BMW Mountain Safari: Delhi to Ladakh on the G 310 GS

Day 1 and 2- Delhi to Shimla to Manali

The line-up of bikes next morning included the BMW R 1200 GS, R 1200 GS Adventure, the G 310 GS, an R 1200 RT, a F650 Funduro and an intrepid owner on an S 1000 RR. With our bikes fuelled-up and stickered, we were flagged off from Lajpat Nagar, Delhi straight onto a surprisingly empty highway. We were on a 343km journey to our first halt, Shimla. The G310 GS’s 313cc mill felt happy at the 90-100kmph mark as we traversed through the highways of Chandigarh into the hills near Nahan. Even though I was still getting used to the tyres, the bike felt nimble, thus making the job easier. At dusk, we arrived at our destination, Woodville Palace, Shimla. 

On, the second day we headed towards Manali, 246kms from Shimla. And after negotiating through the traffic and bustle of Shimla city, we entered a brief 20kms of winding roads to Bilaspur. At this point, I was comfortable enough to go even faster than I did on day 1. That brief stretch of exhilaration ended quickly as, we were once again slowed down by bumper-to-bumper traffic at Mandi. The G310 GS did not threaten to burn my calves, as it channelized the heat to the front of the engine. Enroute was the dreadfully polluted, 3km long Kullu-Manali tunnel.

I had to halt right after it to ease my tortured lungs and breathe in clean air. As, I dawdled, taking in the sight of the enormous mountains and the vast greenery, the rest of the riders had already passed me. Lost in the beauty of my surroundings, little did I know that I had wandered off-course, 30kms, into Parvati Valley!  I only realized I was lost when a curious local asked me about the G310 GS and where I was heading to. A scared and frantic first-timer with no network, I finally managed to reach Citrus Manali Resorts by using the desi version of the GPS called ‘Bhai sahab Manali kidhar hai’.  

Day 3 and Day 4- Manali to Keylong to Killar

The third day from Manali to Keylong was a 120km long trip. There began our first ‘real’ off-road experience on the trip. So we lowered the tyre pressure, hoping for better traction. The sight of winding, tarmacked roads and lush green mountains on either side were deceptively soothing and gave little indication to what lay 50kms ahead; the Rohtang Pass at 13,400ft. The name literally translates to ‘pile of corpses’ due to the number of people who die trying to cross the pass. However, we were blessed with a surprisingly slush-free road as the rain gods seemed to be on a vacation of their own. So I stood up on the pegs, knees tucked into the accommodating tank of the G310 GS and rode my way down the pass like cakewalk. 

As a city dweller unaccustomed to breathing the thinner air at this altitude, it was not long before I started gasping. While I had to use an oxygenator, the G310 GS did not feel out of breath even then. In the Chenab Valley, on the way to Keylong, the view of tarmacked roads and glaciers were a welcoming relief. After fueling up for the next day, we stayed the night at Tashi Deleg in Keylong.

The route briefing for day 4 made the previous day seem like a warm-up. The journey from Keylong to a camping site in Killar involved off-roading of over 160kms through a gorge with three water crossings, all of which the bike pulled through with utmost ease. About 50kms into the route, I switched off the ABS to the rear wheel just to have some more fun. And fun is what I had; the G 310 GS took all the beating thrown at it with only a few complaints as the front suspension bottomed out.

I felt the rush of adrenaline as I gunned all the 34bhp of power available to me on this 313cc bike over a short stretch of sand through a turn. The next moment I was up in the air and flat on my back. I had crashed! The bike had hit a heap of sand in the middle of the road causing me to high-side. To my surprise, even after the crash, I was still one of the fastest riders that day. It was a tough day up to the Pangi valley, but the view from the camping site at Sural Bhatori soothed the soul. 

Day 5 to Day 7- Killar to Gulmarg to Kargil

Day 5 was going to be one of the longest; a 380km trip from Killar to Gulmarg. However, we had to pass the ‘Death Road’ to Kishtwar; a road that has humbled many egos. Aptly named, the 114km long road is carved into the side of a cliff and is extremely windy and narrow. One mistake and you’d be falling 2000ft straight into the Chenab River. And thankfully, although disappointing some, I lived to tell the tale.

Once we travelled through the dreaded road onto Sinthan pass, our eyes feasted on the most enchanting sunset across the horizon into Anantnag. It was the first time that we were required to ride in the night. And the G310 GS’s headlamp offered good projection and brightness in the pitch dark forest after which we joined the highway towards Gulmarg. The 16-hour ride came to an end at Hotel Nedous with the entire day 6 for us to rest.

