Spotted: BMW R 1300 GS Wants To Make 13 Its Luckiest Number Yet

As any good squirrel can tell you, if you hide in the bushes at just the right time, you can find out some interesting things. Luckily, our pal Secret Squirrel had his camera handy, and managed to snap us these spy photos of what appears to be the upcoming BMW R 1300 GS. Unsurprisingly, some parts of it are heavily disguised. After all, no OEM wants to let too much out of the bag at once, particularly on as big and significant a model as this one. Let’s take a look, shall we? 

The photos appear to show a prototype fairly early in development, clearly camouflaged in a whole lot of “don’t-look-at-me" black. The cylinder heads in particular are shrouded in both mystery and some black cloth covers, so you can’t get a good look at them just yet. Evolved ShiftCam technology, or something else?  

Ahead of the delayed Euro 5 requirements regarding noise reduction, which are set to go into effect in 2024, BMW appears to be focusing on its exhaust system. The silencer on this prototype appears much more compact than the previous generation. Squirrel also suggests that the Bavarians are more concerned with optimizing existing power output at this time, rather than necessarily generating buckets more power and torque—though those two points will likely come in the not-too-distant future. 

There’s a new frame in play, as well as a new swingarm—although again, we can’t see details clearly just yet due to careful camouflaging on BMW’s part. It’s also been suggested that the subframe here is just a placeholder, and that the finished version will likely look much different than what we’re seeing today.  

Another major change is the much more conventionally styled headlight, which appears to have sidelined BMW’s signature asymmetrical look. Love it or hate it, the style convention definitely set its look apart from the rest of the ADV pack—as though being a GS alone didn’t do enough, right? We’ll have to see what the LED lights look like in this new shape when illuminated, but to be honest, we’ll kind of miss it.  

Additional expected changes include the 10.25-inch TFT display from the RT becoming a standard fitted item, along with radar-based cruise control, blind spot detection, and corner lighting. There’s also talk of a future M 1300 GS off-road-focused variant, as well as an R 1400 GS aimed squarely at the most avid of tourers. At this point, however, it’s all just talk, and it’s unclear how much of anything discussed will come to fruition down the line. 

It’s early days yet for this prototype. As such, the final version is roughly expected to make an appearance sometime toward the end of the 2022 calendar year. What are you hoping for from the R 1300 GS? Is what you’re seeing here more or less what you expected and/or hoped? Perhaps you’re reserving judgment until more details of the production version become clear. Let us know in the comments down below.