Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/885168
2017 BMW G 310 GS FIRST TEST P80 RIDE ALL DAY The mini GS has the same engine platform as its G 310 R sister model, with an identical level of tune. It delivers 34 bhp at 9500 rpm with a 10,500 rpm limiter, and maximum torque of 21 lb-ft at 7500 rpm, plus it has a curb weight of 373 pounds fully loaded with 2.9 gallons of gas—24 pounds more than the R-model roadster, with the same fuel load. The tubular steel chassis is the same, too—al- though the GS seems to have a greater sense of substance about it than the R-model. But when you climb aboard you realize that at 32.8 inches high, its seat is 1.9 inches taller, thanks partly to the longer-travel suspension, so it's best for a 5'10" rider to use the footpegs to hop aboard eas- ily. There's a choice of aftermarket seats to lower or lift the riding position, and the 0.5-inch lower one could make the bike more comfortable for female riders, who are a key target customer of BMW's for this new model. This taller stance also delivers a notably more spacious riding position, thanks also to the broad- er, flatter one-piece handlebar mounted on 2.3- inch risers, and the lower-mounted footpegs— which aren't, however, low enough to become an issue in terms of ground clearance. I predict this bike will become a favorite with couriers and anyone else who rides in cities, not just because it's cheap to buy and economical to run—claimed fuel consumption is the same as the G 310 R at 70 mpg—and there's a massively sturdy cast luggage rack fitted as standard on the bike. But the taller stance also lets you see ahead over car roofs, so you can plan your route to best advantage. Together with a cleverly designed, well-sculpted dual seat, seemingly featuring a restful squab that you can rest your lower back against when riding (in fact, it's the front of the quite spacious stepped passenger seat pad), the G 310 GS proved improbably comfy on an all-day ride, thanks perhaps most of all to the complete (Top) Front brakes are okay, but the fork is way under-damped. (Bottom) A proper sized luggage rack will be music to traveler's ears. thought I would be. Regular readers will know that I'm a fan of street singles, quite apart from having road raced them for so many years. But even so, I'll admit that when I saw the route that BMW was proposing I should follow aboard a budget-priced single-cylinder street enduro made in India with just a 313cc engine to vault the Pyre- nees Mountains on, I was curious about how well it would perform, as well as just a little doubtful. But I was also enticed by the challenge of spending a 200-mile day constantly gaining altitude, with lots of diversions off-road to explore the Catalan countryside via rugged unsurfaced cart tracks. These led me to discover beautifully un-spoiled medieval villages all but shut off from the outside world—albeit festooned that week with red-and-gold striped Catalan flags and bunting in the run-up to the fracas of the independence referendum-that-wasn't.