India, April 23 -- BMW Motorrad celebrates 50 years of RS bikes, as the BMW R 1300 RS with 145bhp leads a seven-generation sport-touring legacy across boxer and four-cylinder models.

BMW Motorrad didn't just celebrate 50 years of the RS badge, it reminded everyone why the sport-tourer still matters. Spend a day on something like the BMW R 1300 RS and you get it immediately. It's quick when the road opens up, calm when you settle into a long stretch, and built to do both without drama. That idea goes all the way back to 1976 and the BMW R 100 RS, the bike that turned RS from a racing term into something riders could actually live with.

Let's start with the present, because the R 1300 RS sets the tone for what RS means today. The 1300cc b...