BMW G310R

[jeffyjeff]

The "R" stands for Roadster

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Intro and Background
I recently sold my BMW R1150R, and have been looking for a lightweight naked motorcycle that is capable of motorway speeds and reasonable performance on secondary roads. I seriously considered the new Triumph Speed 400, the Kawasaki Z400, Honda CB300R, and the KTM 390 Duke and 390 Adventure.
My search took me to a nearby KTM dealer to check out the 390 Adventure. I’m 6’-0” with a 32 inch inseam, and although I could flat foot the bike, it was a stretch. I didn’t really feel comfortable on it; the seat was too tall and the physical dimensions were larger than I was anticipating. The salesman showed me the 390 Duke, and several other bikes they had from BMW and Yamaha, then took me over to see the G310R.

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Why BMW?
I don’t even like BMW. Six years with an R1150R exposed me to sufficient corporate shenanigans to question BMW as an ethically run company. I’ve been called a “beemer hater” on this forum, and I suppose that’s fair. I would have preferred a Honda or Kawasaki, but the G310 checked off more of my preferences in a small displacement motorcycle: Single cylinder, ABS, monoshock rear, and tie-down options. Zero tie-down points put me off the CB300R and the Z400, and the CB300R has unacceptable fuel tank range. All the 300-400cc bikes from well-known marques are manufactured in India or Thailand, so potential buyers better get used to that idea real quick. BMW’s partner, TVS Motor Company, has a reputation for building durable, reliable motorcycles in India, where most of the country depends on two wheels for their daily transportation needs.

There were six G310R’s on the showroom floor. All were used by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation to teach new riders. All were untitled with the remainder of BMW’s 36-month warranty, and 6 months extended warranty for the MSF program bikes. The bikes were fitted with factory crash bars and discounted $1,600 (28%) off retail price.
I mulled over the options for a few days and then arranged to test ride the G310R and a Duke 390. I seriously considered both marques, but the promotional offer on the BMW was too good to ignore. I offered to purchase if the dealer would throw in the initial service. Sales manager approved, and the bike was delivered to my home that afternoon. I got a 5-month-old motorcycle with 180 miles on the clock (and 37 months warranty/roadside service/towing) for less than the price of a Honda Monkey 125.

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Initial Thoughts
By now I’ve put over 2200 km on the bike. I like it a lot, but after 6 years on an R1150R, my initial foray onto the motorway was a bit underwhelming. OK, so I had to remind myself that this is a 313cc motorcycle. The 310 is challenged in the riding aspects where my R1150R excelled, but to be fair, it excels at everything I disliked about the R1150R; it is light, maneuverable, flickable, with a buttery smooth transmission and a free revving engine. It rides circles around my R1150 on city and country roads. It can easily attain motorway speeds, I’ve had it up to 90mph/145kph. It just needs a push to make it respond. I had a hard time keeping the 7000-rpm target during break in.

Motorcycle school is probably the worst possible environment to break in an engine. Hours running at engine idle and few opportunities for hard acceleration. I believe in Moto Man’s break-in procedure; https://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm, because it most closely resembles the dynamometer runs prescribed after diesel engine overhaul. I rode the little G310R hard for the first 1000 km, throttle pinned and shifting at the factory recommended 7000rpm target. Occasionally hitting 8000rpm, you know the bike is a wannabe hooligan; it inspires ham fisted throttle operation.

Fit and finish meet expectations; paint quality is quite good. Red painted wheels compliment the rest of the bike. The G310 has a very robust aluminum swing arm with a sturdy chain tensioner design. Impressive. It has the longest swing arm I have seen on a production motorcycle; length, swing arm bushing to rear axle, center to center is 60 cm. Side stand could be longer by about 10mm, in my opinion. Overall, I’m very happy with the quality of manufacture. I doubt that Honda or Kawasaki are noticeably better.

