BMW’s Burliest Adventure Bike Has Never Looked So Sleek and Nimble

When I owned my old R1150 GS, I spent as much time thinking of ways to shed weight as I did riding the thing. At 500-plus pounds, the big displacement boxer was a beast of a bike, and it felt every bit as heavy as it looked (especially when I’d have to heave it up after a tumble).

BMW has since managed to give its largest GS model a major diet, but there’s still no getting around the fact that the latest R1300GS is still a physically large motorcycle. You can’t miss that pair of conspicuous horizontally opposed cylinders, and the bevy of mounts, guards, modular seats and various other touring-ready accouterments adds to its visual presence.

Wunderlich

Lucky for your enduro riders, though, Wunderlich has developed an upgrade that makes the BMW adventure bike look sleeker and more nimble than ever. If such an option existed when I had a GS, I’d have been all over it.

A streamlined big boxer makeover

Wunderlich is calling it the Edition X, and it’s a kit that realizes a concept of the same name displayed at EICMA last November. It doesn’t bring the bold colors and bright graphics like before, but it’s otherwise a faithful reproduction of the one-off build.

Wunderlich

The most transformative part of the package comes at the back, as Wunderlich’s Edition X makeover ditches the bulky factory rear end and passenger pegs for a much slimmer and lower-profile tail. In combination with the exhaust riser — which angles the stock silencer up by some 18.5 degrees for improved clearance — and the adjustable license plate holder, it makes for a significantly tidier look.

Of course, without the right saddle shape, the enduro-oriented aesthetic wouldn’t be nearly as complete.

Wunderlich

For this reason, Wunderlich’s Edition X kit also makes provisions for a rider seat and passenger pillion that create a similarly flat profile to the pairing found on the up-spec GS Trophy. It’s a functional addition, as it allows for unimpeded movement and weight transfer whether seated or standing.

Rounded out by a matching cover to protect the fuel tank and a set of redesigned footpegs for improved traction, the result is made only better when you consider what the kit offers in potential.

Wunderlich

Just the tip of the GS iceberg

That’s because, even if the Edition X isn’t transformative enough for your tastes, it’s but a mere first step towards turning a GS into an rad, dirt-ripping enduro machine.

Beyond stripping off parts like the stock windscreen and rear mudguard (as Wunderlich has done on the concept bike), you can also look to the brand’s catalog for further off-road-worthy accessories.

Wunderlich

Now, the removal of rack mounts and other utilities does disqualify some things like saddle bags. However, between headlight grilles, engine covers, skid plates and auxiliary lights, among a dizzying array of other options, there are plenty of upgrades available to improve the R1300’s capabilities away from the pavement (or at least make it look the part at your local Sunday ride).

Moreover, Wunderlich is clearly an outfit that stays busy. If you peruse the brand’s concept page, you’ll see that the Edition X is hardly the first bike to successfully make the jump from concept to to production.

Wunderlich

Considering that many of such builds riff on their predecessors, the Edition X may be further refined, and more parts might be yet to come. I, for one, would love to see its svelte proportions applied to a supermoto.

Availability and pricing

If you’d like to get your hands on a kit, Wunderlich is selling the full Edition X for $3,119.95. However, the tail conversion and exhaust lift are also both available separately, priced at $309.95 and $483.95, respectively.

Wunderlich

Wunderlich Edition X Kit

• $3,120 at Wunderlich

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