The machine
BMW R1300 GS
Adventure
Official job
Motorcycle.
Actual job
Transport. Office. Camera platform. Wardrobe. Storage unit. And occasionally somewhere to sit and reconsider life choices.
The numbers
- Engine
- 1,300cc boxer twin
- Power
- 145 hp
- Fuel capacity
- 30 litres
- Range
- ~330 miles
- Weight
- 269 kg
- Tyres
- 50/50 adventure
Air/liquid cooled, ShiftCam
at 7,750 rpm
The reason it's the Adventure
Loaded, sensibly ridden
Before luggage. And before shopping.
Swapped as the terrain demands
What it carries
Luggage
Aluminium panniers, a 40-litre roll bag and a tank bag that holds everything that matters: documents, drone batteries and snacks.
Navigation
Bar-mounted GPS, offline mapping on the phone and a paper map for the days technology has an opinion of its own.
Camera equipment
Mirrorless body, two primes, a drone, three action cameras and far too many memory cards. The bike is the camera platform.
Communications
Mesh intercom, satellite messenger and a local SIM in whichever country we happen to be crossing.
Expedition modifications
Crash bars, sump guard, auxiliary lighting, USB power for everything, a comfort seat and suspension set up for a permanently overloaded bike.
Spares
Tubes, levers, cables, a tyre repair kit, a compressor and the quiet confidence that something unexpected will break first.
The story continues