Riding Out: A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings

Product Information

As the awarding organisation, BHSQ is responsible for the processes through which learners seek and obtain certification for their achievements. BHSQ is responsible for verifying that assessment practice in approved centres is conducted systematically, effectively, securely and to national standards specified within the qualification. Full Integral ABS Pro, Dynamic Brake Control, Dynamic Traction Control, four riding modes, hill-hold control. Optional: Shift Assistant Pro, Headlight Pro, Active Cruise Control with Front Collision Warning and Lane Change Warning, Riding Modes Pro, Dynamic Suspension Adjustment, adaptive ride height control We flew to Malaga for two days and close to 500km of extensive testing, both on and off-road, to put the all-new GS through its paces. However, with so many model variants, so much new technology and so many tweaks, upgrades and general improvements we will have to visit the 1300 GS again (and again...) and put some serious mileage before we can say that it's fully tested. Standard equipment also includes a new lighting system, with indicators built into handguards, and a brand-new LED headlight that’s certain to split opinion. Where every GS since the 1150 has used an asymmetric, two-light face that’s become synonymous with the model, the 1300 boldly switches to a brand-new X-shaped unit. The short version is that the suspension can now automatically adapt to offer a better ride across a wider range of use cases, from sporty solo riding, to fully loaded two-up cruising.

Switch from Road Mode to Dynamic Pro and the DSA suspension loses some of that squishy, cossetting movement but delivers a surprisingly sporty ride. Yes, you did read that correctly: what you can get away with on the new GS defies belief. That new lightness, the new chassis and the manner in which the semi-active suspension reacts to everything you can throw at it, conspire to create a platform that feels up for anything. When pushed, BMW's engineers put the step-change in chassis performance down to the suspension's ability to change spring rate whilst riding. We have developed our assessment model for Stage 4 Senior Management to allow candidates to be assessed via video call. An assessment centre is not required and the assessment will be arranged by the BHS. Power and torque figures both represent a healthy increase over the 1250. Peak power is up from 134bhp to 143bhp, making for the most powerful production Boxer engine ever. Maximum torque is up from 105lb·ft to 110lb·ft, but more importantly BMW say there’s more grunt “across the entire engine speed range”. As evidence, they offer the factoid that the 1300 motor makes at least 95lb·ft of torque (more than the 2013 R1200GS’s peak torque figure) all the way from 3600rpm to 7800rpm. Maximum revs remains the same 9000rpm as the 1250, hopefully offering reassurance that the new motor hasn’t become any revvier than before, despite its shorter-stroke design. You feel the difference between the old 1250 and new 1300 as soon as you throw a leg over the new seat. For a vertically-challenged rider like me, it is much more accessible, especially as a flatter and smaller (by one litre) fuel tank makes the bike instantly more manageable. Of course, the extra energy in the new R 13 must in part be down to its new chassis and its lower weight. The 1250 GS has legendary natural balance and carries its bulk low, but it still feels weighty, especially when fully fuelled. The new 1300 GS has a similar natural feel at low speed but is now less bulky and intimidating. BMW claim a weight reduction of 12 kilos but it feels like more, particularly in town and some classic Spanish congestion, where I found the new Beemer far easier to wiggle and weave through the chaos.MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible. The all-new electric screen (yes, finally) can be actuated by creating a shortcut from the main menu meaning you can simply move the screen up or down via a switch on the left bar. However, if you have the shortcut set to, say, traction control then you must go into the menu to change the height of the screen – there isn't a separate button just for the screen. Blimey, deep breath… The base-model R 1300 GS comes with a higher specification than the base 1250. Four riding modes are now standard (Rain, Road, Eco, Enduro), where the 1250 had three. All versions of the GS will come with cornering linked ABS, traction control, engine braking control, cruise control and hill-hold assistance.

BMW aren’t giving us much to go on for now, only describing that the “ergonomic triangle of the new R 1300 GS has been optimised for a sporty, relaxed riding position”, but not offering any details of how it compares to the 1250. Leaving the hotel, I opted for Eco and enjoyed watching the Eco icon on the top right of the screen informing how economically I was riding. (Not especially as it turns out.) However, it didn’t take long before I dialled up Road mode, and that's when I encountered the noticeable jump in performance from the old bike to the new. Despite the wealth of bigger numbers, not everything has gone up in size. BMW say this is a more compact Boxer engine than before, thanks to moving the six-speed gearbox from behind the engine to a new location underneath it. This means the motor is shorter and better balanced – in fact, the engine alone is now 3.9kg lighter, while the weight savings increase to 6.5kg across the whole powertrain.In addition to the dates listed above, many BHS Approved Riding Centres offer in-house Stage 1 assessments, where candidates book and pay for their assessments directly with the centre. If you are interested in finding an in-house Stage 1 assessment, the following centres may be able to help. Acrecliffe Equestrian Centre Shorter, lighter, more powerful and gruntier across the revs – on paper, it certainly looks like BMW have done an impressively complete job of the most significant Boxer reinvention in more than a decade. In short, this uses the radar sensor to anticipate potentially dangerous situations ahead even when the cruise control isn’t engaged, and can alert the rider, then even apply the brakes, in an attempt to avoid a crash or at least reduce its severity. The third element is Lane Change Warning, which uses a rear-facing radar to monitor traffic approaching from behind, and warn a rider if vehicles are travelling closely, or approaching at speed. Thankfully we soon left the hell of holiday traffic behind and headed for the deserted hills. BMW have designed the electronic Dynamic Suspension Adjustment (DSA) to give a comfortable, smooth ride and it certainly does that. In Road mode the ride is outstandingly comfortable, on the verge of soft and wallowing at times, but always miraculously controlled too. There’s more suspension movement, and you can feel the EVO Paralever and EVO Telelever suspension working their magic, constantly reacting to the poorly paved Spanish roads.