2026 BMW R 1300 RT Review

The touring boxer has never been the most exciting or attractive, but for me and many thousands of others, it has been the go-to bike for covering miles in comfort, which is why I couldn’t wait to throw a leg over the all-new 1300 RT.

By Adam “Chad” Child

Let’s be honest, no one spit their coffee when BMW slapped the 1300cc flat-twin from the GS into the new 1300 RT. That move was about as surprising as a Harley in Sturgis. It made sense. Lighter, meaner, more punch? Yep, sign us up.

But here’s where it gets spicy: the look. BMW, the brand that usually dresses its tourers like a Sunday gardener in khakis and a polo, just walked out in a leather jacket and shades. This thing’s got edge. And it’s not just about sharp lines—it’s about attitude. The 1300 RT didn’t get a facelift—it got a whole new identity.

Now, we figured the radar would be coming from both front and back. That’s been on the radar (pun intended) for a while. But rear heated grab rails? A heated backrest for the passenger?

Comfort? Off the charts. Tech? More buttons than a fighter jet. Performance? Let’s just say the new RT doesn’t just cruise, it commands the road. BMW’s making it crystal clear: this isn’t your dad’s long hauler. It’s a high-speed living room with radar vision and torque.

To show it all off, BMW flew us out to Germany for a few days in the saddle. Rolling through the Black Forest with cruise set, heated everything humming, and a flat-twin purring beneath, it represented Germanic efficiency at its absolute best.

More than just BNG | 2026 BMW R 1300 RT Review

Some “new” bikes, in reality, receive only a tweak, a nip and a tuck (in the industry, we call this Bold New Graphics, or BNG for short), but the RT has had a comprehensive makeover; it’s a completely new model from the ground up, even the wheels are 3.1 pounds lighter.

I suppose we should begin with the familiar 1300cc ShiftCam boxer motor, which is now shared among the 1300 GS, the naked 1300 R, and sports tourer RS. This not only boosts power to 145 hp and torque to 110 lb-ft, but it’s also lighter and more compact. The combined weight of the engine and drivetrain is 14.3 pounds lighter than previously.

The chassis is completely new and features a “steel sheet” frame instead of the older tubular steel triangulations as well as the latest ‘Evo’ Telelever fork and EVO Paralever shaft drive system also found on the GS, which was launched last year.

As expected, there is Electronic Suspension (ESA), but now also Dynamic Chassis Adaptation (DCA), an optional extra within the Dynamic Package that allows the bike to adjust the spring rate electronically, thereby adjusting the RT’s overall stance. We first had a taste of this with the new GS, which has a changeable spring rate in the front. Now, on the RT, the system changes spring rate for both front and rear via two modes: Road and Dynamic Pro. In Road, the chassis geometry is conventional and relatively flat for stability and comfort. In Dynamic Pro, the rear rises, the steering head angle is sharper to give a sporty nose-down stance.

But it’s not just an electronically controlled chassis and a more powerful Boxer engine. BMW engineers have been working overtime on the RT. The new LED headlight—Headlight Pro—is a technical marvel featuring 47 small LED lights that respond to speed and cornering. When riding slowly in town, the beam is low and turns with the lean angle. At normal road speeds, the beam is projected further and remains lean-sensitive, increasing further at motorway speeds.

BMW has clearly spent countless hours in the wind tunnel, too, as the new RT gets a new electronic screen, small wind deflectors above the mirrors, and even manually variable side wind deflectors, allowing more or less air to flow over the rider. There are even neat little cylinder covers to prevent your shoes from getting wet and dirty in the rain, a request from smartly dressed office workers who didn’t want their Italian designer shoes to get dirty on the commute to work.

Side cases (27 liters each) come standard and are easy to operate and remove. You can opt for the variable luggage system, which can be expanded from 27 liters to 33 liters via a manual knob inside the cases. The panniers feature an interior light, and the left case includes a USB-C charging port. If you want more storage, there are two top cases (39 liters or 54 liters), with the larger having a heated rear backrest for the pillion. The pillion has more room and more comfort than before and not just an optional heated backrest, but also an optional heated seat and, wait for it, grab rails. No, I’m not joking. There’s a neat little smartphone compartment within easy reach atop the 6.3-gallon fuel tank, which is ventilated to prevent your phone from overheating. It seems they have thought of everything.

It doesn’t end there. In a bid to make the RT as versatile, easy and relaxing as possible, MSR (engine drag torque control) comes as standard, as do three riding modes: Road, Rain and Eco, which puts the boxer into a fuel-efficient setting to maximize tank range. Next is lean-sensitive ABS and linked braking, along with lean-sensitive traction control (DTC, Dynamic Traction Control).

Then we have the optional Active Cruise Control (ACC), Front Collision Warning (FCW), Rear End Collision Warning (RECW) and Lane Change Warning (SWW).

