BMW G 310 GS vs Kawasaki Versys-X 300 vs Royal Enfield Himalayan vs Hero Xpulse 200: Spec Comparison

With the BMW siblings set to be launched on 18 July, we pit the G 310 GS against it competition

[Update: Hero MotoCorp has launched the XPulse 200, XPulse 200T and the Xtreme 200S. Head here for the launch story]

Update: BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS Launched India

The entry-level adventure motorcycle category has been dominated by the Royal Enfield Himalayan, but that's about to change soon. Competition is expected to heat up with the launch of the much-awaited BMW G 310 GS and the upcoming Hero XPulse, while Kawasaki also has its foot in the game with the Versys X 300. While a comparison road test will give us a clearer picture on which of these is actually the best bike to go for, here's an on-paper comparison to get the ball rolling.

Features -

The G 310 GS is designed to combine urban manoeuvrability with some light off-roading. It’s 11ltr fuel tank and alloy wheels should give you a clearer picture. As for the adventure side of the bike, the baby GS gets a top rack for soft luggage, a typical off-road style raised beak and a sump guard to protect the engine from harm. The addition of switchable ABS which comes as standard is a big plus for the bike. As for night time visibility the bike features a conventional halogen bulb up front while the rear gets an all LED unit.

Although the G 310 GS might be a thoroughbred German machine which commands a high price due to the badge, it does miss out on some nifty features such as a taller windscreen, spoked wheels, panniers, fog lamps, knuckle guards, a compass, LED headlights and last of all, a USB charger which is a pretty basic feature in most adventure tourers.

The second bike in this comparo which is the closest competitor to the BMW in terms of power and build quality is the Kawasaki Versys-X 300. On the feature front, the X 300 is packed to the core. It gets a semi-digital instrument console, a relatively tall windscreen, knuckle guards, sump guard, crash guard, panniers, a top rack, ABS and fog lamps. And, all this comes as standard from the factory!

Additionally, the X 300 also features a 17ltr fuel tank which is the best in its class and spoked alloy rims which run tube type tyres. With the larger 17-litre fuel tank, it should give a theoretical range of around 470 kilometres on the highway.

The Himalayan may be considered a budget adventure tourer but it’s still a pretty good option considering the only close competition the bike has is the Hero Xpulse 200 which hasn’t been launched yet. Its feature list includes a semi-digital instrument cluster which has a compass inbuilt, a slightly taller windscreen compared to the GS, a raised front beak, a small top rack, bash plate, split seats and an LED tail light. It’s 15 ltr fuel tank it good enough to give a range of 543km. The conventional spoked rims which run tube tyres may run you into trouble if there aren’t a puncture repair shops nearby.

Hero’s Xpulse 200 hasn’t been launched yet, but it’ll still make for an excellent budget-friendly adventure tourer. The Xpulse 200 features a fully digital instrument console which gets turn by turn navigation assist, spoked rims, off-road style raised front beak, a sump guard and single-channel ABS as standard. Furthermore, the firm will also offer a taller windscreen, a set of panniers and a luggage rack at the rear as optional extras. Notably, the Hero Xpulse 200 is the only adventure tourer in this comparison to feature a full LED headlight. Impressive for a budget-friendly adventure tourer, must say.

Engine -

Your bike isn’t going anywhere if the engine isn’t strong enough, especially off-road. We may not know how the engine of the GS fairs, however, we have ridden a version of this motor on the Apache RR 310 which is based on the 300cc BMW mill. A lively engine to say the least.

The 312cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine has a reverse inclined cylinder layout has some benefits to it. For example, the reverse layout of the engine helps in cool much better while a downdraft intake port makes for an 8 per cent gain in fuel efficiency. The gearing of the bike is slightly shorter compared to the RR 310 where the final drive ratio is set up as 16 tooth upfront and 40 tooth at the rear (compared to the BMW’s 17-42 on the RR). This results in a lower top speed of 145kmph.

The Kawasaki has the advantage of an extra cylinder which translates into more power. We’ve managed to thoroughly test the X 300 and the engine although refined, has most of its power produced towards the top. At 100kmph, in sixth gear, there is a slight buzz in the seat and foot pegs, which can get tiring after a while. That said, the X 300 is also short geared and light which makes it is extremely playful on rough roads.

