We provided you will all of the details regarding BMW’s new lightweight single, the G 310 R, but here are the highlights (straight from BMW’s press material):
- Innovative liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine with two overhead camshafts, backward-tilted cylinder and intake tract positioned at the front.
- Output 25 kW (34 hp) at 9 500 rpm and a maximum torque of 28 Nm at 7 500 rpm.
- Rigid tubular steel frame, upside-down fork and long swinging arm for a high degree of ride stability, precise steering response and sound handling.
- Tyres 110/70 R 17 at front and 150/60 R 17 at rear.
- High-performance brake system and ABS as standard.
- Sophisticated ergonomics and multifunctional instrument cluster.
- Low seat height of just 785 millimetres.
- Dynamic roadster design with echoes of the S 1000 R.
- Developed in Munich by BMW Motorrad – produced in India by cooperation partner TVS Motor Company.
- Individually tailored optional accessories in the familiar high quality typical of BMW Motorrad.
Now, we have the following video from BMW which highlights the new bike’s features and gives you a close look at the new machine. The bike should be in U.S. dealers some time next year, but we do not yet have specifics on the date or pricing.
See more of MD’s great photography:
Cool, but the future’s been here for 20 years with the Kawasaki EX 250/300 Ninja. Great bike no matter what your level of experience.
Well… If it had luggage capacity similar to that of my 2008 K1200gt it would be a no brainer, but of course it does not and given the bike’s diminutive size that much hard case and trunk would look ludacris. I used to commute on the K bike (my cage was a Sub WRX with 15 MPG city) and the 36 MPG of the K bike was worth the full gear and all I wore, rain or shine (pass on ice and snow). The WRX is gone, replaced by a Ford C-Max that gets 43 MPG consistently in town (acceleration is a Rorer 714 experience) and the K bike will follow the WRX out the door this coming Spring. It’s just silly to keep a bike like that in the garage for maybe 1000 miles a year. The ’71 BSA Lightning will be my sole bike. The soft panniers and tail bag can carry moderate groceries or my riding kit save helmet, and believe it or not the thing is dead on reliable once the electrics got sorted. The RG500 (my namesake), heh, a priapetic baboon on acid. You never knew if you were going to get buggered, bitten or both, and somehow the prospect gave you a frisson of anticipation every ride. I did not miss it when it parted ways with me.
The emergence of relatively small capacity bikes priced to sell is not just a sales pitch for developing economies. The reality of owning a bike capable of more than 120kph in so many countries is the crushing levels of fines, penalties and loss of license if you get caught exceeding the legal limit.
The Fun Police have made the experience of running a motorcycle on decent roads at safe but illegal speeds a crime of near “unspeakable irresponsibility”. We’re all gonna end up on scooters dressed like the Michelin Man ….. I so hate the beige totally risk free existence that is being forced by the apparently “lill old ladies” that run the place
in my home state 20 mph over is not only speeding, but considered reckless operation. Over 100 mph, confiscation of bike and going to jail is a possibility. They don’t always enforce the reckless op thing but they could if you were being less than cooperative or they just felt like it.
Pretty much every road bike available in the US is capable of all that. The bikes are capable of throwing you in jail, it’s up to self restraint to keep you out.
Whats the point of owning a high powered bike then if self restraint always gets top billing. Never understood lap dances either ….
Bring More Wallet
Wow! What an insanely awesome package! Even USD forks no less!
All it’s missing is a second cylinder. All dressed up, and nowhere to go…
Lol…To add to the never ending things folks whine and complain about on this forum, we can now add where a video may have been filmed, and men in tights.. What’s wrong with men in tights! Hey, if it was good enough for Robbin Hood and his band of ‘merry’ men, it should be good enough for someone else..other than me of course. Ok, I wear them too, but I swear I only do it when I’m out riding and it’s really, ‘really’ cold!
Nice bike. Should make a great every day commute scoot, and week-end fun bike too. And sure it’s gonna’ cost more…it’s got that nifty BMW badge on the tank that says to everyone, ‘I’m a sophisticated buyer, and to distinguish myself from everyone else who is not, I buy only quality European machinery and would never consider anything less, even if I could get essentially the same thing from a number of other manufacturer’s for a lot less money’.
I think I may need one..:)
you can have your nifty little badge that says to everyone you’re sophisticated, ill take a the badge that says ready to race!! sophistication, pbbbbbbttttt!
Not to change the subject but, is the 800GT a great ride? 90 hp.
Reviews were “good but not great” but that’s reviews. I’m actually really curious about that bike.
I spent several days on a rented one and really liked it as an all around bike. I found it to be a comfortable and good-handling motorcycle. The engine wasn’t super powerful, but it made good power everywhere from idle to redline. If “competent” is your idea of a great ride, you’ll probably like the bike a lot. It was more comfortable and a bit more refined than the very similar F800ST (a bike I also enjoyed riding, which the GT replaces) I had rented several years prior.
I would say a test ride should answer your questions, but I found it to be one of those bikes that you warm up to over time. I went from thinking the GT was an decent but bland motorcycle during the first day of riding to being quite enamored with it by the time I turned it in five days later.
I owned on for about a year. It was comfy solo or two up and got great mileage. The TPMS and heated grips were great. The hard cases were fantastic. The brakes are great, even if you can stop the bike completely using the front brakes without activating the brake light. I commuted 40 miles each way on it and took a couple road trips on it, including a day on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and it was great for both uses. Its a sensible, comfortable, capable bike.
But the motor is boring, it FEELS fuel efficient. I found myself consistently riding under the speed limit. Its willing to use revs available but it hits the redline too quick. The chassis is soft and heavy, which is great on the highway or on flowing roads but it’s not fun in the city.
I traded it in on a GSX-R and I’m much happier. The chassis and motor are more eager and engaging and feels taut and lively in the city.
Use the front brake…all the way to a stop without activating the brake lights? Huh. Seems like you want to be called “road pizza” by the teen who’s reprogramming their iPhone while finding just which one of the 100s of channels on XM has their football game on.
The brake lights were activated by a certain amount of pressure in the ABS system and required a bit of pull to activate. The rear brake would trigger the light with any pressure at all. I was mindful of always using the rear brake to signal that I intended to stop. Its a poorly designed setup.
Sweet baby Jesus that’s a bad video.
It looks like a 90’s MTV style “I can’t hold the camera still for more than 2 seconds” style.
Are they trying to sell the bike to adults or teens?
Yes
+1
“Are they trying to sell the bike to adults or teens?”
A 300cc single? I’ll bet the target demographic is teens and very young adults. So maybe not such a bad video after all?
I wish the F800R was styled like this.
That was my first thought!
LOL! At 29 inseam for me. Most of the bikes I’ve owned I have to leave it on the side stand or centerstand and use the foot peg to get on. Ditto with the side stand for getting off. Just not a big deal for me, even at 72 yrs old and riding since ’58. 😉
Love the bike and that BMW is joining the crowed on this bikes. Now, bring back your X=Country at a good price. 124,000 miles on BMW’s till they priced it out of my price range. 😉
Maybe it’s just me, but I loathe the radiator cover with the backwards “s” for “zoro”. I think a nicely designed/placed radiator can look purpose-built, and add a tough aspect to a little bike (not that there is anything wrong with that ) trying to look grown up.
The backwards “S” is a stylized “R” I think.
Oh, I get it. “zoRo”
Yeah, I still think the plastic is ugly.
Uglier than a cracked radiator?
Will there be a G 310 RS?
I can’t seem to picture BMW driving around the gritty industrial areas to find a photoshoot venue with the right amount of “Urban Authenticity”. Likely, they called in some well known artist to apply the skillfully placed graffiti on a rented warehouse…
When did British men start wearing ballerina tights?
Looks like a decent bike, but the kid still prefers the KTM 390. So do I.
I love wearing ballerina tights, and I’m not even British…
Right! Time to be off to your session!
I never noticed his pants
The kids call those skinny jeans Kenneth.
This bike looks great for commuting and general around town use; small, quick, easy to maneuver and ABS which is great. I just worry about BMW pricing … let me guess $6K or at least in that neighborhood which will price itself right out of the picture. It’s going to have to be competitively priced with the Japanese alternatives.
Not really, people pay a premium for BMW, whether it is deserved or not. The three year warranty does not hurt their cause either.
Yes, in the market segments in which they deserve the premium like the GS or the RR. There will be no resting on those laurels. This bike needs to prove itself in performance, quality, reliability, and value. The kids that this is supposed to appeal to know nothing about the R69S and the likes that have warranted the BMW premium. With competition the likes of Yamaha R3, the KTM 390, CBR300, and the venerable Ninja 300, this bike will have some ‘splaining to do.
Oh, and the Hyosung too…
re: “The kids that this is supposed to appeal to know nothing about the R69S and the likes that have warranted the BMW premium. With competition the likes of Yamaha R3, the KTM 390, CBR300, and the venerable Ninja 300, this bike will have some ‘splaining to do.”
duly noted. I can only assume BMW’s angle with this is the 1st bike of the wife or g/f of the man who’s already a patron of the brand and wants to keep their motorcycling all under the same roof, or the “sale interceptor” of the person who’s desire to identify with the Roundel is far greater than anything Japanese (think someone with German, Austrian ancestry, etc).
Gosh mister, what’s an R69S?
Something from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
I agree it is a more price sensitive market, but the “kids” don’t have to know what an R69S is to be influenced by the BMW brand. Just about everyone recognizes that brand as “premium”.
Premium because it’s more expensive? Considering all the quality issues BMW have had they are going to need to start giving people a reason to pay the premium. I’ve had five BMWs and still have two but I am hesitant to have anything of theirs from the last twenty years.
I’d like to own this bike but would probably take the Yamaha R3 or some nekkid version of it since I’d want to depend on it every day and not just look like a BMW brand sucker.
Premium because it is a BMW and because BMW has spent decades “educating” consumers that the little blue and white roundel carries with it a pass into the next highest social caste. Quality issues have nothing to do with luxury. BMW has had quality issues forever as have most other luxury brands relative to their non-luxury counterparts. They even emphasize in the video that this is not an “entry-level motorcycle” but a “premium product” in the “lightweight sector.” There, now you know!
