2017 BMW G 310 R Ride Review – The Premium Choice

Date posted on January 15, 2019

After that long wait and after being in development for 5 years, it’s finally here. The G 310 R is BMW’s first venture in the sub-500cc segment for world markets. Make no mistake about it, this is not a budget Beemer.

While the bike was built in India thru a partnership with TVS, a company that has a production line that makes 2 million bikes per year, this bike was designed and engineered in Germany, true to its BMW roots. The first thing that you’ll notice is the propeller badge at the tank. Then there is the metallic white finish that shouts premium and classy. The finish and placement of the plastic panels beside the gas tank is what you’d expect in a BMW – refined and polished. Powered by a 313cc, 4-valve, single cylinder, liquid-cooled engine, the BMW G 310 R churns out 34 horsepower at 9,500 rpm and with peak torque of 21 ftlb at 7,500 rpm. Within the 7,000 rpm range, give or take a few hundreds, is your sweet spot when attacking curves. With an 80 mm bore and on a 34 hp engine, you’d have to rev consistently at mid-range to get what you want from this machine, with a few trips to the redline region of 10,000 rpm. Somewhere at that rev range, the shift light will blink as a reminder, along with the rev limiter that will kick in. Upon reaching the peak output of 34 hp, this bike is eager to show you that it is more than capable of hanging with the bigger boys in the highways. The six-speed transmission will ensure that you will have plenty of gears to play with to truly enjoy this bike. The engineers moved the engine forward in the steel tube chassis, and also made the swing arm longer in order to evenly distribute the weight between the two wheels with a 54-inch wheelbase. This also makes the exhaust slightly shorter to help with the quick heating of the catalytic converter, aiding in meeting EU4 emission standards. You see it coming out of the back? What a beauty. The clutch pull is light and provides consistent and smooth acceleration even when starting from a still position. The cable operated FI engine delivers smooth response that gives you a sense of control.

Gold-anodized upside-down forks. Makes the bike a first-class ride. (European model shown.)

Multi-function display. Large, optimally readable display with many features.

This bike is very stable and impressive most especially in the open road, giving you a confidence-boosting ride every time you mount this steed. The G 310 R will give you a feel that is much larger than its proportions would tell you. Chassis stability is impressive and the steering is light. These are aided by the 110/70x17F and 150/60x17R Michelin Pilot Street radial tires. The inverted 41mm front forks in front are not adjustable and give out 5.2 inches of travel. The KYB rear suspension can be adjusted for preload and floats on 5.5 inches of travel. The in-house two-channel ABS that came with the bike should be a standard feature on all street bikes as it will surely aid the rider in times of emergency braking. The ABS is supplied by Conti, the same ones from the line of S 1000 Beemers. Braking is by ByBre. We tested this on a hot, sunny day during our scheduled photoshoot and you would need to firmly squeeze the brake lever in order to trigger the ABS from the feedback given by the single 300mm disc brake in front and the 240mm disc at the rear. It will be a treat if the front levers could be adjusted too as those with smaller hands might find the position a bit farther than they would expect. No biggie though as enough saddle time would help the rider adjust.

Innovative single-cylinder engine. Delivers proper riding enjoyment with its 313 cc.

Gold brake calipers. Deliver an impressive touch and feature ABS for outstanding power and safety.

The steel braided brake lines that goes through the caliper gives this BMW bike a premium look and feel. That’s a lot of braking power for a bike this size. The seat height of 30.9 inches is a welcome news for potential buyers – whether this will be your first bike, first BMW, or even if you are an experienced one. This will not intimidate the regular Asian rider as all of our test riding team members easily could flat foot the bike. The bike is light too at a kerb weight of 158 kilos, making it easy for all types of riders. As the bike is so light, there will be no compromise in handling as it is very much flickable in twisties and geared up for your everyday city battles.

The riding position is neutral too, giving you a relaxed and enjoyable ride at any given time. The digital panel looks great and will give the rider necessary information, including a gear indicator. There is also a bar graph type tachometer at the bottom. Other information provided include the fuel range and mileage, engine temperature, shift light and a couple of trip meters. While the bike will be good on twisties and during your canyon carving escapades, it will still find the city as its home. The G 310 R maintains the exceptionally high quality in the products made by the German manufacturer. While this is their first bike made in India, one thing’s for sure, the end result is something you’d expect from BMW. Prepare your initial expectation to be exceeded. The BMW G 310 R Roadster is initially priced at Php 310,000.

