BMW G 310 GS

Yesterday I completed 50,000 kms on my BMW G 310 GS, hence the thought to share a small write-up followed by photos of our bonding over the last few years. This is not a typical review but captures the essence of time spend together with the bike and memories created.
Mine is the first lot bike from 2022. The purchase story goes like this. I bought a Versys 650 in 2019 with the intent of touring. In late 2019, I suffered a heart attack which turned my life upside down. Lucky to survive and post some months of rehabilitation and recovery, slowly tried getting back to biking. Versys felt too big a bike for my condition and long tours were out of bounds. I was looking for a smaller, lighter & comfortable ADV bike and there were not much in terms of choices available. I had tested Himalayan and did not like the engine. 390 Adv was under the longest of speculations. Xpulse felt too puny downgrading from the Versys 650. I had the first gen Duke390 at that time which kept me going for a year or so. That was when the 310GS was launched and it fitted my requirements well. I was sold on the looks of the bike and a small test ride convinced me to book one. I knew the price was on the higher side, but desperate I was for a small ADV bike so went ahead anyway.
The bike was delivered sometime in August of 2022 with a big fanfare. Kolkata BMW dealer was delivering some 40 odd bikes together with festive galore and celebrations including snacks, cake cutting, AV show, talks by BMW reps, and the usual hype. As customers, we did feel special at that moment only to realize the farce later. Post delivery we were all made to ride in a formation around the city. So that is how the bike came home.
Initial ride impressions are well covered in a couple of BMW 310 threads which were very hot at that time. I remember I was very active on those threads sharing ride impressions, issues, niggles, service stories, accessories, modifications, pictures, etc etc. In general, I was very happy with the bike and loved its looks, stance, ergonomics, and suspension, but hated the service experience. During the first couple of years of ownership, I rode the bike everywhere around Karnataka and Tamilnadu with a few trips to Kerala and Goa. Most of those ride experiences and pics are well covered in the 310 thread. In essence, I was enjoying my time with the bike and except for a few niggles here and there the ownership was mostly a pleasant experience.

About the Reviewer

BMW G 310 that's an awesome bike. Too comfortable bike and Its Design is gorgeous. Its pickup is too fast and the sounds are very lovely when starts. If think about buying a BMW G 310 then it's the greatest choice. Don't waste your time searching for any other bike go for buying BMW G 310, Best of luck.

About the Reviewer

This is where the BS6 BMW G 310 GS feels like its leaps and bounds ahead of the BS4 model. Sure, the previous-gen baby GS felt premium too but it lacked basic features which put customers off. The BS6 model has a lot going for it. The old halogen setup has been replaced by a full-LED headlight that ups the style quotient and is practical. The beam's illumination, far-reaching throw and blanket-like spread can light up pitch-dark roads with ease. Despite gaining some weight during the BS6 transition, the baby GS feels quite light on its feet. It packs the same hardware as before which means you get a long-travel Kayaba fork, a mono-shock, and a trellis frame that ties everything together. That said, BMW has changed the tune of the suspension for a plush ride. It’s still on the softer side but doesn’t bottom out anymore unless you push it to its limits off the beaten path.
On-road, the configuration smoothes out any bumps or imperfections with ease. You could almost forget the pothole-ridden roads in India and cruise over them at a steady pace without the ride ever feeling jarring. On top of that, the longer 26.7-degree rake and 19-inch front wheel make the bike more stable at higher speeds, but in the city, the front feels a tad slow to react to inputs. The wider tyres add to the front-end weight and by extension, increase steering effort.
The dual-purpose Metzeler Tourance tyres offer fantastic grip on the road and despite the taller stance of the bike, inspire confidence while turning into corners at high speeds. These are equally good on loose surfaces and egg you to push harder. However, these still aren’t proper off-road knobby tyres so you will find their off-road limit sooner rather than later.
Thanks to the longer travel suspension and higher ground clearance, you have enough room to clear rough roads, small rocks or bumps. The overall setup, despite the alloy wheels, is good enough for light off-roading. The tall and wide handlebars along with the chunky tank allow you to grip the bike better. You can quickly shift your weight forwards and backwards as needed to maintain traction on hills and obstacles, and side to side to level the bike.
Our only quibble is the absence of switchable ABS, which was present on the BS4 model. Having the ability to lock the rear would offer better control over the vehicle on loose surfaces. So, why BMW felt the need to remove the system altogether is a mystery to us.

About the Reviewer

Dear Guys, Bike-wise everything is Good, if you are from the seashore please don’t buy this bike. As very low-quality material was used for the bike, within 3-4 months, the disc brakes of the bike got rusted. How can the bike become rusted within 3 months? I have been using Thunderbird 500 cc for the past 5 years with rust-free. Both vehicles are kept in the same location. Please inquire before you purchase.

About the Reviewer