation—great news for riders coping with different luggage loads.
Stephen initially wanted a manual, but after he test rode the Automatic, at Procycles BMW Sydney, there was no going back. BMW’s Automated Shift Assistant enables fully automatic clutch operation for seamless gear changes—either manually via the foot lever or in a fully automatic mode.