Much has been said about the new R1300GS and its looks, and now the first photos of the new Boxer 1300 engine have emerged.
Over the years we have seen a slow and continuous evolution of this historic powertrain, relatively recently in 2013 water cooling was introduced and the single-plate dry clutch was changed to a multi-plate wet clutch.
Also recently, in 2018, the Boxer was upgraded with the Shift Cam variable ignition system, further improving performance despite increasingly restrictive regulations on pollutant emissions and noise.
The new Boxer 1300 continues this evolution, is a completely new unit with a shorter stroke than the 1250 cc, despite the larger displacement and, above all, no longer has the gearbox behind the cylinders, but at the bottom of the crankcase; a shorter and more compact engine (also due to the new positioning of the distribution system, still equipped with Shiftcam for variable distribution), more compressed and with larger valves than the 1250, still air/liquid cooled, but lighter by 3.9 kg in the base engine and 6.5 kg in the entire power unit
Never before has it been so powerful, 107 kW (145 hp) at 7,750 rpm with a maximum torque of 149 Nm at 6,500 rpm, but it’s important to note that between 3,600 and 7,800 rpm torque of over 130 Nm is constantly available.
The gearbox retains six ratios and changes position, no longer behind the engine, but underneath.
It is now equipped with a sensor that transmits signals to the optional Shift Assistant Pro, based on a new concept involving a torsion magnet.
It seems that the Boxer 1300 no longer has a separate balancer shaft, instead the counterweights are positioned on the crankshaft and alternator.