2017 BMW G 310 R
FIRST RIDE
P88
as its Group Classic HQ elicited a quite different
reaction than seeing it indoors in a showroom or
show. Especially in the Motosport livery, it has a
real sense of substance, a classy sense of pres-
ence that conveys a different first impression than
its brasher-looking European rival that's also made
in India, the lighter, bigger-engined and so slightly
more powerful KTM 390 Duke. The BMW exudes
a visual level of quality that's frankly unexpected in
such a low cost product manufactured offshore.
Only the plastic switchgear looks cut-price, the rest
of the G 310 R components look very BMW, with
high quality alloy castings and forged triple clamps,
an LED tail light, an exceptionally lustrous paint job,
and on this early production model at least, build
quality looks good. This is an inexpensive BMW,
not a cheap one.
Those favorable first impressions extend to hop-
ping aboard the relatively comfortable 31-inch high
seat, and finding plenty of space for a 5'10" rider,
with my knees tucked in nicely to the indentations
in the plastic shroud housing the steel fuel tank
beneath it. The seat still needs a little more pad-
ding just where it meets the tank to be properly
The 310 is
designed to fit
a wide range of
shapes and sizes
of riders.