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Engine
Configuration is a bit unorthodox; the cylinder is “reverse inclined” i.e. angled toward the rear wheel. Intake and exhaust are inverse of the traditional layout with the air filter and throttle body forward of the cylinder. The exhaust header comes straight out the back with an S bend and more or less straight out the exhaust. Muffler, catalytic converter and header are all one piece, and due to that, not many aftermarket options are available for the G310. According to BMW, the advantage of the reverse incline is a shift in center-of-gravity that benefits the handling characteristics of the motorcycle.

The 313cc DOHC engine won’t win awards for performance, but it’s plenty adequate. The G310 is now in its eighth year of production, and it took 4 years for BMW to really get the bugs worked out. A recurring problem in bikes built from 2017-2020 is stator bolts that back off into the flywheel, often causing catastrophic damage. Beginning in 2021, the bike got Euro 5 emission certification, a slipper clutch, adjustable hand levers and ride by wire electronic throttle control. The exhaust note is a chippy bark, and when you give it the beans the air intake snorts with authority. Some riders complain; I like it. Push the bike hard and it sounds proper.

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Ride
The little 310 is a hoot to ride. The suspension has enough travel and dampening to handle potholes and gnarly road imperfections. It features non-adjustable inverted forks and mono shock with adjustable preload in the rear. The forks easily compress and hard stops result in significant (borderline excessive) fork dive, but it works. I have yet to bottom out the forks or the shock, and the bike tracks true through tight curves at speed without wallowing when pushed hard. I’ve not yet ridden the bike 2-up, so no comment on that.

My old R1150 was great on the motorway, but on technical, secondary roads it was like wrestling a St. Bernard. By contrast, the G310R weighs nearly 80 kg less; it effortlessly changes direction when the road gets tight. The smaller single lacks the torque of the big twin to power out of the curves with gusto, but quick changes of direction do not involve risk of drifting into the lane of oncoming traffic.

The bike rides smoothly up to 75 mph or so. In stock configuration, approaching 80 mph, the handlebar begins to buzz with an engine-induced high frequency vibration. Fitting a one-tooth-larger front sprocket cured the bike of that annoyance.

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Seat and Ergos
The stock seat appears a bit thin in the padding, and my initial thought was that it would be wholly inadequate for any kind of distance riding. I was wrong; the seat is way better than it looks. I’ve been on rides up to 4 hours without excessive seat related fatigue or monkey butt. Knee angle and leg comfort are surprisingly good on longer rides. The riding position is relatively upright, but not as bolt-upright as a YBR. I haven’t experienced fatigue or cramping like I did on the VFR or R1150R. My only knock on the seat is that it steps up for the pillion, which limits sliding back on the seat to stretch. I really prefer a flat seat, such as you find on the Triumph Speed 400. Aftermarket seat options are available, but I haven’t convinced myself that the benefit is worth the cost.

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Fuel economy/range
Stated fuel tank capacity is 11 litres/2.9 US Gallons. I ran my tank down to 1 mile on the range indicator, and on fill it took 10.4 litres. Internet reports have riders continuing up to 30 miles/48 km after the range indicator hit zero, so it appears the G310 holds adequate fuel in reserve. Up to the initial 600-mile service, I was getting around 145 miles per tank. Since then, I’m riding a bit more relaxed and tank range is steadily increasing. My last tank was good for 172 miles. I’m hopeful that as the engine loosens up, it may eventually be good for 200 miles without trying too hard. According to my fuelly report, the bike is averaging 62.4 mpg US/75 mpg UK over the last 500 miles. Best tank so far yielded 64.5 mpg US.

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Instrument display
An LCD display is centered in the console, with indicator lights on both sides. The LCD display is well designed to be visible in any light. I have not once had trouble reading the display. The side indicators not so much. Bright sunlight renders the peripheral lights unreadable, sometimes even if you look hard. Turn signal indicator, high beam indicator, low fuel light, neutral indicator, general warning, abs light, low voltage, and check engine light are all affected by bright sun. Not good.