On day 7, we started off on a 246km ride towards Kargil. The initial 148kms of the route were good tarmacked roads until we reached Zoji la, the entrance to Ladakh. The 9km long pass is situated 11,575ft above sea level and is one of the most difficult passes in the area. But our luck was shining as bright as the sun that day; it hadn’t rained so we only had to tackle gravel.

Trusting the skills that I had honed over the past week and the Metzeler Tourance tyres, I opened the throttle, sliding over the dusty graveled stretch. The next halt was at Drass, the second coldest place on earth after which we headed towards Kargil. It is here that the historic importance of the rather gloomy place will dawn upon you; a cold desert, mostly barren with long stretches of paved roads and mountains on either side. In Kargil, we spent the next day exploring the city. 

Day 9 and Day 10- Kargil to Leh to Khardung la

We were finally on our way to Leh, which was only 220kms away. The organisers gave us two route options; tarmac or off-road. With the G310 GS in hand, it was only right that I opt for the latter. The road up to Humboting la was paved after which the off-road began to get extremely demanding. The riders had already the limit of their skill set, riding through the pebbled road which had not been used for the past year. While I managed to keep a good pace, the alloy wheels on the G310 GS were holding me back. The rims, I was warned, were likely to crack if ridden hard on such terrain.

Yet, the bike got through without complaining. Unfortunately, my day was cut short when I crashed again, hitting a boulder and falling over. I wasn’t lucky this time around as I got caught under the bike and was left with an injured ankle. Unable to ride, I spend the rest of the journey to Leh in the safety car. 

The next day was supposed to be a day for leisure, but I decided to scale Khardung La, one of the highest motorable roads in the world with the BMW G310 GS. The conditions were unlike anything I experienced before and with a sprained ankle every discomfort seemed amplified. Apart from the sudden lack of oxygen, feeling of puffiness and sub-zero degree temperatures, the bike started to seem like it ran on a 150cc motor. But that is what altitude does to you. The G310 GS managed to make it all the way to 18,000ft and the excitement seemed to magically take the ache away. 

Day 11- Leh to Jispa

It was time to head back to Delhi. Breaking up the journey, our first halt would be at Jispa, 335kms from Leh. Day 11 was the entire trip crammed into a matter of 12 to 13 hours. We began by scaling the winding roads of Tanglang La, the second highest motorable road in the world, without batting an eye. Then, we rode across the beautiful More Plains, a straight, fully tarmacked yet bumpy road on full throttle.

Once we reached Pang, we traversed through a dusty gravel road towards Sarchu for a brief halt. A few kilometres ahead, the Bharathpur river crossing was nothing like the ones we crossed earlier. While the R1200 GS made its way through, the lightweight G310 GS was left to the sympathy of the bystanders who pushed the bike out. With my feet deep in water, it was not long before they went completely numb.

If that wasn’t enough, there was another crossing 200 meters ahead. Just when I was on the verge of getting a frost bite, we halted at a café just across where I rubbed a hot cup of tea on my dead cold feet. As my feet were still numb, the 30km-long journey to Hotel Ibex in Jispa felt like forever.

Day 12 to Day 13- Jispa to Manali to Delhi

With a day’s halt at Manali, the last day was a 535kms ride to Delhi. By now, being extremely comfortable with twisties and broken roads and having fallen in love with them, I didn’t feel as excited when we reached the six-lane highway that would lead us to Chandigarh. Hitting the bike’s top speed wasn’t enough to get rid of the never ending highway with the infamous traffic of Delhi. Thirteen hours later, we made it right back to where we started. And as I parked the G310 GS, a sense of accomplishment and relief set in along with a peculiar longing to go back.

The bike

The BMW G310 GS feels completely at home, off-road. The long-travel suspension may have bottomed out more than a couple of times, but given the conditions it was put through, it did the job perfectly. As we found out, the engine needs a bit of lower end punch for it to feel exhilarating, although it is potent enough to pull you through slush and ruts. The bite and progression of the brakes also is top notch and shows no signs of fading. The BMW G310 GS however, does not feel as good on tarmac due to the vibrations that creep in at the 100kmph mark. 

On the other hand, the thing that amazed me the most was the build quality of the bike. After two near-fatal crashes and putting it through brutal riding conditions and terrains, there were no issues with bolts or components getting loose. The BMW G310 GS sure is a good adventure-touring motorcycle, but it could be made better with a bigger fuel tank and spoke wheels at least, as an option. The Mountain Safari has surely made me more confident with riding off-road and has given an experience that most of the biking community can only dream of. 

Photography by Sharik Verma and Neil Nair