BMW G 310 R 2021 — Specifications

When BMW decides to send a roadster to emerging markets, one could expect the bare minimum. With the 2021 BMW G 310 R, the Bavarian brand played a different game: caring for form as much as function, so that the propeller logo doesn't blush on a small displacement assembled in India by TVS Motor Company. The bet is not obvious, but it holds the road better than feared.

The aesthetic overhaul of this version is striking from the first glance. Exit the neutral face of the first few years, make way for a headlight unit that frankly looks towards the S 1000 R. The LED daytime running light establishes a real connection with the F 900 R and R 1250 R, and that's clever: you recognize the belonging to the roadster family without searching. The new side panels narrow the silhouette, giving more muscle to the whole. What the Euro 5 update imposed on the engine side, the G 310 R took the opportunity to redesign its facade. The G 310 GS, on the other hand, hasn't moved a millimeter. Each has its own strategy. The black spot is the instrumentation: an LCD screen in 2021, while the KTM Duke 390 has had TFT since a while ago. For a motorcycle that plays the card of visual modernity, this is a difficult gap to justify.

Under the plastics, the 313 cc single-cylinder still turns upside down in its tubular frame, intake side front. It produces 34 horsepower at 9,500 rpm and 28 Nm at 7,500 rpm, figures that haven't changed since the first versions. The 6-speed gearbox and chain transmission remain on the program. What changes is the anti-slippage clutch and the Ride-by-Wire throttle control, two pieces of equipment that nobody really expected at this price, and yet change the daily routine. The lightened clutch, in particular, will make a difference in dense urban traffic. The announced consumption of 3.33 liters per 100 km with an 11-liter tank gives a correct range for urban or small road use.

At €5,270, the BMW G 310 R price is located in a very competitive segment. For this price, you get an inverted 41 mm fork, a 4-piston Bybre front caliper (a Brembo subsidiary), an aluminum swingarm and standard ABS. The chassis hasn't changed compared to previous years, including a wheelbase of 1,380 mm. The seat height of 785 mm remains reasonable for an average build. The maximum speed of 143 km/h places the machine where it should be: sufficient for highway use as a backup, not designed to live there.

The target audience for this BMW G 310 R test is clear: the recent A2 license holder, or the experienced motorcyclist looking for a second light motorcycle at 164 kg fully fueled to cross the city without fighting with 100 horsepower. Those who consult the BMW G 310 R used ads know that they hold up well over time, which is a real quality in this segment. Faced with the Duke 390 or the Yamaha MT-03, the BMW doesn't win on raw sensations, but it compensates with a higher finish and an ergonomic flawlessness. To start under the propeller without mortgaging your bank account, it's hard to find better in the range.