BMW G 310 GS spotted: Adventure sibling of G 310 R to rival Royal Enfield Himalayan

• BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS launch expected in July
• Bookings are open for the token amount of Rs 50,000
• Manufactured in India at TVS Motor Company's plant in Hosur
• Expected to be priced at Rs 3.0 lakh to 3.5 lakh

BMW Motorrad, the two-wheeler arm of German automaker BMW is inching closer to the launch of its most affordable motorcycles, the G 310 R and G 310 GS in India. Rumors claim BMW will launch the bikes in July and bookings are already open. Cementing the rumors, some units of the G 310 GS have been spotted on a truck, which is presumably in transit to the Bengaluru and Chennai dealerships.

BMW Motorrad India revealed both the G 310 R and G 310 GS at the Auto Expo 2018 and confirmed the launch of the bikes in the second half of 2018. Manufactured at Hosur in partnership with TVS Motor Company, the G 310 R and G 310 GS share engine and cycle parts with the Apache RR 310.

The G 310 GS is the adventure tourer version and it will go up against the Royal Enfield Himalayan in India. While the Himalayan has priced around Rs 2 lakh, the BMW G 310 GS is expected to be significantly pricier at around Rs 3.5 lakh.

The G 310 GS borrows design cues from the elder sibling, the BMW R 1200 GS. It features a newly-designed fairing, the 'GS' moniker on the fuel tank, off-road friendly tires and a new engine cowl. Being an off-roader, the G 310 GS' forks has a travel of 180mm, 49mm more than the G 310 R, while at the rear the shock travel is also increased to 180mm, up from 40mm. The motorcycle will be available with the options of luggage carrier, top box, center stand, LED indicators, heated grips, tank bag, GPS support and GPS Navigator, all spot on for off-road rides.

Both the G 310 R and G 310 GS are powered by 313cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine which can churn out 33.5bhp at 9,500rpm and a maximum torque of 28Nm at 7,500rpm. The mill is mated to a six-speed gearbox.

The G 310 R is a streetfighter motorcycle that will compete against KTM Duke 390, Mahindra Mojo and also TVS Apache RR 310. It is expected to be priced around Rs 3 lakh (ex-showroom). The G 310 R will be premium model with the addition of upside down front forks and monoshock suspension at the rear. It employs a 300mm disc brake in the front and a 240mm at the rear along with ABS.

BMW Motorrad India

BMW Motorrad India started operations in March 2017. The premium bike brand has set up seven sales outlets in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Chennai, and Kochi so far.

The BMW Motorrad range includes Sport models like the S 1000 RR, R 1200 RS and Adventure models like the R 1200 GS, R 1200 GS Adventure, F 750 GS, F 850 GS and S 1000 XR. The Roadster range includes the S 1000 R and the R 1200 R, while the Heritage family consists of the R nineT, R nineT Scrambler and R nineT Racer. BMW's touring bikes include the R 1200 RT, K 1600 GTL, and K 1600 B, which are available as Completely Built-up Units (CBUs).