BMW R 1300 GS Adventure ASA Full Options Triple Black: the queen of adventure joins the Moto Corse Evasion fleet

Some moments in the life of a motorcycle rental agency leave a lasting mark. The arrival of the new BMW R 1300 GS Adventure Full Options Triple Black — featuring the revolutionary ASA automated gearbox — is undoubtedly one of them. Adrien, owner of Moto Corse Evasion, takes you through his discovery of an extraordinary machine, from first impressions to the winding roads of the Island of Beauty.

First impressions: when the GS arrives at the agency

Resting on its centre stand in the middle of the agency, this BMW R 1300 GS Adventure commands a presence that very few motorcycles can match.
Its imposing silhouette and the blend of sweeping curves and sharp angles give it a singular set of proportions — most notably in the way the boxer cylinders thrust outward on either side, as if claiming ownership of the space around them. A character trait found nowhere else in the world of two wheels.
The GS makes no attempt to conform to any standard. It breaks away from convention and trend alike, offering its own definition of design. Above all, it is built to go anywhere, to last, to protect, to perform. And on that front, the new R 1300 generation does far more than simply push the envelope — it rewrites the rulebook entirely.

Technical specifications: the figures that turn heads

A tour of the machine: an architecture built for real adventure

Full protection as standard

Where previous generations could leave the cylinder head vulnerable — Adrien knows this firsthand, having seen a cylinder head punctured during a fall on a rocky track — the R 1300 GS Adventure comes prepared. Aluminium engine skid plate as standard, two-part crash bars forming a partial protective cage: this bike is built to take a fall without losing any vital components. That’s not a minor detail — it’s a philosophy.
The crash bars are your safety partner: when the bike tips over, they prevent it from lying flat on the ground, thanks to the protruding cylinders that create a natural lean angle. The result: getting the bike back upright is infinitely less of an ordeal for the rider.

A 30-litre tank — freedom without having to calculate

30 litres. That’s 11 litres more than the standard GS version. And in Corsica, where some back roads can stretch dozens of kilometres away from the nearest petrol station, this figure changes the very nature of the journey. With a range approaching 600 km, you stop thinking about fuel. You think about the road.

Evo suspension: 210 mm front, 220 mm rear

The new Evo Telelever system at the front and Evo Paralever at the rear have been thoroughly reworked. The Telelever has gained in kinematic precision to feed back more accurate, less filtered information — a quality you feel immediately on the road, and even more so off it. The Adventure benefits from 20 mm of additional travel compared to the standard GS, for greater progressiveness on rough terrain.
The DSA (Dynamic Suspension Adjustment) system manages these suspensions electronically, in real time, based on riding mode, load carried, and road conditions. Solo, two-up, with luggage: the dampers adjust by themselves.

Ergonomics and accessibility for all builds

The adaptive ride height adjuster lowers the seat height by 30 mm when stationary and at low speed, allowing a rider of 1.75 m to place both feet flat on the ground. Combined with the scooped comfort rider seat, this goes down to 1.70 m. The GS Adventure remains a large-format motorcycle — but it can now accommodate a much wider range of rider profiles.

A detail Adrien noticed: The 1300 GSA was built on the same platform as the standard 1300 GS, and the side stands are identical, which from the factory makes the bike more difficult to lift off the side stand. We have fitted our 1300 Adventures with a 25 mm side stand raiser, and it makes a real difference!

Luggage fitted in under a minute

The aluminium panniers mount and dismount without tools, in seconds. That saves valuable time when configuring the bike in our workshop according to your chosen option. The top case fits a full-face helmet. The GS Adventure is built for travelling. Genuinely.

The ASA revolution: riding without a clutch lever

This is the headline innovation of this generation, and it’s likely the one that will generate the most conversation in the years ahead. The ASA gearbox — Automated Shift Assistant — is fitted to our model, and it fundamentally changes the riding experience.

How it works

Forget the clutch lever. It simply isn’t there. The traditional mechanical gearbox is retained, but two electromechanical actuators take care of the clutch and gear selection on your behalf. You keep a foot selector — BMW refers to it as a shift assistant, not a true automatic in the conventional sense.
Two modes are available:

• 🔧 Manual Mode: You have a 1250 Adventure in your hands without the constraint of the clutch — the bike manages the slip point itself, you manage the gears, just like a 1250 fitted with a quickshifter.
• 🤖 Drive Mode: The bike manages gear changes, but you can still interact with the gearbox via the foot selector.

What really changes

Sceptical for the first few kilometres — an automatic gearbox really ought to be dual-clutch to deliver the kind of driving experience we’ve come to expect from the best in automotive (DSG from Audi, PDK from Porsche) — I wasn’t a fan of the jerkiness. But it smoothed out by the end of the first thousand kilometres, bringing the riding experience in line with a 1250, minus the physical constraint of the selector lever.
The gearbox works well, the shifts are smooth and intelligent.

On the road: sensations, emotions, performance

Immediate to get to grips with

Within the first few dozen kilometres, the surprise is total. A 269-kilogram motorcycle that handles like a 200 kg one. The mass distribution, with the boxer engine positioned low, turns physics into something close to magic. Leaning into corners is disarmingly easy. The wide handlebar provides a natural lever for tipping the bike into bends without effort.
Where the previous generation required a few hours of riding to truly feel in sync with the machine, the R 1300 feels like an old acquaintance within ten kilometres.

