Is BMW G 310 R Overpriced? We Tell You!

Are the BMW G 310 twins priced fairly in India? We compare the G 310 R’s prices with the KTM 390 Duke in the US, UK and Germany to find some surprising answers

BMW Motorrad recently launched its most affordable and highly anticipated motorcycle, the G 310 R, in India. Although manufactured and exported from India, the G 310 R has been on sale in international markets for quite some time now. To get an idea of where things stand, we compared prices of the bike from three key markets - US, UK and Germany - with the KTM 390 Duke. As it turns out, BMW seems to be asking Indian customers for a hefty premium when compared to other markets. But how much? Let’s take a look.

G 310 R should be cheaper than 390 Duke!

In the US the G 310 R is USD 549 (around Rs 37,800) cheaper than the Duke. Yes, the Duke costs more than the G 310 R in the US of A! Which it should - after all the KTM packs in more power, more high tech equipment, more displacement and more power. The story is similar in the UK and Germany too! The Duke is more expensive than the G 310 R by GBP 249 (around Rs 22,300), and in Germany too the Duke is EUR 345 (around Rs 27,700) dearer than the baby Bavarian.

In the Indian market however, the G 310 R commands a premium of Rs 59,000 over the 390 Duke. Which means, compared to the global pricing, BMW Motorrad is charging a near-Rs 80,000 - 90,000 premium from the Indian customer! What can be seen as a small silver lining here is the fact that BMW offers a 3 year, unlimited kilometre warranty, with the option to extend that warranty to the 4th and 5th years as well. Assuming that the made-for-India G 310 R is not superior in terms of quality and features to the international-spec model, this price tag seems to be asking a humongous premium from Indian customers for the BMW badge.

G 310 R & GS prices in other markets

Understandably, the G 310 GS is cheapest in India compared to its price in the foreign markets. And interestingly, the GS costs only around Rs 43,000 more in the US market compared to its India price. But in the UK and Germany, it is dearer by Rs 1.08 lakh and 1.17 lakh respectively. The G 310 R is around Rs 28,000 more expensive in the US than in India, whereas in UK and Germany, it is dearer by Rs 1 lakh and 1.06 lakh respectively.

All the three single-cylinder motorcycles are made in India and exported to other markets. It is understandable that the 390 Duke is more expensive than the G 310 R in the foreign markets considering its features and specs. So the pricey tag the baby BMW carries for the Indian market is hard to justify. One of the possible reasons for the premium are that the brand is charging for the badge value to set it apart from the KTM, and also other competitors.

Another reason could be that if BMW prices its entry-level products competitively it may not be able to handle the demand considering the fact that there are only 7 dealerships in the country with two more coming up soon. This number, though, pales in comparison to the 119 KTM dealerships. You can read more about the reach of the two brands here. While we believe the Bavarian brand will offer better quality and some extra brag value, the extent of the price premium for Indian customers over other markets is hard to justify. An ex-showroom price of Rs 2.2 lakh would be apt for the BMW G 310 R is what we feel.