BMW G 310 R 2016 — Specifications

When Munich decides to enter the small displacement arena, everyone holds their breath. The BMW G 310 R is exactly that: a strategic gamble as much as a stylistic exercise. For a brand whose catalog has long been built around machines with double-digit kilos and monstrous torque, tackling the 300 cm3 segment was almost an act of contrition. Except that behind the apparent modesty of the format, there is a global commercial ambition.

The engine deserves attention because it is frankly atypical. This 313 cm3 single-cylinder, with its 80 mm bore for 62.1 mm stroke, is tilted rearward, with a reversed cylinder head, intake on the front, and exhaust on the seat side. An architecture rarely found outside of certain Yamaha cross machines. Result on paper: 34 horsepower at 9500 rpm and 29.4 Nm of torque at 7500 rpm. It is coherent, lively, designed to climb in the rev range. But facing the KTM 390 Duke, a direct competitor and benchmark in the segment, the BMW G 310 R is down 10 horsepower and carries a dozen extra kilos for 158.8 kg fully fueled. This is not insignificant when competing in this niche.

However, comparing the two machines solely on these figures would be reductive. The Duke plays nervousness, provocation, and the stopwatch. The BMW G 310 R plays something else: brand credibility, careful finish, a certain restraint in temperament that will appeal to those who want to progress without fear. The 41 mm inverted fork, the Bybre four-piston caliper at the front (a Brembo subsidiary, nothing shameful about that), the steel trellis frame, the aluminum swingarm, and the standard ABS outline a serious package for 4950 euros. The announced top speed of 145 km/h is consistent with what is expected of a well-bred 313 cm3, without lies or exaggeration.

The Indian manufacturing, ensured by TVS Motor Company, has ruffled more than one purist. Wrongly, probably. TVS is a massive, rigorous industrialist who did not wait for this partnership to prove its ability to produce quality motorcycles. And it is precisely this logic that explains the overall positioning of the machine: the BMW G 310 R used that circulates in the streets of New Delhi or Bangkok represents exactly the same commercial target as that sold at a European dealership. The blue and white emblem on the tank is worth its weight in gold in emerging markets, where a premium, accessible motorcycle is an almost irresistible proposition.

In Europe, the score is more difficult to play. The price borders on the low end of the premium competition, but remains above the Japanese 300s like the Kawasaki Z 300. What is the ideal buyer profile? A newly obtained A2 license, a desire for a brand without blowing your budget, and the desire to grow on a machine that does not seek to kill you. To consult a complete BMW G 310 R technical specification before purchase, the figures are there and they are honest. Those looking for a BMW G 310 R used will find a well-supplied market, the 2017 to 2023 model years having gradually refined the proposition without revolutionizing it. This Bavarian pocket roadster is not a bolt of lightning, but it has never claimed to be.