After 3 years and 27,000 of kilometers on the hard-hitting 2023 KTM 890 Adventure R, I made the jump to the flagship 2024 BMW R 1300 GS. In this video, I break down the reasons behind the switch, what you gain in long-distance comfort, and what you inevitably lose when leaving the middleweight rally-bred class behind.
No spec-sheet reading — just honest owner first impressions on engine character, Telelever vs WP suspension, highway fatigue, shaft drive convenience, and how the big boxer actually behaves on daily basis.
📌 Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction & The Big Switch
0:25 – Why Leave the KTM 890 Adventure R?
1:58 – First Ride Impressions: Boxer 1300cc vs LC8c Twin
3:37 – Clanky gearbox
4:45 – Suspension & Handling: WP Forks vs Evo Telelever
5:52 – Front Wheel 19 inch Handling
6:33 – The weight… ugh.
7:26 – Real Off-Road Capability: Where the GS Draws the Line
8:29 – Some details of my GS
9:26 – Sad truth about the Akra
10:13 – How the Akra sounds?
10:43 – BMW Vario panniers
11:18 – TFT & BMW Soft Bag
12:22 – Summary: What did I gain what did I lose?
🏍️ Featured Motorcycles:
• 2024 BMW R 1300 GS
• 2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
If you would like to get yourself Carpuride W602BS for your BMW too, here is the 30% discount code, use it at checkout: gamonie30
my Carpuride referral link:
💬 What’s your take? Would you trade raw off-road agility for all-day touring comfort? Let me know in the comments below!
👍 If you enjoyed this first impressions video, hit Like and Subscribe for more real-world motorcycle travel and gear reviews.
#BMWR1300GS #KTM890AdventureR #MotorcycleReview #AdventureBike #BMWMotorrad #KTM
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Why I switched from 1290sar to 1300gs was anxiety, the sar was just way too tall for me
Bad decision ..890 is the king
Hej Rafał, dzięki za ten fajny kanał. Jak można skontaktować się z Tobą bezpośrednio?
You also look like a bmw driver 😂
Did I hear you right – you only did 4k km on your KTM!? If it's so, it's nothing. That's about three months riding. Probably you didn't know the bike.
If you can only just afford the bike, you better not take it off-road.
Nice job. I too similarly switched from a 2020 790R (after 5 years) to a 2017 R1200GS. I agree with your observations and am also happy. I am curious if you notice vibrations with the right side throttle grip with the R1300GS vs your 890R. Thanks.
I had a Superduke GT and the quikshifter up is dramatic , most of the time it gives you punch so most of the time i use the clutch. My duke upshift was just how it should but had no quikshifting down and that does the BMW good. For me the greatest difference is the comfort with the suspension. Even when i drove my KTM in rain and comfortmode it was still shaking.
I can say a good review
I have the same bike as you. Great review, I completely agree with you on many points. As for the gear shift, I recommend adjusting the lever to fit your foot—it makes a huge difference, and it gets even smoother over time. After 20,000 km, I only use the quickshifter. Off-road, the Telelever has its limits, but with the right tires and some practice, it’s a lot of fun. The exhaust gets a bit better with mileage—not a ton, but it looks awesome. Give it some throttle and you’ll see it sounds better. Its biggest strength is that it does everything really well and doesn't tire you out, even "warp" speed. You made a great choice. Greetings from Italy!
Clunky is just physics!!!
It's a cardan, honey.
You can't marvel "no chain" and complain at the same time about shifting gears.
Esp 1 to 3.
Apples to apples….
Once you go boxer you won’t go back
like the Spanish Inquisition
Would love to have one to go with my dr-z4s but they are so expensive and I’d NEVER have the balls to take it off road. Congratulations on your awesome new bike 🙂
Your not really comparing apples with apples. This BMW should be compared to the new KTM 1390 SAS or SAR. Powerwise it is in a different league.
I have the tripple black version, with every option other than AVHC and exhaust, I also bout it used with 1500 miles as I couldn't get insurance on the brand new one also as you said they are very expensive, especially for a toy, I moved from 2024 triumph street triple rs, i agree with you with everythingyou said, on the road this bike feel amazing for what it is, you can ride it like supermoto, i must say not a big fan of the engine noise and engine braking which is very strong and hard to be smooth when you have passenger on the back. The power and torque of the engine though is something else! Its just effortless pulls like a freight train. I had my bike for a year now I think I will be keeping it for a long time.
Gdyby połączyć 690 i 1300 w jeden to wyjdzie 890 😂
Niech się dobrze sprawuje i dobrego jeżdżenia 👍
Did you get rid of the 690 enduro?