The BMW R1300 GS will make use of an innovative new luggage system from BMW, a revised and electrified version of its Vario system, consisting of both side cases and a top box.
The top box and both side cases are all hard luggage solutions, but the boxes themselves are not Vario’s cause for interest, despite their external aluminium trims and black plastic housings designed to blend in with the rest of the design of the new GS.
Instead, the interest comes from Vario’s new-found electrification. This means that the cases themselves can be used to charge electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, or any other portable electric device that makes use of a USB-A connector. The power supply to the cases is rated at 15W (5V/3A). Both the left-side case and the top box feature charging capabilities.
The electrification of the Vario boxes also allows them to be integrated into the BMW R1300 GS’s remote central locking system. However, if the fob is lost, the Vario boxes can still be opened via a regular mechanical key.
Up to 97 litres of storage capacity can be achieved with the new Vario system, thanks to a wheel adjuster for the volume, rather than the two-step system that was used before. It means that the combined volume of the side cases can be adjusted between approximately 49 litres and approximately 60 litres (5.5 litres of adjustment per side case) and that the top box can be adjusted between 28 litres and 36 litres. Load per case is limited to 10kg per side case and to 6kg for the top box. To save you the maths, that’s a total of 26kg. That only accounts for the internal load, however, as up to 2kg can be attached externally to the top box, and up to 1kg can be attached externally to each side case.
BMW advises that the maximum permissible speed for riding with the Vario system is 112mph, and that the new system is not compatible with previous BMW GS models, including the previous R1250.
There are also accessories for the cases, with the Vario Inner Bags. There is a larger bag per case as well as a smaller bag for each side case, with the smaller bag able to be placed on top of the larger bag inside the case. The larger bag for the left case has a padded compartment for electronic devices and a cable outlet to enable charging. Specific volumes for each case’s inner bag are:
Left case: 21.5 litres - 28.9 litres
Right case: 21.3 litres - 26.8 litres
Top box: 24.8 litres - 33 litres
Head to the BMW website to find your nearest dealer.