Al Camba “For the first time in history, BMW Motorad has produced a motorcycle below 500cc aimed at the lower segment of the market. Made in partnership with Indian company TVS Motors, it is also the first BMW Motorrad to be produced outside Germany. Initially priced at P300,000, the G 310 R Roadster took five years to develop and is crucial to BMW’s plan to sell 200,000 units worldwide by year 2020. The delays were to ensure that the G 310 R meets all its targets. The G 310 R will not disappoint the purists as it exhibits genuine BMW premium traits of high build quality, top level engineering, as well as a refined and smooth operation. Being a small motorcycle, it also has the benefits of being agile and having almost telepathic quick handling. ABS is standard with ByBre brakes as well as Michelin tires. The 310cc single cylinder engine is an engineering marvel as it is related to the S1000 RR superbike. It copies the superbike’s 80mm bore and DOHC-valve train design with a longer stroke. A unique feature of the G 310 R is the reversed cylinder head making the exhaust face the rear and the intake facing the front. The cylinder head is also tilted backwards for a more compact arrangement that allowed for a longer swingarm for better traction and a 50/50 weight distribution. This design technique is applied to Moto3 race bikes by other manufacturers. The G 310 R was not tuned for all performance but for more pleasurable daily commute. This is evident upon riding it when you feel the engine’s very smooth and flat torque delivery. It pulls away cleanly with vibration only being noticeable once you are near the redline. Its relative light weight and chassis geometry offer quick handling while at the same time high speed stability for effortless cruising above 100kph. The low seat height and upright riding position is an attractive proposition for Asian size riders. And of course, who can miss the much desired propeller emblem on the sides of the tank as well as on the steering triple clamp that proclaims your ride is above average and that you are a rider with sophisticated tectonic taste in machines. Clearly, you preferred the premium choice!”

Philip Bonza “The design is nice with simple outlines in respectable style and each contour is in seamless form. The metal and alloy parts have their own rough and tough form that is perfectly in handsome detail. The engine responds well and runs smooth especially on mid-to-high speed but the first gear is a bit lacking power, however, the speed’s sweet spot is on higher RPM. Good engine performance equates to good stopping power on both front and rear with ABS (Antilock Brake System) plus the suspension works satisfactory for my preference. This model is fun to ride, it is light and nimble to maneuver. City traffic is no hassle for the G 310 R with its relaxed riding position and agility and it has very good and quiet cooling system. The ergonomics is pleasurable for urban ride and the G 310 R has a sexy gas tank for easy grip of knees for sportiness and stable control on weekend rides in twisty roads. An unpleasant feel on the different thickness of the levers (the clutch lever is thinner than the brake lever) gave me discomfort on my fingers. A nice LCD instrument panel provides information which is clear and easy to read. The quality of the half-naked fairing is very good. BMW made big things come in a small package. This is pure feel and touch of a premium brand. For my 3P (porma, performance and price), 4-gear points is my score to this BMW model.”

Ricci Abrina “II’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that German engineering is precise, distinct and purposeful with power as a given. The BMW G 310 R is a new engineering marvel with its small yet powerful 313 cubic centimeter beefy DOHC engine. When you hit around 10,000 RPM it doesn’t show signs of over revving. The top speed I obtained in a short distance (500 meters) is 130+ KPH. Given another 500 meters I would think it can hit the published (143 KPH) top speed indeed – in the metro there is not much road length for top speed. With the color (Pearl white metallic with blue graphics) of the test unit we were testing everyone seems to look our way especially at the stop light. The handling of the BMW G 310 R is stable and precise with its massive 41mm diameter upside down forks and standard ABS braking BYBRE system as well as an aluminum swing arm with adjustable preload monoshock which helps in keeping the two wheels planted. For urban travel, the headlights are sure to brighten your path while the gauges look like a mini tablet with tons of information. The BMW G 310 R is straight forward fun and rider-friendly motorcycle you can trust and look good around the Metro as well as up and down mountain twisties.”