BMW G 310 R

What comes to your mind when you think of the BS4 BMW G 310 R? Unreasonably expensive? Spot on, we’d say. To add to this, we felt the bike lacked features compared to its competition and had a vibey motor that ate into its fun factor. It was pretty much the same case with the Apache RR 310. However, TVS really put their heart and soul into the RR’s BS6 iteration, making it one heck of a proposition. It’s largely vibe-free, rides better and packs a ton of features. 

So does the BS6 G 310 R follow the same path? Has BMW ironed out the Beemer's shortcomings? Well, the spec sheet might not tell a very different story from its previous iteration. But there are some much needed improvements here, and thanks to a lower price tag of Rs 2.45 lakh (ex-showroom), it’s a lot more accessible than before as well.

The overall silhouette of the bike remains pretty much unchanged, but there are subtle design updates that add to the G 310 R’s appeal. The devil really is in the details. The LED headlight, for instance, is all new and features a unique U-shaped LED DRL and the BMW logo etched onto it. Is it practical though? In terms of illumination, the low beam has good throw and lights up dark roads pretty well. As for the high beam, we wished it had a bit more throw which would help light upfor dimly lit highways.

The new LED winkers designed to look like boomerangs are yet another design detail enthusiasts would appreciate. The fuel tank, as well as the floating tank extensions, have been redesigned whichand carry over the mass -forward styling from the litre-class S 1000 R. The rest of the bike is pretty much the same. Overall build quality is typical BMW, solid with premium material finishes all over.

Featured packed bikes are pretty much the norms these days. While the BS4 G 310 R felt a bit lacking in this department, the BS6 bridges the gap between it and its rivals to some extent. You have LED lights all around, which we already spoke about. Additional creature comforts include adjustable clutch and brake levers which will help you fine tune the lever reach as per your hand size. I for one have average sized hands and found this particularly helpful and less strenuous. 

Also taking the load of the clutch lever is a slip and assist function. The clutch feel is a lot lighter compared to the BS4 model. It’s as easy as pulling on the lever with just two fingers. Hard downshifts are also possible thanks to the slipper clutch, which helps you brake late into corners without worrying about wheel hops.

BMW could have taken a leaf out of TVS’ book and offered a full-colour TFT display, which could have earned the baby Beemer a few extra brownie points. But it chose to stick to the same old LCD screen to keep costs in check. Having said that, the LCD screen does just fine for now and is quite legible even in broad daylight.

The one leaf they did take out of TVS’ book is GTT or Glide Through Traffic, although BMW calls this “Automatic Idle Speed Increase.” This feature works wonders on the BS6 G 310 R. It’s so much easier to ride in peak city traffic or just ambling around at slow speeds -- just slot the gear as per the speed and toddle along by just modulating the clutch. Oh and ride-by-wire throttle now comes as part for the standard equipment.

There’s no difference in the powertrain: it still packs the same 313cc single-cylinder engine with the same power outputs. The difference lies is the catalytic converter and the ECU, as is the case with all BS6 bikes. While the spec sheet says there is no difference in performance, real world tests say otherwise. The engine feels a bit restricted power-wise, which is down to the larger cat con and stricter emission norms. And the results are pretty evident in our performance runs.

There is no change in the BS6 G 310 R’s underlying hardware but the German manufacturer has tinkered with the suspension tune to make it slightly firmer. While the previous suspension setup was pliant, it felt a bit wallowy with a pillion on board. The retune on the BS6 model allows for a more composed ride with a pillion. It flattens out bumps and undulations with ease. 

The light front end allows you to throw it into a corner with the chassis and suspension setup acting as anchors, allowing you to hold the line, and correct it if need be, quite easily. That said, the handling capabilities of the BMW G 310 R far outweigh the grip of its Michelin Pilot Street tyres. We’d suggest you swap them out for a pair of Michelin Road 5’s instead. These grippy tyres have proved themselves on the BS6 Apache RR 310 and should help highlight the G 310 R’s true handling prowess.

I’d say the BS6 G 310 R is a lot easier to ride compared to the frantic 390 Duke. So if you’re less skilled and would like to learn the art of cornering, the baby Beemer makes a lot more sense.