2023 BMW R 1250 R First Look

It seems BMW won’t be messing too much with a good thing this year, as their R 1250 R will get only small but significant quality-of-life changes for 2023. The most BMW of BMW motorcycles will still be powered by a boxer twin, the same ShiftCam-equipped engine with the same claimed 136 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque it’s had since its inception, running on the same ParaLever suspension.

The changes are almost completely electronic. Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), and BMW Motorrad ABS Pro are now standard, and a third riding mode, Eco, has been added to the bike’s existing Road and Rain modes. Having ABS Pro, a lean-sensitive anti-lock system, as standard is arguably the best part of the new improvements. Perhaps the most dubious is Eco mode, in which as BMW says, “the rider is encouraged to ride as fuel-efficiently as possible with a soft throttle curve and moderate engine torque limitation” while aided by green feedback from the color TFT display, which in a bit of mixed messaging BMW calls the Sport Core screen. The only visible upgrade is a switch to LED turn signals, another nice touch.

Other new bits are optional, and include an adaptive turning headlight that switches on additional LEDs according to lean angle, an attractive passenger seat cover, and spoked wheels.

Happily there is no change to the R 1250 R’s MSRP, which remains at $14,995. The 2023 model will be available standard in Ice Grey, with Triple Black and Style Sport Racing Blue Metallic as color options.