145 horsepower, 149 Nm: everyday torque

This boxer engine is a synthesis. Flexible at low revs — pulling effortlessly from 2,000 rpm — it becomes genuinely ferocious when pushed, climbing to 9,000 rpm with an eagerness unexpected of a twin. The 0–100 km/h in 3.4 seconds is no extrapolation: it’s a measured reality, on a par with a Porsche 911 Carrera S.
And yet the engine never feels stressful. The ShiftCam system continuously adjusts valve lift according to engine speed, delivering both smoothness in town and punch on open roads. 145 horsepower, but fully exploitable by a rider who already has a solid skill level.

Seven riding modes: a bike that adapts to you

Rain for Corsica’s autumn downpours. Road for everyday riding. Dynamic to sharpen things up. Dynamic Pro to exploit every Newton-metre of torque. Enduro and Enduro Pro for tracks and trails. Eco for long-haul legs. Each mode delivers a complete set of parameters covering the suspension, engine, ASA gearbox, and active rider aids. It’s not the same bike from one mode to the next. It’s seven bikes in one.

Braking: precision with full confidence

The standard ABS Pro intervenes even mid-lean. Front and rear are coupled: pressure on the front brake engages the rear, and vice versa. On roads where the surface changes mid-corner — a daily reality on Corsica’s back roads — this active safety system is no gimmick: it’s an added safety net, one that can genuinely make the difference when something unexpected appears around a bend.
The assisted emergency braking goes a step further: if the front radar detects a rapid approach to the vehicle ahead, the bike first alerts you visually, then sends pulses through the lever, then brakes autonomously if necessary. Another welcome layer of safety that is never intrusive — until the moment it truly needs to be.

Adaptive cruise control

The front radar manages a cruise control system that slows down and accelerates according to traffic, with no rider input required. On the T20 former N193 between Corte and Bastia, on the RT10 along the eastern plain between Bastia and Porto-Vecchio, and even on the long descent towards Porto — this feature frees the rider mentally. You ease your grip, the bike takes care of things. You rest your eyes on the ridgelines, on the sea glimpsed between hairpins, on the late-afternoon light over the maquis. While of course remaining alert and attentive at all times.

The BMW R 1300 GS Adventure and Corsica: a natural pairing

Some motorcycles seem purpose-built for a specific destination. The R 1300 GS Adventure and Corsica are that kind of match.

The roads that make the difference

Corsican roads are unlike any other roads in Europe. Unbroken sequences of hairpin bends stretching for dozens of kilometres. Abrasive granite surfaces offering exceptional grip in dry conditions. Elevation changes from sea level to 1,400 metres within just a few kilometres. Legendary mountain passes — Bavella, Vergio, Verde, Vizzavona — that test both machine and rider to the full.

This terrain demands a bike that can do everything well. Not just adequately — well.

The selection of motorcycles in the Moto Corse Evasion fleet is not the result of chance or opportunistic sourcing — it reflects a meticulous approach and an intimate knowledge of the terrain. Read our articles on the subject:

Choosing the perfect motorcycle to explore Corsica
2026 fleet updates: which motorcycle to choose for Corsica’s roads? A comparison

Mass centralisation: the key in Corsica

In the tight sequences of the Col de Bavella, in the hairpins of the climb towards Zonza, in the sweeping bends of the D81 above Porto — the GS Adventure’s superior agility, rooted in its low centre of gravity and boxer architecture, reveals itself as a decisive advantage. It leans without resistance, repositions without effort, and delivers a steering precision that goes far beyond what its weight would suggest.

30 litres to cross the island without stopping

In Corsica, remote areas sometimes have no petrol station for miles. The Tavignano gorges, the Cuscione plateau, the wildest stretches of Cap Corse — with 30 litres and 600 km of range, you stop calculating. You choose your route freely, without the constraint of refuelling dictating your itinerary.

Comfort for longer stays

A motorcycle trip in Corsica often means 5 to 10 days on the road, 100 to 200 km per day, mountain passes in the morning, coastline in the afternoon, sunsets and good restaurants in the evening. The standard electric windscreen genuinely shields you — helmet and torso protected, fatigue significantly reduced. The heated grips look after your hands on cool morning mountain passes. The wider pillion seat makes two-up riding comfortable over long stages.

Who is it for?

The BMW R 1300 GS Adventure is an extraordinary motorcycle. But honesty is called for: its size and 269 kg weight make it a machine that requires a certain level of experience, particularly for low-speed manoeuvres, U-turns in tight spaces, and getting out of tricky situations on demanding terrain.
It is ideal for the experienced rider, well-versed in riding large-format adventure bikes, who wants to experience an exceptional machine without compromise. For those who have doubts about their level or the suitability of this model for their trip, the Moto Corse Evasion team is on hand to discuss it — our catalogue includes other models that may be better suited to your profile.

Our verdict on the BMW R 1300 GS Adventure ASA

• ✅ The most powerful boxer engine ever produced in series — 145 hp, 149 Nm, a character all of its own
• ✅ The ASA gearbox — a genuine revolution, transparent from the very first kilometre
• ✅ 30 litres and ~600 km of range — absolute freedom in Corsica
• ✅ Electronically controlled DSA suspension — comfort and performance on every surface
• ✅ Seven riding modes — a bike that adapts to every road, every rider, every weather condition
• ✅ Full active safety suite — adaptive cruise control, cornering ABS Pro, blind-spot detection, assisted emergency braking
• ✅ Ride height adjuster — accessible to a wider range of builds than you might expect, down to 1.70 m with the scooped comfort rider seat
• ✅ Integrated full luggage system — fitted and removed in seconds, no tools required
• ✅ A bike for everywhere — road, mountain pass, track, long distance, two-up, solo — never disappointing