Is BMW Working on an M 1300 GS? All Signs Point to Yes

It looks like we're about to get the first-ever BMW M 1300 GS motorcycle. Here's what we can tell from these spy shots.

Photo by: Speedweek

By: Robbie Bacon

Aug 3, at 8:57am ET

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BMW's R 1300 GS is the brand's best-selling motorcycle, and for good reason; it's bloody amazing. It has been the most popular BMW for years, so how could the Bavarian brand further expand its dominance? Well, it could make an M version.

As reported by SpeedWeek, it looks like BMW is making an M 1300 GS, which would become the brand's flagship off-road motorcycle. If this comes as a surprise to you, you're not alone. Historically, the 'M' badge has been reserved for BMW's sportiest road-focused vehicles, with 'M' referring to motorsport. The exact shape an M 1300 GS would take is still unknown, but thanks to some spy shots, we have a few clues.

In the spy shots, the bikes are under tarpaulins while being transported, but it looks like they're in the later stages of development. What's clear from the photos is that the M badge and features that come with it don't intend to turn the 1300 GS into a road-going phenom, but rather expand on its already impressive off-road capabilities.

What do you think?

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The bikes have 21-inch front wheels and 18-inch rear wheels, which are fitted with Metzeler Karoo tires, which tell you all you need to know about the terrain this model is intended to perform on. It also looks like there's longer suspension and a redesigned support for the swingarm. The dead giveaway for this bike is the blue 'M' calipers, which should bring more stopping power than the bike's standard BMW-branded, although Brembo-manufactured, calipers.

As for the powerplant, it appears as though the 1,300 cc water-cooled boxer remains unchanged, barring an 'M' insignia on the cylinder head covers. That said, with 145 hp and a bonkers 110 lb-ft of torque on tap, I don't think anyone will lose sleep over power gains for off-road use. Cosmetically, it's unclear from the pictures how far BMW will go in terms of an M makeover. Price too remains a mystery, but a BMW M 1000 RR is around $15,000 more than the standard model, whereas an M 1000 R is around $5,500 more, so I'd say it wouldn't be unreasonable to think an M 1300 GS could be $10,000 to 15,000 more than a standard R 1300 GS.