The fuel gauge, clock, gear indicator, speedometer, and tachometer are always displayed in sharp contrast on the LCD screen. This is my first bike with a gear indicator; I like it – cool feature. Just above the digital speedometer is a multifunction display, which can report odometer mileage, trip 1, trip 2, coolant temperature, range to empty, average fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption, average speed and date. A button on the lower left of the console scrolls through the options. Trip 1, trip 2, average fuel consumption, and average speed are manually reset with a long button press. When the fuel tank quantity reaches approximately 3.5 litres, the low fuel light illuminates and the display automatically switches to “range to empty”.

The tachometer display is a sliding bar across the bottom of the LCD display. It is not as reactive as an analog tach, and in my opinion, not very good. Better than nothing, I suppose. To date, I have bounced off the rev limiter once.

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Modifications
First order of business was to fit my tyre repair kit to the bike. Unfortunately, there is insufficient room under seat for the kit. Have you ever been out for a country ride, miles from nowhere, and incur a flat tyre? Not fun. I once attempted a flat repair using the small, CO2 cylinders to inflate the tyre after repair. They get super cold in use, and even with the neoprene insulator it frosted over; I think they are dangerous. Four CO2 cylinders only brought my rear tyre to 28psi. Now I use a micro air pump; it is not much larger than a cigarette pack, and fits into a nylon tactical pouch I have attached to the rear fender.

iPhone Airtag – Affixed to the fuse box cover with double stick tape, as a recovery aid in the event the bike is nicked.

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Powerlet plug – I could have fit an SAE connector on the bike and ignored the powerlet mounting bracket on the left side of the bike. I prefer the clean design of the BMW powerlet, which I use to power the micro air pump and to connect a battery tender. The powerlet is connected to the battery; fused but not switched. Plugs and receptacles are readily available, and it just seems proper to use the bracket in the manner for which it was designed.

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Camera mounts – I fit some magnetic mounts front and rear for my DJI Action 2 action cam.

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17 Tooth Countershaft Sprocket – 17T is a one tooth increase over the stock 16 tooth sprocket. Inmates on the G310 Forum were talking it up, and I decided to give it a try. Biggest advantage I can see is a dramatic reduction in handlebar buzz at speeds over 80 mph. Really transformed the motorcycle when riding on the motorway. Oddly, when I made the switch, I thought the effect would be most noticeable in the higher gears. Judging from the crappy tachometer, engine speed on the motorway is maybe 200 rpm less at 75mph/120kph. It’s hard to tell, the LCD bar display is hardly a precision indicator.

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Rear Rack – Found a BMW rear rack at an attractive price and had it shipped over from France. The rack is large, and affords even more options for tying down my cargo nets. Mounting was not straight forward; it took more than one attempt to fit the rack. I found that tightening the cap screws in the right sequence is key to success.

Ugly Rumours – Here are some characteristics of the G310R that have been reported in various ride reviews that I disagree with.

1. 1st gear is too tall. Maybe this was true of the Gen 1 (2017-2020) G310s, but it sure is not true with the current generation motorbikes. If anything, first is too low and the gears are spaced too close together. The 17T sprocket mod really helps space things out in that regard.

2. Crappy Brakes. Not in my opinion. I think they are about what you should expect from a bike like this. They work well, they scrub off speed adequately. Maybe they are nothing to boast about, but they certainly are not deserving of complaint.

3. Crappy mirrors, vibrates too much. They are motorcycle mirrors; mounted to the handlebar. They work, about the same as my VFR or R1150R. Nothing to boast about and nothing to complain about.

Ugly Truths – And characteristics that I am in general agreement with.

1. Lack of service manual. Damn this grinds me. No service manual available from BMW, Haynes, or anybody else. The salesman was up front about this when I asked him. Fortunately, the bike is made by TVS of India for export by BMW. TVS makes their own version of this motorcycle called the TVS Apache, and there is a manual available for that. So except for fairing removal, pretty much all I need (torque values, service specifications, etc.) is available in a pdf file that I downloaded free off the G310 Forum. BMW can take their proprietary selfishness and stick it where the sun don’t shine.