Similarly, through ours road-tests, we can say that the all-new air-cooled, 411cc single-cylinder engine on the Himalayan feels refined and torquey. The 32Nm of torque on offer is good but the lack of power is pretty evident owing to the 24.8PS of power on offer. It's the first RE to employ air/oil-cooling. Although new, the engine is known to be unreliable, so if you're looking to buy the Himalayan do take that into consideration.

Even though the Xpulse hasn’t been launched, we’ve ridden the Hero Xtreme which lends the Xpulse its engine. As from our tests, we can say that the short-stroke configuration for the engine is fairly free revving and extremely smooth, but doesn’t feel as quick to spin off the line. The 2-valve setup sacrifices on top-end power for a strong mid-range.

Underpinnings -

The G 310 GS uses a tubular steel trellis frame with a bolted sub-frame as its core structure. It employs a long-travel suspension setup where the suspension travel has been increased by 40mm as compared to the roadster for better off-road capabilities. It uses the same braking setup as well, although ABS is switchable for the baby GS. The G 310 GS sports dual-purpose tyres, however, its designed to be more road biased. Putting the anchor down on the GS is a single 300mm disc with a 4-piston caliper at the front, while the rear gets a 240mm disk, fixed to a single-piston caliper.

The tubular diamond-type frame on the Versys-X 300 gets a new longer-travel suspension. The front has fatter 41mm telescopic forks with 130mm travel. At the back is a gas-charged bottom-linked monoshock with adjustable preload and 148mm of suspension travel. Its wheelbase, at 1450mm, is 45mm longer than the Ninja 300, while its rake, at 24.4 degrees, is sharper than the Ninja as well. So while the longer wheelbase imparts stability, the sharper rake means quicker steering. Its single 290mm front disc and 220mm rear disc has a progressive bite which is aided by the ABS. However, you do not have an option to disable ABS, which is a disadvantage, especially off-road.

The Himalayan's half-duplex split cradle frame has been developed by the folks at Harris in the UK. Owing to the fine-tuning, the bike feels extremely flickable, light, nimble and surefooted. It's 41mm telescopic forks at the front with 200 mm of travel and the bottom-linked rear monoshock with 180mm of travel is well-perfected. The single disc at both ends coupled with the Bybre caliper works well, providing ample confidence irrespective of the terrain.

Unfortunately, we don’t have much information on the Xpulse’s dimensions, however, we can tell you that the budget adventure tourer gets 37mm telescopic front forks, which offer 190mm of travel, and a rear monoshock that provides 170mm of travel. Hero has equipped the Xpulse with a 21-inch spoked wheel at the front and an 18-inch wheel at the rear. The Xpulse has an aluminium skid plate and 220mm of ground clearance, which is ample enough to tackle rough terrains. With a kerb weight of just 140kg, the Xpulse promises to be light, fun and easy to ride. Braking is managed by a single disc at the front and rear along with the assistance of a single-channel ABS at the front.

Pricing and Verdict -

All ex-showroom, Delhi*

Let's keep it plain and simple, if you’re looking for a quality product with the BMW badge and don’t mind paying the premium, the G 310 GS is the way to go. We, on the other hand, feel the rumoured price of Rs 3.5 lakh is a tad too high, considering the kind of equipment the Versys-X 300 offers. Do keep in mind that if you’re planning on making the GS a proper off-road, it’s going to cost money, along with the expensive BMW accessories.

The Japanese Versys-X 300, on the other hand, offers exceptional quality and reliability that everyone can vouch for. That, coupled with the number of accessories that Kawasaki offers as standard more than makes up for the asking price. Essentially, what you’re getting for approximately Rs 1 lakh over the GS is a properly packaged adventure tourer. And, that's our pick in our adventure comparison.

Having considered all the above points, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly ADV, the Himalayan is the way to go. At this point in time, its the only adventure tourer under Rs 2 lakh, although we would like to point out that the bike has a history of being unreliable. So, do tread carefully.

Last but not the least, if you’re tight on cash and cannot rely on the RE, we’d suggest you wait for a while until the launch of Hero’s Xpulse. The budget-friendly ADV offers better features and optional accessories compared to the RE Himalayan.