We have waited long enough to see the fruits of the partnership between BMW and TVS. Finally, the wait comes to an end after almost two long years with the global unveiling of the all new BMW G310R roadster. The new sub-500cc roadster marks the beginning of a new era for BMW as it ventures into the small displacement category for the first time.
Early October, we saw BMW display the “Street. Stunt. Style” Concept Stunt G310 bike at the Salao Duas Rodas, in Brazil, which is the largest Motorcycle show in South America. It immediately caught our attention and we were left curious and wanting to see the production version this new baby BMW. The German manufacturer has not disappointed us with the bike, keeping all the exciting technical and design features intact for the production version. BMW, in short, says that the G310R promises dynamic performance, comfort and great fuel economy.
Well, enough of the build-up, let’s get into the technical details and numbers of the BMW G310R. The bike is powered by a 313 cc single-cylinder DOHC 4-valved engine. But wait, the crazy part is, the engine is tilted backwards in angle and has the fuel injection system at the front below the steering head and the exhaust ports are at the back side. That’s a 180-degree turn for the engine unlike in any other motorcycle we know of. BMW say that this has helped them keep the COG low and make more space for a longer swing arm which results in increased dynamic handling. The spec sheet says the engine makes 34 hp at 9,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 28 Nm at 7,500 rpm which would be more than decent enough for a bike that weighs at 158 kg. The transmission is a 6-speed constant mesh box which will take the bike to a claimed top-end and an average fuel economy of 145 km/h and 30 km/l respectively.
The BMW G310R features a tubular steel frame with beefy 41 mm USD forks at the front which look awesome and a mono shock at the back. The long Aluminium swing arm with the rigid frame and the well-tuned suspension should provide great ride stability, precise steering response and handling. The brakes are from Bybre with 300 mm disc and 4-piston callipers at the front and 240 mm disc at the back with 2-piston callipers. The G310R comes with 2-channel ABS from BMW as standard. The bike sports beautifully designed 17-inch 5-spoke die-cast alloys which are shod with wide 110/70 tyres at the front and 150/70 ones at the back.
The BMW G310R looks great and also looks promising on paper. But we need to get our hands on one of these babies from BMW to understand what it really is. The G310R is completely developed and designed by BMW Motorrad. But it will be manufactured by TVS in India at a specialized facility and exported to the rest of the world similar to the KTM-Bajaj strategy. We will have to keep our fingers crossed and hope that BMW launches the bike as is without toning down on any of the features at an affordable price for India. The BMW G310R will surely prove be a strong competitor to the KTMs and other 250-500cc category bikes here.