LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – BMW gave me the opportunity to attend the global first ride for the newest addition to their Motorrad family, the all new 2017 BMW G310R, in sunny Beverly Hills. The G310R is BMW’s first roadster under 500cc since the 1960s. Some highlighted features include its attractive aggressive styling, low 785mm seat, detailed aluminum swing arm which helps to keep the overall weight low, and extremely precise steering response. The most notable feature is the new single cylinder engine, providing a unique engine position, allowing the G310R to have a more forward and low center of gravity. This permits the rider to change direction quickly as well as lean the bike from left to right with ease.
The G310R is a compact, naked styled roadster tapping into a vast market with a potential 2 million customers worldwide, competing with the likes of the Honda CBR300R (reviewed here), Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha YZF-R3 (reviewed here) as well as its European competition, the KTM 390 Duke. Featuring standard ABS, steel braided brake lines, three different colour schemes (Strato Blue Metallic, Pearl White Metallic (as tested), Cosmic Black), and a multi-function LCD dash, it’s obvious that the G310R is able to hold its own against the competition. Built in India to keep a low overall price point, it’s abundantly clear that the quality you’d expect with any BMW product isn’t lost on the all new G310R.
Overall appearance, the G310R is gorgeous – pictures don’t quite do it justice. It is so much sexier in the flesh with its gold anodized inverted forks, minimalist short and kicked up tail, sporty high-powered headlight, dynamic fuel tank. It’s obvious that the G310R obtained BMW’s signature looks from its older brother the S1000R (reviewed here). As you would expect with any roadster, the G310R has aggressive and muscular styling, while maintaining an ergonomic riding position that’s very comfortable. I was able to carve through the twisties of the Hollywood hills all day with very little discomfort and zero wrist pain. There’s something about the bike that just feels so familiar and comfortable with a no pressure feeling.
As with all BMW motorcycles (from 2013 onward) the G310R comes with ABS as standard equipment, which is great for the unpredictable weather we tend to have in Canada. The 313cc (34 horse) single-cylinder DOHC motor is brand new from BMW. It’s liquid-cooled and electronic fuel injected, and being that the bike only weighs 350 pounds wet, it has a fairly good power to weight ratio. Even at only 313cc, its more nimble than I expected, and has the right amount of power for every day city riding.
This bike features a Bybre (Brembo rebranded for bikes 600cc and under) 300mm single disc four-piston front brake along with a 240mm single disc rear brake, which may not sound like much, but it gives the G310R plenty of stopping power given its light weight. The new 313cc engine’s single cylinder is inclined backwards and rotated 180 degrees, which has allowed the BMW engineers to maintain an optimum forward biased center of gravity by moving the engine more towards the front end of the bike. This maintains the bike’s compact size without compromising swing arm length, sitting at a very lengthy 650 millimeters.
One thing that caught my attention was how high the RPMs were at highway speeds; the G310R seems to be winding out pretty hard even though the bike has a six-speed transmission. Gear selecting was very smooth with no false neutrals when shifting from first to second gear. Engine braking was also good thanks to its light weight. We were able to ride all day without refueling the bikes, thanks to the generous 11L fuel tank.
The BMW G310R’s low and forward center of gravity, paired with a wide 150mm rear and 110mm tire on 17” cast aluminum wheels, provide a comfortable and very maneuverable ride. The low, long swing arm contributes to the stability of the bike, without unnecessarily lengthening the wheelbase. It’s a fun, confidence-inspiring ride that’s great for new riders, as well as experienced. This is a very fun bike that’s practical for every day commuting, or some weekend fun outside the city.
One thing that I was quick to notice upon first looking at the bike was the exhaust configuration. Due to the unique engine orientation; the exhaust comes out of the engine from the rear, rather than the front, thus optimizing exhaust flow with less bends in the exhaust pipe work, while at the same time leaving more room in the front of the engine, creating a large air intake which takes up almost the entire front end of the bike from the headlight and below. This has also allowed for the oil filter to be easily accessible at the front of the engine, which will make changing your own oil a cinch.
The Bavarians have certainly hit the ball out of the park with the 2017 BMW G310R. Although you are not able to order the G310 with “factory” options or packages, you are however able to add accessories from the Aftersales Accessories catalogue for retrofit, making it just as customizable as any other BMW motorcycle. That said, the most surprising thing about the G310R is its price. Coming in at a very affordable $5250 ($5325 as tested with the paint scheme), it sits cheaper than its closest priced competitors. This makes the G310R the best-priced bike in its segment. With standard ABS, and 3 year warranty in Canada, it’s very hard to find any faults or short comings associated with the G310R. You can expect to see the G310R on Canadian roads in the summer of 2017.
First Ride: 2017 BMW G310R Gallery
See Also:
