BMW K1300s - any good?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Full on Boxer Cups go for mad money now, compared to a regular R1100S at least.

[Flux]

I've got a K1300s. Had it from new in 2011 and still got it. Fantastic 2 up bike with great handling (some report a lack of feeling from the front end, but I have no issues) lovely torquey power (feels at home bimbling or hooning). Only thing that's ever failed was some switch gear (bike wouldn't start in France and had limited space to bump it before crashing through a shop window, managed OK and made sure I parked facing down hill for the rest of the trip). I've always serviced it myself but took it for a bmw service last month before a trip to the Alps (bike towed behind motorhome and just used when we were there) and although it was a fairly expensive service they fed back the bike was in fantastic condition with no issues.
Great bike, hence I've still got it over 12 years later and in no rush to change..

[KungFooBob]

What about a nice DCT VFR1200?

[Rockburner]

Love those and wished I'd got round to owning one. The best dressed boxer imo...

Did a France trip with a bunch of people and one had one of these.



V smart but I was surprised how tall it was. It might have been an optical illusion but it seemed taller than a GS. I've got a photo of them side by side I'll see if I can dig it out.

The factory BoxerCup reps very likely had a longer shock/shorter Paralever arm to raise the ride height (to keep the cylinder heads off the tarmac).

[Scotsrich]

I quite fancied one of those for a while before I got my first GS but the BMW dealer didn’t have any in stock. Probably too old to be an approved bike.

If they’d had one I really think I’d have bought it.

[Count Steer]

I quite fancied one of those for a while before I got my first GS but the BMW dealer didn’t have any in stock. Probably too old to be an approved bike.

If they’d had one I really think I’d have bought it.

The chap on the Rouen trip had the dinkiest little panniers that I've ever seen on his. I reckon you get a couple of pairs of chuddies, a toothbrush/paste and a pair of flip-flops in. Not an ideal tourer!

[Rockburner]

I quite fancied one of those for a while before I got my first GS but the BMW dealer didn’t have any in stock. Probably too old to be an approved bike.

If they’d had one I really think I’d have bought it.

The chap on the Rouen trip had the dinkiest little panniers that I've ever seen on his. I reckon you get a couple of pairs of chuddies, a toothbrush/paste and a pair of flip-flops in. Not an ideal tourer!

The "sport" panniers for the K1200 series (and the R1200S) were pretty useless tbh - they were expandable, which was a neat trick, but flawed in almost every way that counted.

[Flux]

Givi do decent panniers for the k1300...

[Whysub]

I quite fancied one of those for a while before I got my first GS but the BMW dealer didn’t have any in stock. Probably too old to be an approved bike.

If they’d had one I really think I’d have bought it.

The chap on the Rouen trip had the dinkiest little panniers that I've ever seen on his. I reckon you get a couple of pairs of chuddies, a toothbrush/paste and a pair of flip-flops in. Not an ideal tourer!

The "sport" panniers for the K1200 series (and the R1200S) were pretty useless tbh - they were expandable, which was a neat trick, but flawed in almost every way that counted.

If I was working away for more than a couple of days on the K1300S, I had to have another bag of my stuff carried in one of the cars, as panniers, even expanded, could not take everything that I needed. Should really have got work to pay for some that were bigger.

[The Spin Doctor]

Love those and wished I'd got round to owning one. The best dressed boxer imo...

Did a France trip with a bunch of people and one had one of these.

V smart but I was surprised how tall it was. It might have been an optical illusion but it seemed taller than a GS. I've got a photo of them side by side I'll see if I can dig it out.

They were v tall to keep the cylinder heads (mostly) off the deck when the likes of Randy Mamola was racing the bike.

[MyLittleStudPony]

I think I rode to Poland and back on one. It might have been the 1200.

It was a good bike. It did everything well but being critical it was heavy and when it got hot on town changing gear became difficult. Nicely fast and stable when cranked over though. Not light on fuel iirc.

[Tricky]

Depemds what you're looking for, and what yu are comparing it to is my view- Big Kev ( @2xtwins ) had one, I borrowed it once or twice so have a view, Kev's view will likely be be fuller and probably more relevant, but mine, FWIW is that it's a very strong engine, quite a low seat height but a big heavy old barge of a thing- it was a good two-up bike IMO with a ballistic top end, but not really my cup of tea, I'd take a ZZR over one every day of the week

[Mr Moofo]

Back to the K1300S
Are the seats comfortable ? I have a very sensitive posterior
( I have never found a comfortable motorbike saddle - or push bike saddle !

[Horse]

@Rockburner

FWIW - I don't think I get a notification when you do that. :shrug:

I have no idea what's supposed to happen.

@Horse

Still no wiser

[Bigjawa]

Back to the K1300S
Are the seats comfortable ? I have a very sensitive posterior
( I have never found a comfortable motorbike saddle - or push bike saddle !

Better than a GS.

Re. pushbikes, a broken in Brooks is the best saddle, but it takes about 1000 miles to do it.

[Flux]

Back to the K1300S
Are the seats comfortable ? I have a very sensitive posterior
( I have never found a comfortable motorbike saddle - or push bike saddle !

My previous road bike was a gsxr750 and on long trips we both used the airhawk cushion things as soon as we got the k1300 the airhawks have never been used again. They also make the seats in 2 different heights (denoted by the number of indents on the side of the seat) which can make a big difference to safety and comfort.

[v8-powered]

V smart but I was surprised how tall it was. It might have been an optical illusion but it seemed taller than a GS. I've got a photo of them side by side I'll see if I can dig it out.

Damn! What have I now spent the last 24hrs firing out enquiries on? Not helping the cause

[Demannu]

V smart but I was surprised how tall it was. It might have been an optical illusion but it seemed taller than a GS. I've got a photo of them side by side I'll see if I can dig it out.

Damn! What have I now spent the last 24hrs firing out enquiries on? Not helping the cause

Had a stealth black one with later suspension, gs torque arm, lennies induction, decat and remus exhaust, sb filter kit and BB chip, schnitzer pegs. Still used to grind the head guards if I was 'going' for it. Needed at least another 20hp for it to be a great bike

[G.P]

Love those and wished I'd got round to owning one. The best dressed boxer imo...

Did a France trip with a bunch of people and one had one of these.



V smart but I was surprised how tall it was. It might have been an optical illusion but it seemed taller than a GS. I've got a photo of them side by side I'll see if I can dig it out.

Thats the 1100S Boxer cup. IanB had one of those too (not cup version) I spent a week chasing it around France - very capable bike even though it had about 25bhp less than the 1200

[Demannu]

So its decided, you're buying an 1100S instead!