2. No center stand. The G310GS has a center stand available, not so the R model. I thought about getting one and modifying it for the shorter height of the 310R, but haven’t talked myself into it yet. There was an aftermarket stand available for awhile, but no longer in production. It must not have been very good. I have a paddock stand that I use on the R, and for now it serves well.

3. Buzzy at high speed. Yes, we know that is true, but good that the 17T countershaft sprocket cured that. Problem solved.

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SUMMARY
Overall, I’m happy with the BMW G310R, and my satisfaction with the purchase increases with the passage of time. It lacks the thrill of instantaneous acceleration of the VFR and it lacks the grunt out of the corners like the boxer BMW could muster. But overall, it does everything else I need it to do with aplomb. Easy to maneuver, great handling, spunky engine coupled to a smooth gearbox, and frugal. Plus, easy access to everything I'll need to get to in order to service it myself. I’m looking forward to riding it up to Oregon, maybe later this year, to see how it does long distance. For now, however, the time is approaching for me to return to Morocco and back to the YBR.

At least I have something to look forward to on my return to the states.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[jonquirk]

That’s a great write up. I passed my test in September 2021 and bought a brand new G310R. I did 7000 miles in 18 months before trading it in for a Triumph Trident 660. My partner rides pillion on both bikes. The seat on the G310R was more comfortable for her but, like me, she prefers the sound of the triple on the Trident.

My longest ride on the G310R was 271 miles, in the third week of ownership. I did 1000 miles in the first three weeks; I went out at every possible opportunity.

I averaged 79.49 mpg (Imperial) and my longest range was 215 miles.

Good luck with the bike, I still miss mine at times. I may yet own another one someday.
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2021 Triumph Trident660
1978 BMW R60/7

[stinkwheel]

Mrs stinkwheel hired one for our bike club trip to the Picos de Europa a couple of years back. It was a slog riding it up the motorway from Madrid to the North but once it got there, we all agreed it was the best bike in the group for the type of riding we were doing (insane twisty mountain roads). It ran rings round the other bikes effortlessly (A Blackbird, 1080 daytona, F800, tiger sport and my big-bore bullet). She passed an inordinate number of big BMW adventure bikes in a manner I hope they were embarrassed by.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[jeffyjeff]

Thank you, guys, for the affirmative feedback. Nice to hear that other riders have had positive experiences with the G310R.
____________________
History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[ElaineSalguer...]

It is my dream bike. I wish I could afford it. hehe. But I am saving my money.

[A100man]

[jeffyjeff]

I’m in California for about 5 weeks this summer. I’ve put 5000 km on the bike since my post on 10 March, 2024, 2900 km in July. Now would probably be a good time to update the long-term ride review.

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ERGONOMICS
No complaint here. I have completed two rides exceeding 8 hours in the saddle, the longest ride was 610 km in 10 hours. The seat, or rather, my bum held up surprisingly well. I still wish I could slide back on the seat to get into a proper tuck, but that is my only gripe. Cushion and leg position are plenty adequate for me. The rear brake pedal is non-adjustable, and some riders fit aftermarket risers to raise the contact point. I would raise it if it was adjustable, but the position is not so annoying that I need to add on extra shit to make it marginally better.

SPEED PERFORMANCE
Occasionally I would like to see a little more top end out of the bike, but it is what it is (313cc), and the mid-range performance is totally adequate. Sprinting out from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Sierra foothills is probably the most challenging task I have asked of the bike, but it maintained 120 – 145 kph (75 – 90 mph) for two hours without complaint. At 80 mph, my R1150 would loaf along at 5000 rpm; the G310 will maintain that speed for as long as I want, but 8000 rpm is 80% of redline. It’s a different experience. The 17T countershaft sprocket really dampens the buzzy nature of the engine at high speed. I had forgotten all about that characteristic of the bike until I recently read a review.

Out in the mountains, though, is where the bike begs to be flogged. It is fun to explore the upper ranges of the power band when you are not droning along at constant speed.

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The little single demands active involvement to keep the engine on the boil, but I hope that will eventually make me a better rider. The instrument cluster has a small 5mm light sensor for the instrument display. I found out that it is also a visual indicator when you bounce rpms off the rev limiter.

