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2017 BMW G 310 R FIRST RIDE P90 hard from speed, but you must use the rear brake hard as well for panic stops, and you don't get the feeling there's much in reserve. It's exactly the same brake package as on the KTM 390 Duke, where I think it works a little better. Pads, maybe? The BMW feels planted in a straight line. It gives no im- pression of being a schitzy lightweight package, in spite of which it changes direction very easily, aided by the good lever- age from the black-painted han- dlebar whose grips are pulled back and slightly dropped. My only criticism is that there wasn't much feedback from the front Michelin tire, which gripped okay at the speeds I was prepared to trust it at leaned over in turns, but seemed to have an unduly stiff structure for a small, lightweight bike like this. Apparently BMW has also homologated Metzeler tires for the G 310 R, and I'd like to try it again with these fitted. I suspect their lighter construction would deliver better feel, and thus increased turn speed from the KYB front end. No doubt about it, BMW and TVS have joined forces to produce a motorcycle that's self- evidently a BMW, but made in India largely to the standards of its Berlin factory. There's an hon- est sense of manufacturing qual- ity about the G 310 R, coupled with dynamic refinement in use. The engine is beautifully fueled, seems strong for its capacity level, and feels essentially un- burstable. While keenly priced, it totally conforms to BMW's brand identity in terms of performance, manufacturing quality, and styl- ing. Its rivals such as KTM's 390 Duke, Kawasaki's Z300 Ninja, Honda's CBR300R and Yamaha's R3—oh, and not forget- ting the excellent Chinese-made Benelli BN302, the sleeper of the class—have all got trouble on their hands, especially as BMW has strengthened its R&D back office via the recruitment of a pair of key KTM executives to lead the G 310 R development team. Andreas Wimmer was KTM's project leader for all street singles, from the 125 Duke up to and including the 690 model range, and was responsible for working with Bajaj on the startup of KTM production in India. He's been at BMW for the past two years, and has now been joined there by his former boss at KTM, Jörg Schüller, the Austrian firm's former Product Manager. These guys are heavy hitters in product development, and the acquired knowledge they bring to the party of working with an Indian partner will be invaluable in developing the BMW-TVS partnership. Because this is only the start— remember Schaller's promise of additional models yet to come on this same 313cc platform. BMW is just getting started in the sub-500cc category. It'll be very interesting to see how things move on from here. CN 2 0 1 7 B M W G 3 1 0 R ENGINE TYPE: ..... Liquid-cooled, 4-valve, DOHC, single DISPLACEMENT: ..............................313cc BORE/STROKE: ..................... 80 x 62mm COMPRESSION RATIO: .................... 10.6:1 ENGINE CONTROL: ....................... BMS-E2 TRANSMISSION: ...... 6-speed, constant mesh CLUTCH: ..........................Wet, multi-plate DRIVE CHAIN: ........................ O-ring chain FRAME: ....Tubular steel, bolt-on subframe FRONT SUSPENSION: ...... 41mm, Kayaba telescopic fork REAR SUSPENSION: ...Kayaba cantilever monoshock FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ................ 5.5 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: ..................... 5.1 in. RAKE: ................................................. 25.1° TRAIL: ...........................................4.03 in. WHEELBASE: ..................................54.1 in. FRONT BRAKE: ......... 300mm single disc REAR BRAKE: ............240mm single disc ABS: ........................ BMW Motorrad ABS WHEELS: ............. 5-spoke, allow die-cast FRONT TIRE: ......................110/70R 17 in. REAR TIRE: ........................150/60R 17 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ...............................30.9 in. CLAIMED WEIGHT: .......................349 lbs. FUEL CAPACITY: ........................... 2.5 gal. MSRP: ............................................. $5790 S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

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