BMW's touring twin gets bigger! New R1300RT to arrive in dealers from July starting at £18,900

BMW have continued the expansion of their R1300 boxer twin family with the introduction of a new R1300RT tourer, which takes over from the R1250RT first introduced in 2019.

Immediately obvious is the likely contentious styling, that is said to include adjustable side trim for better weather protection as well as a huge front screen, and panel lines reminiscent of current high-end BMWs.

It joins a line-up of 1300cc twin-cylinder machines that began with the R1300GS in 2023. This then expanded to bring in a larger GS Adventure the following year, with an R1300R naked roadster making its debut in early April 2025.

The RT has long been a favourite here at MCN, with the older R1250 model winning our Tourer of the Year award in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023. It last had an update in 2021, bringing in a new nose fairing and screen, plus a 10.25in colour TFT dash.

It’s all changed again for 2025, with the new bike powered by a liquid-cooled DOHC 1300cc boxer twin engine that’s shared by all of its siblings. Power sits at the same claimed 143.5bhp at 7750rpm as the latest R1300R model, plus a healthy 110lb.ft of torque from just 6500rpm.

This is held in a new chassis as a stressed member, comprised of a sheet steel mainframe design, with an aluminium lattice design for the subframe. Standard seat height comes at an easy-going 780mm too – helping to provide riders with a surer footing when holding the hefty 281kg weight, ready to ride.

It’s then suspended by an electronically-adjusted telelever front and paralever rear with 149mm/158mm of travel respectively. Connection to the ground comes via new 17in cast aluminium wheels that are over 1.4kg less than the outgoing design, with the handlebars now slightly further forward to draw the rider over the front wheel.

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“With a completely new engine, chassis and aerodynamics, it offers a riding experience that meets the highest demands in this segment in terms of dynamics, comfort and travel capability,” Project Manager, Harald Spagl said.

This ability to travel is helped by a pair of 27-litre side cases that comes as standard, or optional Vario boxes that can be expanded further to 33-litres on both sides. Both a 39- and 54-litre top box are also available, with the latter featuring a heated back pad for the pillion.

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Maximum revs arrive at 9000rpm, with the bike equipped with three rider modes as standard, plus engine drag torque control to help combat lock-ups when shifting down.

Additional ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Dynamic Pro’ modes are available in the optional extras catalogue, as is BMW’s latest Automated Shift Assistant (ASA) that removes the need for a clutch lever and gives riders the option of shifting either automatic or manually.

And speaking of options, there’s also the ability to equip a radar system, with the front sensor sitting below the large clear screen and above the central LED headlight. You get adaptive cruise control, front collision warning, blind spot detection, and a rear collision warning for your money.

Prices start at £18,900, and climb to £21,325 for the LE version.

Watch: BMW R1250RT video review