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It illuminates, pretty brightly – almost like a camera flash bulb when you hit the rev limiter. It’s not blinding, but definitely gets my attention, even when looking up over the cluster. 17 inch rims give me some good options with respect to tyres. I think I’ll fit some grippy sport tyres on it when the stock Michelins wear out. Been pondering the Metzler Sportec or the (relatively) new Dunlop Mutants.

FUEL ECONOMY AND RANGE
High speed motorway runs definitely take a toll on fuel economy. My aforementioned trip out to the Sierras yielded a measly 47 mpg. At legal speeds, 105 kph or below the bike can easily achieve 75 mpg US (90 mpg UK). Best tank so far was 215 miles on 10.75 litres (2.84 gal US). The bike routinely gets 190-200 miles per (2.9 gal US = 11 litres) tank

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High speed trip out to the Sierras shows up starkly on this fuelly graph.

MODS
Russell Speed Bleeders: I fit some speed bleeders to the brake calipers. Notably, they each take a different size and thread pitch (front M8-1.25, rear M10-1.0). When I removed the cap to bleed the front brakes, I was shocked to find the diaphragm had expanded fully and there was very little brake fluid left in the reservoir. Also shocked to find corrosion on the OE bleed screw. Apparently water had wicked down the threads. The OE bleed screw had no sealant on the threads at all.

HEATED HANDGRIPS
The KOSO Apollo grips differ from their competition by way of a control switch integrated into the left-hand grip. An LED illuminates in different colors to visually confirm which of the 5 heat settings the grips are set to. The design is very stylish and looks like OE factory equipment. And they work, the heating performance of these grips is impressive.

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Anyone intending to install the KOSO grips on a G310 will need to order part number AM111010, Apollo Heater Grip 7/8” + 1” 120 mm. The first pair I purchased were 130mm in length, and were returned in exchange for the correct size. The biggest downside to installation of these grips on the BMW is that in order to fit the right-hand grip on the throttle tube, you are going to have to butcher your existing grip. There is no way around it. The BMW throttle tube and grip are integrated; fused together. In order to fit the Apollo grip, you are going to have to surgically remove the existing grip and padding to access the throttle tube. I referenced this post from Kate/@Moto_Muffin on ADVrider for inspiration and guidance:

https://www.advrider.com/bmw-g310-gs-build-aftermarket-heated-grips/

Wiring
I was led to believe there would be two accessory plugs behind the headlight of my G310R, but mine had only one. Removed the headlight and searched high and low for the plug, it was hiding in plain sight. The accessory connector I purchased from eBay fit like a glove. I wired power to the grip controller and connected the grip leads. Started the engine and powered up the grips….nothing. No reaction, strange. Everything seemed to be in order. Tested with my voltmeter; - 12.65 volts to the controller. What?! My eBay connector had the wire polarity colors backwards.

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Reversed the leads, that is, connected red to black and black to red. Grips work now. I don’t like it. It looks abnormal. Some day, a new owner or service technician is going to look at this connection and think to himself, “what a moron.” Well, it works.

Spent considerable time finding the optimal routing for the grip leads and controller location. The headlight has a massive block protruding from the back side. It has cooling fins on it and looks like it could be a heat sink. It took several attempts to tidy up the cables and controller and still maintain adequate free space around the headlight. If the headlight ever craps out, I’m probably not going to be a happy camper; that thing looks expensive.

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Oh, wow. The Apollo grips work good. The LED indicator displays a different color for each heat setting: Warm to Hot = Blue – Green – Yellow – Orange – Red. Blue is definitely warm, and the heat increases incrementally from there. I’m sure that these grips will provide comfort well into freezing temperatures. One thing, the grip diameter is 4mm larger than the stock grips. I measured OE grips to be 31mm diameter, the KOSO Apollo grips are 35mm diameter. I think I’ll appreciate the larger diameter grips, but I’ll need to spend a day out on the road to verify. So far, I’m happy.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC