How BMW Wants To Shake Up The American Touring Bike Segment

If you love BMW touring bikes, there’s some good news. The bikemaker has taken the wraps off the new R 1300 RT as a replacement for the R 1250 RT. It serves as BMW’s most powerful twin-cylinder touring bike today while aiming to be an excellent alternative to American bikes like the Harley-Davidson Street Glide. Let’s dive in.

The BMW R 1300 RT Produces 145 Horsepower And 110 Pound-Feet

The outgoing R 1250 RT featured the 1,254cc boxer engine from the R 1250 GS. And the R 1300 RT keeps the trend going by boasting the 1,300cc boxer engine from the R 1300 GS. This mill pumps out 145 horsepower and 110 pound-feet via a six-speed transmission. Even with the 584-pound dry weight, these numbers will enable a top speed of over 120 miles per hour. In the meantime, a cardan shaft drive ensures you have no chain cleaning woes during your trip.

Like the engine, the chassis has gone under the knife. BMW has employed its new-generation pressed steel frame and cast subframe. This is topped with the EVO Telever front and EVO Paralever rear suspension, both with Dynamic ESA electronic suspension as standard. Rounding things off is a new set of 17-inch wheels, where the front houses two 310 mm discs and the rear a 285 mm disc. We’d prefer bigger front rotors, considering the heft, though.

There Is No Shortage Of Features On The R 1300 RT

Being a premium touring bike by BMW, you get a handful of premium equipment on offer. A 10.25-inch TFT takes center stage in the cockpit, surrounded by an adjustable windscreen, keyless ignition, heated grips, a smartphone charging tray, dual speakers, and a set of large mirrors. As for safety, three riding modes, traction control, and cornering ABS keep you right side up. If that’s too vanilla for you, there is an army of optional equipment, including:

• Front and rear radar
• Automated Shift Assistant
• Adaptive headlight
• Adaptive chassis (based on various loads)
• Riding Modes Pro

But The Design Is Certainly Not Mass-Appealing

What we can’t help but scratch our heads about is the design. It seems BMW has taken a page out of KTM’s alien-inspired design and whipped up its own spin on the idea. As a result, the front half of the R 1300 RT looks quite out of the ordinary in a way we don’t dig it. The large black plastic section above makes matters worse. There are four color variants on offer–Alpine White 3, Triple Black, Impulse, and Option 719 Camargue–with our vote going to the ‘Impulse’.

The 2026 R 1300 RT Starts From $22,495

All these upgrades over the R 1250 RT come at a sizable price hike. The R 1300 RT starts from $22,495, which is $2,500 more than the bike it replaces. The price rises steeply to over $30,000 as you add colors and packages. Considering the base price, even with the hike, it is still firmly more affordable than American baggers that bear an over $25,000 MSRP regularly. This is also considerably cheaper than the Honda Gold Wing. But the Honda is a closer rival to BMW’s six-cylinder tourers like the K 1600 GT.

2026 BMW R 1300 RT Specifications