BMW G 310 R Track Review: BikeWale Trackday 2021

The Track

The Madras Motor Race Track is a versatile circuit based out of Chennai. While it’s tight enough to be apt for small-displacement motorcycles, certain sections and the main straight are adequately long and free-flowing to be suitable for middle-weight machines. This 3.7km circuit is a beautiful blend of eight right-hand corners, four left-handers, and three straights. That said, the MMRT is also FIA and FIM certified with a Grade 2 license to host international racing events. And given our pleasant experience here during our previous trackdays, it was an obvious choice for this year as well.

The Ride

The G 310 R is friendly as well as entertaining on the race track. The strongest weapon in its arsenal is its engine. Thanks to the abundance of torque available in the mid-range, I didn’t have to work the gearbox too much. Around tighter corners like C10, where the third gear delivers adequate drive for a quick exit, I entered it in the fourth cog at times and the engine forgave it by carrying on without much stress.

The prompt throttle response also helps the G 310 R’s case around the race track. Every time I felt I was going way too slow through corners, a slight modulation of the throttle with my fingers was enough to adjust the speed immediately.

And then the motorcycle handles equally well. The steering response isn’t sharp to the extent of being overwhelming. It does things when you expect it to do without a hint of laziness. The most fun I had was through corners like C2 and C4 where you come in hot, brake hard, and tip the bike in with a swift movement. The baby beemer felt absolutely in control during such instances. Even at times when I was going wide, correcting my line wasn’t really complicated.

But what I really needed to be careful about was to not lean the bike to its fullest to avoid the pegs from grounding. It happened once while taking on C10, which is a hairpin bend, when I leaned the bike too much. The left peg scraped, the rear tyre spun, I panicked, pulled the bike up, and ended up in the grass. Wishing that the pegs were placed a little higher, I started hanging off the bike more around corners after this episode, for keeping the lean angle in check.

Another area where the G 310 R didn’t excel was in the tyres department. When leaned over, the rear tyre tended to slide under me at times, especially when the bike was tipped in too much around certain corners. Even the feedback from the rear tyre felt unnerving on rolling the throttle hard during exits.

Things were much better through longer and freer-flowing corners where the G 310 held on to its line and inspired a fair amount of confidence. Even the brakes contributed to making the experience uncomplicated. Although they didn’t deliver a tremendous bite, the right amount of progression allowed me to do everything smoothly, without being twitchy.

Chequered Flag

The G 310 R had proven its mettle out in the real world and it delivered an equally delightful experience around MMRT. The 313cc, single-cylinder engine is not only potent for the street but also makes sure you aren’t bored out on the track. Besides the performance, the engine’s gruff and rough character makes it even more fun and engaging. It’s also an impressive handler which only adds to its track abilities. To all the G 310 R owners out there, I would advise them to never shy away from taking the bike to the track. However, maybe not with the stock tyres. A grippier pair of shoes would surely instil more confidence in the rider to push harder.

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi