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New toy in the garage BMW G310GS

3K views 42 replies 9 participants last post by  CoachP7 
#1 ·
The last time I mentioned this bike around here was in the Superbike Remorse Thread where some people want more more more power. In that thread I mentioned that BMW intended this bike for beginners but the real market has turned out to be experienced riders who don't want 500 lb turds that can't handle single track. I've already dropped mine once and in a feat of awesomeness I could pick it up. :D

For guys like me, where power is a non issue, but weight is an issue, this is just the ticket.



I wasn't really looking for an adventure bike that I'm going to head out and do 5000 mile adventures on. Not gonna happen. What I really wanted was a dual sport that's comfortable enough to do a 4-500 mile day if I wanted. This bike fits the bill and is actually kind of unique in the regard.

It's lightweight at 350 lbs dry, 373 lbs wet.

Makes in the range of 30-32 hp in fully restricted stock form at the rear wheel depending on the dyno. That's way more than a CRF250L and about 4hp more than a WR250R. Having ridden both, it feels closer to the WR on the top end with much more torque in the middle.

Feels like it has enough power for me. Then again, my "main" bike is a Z125. Hahah.

Plans: Likely seat and tires. That is all. Seat will be a Seat Concepts Tall, tires will likely be Conti TKC 80s. The OEM tires aren't bad though. Not sure if I want the TKC80s - great traction they have been known to only last 1500 miles.

This bike doesn't look like it's built to a price point at all.

Beautiful cast aluminum swingarm
Trellis frame
USD 41mm dia forks
Radial mount calipers
Stainless steel brake lines
Brembo made calipers
ABS switchable standard
Gear Indicator
Fuel level indicator
Tires that don't suck

It goes deeper than that. The fit and finish is excellent and there's a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. A couple reports of failing water pumps and stators. We'll see if that happens to me. The 18's had a kickstand weld failure, fixed on the 19's. Being honest, I'll probably only own it for a year unless I really fall in love. I've been averaging a different bike every year lately. I'm probably just looking to get the excitement back that I miss after retiring from racing.
 
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#2 ·
I love it. I know the suspension is better than the Japanese offerings, too. You would need to spend 1500.00, or more, to ever get a Versys 300 to that level. Offroad riding always reminded me of being in a boat, regarding speed. 30mph, in a boat, feels like your hauling ***. Offroad motorcycles are similar, and you dont need, or want 1200cc worth of machine smashing you into the ground.

That new Yamaha 700 looks pretty good, but it's going to be at least 50lbs heavier than your BMW and not nearly as fun, offroad. I think your lighter bike would run circles around one, in the dirt.

What's the vibration level like? I'll bet its smooth. I want one.... Has offroad/on road tire technology moved ahead, like our street tires? Can you get a single tire that is good for both? Dammit, I really did not need to be thinking like this. This bike would also be awesome if you happened to get caught in an early winter snow storm...ideal for my conditions..,,
 
#3 ·
That’s a sweet bike Zaph would come in handy back in the mountains on fire break roads or older gravel roads. I know I come across this terrain all the time. The smaller bikes are fun to ride, I love wringing out my daughters ninja 400.
 
#4 ·
Vibration of this bike isn't too bad, There's a bit more up around 70 mph in top gear but it's bearable. It's about the same as my old KLR650.

Honestly, I don't really know where off road tire tech is at. I suspect it hasn't advanced the way street tire tech has. You still have to pick your street or dirt preference. It comes with Metzeler Tourance tires which most say are 70/30 street/dirt. People are getting pretty high miles out of them, some around 15,000. The Conti TKC80's are more like 40/60 street/dirt type tires, probably why they wear so fast.

The power of this is pretty nice. Imagine being on a dirt trail with a KTM 1290 Adventure - one wrong move on that throttle and you just dug a 6" wide ditch with your rear tire.
 
#18 ·
Vibration of this bike isn't too bad, There's a bit more up around 70 mph in top gear but it's bearable. It's about the same as my old KLR650.

Honestly, I don't really know where off road tire tech is at. I suspect it hasn't advanced the way street tire tech has. You still have to pick your street or dirt preference. It comes with Metzeler Tourance tires which most say are 70/30 street/dirt. People are getting pretty high miles out of them, some around 15,000. The Conti TKC80's are more like 40/60 street/dirt type tires, probably why they wear so fast.
I'm loving the Shinko 705's for my DR650. Great on the street. More than adequate offroad. Actually the OEM Bridgestone Trailwings worked fine too. I just aired them down 4psi from street pressures and they did just fine off road. At street pressure though they're a bit scary on gravel and sand/gravel. Totally useless in mud/wet clay. I hate mud anyway so I just stay the hell away from it. Dried Mud is SO difficult to remove!
 
#5 ·
Some where on you tube somebody converted a gxsr 1000 into a dirt bike, you talking about crazy, that thing would throw a rooster tail in the dirt like crazy.
 
#6 ·
Mark, we have a place near us called " Little Sahara" , and like you imagine, it's all sand. There are a lot of old zx6, zx9, etc they use out there. You need a lot of power for the paddle tires, and they are pretty cool to watch.

Zaph, if I did not buy something exactly like you have, and I think I would, but the only other bike that interests me, for dual sport, would be the 2000-2001 Honda xr650r. This one:

https://motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda_xr650r 00.htm

Downside is it would need a street legal kit. It was offroad only, when released. Also, no electric start. Offroad, in the desert, it was one of a kind until ktm's big singles came along. For street, I doubt it would be anywhere near as comfortable, but it's a cool machine.
 
#7 ·
Yeah big paddle tires... a situation you do indeed need some power for.

I almost bought a street legal XR650X years back. They get titled up in Michigan, where all they need is a turn signal kit and a trip to the DMV, then they make their way down to Wisconsin.
 
#8 ·
That xr would be awesome, bit the kickstart thing sort of ruins it. Not that it was a big deal, but hell, there are YouTube videos showing how it's done, so it semi-sucks for everyone.

I think that small , twin size is the perfect combination for the dirt/street thing.
 
#9 ·
The GS310 is not selling well here in India, where it is actually made.

One of the reasons attributed is that it is made in the assembly plant for TVS bikes in a tech sharing initiative and as part of that, TVS gets the same engine, so they have launched a version of the 310 called the ApacheRR and it is literally half the price of the BMW. Though completely diff riding dynamics, I think it is a matter of time before TVS launches something similar.

https://www.tvsapache.com/rr310/

Added to that, the KTM 390 is selling super well here for price reasons. This market is extremely price conscious.
 
#10 ·
Well the GS310R (street version) isn't selling well in the states either. People generally prefer the Ninja or R3 for the same price. KTM 390's aren't selling well in the states because everyone knows about their reliability problems. They just don't have a very good reputation.

In the US market the GS adventure version is fairly unique. TVS bikes aren't aren't available in the USA. But if that Apache 310 suddenly came to the USA at half the price of everything else... you have my attention. :) But they would have their work cut out for them. The dealer network for BMW is well built and TVS would have to overcome a level of mistrust even though their products are excellent.
 
#11 ·
I dont know if I did the conversion correctly, but it looks like the TVS 310...and the one i looked at was configured like an r3 or a ninja 300, but it appears to be priced around 3500.00 American. Is that correct? Its looks good. Higher quality than a Chinese built machine.

That's a high end bike in their line-up. They could sell a million of their xl100's here. Those are only about 500.00. Even if they were not street legal, everyone would use them for hunting.
 
#24 ·
I dont know if I did the conversion correctly, but it looks like the TVS 310...and the one i looked at was configured like an r3 or a ninja 300, but it appears to be priced around 3500.00 American. Is that correct? Its looks good. Higher quality than a Chinese built machine.
.
Yes, your math is correct, that is the price it is selling in India at.
 
#12 ·
Well... India profit margins are about $200 while American profit margins are $2000. Seriously, this is not a joke. The 2019 KTM Duke 390 sells for $2K more in the states than India and it's the exact same bike.

If the TVS 310 came over here it would be a $5K bike and not a single person would buy it because there are no dealers and it doesn't have the watchful eye of BMW to make sure they are doing things right. Or at least that's what people would say.
 
#25 ·
The REs have a bad reputation with reliability and parts falling off every now and then :smile_big:
 
#14 ·
Zaph, those bikes would need a dealer network to do anything here. We do need that cheap, entey level bike.

So true, without dealers, they would turn into those Auto Zone Honda 50 clones, real fast. Now it would be back to square one because no one would invest in a dealership so you could make 200.00 per bike.
 
#17 ·
The Royal Enfield Himalayan does look cool, but it seems like more of a style statement than a capable ADV bike.
There are a ton of online reviews of this bike. Look up Everide on You Tube. He has a dual sport channel that does a very thorough review of the RE Himalayan. Motorcycle Online also did one recently. Most reviews almost always say the Himalayan is surprisingly capable offroad. On paper it seems like it's a coffee run poser bike. But it's combination of low center of gravity, low power with a flat torque curve, gearing, and relatively robust construction, make it VERY easy to ride in rough terrain. No it won't jump over woops in the desert, nor will it blast through deep sand that well, but its user friendliness makes it easier for the rider. The Himalayan would make for a great Bug Out bike.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I've gone down the same road as you Zaph. I think you're on a good path to experiencing light adventure riding. I've done so much online research on dual sports, test rode a few, bought my own (Suzuki DR650), test rode some more, big, small, etc. Done the street riding on a dual sport only. Done the ride hundreds of miles to a destination, do the off road thing, then come back on same bike--basically did the "Adventure thing" the way they did on those online reviews. Did long distance tours too. All this in California. This last part is important because the landscape and the roads that connect them together will almost always dictate which DS/ADV bike is ideal.

My conclusion with ADV/DS riding in Southern California: there is no ideal solution. Everything is a big compromise for either road or trail. Because there are A LOT of high speed freeways here that connect the fantastic trails in the desert and mountains. So lower powered bikes get hammered on the highways. Meanwhile, the bigger bikes, 650 and up are much better on the highway but are a handful on the trails. In my humble opinion, THE BEST compromise is the KTM 690 Enduro. Lightweight even in the 650 air cooled class, but powerful for big highways. Rode my friend's 690 and the thing was a blast on the road and easily cruises at 85+ mph, which is the safe speed in the open deserts here. But damn! It's tall as hell and was intimidating to me if I had to suddenly stop on a rocky trail. If that bike had the DR650 seat height of 35" it would be more manageable.
 
#20 ·
In my humble opinion, THE BEST compromise is the KTM 690 Enduro.
I've already had one (in the form of a 690 supermoto) and I've crossed it off the list for a couple reasons. SUPER fun grin inducing bike that wheelies at will. But it's a bit too high strung, maintenance heavy and uncomfortable too. That bike is gone now, and I have mixed memories about it. Felt like I dated a hot supermodel who was awesome in the sack but a needy ***** for the other 80% of the day. :D

I had quite a few bikes on the considerations list. Ironically, cost was never a factor even though this G310GS only ended up costing $6K OTD including tax title license and all fees. I think the priorities were in this order: lightweight, comfortable, reliable/low maintenance.

Reliable bikes that didn't make the comfort cut:
Yamaha WR250R
Suzuki DRZ400SM converted to dirt (why? the SM has way better suspension)
Yamaha DR650
2018+ Kawasaki KLX250 (awesome update year - new suspension and fuel injection)
Honda CRF250L (also too low on power for highways. 12hp less than the 310)

Any of the "street legal race bikes" failed both comfort and maintenance requirements... but still get me excited because of their awesomeness:
Honda CRF450L
KTM EXC 500
Beta 350 RR (seriously - I have a dealer in my town and this bike rocks)

Lighter ADV bikes considered but still too heavy:
KLR650
BMW F800GS
KTM 790

Fat pigs never in the running: 1290 Adventure, G1200GS, etc
 
#19 ·
The dirt part is simple, isn't it? A great dirt bike is easy to find. That list gets really short when you need to mix in street riding.

I remember my uncle buying 5 of the Honda cl200's. That was the scrambler bike from about 1973. I was riding a full sized Kawasaki 125 2 stroke , at the time, and was excited to ride these Hondas on his farm. They had 18 inch wheels and that, mixed with Scrambler tires, was deadly on sand. That 200 was heavy and it had no power. Rated at 16hp, but maybe 10 in real life. 7 or 8 once it was hot.

All the weight was on the front end. Any turn caused the front end to tuck and smash you into the ground.
 
#21 ·
I did not think about the maintenance, but if the bike was offroad based, it would be insane to try and put street miles on one. I know that Honda is not putting out near as much hp as the offroad bike, maybe it last longer, but at 100 hours you were replacing pistons, buying new cranks and heads, for the dirt 450.

That was for someone like me, who was old. Fast guys were 1/2 of that. Even if the street version lasted 300hrs, that's not much street riding. To do that you had better be doing daily oil changes, too. It held about one quart. I googled the intervals for the Honda 450 and it said "600 mile oil change, 1800 mile valve checks". That's not really practical if you are on road for any amount of time.

Resale was crazy, too. The rich guys soon realized it was easier to buy a new bike, each year, and trade 9months later. During that time they did minimal maintenance, and everyone knew it. If you bought their" slightly used" bike, expect a 2000 engine rebuild, soon.
 
#22 ·
Zaph, I saw the Beta bikes when I was in Colorado. Ft. Collins has some really nice shops, and one of them had Beta. They reminded me of KTM, in a way, but.....

Every dirt bike a person can buy needs things to be offroad ready. Usually this means low quality chains and sprockets, bars, controls, skid plates, and the list is endless. On a Honda, Kawasaki or Suzuki, lots of this stuff is mandatory. Not with Beta. Their bikes were ready to load up and go to the riding area. Fit and finish looked incredible, too.
 
#23 ·
For a while I was seriously considering the Christini Explorer: https://www.christini.com/bikes/christini-awd-450

I have no data regarding reliability or maintenance on their bikes. But I've seen the reviews and a couple of reviews. Talk about a game changer. You no longer have to rely on momentum to get through really rough stuff. RWD on the street, AWD off road.

I'm surprised they haven't cleaned house in the market. The difference here is like a 2WD Trophy truck versus a 4WD one. The 4WD allows one to go slower and safer in my opinion. For the average rider, slower and surer is better.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Anything can be ridden, offroad. This photo is real. Dirt Bike did this, years ago, for their April fools issue. The story is great. This photo is real. Long before photoshop was invented.

Rick Sieman: SuperHunky.com
 
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#29 ·
Oh yeah I believe it. I rode my VFR800 off road. It got beat to **** damaged my headers, and I thought I was going to die a few times too. LOL!

True Story:
I used to ride with this crazy guy who didn't know when to say when. At the time he rode a BMW K1200R. We went to Death Valley. Another guy on a GS1100 wanted to go follow a "light trail" into the desert. I started out as a hard packed gravel road, that quickly deteriorated into a rutted, rocky, trail. One moment the rocks were just large pebbles, the next moment the rocks were as big as soccer balls. The K1200R rider hit a rock, busted his oil pan and puked all his oil. Mind you this was 45 minutes into this "light trail" dirt road and it was 4PM. GS1100 rider had to ride all the way back to town, about 2 hours away to get JB Weld, and Oil back to the trail do fix the K1200R's oil pan and limp it back home. It was the dumbest thing ever. A man's gotta know his limitations.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Did the GS thing yesterday with a group of bikes organized by one of the local dealers,,.
There were four of these 310's, four 1200 boxers two of which were the new 1250's, one was a GSA,.
One F850 and a F700,,.
First time I got a look at the 310's and I got to say they held their own real well on this ride which consisted of Asphalt, twistiness and about 60 miles of washboard, pot holed gravel along a cliff edged road with plenty of big rocks poking through,,.
The bikes were all privately owned and I wasn't on a 310 however I thought they looked more at home yesterday then the big bikes especially the GSA which I don't get? Why pack that huge tank & dimensions around every day when you can strap a reserve tank some where for the odd time you need to go over 500KM's,,.
The first thing you notice on the 310's is they are not physically undersized just because of the small displacement, some of the riders were women and a fairly good sized guys and they looked at home on these bikes,,. You really had to look at them to see the CC's,,.



Have a look at this article on the Versys 300 which is receiving much acclaim as a comparable to the little GS,,.
You ever notice that BMW launches these ideas 2 years after the Japs and suddenly its regarded as Genius,,!!
 
#34 ·
Have a look at this article on the Versys 300 which is receiving much acclaim as a comparable to the little GS,,.
You ever notice that BMW launches these ideas 2 years after the Japs and suddenly its regarded as Genius,,!!
I looked at the Versys 300 didn't like how it compared. Low quality throughout. Cheap steel rectangular box section swingarm, classic heavy side down front forks, braking components fresh out of the 80's parts bin, way less suspension travel, and it's almost the same price.

The Versys does well in comparisons because it's better sprung for fat Americans. That's all it's really got going for it though. Get a G310GS properly sprung for rider weight and it becomes a much better bike. Swapping out the springs is likely something I'll end up doing myself.
 
#31 ·
The Japanese absolutely suck at marketing. BMW are masters at it, plus they have a really strong financing arm.

Triumph & Ducati wants to sell us Scramblers that follow to a T, the original Scrambler creations of the 60's. The Japanese basically designed a built THE BEST Scramblers: The Dual Sport bikes. Brilliant! Even BMW emulated them with the R80 GS. From there, that "Dual Sport" morphed into the ADV phenomenon that's dominating today. You all know that it was Suzuki that designed the duckbill nose right? They put these on their Paris to Dakar replica bikes.

This back in 1988 before BMW started copying them.
 
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