All I can say regarding my ownership experience with BMW is bless them for having a 3-year, 36-month warranty because I probably used that warranty more than I used the bike. I will say, though, that women back then thought nothing of that “weird-looking” bike until they learned it was a BMW. Then all of a sudden it was gorgeous. And somehow so was I. The premium was worth it back then.
In a weird way, the lack of reliability makes sense. “As a demonstration of my superior resources, I shall operate a motorcycle that is not only more expensive to buy, but less reliable and more expensive to repair. Also, have you noticed my brightly colored and highly impractical tail feathers?”
There is an unwritten rule that to be a motojournalist or copywriter, you must have an inseam of at least 32 inches.
This explains why 31 inches is described as a “low seat height.”
As someone with short legs (27-inch inseam) who has ridden since 1974, I can attest that this has always been the case. When it comes to sport bikes and sport tourers, the manufacturers (especially BMW) are unaware that people with short legs exist.
And no, you can’t just lean a bike over 45 degrees to climb on it, as has been suggested by many a long-legged dolt.
And yes, removing the padding from the seat does adversely affect comfort (that’s why the padding was there in the first place).
And yes, lowering the suspension does adversely affect ride and handling.
Engineering a motorcycle to be adjustable for a wide range of rider inseams is not rocket science. Manufacturers simply don’t bother.
I have 29-inch inseam and can ride an R1200GS Adventure, so you should be able to ride the 310. Remember, just placing your weight on it will reduce the seat height by several inches.
Inseam measurement and seat height stats are really not directly comparable.
That bike probably has 5 inches of suspension travel. Set properly static sag will be somewhere between 20-30% of that depending on your riding style.
That means when you sit on the bike it will lower between 1 and 1.5 inches.
They would have to compromise on suspension travel or ground clearance in order to make the bikes shorter. I’m struggling to find much empty space under the seat, and still be able to clear the shock. The battery and such have to go some where. I think most manufacturers don’t want to compromise performance to cater to the extreme ends of the range of inseams. It’s cost prohibitive to build different frames for the same bike. Tall people with 36″ inseams often suffer too. That means they must have the balance about right if both extremes are complaining equally. There are a number of cruisers with 25 to 28″ seat heights.
You aren’t by chance related to “Snake,” the resident vast-seat-height-conspiracy guy? It’s a bell curve thing: when you’re out on the edges, mass-produced stuff often doesn’t fit. Just one of those unfair facts of life.
Anyway, seat height numbers fail to account for the width of the bike. That tends to make a big difference, especially on smaller machines.
With respect to climbing on…if you’ve been riding since ’74 I’m guessing you’ve figured this out, but in case not: try standing on a footpeg while you swing the other leg over. Works like a charm.
Re: “I can attest that this has always been the case. When it comes to sport bikes and sport tourers, the manufacturers (especially BMW) are unaware that people with short legs exist.”
They are perfectly aware that riders of all sizes exist, but they are also aware of the percentage splits on the ends of the size spectrum and even more aware that achieving performance goals require that components be of certain sizes and go in certain places. ie. If you have to move things out of the way of the saddle, the bike no longer can be what it needs to be for the majority of the people who will buy it. Unfortunately, motorcycles are made “one size fits most” industry.
As a person on the opposite end of the scale, I feel your pain as there are many great bikes that fold me up too much.
re: “no, you can’t just lean a bike over 45 degrees to climb on it, as has been suggested by many a long-legged dolt.”
gee, can’t you just lean it over a 45…?
Usually when a guy tells me I should be able to ride a bike with a 35″ seat height with my 27″ inseam because you only need one foot on the ground at stops, I ask him how he’d feel swinging his leg over the seat and riding a bike with a 42″ seat height. Then they usually understand.
I feel sorry for guys with 35-36″ inseams though. Must be tough on them too to fold themselves up with some of these high, rearward footpeg models. Met a rider the other day with a 38″ inseam (guy was all arms and legs). Says he can’t get comfortable on anything. Also said he can’t find any riding clothes that fit. At least I don’t have that problem.
Looks pretty cool, and sounds great on several ride videos I found on You Tube.
yes, this is what I am looking for. Can’t wait to try one on for size. We’ll see if that single can hold it’s own compared to the R3. Talking with the local dealer, says that don’t expect it before August of 2016. But I’m staying optimistic for much sooner.
I’m thinking the twin runs circles around this single.
I guess BMW’s definition of low seat height is not the same as mine. At first glance it looks like a Suzuki. I like most of these new small displacement bikes including this one.
Add a decent pair of boots and if you weigh anything north of about 160# I would bet it’d be about a flatfoot for an inseam longer than 29″
Past experience has told me that a 31″ seat height is, unfortunately, gonna be a nut crusher at a stop light. Also most of these bikes have fairly small pegs and fairly short shift levers. Put on a pair of boots with a sole thick enough to make it possible to flatfoot and shifting and overall comfort on the pegs is compromised. I’ll just admire these from afar. And I do admire them.