I think I’ve mentioned everything. No, wait, the music and audio have been improved and updated with new optional Audio Pro, which, according to BMW, is even clearer at speed and can be set to be adaptive, changing volume and frequencies as speed increases. All this information is controlled by a  new switchgear (plus the familiar navigation wheel), and a huge 10.25-inch TFT dash, which has Bluetooth connectivity.

As you can tell, the BMW Motorrad department has been busy. I can’t remember ever testing a bike with so much technology and so many gadgets; even James Bond would be envious. Luckily, we had two solid days of testing.

So Much To Test | 2026 BMW R 1300 RT Review

I always found it strange that so many people think the RT is intimidating, a perception that might be down to its large frontal area and weight. But as a short rider, I find it easier to manhandle and maneuver than its close sibling, the taller GS, as the seat is lower and the RT runs conventional 17-inch wheels. The older RT was a bike you needed to try, as it looked cumbersome, but after some decent miles, it was anything but.

Regardless, BMW has taken customer feedback on board and attempted to make the new RT appear less bulky and more dynamic than before, positioning the rider forward and refining the controls to be slightly sportier. I think it works; the new bike certainly looks sharper. RT class and quality are also very much in evidence, but now you sit in a more poised and forward stance, more in command and control, thanks to straighter bars, yet still supremely comfortable.

There are multiple seat options, from 30.7 to 33.8 inches (comfort seat low: 30.7 in./31.4 in.; comfort seat: 32.4 in./33.3 in.; comfort seat high: 33.0 in./33.8 in.), and you can even change the pitch/tilt of the seat. We tested the standard 31.8-inch seat, albeit with optional heating, and at five-foot-seven, I had no problem getting two feet securely to the ground.

The trickiest moment is when the bike is fully loaded with fuel and luggage. For a short rider, it’s not easy to get it off the sidestand, depending on the road camber. But I had no issues pedaling backwards on the flat (reverse gear is one of the few conceivable options that’s not available).

Once onboard, you’re greeted by one of the most informative, neat and high-quality cockpits on the market, one dominated by that tablet-like 10.25-inch full-color TFT dash. The buttons on the bodywork control the saved radio stations, while the majority of the information, rider aids, and electronically controlled gadgets can be accessed and activated using the controls on the left bar, accessed via the navigation wheel. We opted for the Automated Shift Assistant (ASA) version of the RT, which means no clutch lever, freeing your left hand to play with the controls to the music or seat temperature. Busy times.

With ASA, you essentially have two options: “M” changes the gears manually, but there’s no clutch and no need to find neutral at a stop; “D” is fully automatic and allows the bike to do all the work. You can switch between the two options. I haven’t used this system before, which is available on other 1300 boxer machines, and opted to change gears manually. I think it looked like I’d just passed my riding test during the first few clumsy stop-and-starts without clutch, but I soon got used to the new system and quickly moved on to the fully automatic D mode.

All RT owners love the balance of this long-running touring boxer, and the new machine is no exception. At slow speeds, it’s as sweet as ever. The weight simply disappears. With the screen on its lower setting, it is perfectly positioned below my eye line, and low-rpm fueling is excellent. Negotiating our way out of the city, I felt comfortable, the bike planted and stable, allowing me enough time to familiarize myself to try to find a decent German radio station, which is impossible.

That new 10.25-inch dash may be the size of a solar panel, but it is easy to navigate, especially if you’re used to Beemers. With your phone connected, you can split the screen to display rider information on one side and navigation on the other. You can set shortcuts to operate the electronic screen or to turn on the heated grips, for example.

Considering the amount of tech and information you have at your fingertips, it’s far less daunting than you might suppose. The only slight downside is getting acquainted with the final details, such as adjusting the bass on the music or finding a neutral setting, which is achieved by pressing the starter button, not jumping up and down the gear selector like a frustrated baboon, as I did.

I want to love the ASA automatic gearbox, and it is good. If this were a school report, it would get a B or an eight out of 10, a good effort but not perfect. At the end of the day, the RT is a luxury, expensive BMW, and it should be 100 percent perfect, but at slow speeds or when riding briskly, the system lacks the level of refinement I would expect. Each riding mode changes when the auto box changes gear. For example, it’s lazy in the standard Road mode and more aggressive in Dynamic. For the majority of the time, it’s fine, but on occasions at slow speeds, it wanted to be in either second or third, then back to second, like it couldn’t make its mind up. And when riding more aggressively, it would change up too early. On a few occasions, I wanted the RT to hold a gear when decelerating to give me more engine braking into, say, a slow downhill corner, but instead it would change up automatically. Yes, you can manually change gears without the clutch and override the system, which I have done on a few occasions. On day two, on a very lazy ride, it became second nature to ride in the ASA’s auto mode, but, on balance, I think I’d rather save my money and spend it on extra luggage, the music system or the excellent Dynamic Chassis Adaptation.

Everything else about the new RT, I love. The extra power and torque give the RT some welcome extra gusto, and it wants to have fun when the mood takes you. Uphill overtakes are fast, smooth and safe. Even fully loaded with a pillion passenger and top box, there is enough drive from virtually anywhere on the tachometer.

On a section of limit-free Autobahn, it was happy to cruise between 100-120 mph. I was comfortable, the engine wasn’t being overworked, and even at 130 mph I could still hear the music from behind the large screen.

We only had a short blast at these high speeds, and stability was okay, with just a slight weave above 125 mph. The RT’s reaction to high speed depends on the chosen DCA mode and suspension settings. Dynamic, for example, changes the ride height. I felt comfortable and safe enough to take one hand off to change the radio station, but it will be interesting to test the RT completely flat out fully loaded with a passenger.

The adjustable suspension comes into its own in the twisties, elevating the RT to a new level of handling. The old bike handled great for a “big” bike, and in the standard Road mode the new RT feels very much like the old bike. However, in Dynamic mode, with the change in suspension, it is significantly sportier than before, featuring light steering for this type of bike and impressive ground clearance for a tourer.

You can make the RT hustle, no problem, and the new riding position feels more commanding and encourages you to throw it about. That said, fast riding is as much about trust as it is feel, as there isn’t a perfect one-to-one connection with the electronic suspension, but it’s better than the Paralever and Telelever models of yesteryear.

Riding modes not only change the suspension, handling and feel, but also the plethora of rider aids, including the linked brakes. The TC is excellent, but, to be honest, I only felt it kick in in the wet, never in the dry, as it’s not a bike on which you’re pushing the limits.

The radial brakes are certainly worth mentioning, as they are very strong and up to the job. Even when braking from high speed, just two fingers on the lever are enough. Sometimes, on large tourers, the brakes are the weak point, as they have to deal with so much momentum at speed. However, I’m sure these will be unfazed, even when fully loaded with pillion and luggage. The only downside, which is more a matter of personal taste, is the linked system. The front-operating-rear is fine; it matches this type of bike, but for me, the back brake has too much effect on the front in the standard Road mode. Thankfully, this can be changed by switching into Dynamic.

We encountered a few rain showers at the end of day two, which showed the effectiveness of the new bodywork and screen. The boots stayed almost dry and dirt-free, and the heated seat and grips warmed up quickly. The RT turns riding in the rain into an almost pleasurable experience, even more so with all those lean-sensitive rider aids now on full alert in the dedicated Rain mode.

On day two, we had to make up time and nail the long journey back to Munich. With the weather closing in, we opted to hotfoot it on fast A roads [freeways, Ed.] and the Autobahn. This is where the RT excels. With the screen fully upright, there’s masses of wind protection and very low wind noise. BMW has done lots of wind-tunnel simulations and even reduced the buffeting and the wind force behind the rider by adding a small scoop to the lower screen. On the older RT, or any large-screened bike, you get turbulence behind the rider, which pushes you forward and, in the rain, gives you a dry front but a soaking back. BMW has reduced this on the RT, making it much more civilized. The combination of the large electronic screen and multiple wind deflectors makes cruising at speed almost turbulence-free. Set the Active Cruise Control, keep an eye on the Lane Change Warning (SWW), select your favorite radio station (that’ll be ’90s rock in Germany), and then sit back to enjoy a wonderfully smooth ride.

We did two and a half hours solid in one stint, and it was effortless.  With a 6.3-gallon fuel tank and a frugal engine easily returning 42 mpg or more at speed, 250 miles between stops is easy. That sounds crazy, but even three hours nonstop wouldn’t be a problem. If you want to get to your destination at speed, then the R 1300 RT is up for the challenge.

Sadly, even though this was an extensive test, we didn’t get to try the new adaptive headlights, and I couldn’t find a pillion brave enough. I’d also like to try some different seats and luggage options. In a perfect world, I would have ridden back to the UK from Germany, saving myself the pleasure of Ryanair.

Verdict | 2026 BMW R 1300 RT Review

BMW has unquestionably improved the RT, and that’s saying something, considering the previous model was already excellent. In fact, even the previous version still consumes the miles with ease. But somehow, BMW has refined and sharpened the RT with more power, more comfort for both rider and passenger, and more tech that actually matters. That’s the key word here: usable.

Frankly, I’d argue there’s no real competition. The RT is in a different league. Take Kawasaki’s Ninja 1100SX SE. Sure, it’s sportier, but it doesn’t come close in terms of refinement or long-distance comfort. The RT leans more toward touring than sport, but without the bulk or heft of BMW’s own K 1600 GT.

In the past, there were a handful of big sport-tourers around, bikes like Yamaha’s FJR1300, but they’ve mostly disappeared. And compared to the tech-packed RT, they feel prehistoric. For me, the RT stands alone. I’m not sure there’s a better machine for serious long-distance touring, with just enough edge to make the twisty stuff fun. It’s even more comfortable than BMW’s iconic GS.

But like many bikes that roll out of Munich, there’s one big drawback: the price. The base model starts at $22,495. Our test bike, as spec’d, comes in at just over $31,000. If that still doesn’t faze you and you want a mile-muncher par excellence, the RT is just the ticket.CN

2026 BMW R 1300 RT Specifications

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