BMW Motorrad India stepped into the burgeoning sub-500cc segment of India last week with the launch of the G 310 R roadster and the G 310 GS adventure tourer siblings. Priced at Rs 2.99 lakh for G 310 R and Rs 3.49 lakh for G 310 GS (ex-showroom), BMW Motorrad's most affordable bikes made quite a stir among motorcycle enthusiasts.
It looks like the enthusiasm has resulted in a healthy number of bookings for the G 310 twins. BMW Motorrad started accepting bookings for the G 310 R and G 310 GS from June 8 and the duo has garnered over 1,000 bookings by the time of launch on July 18, reports NDTV Auto. Though the number may seem meagre, it needs to be noted that BMW Motorrad had no presence in the sub-500cc segment before and sold only 208 high-end motorcycles in the first half of 2018. The G 310 twins are expected to boost the sale of BMW's two-wheeler business in India by a huge margin.
The report also claims that the bookings are slightly tilted towards the G 310 GS. Out of the total bookings so far almost 60-65 percent have chosen for the adventure sibling.
BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS
Both the G 310 R and G 310 GS are developed in Munich, Germany by BMW Motorrad while the bikes are produced at Hosur in India by cooperation partner TVS Motor Company.
Both the bikes are powered by newly developed 313cc water-cooled single-cylinder with four valves and two overhead camshafts together with electronic fuel injection. The engine develops 33.5bhp at 9,500rpm and a maximum torque of 28Nm at 7,500rpm mated to a six-speed gearbox. BMW claims the G 310 twins can accelerate from 0 to 50kmph in just 2.5 seconds and achieve a top speed of 143kmph.
The G 310 R embodies the pure essence of a BMW roadster and its design has been inspired by the BMW S 1000 R. The striking headlamp, muscular fuel tank, attractive trim elements and characteristic roadster proportions give the motorcycle a street fighter look. BMW G 310 R has been employed with premium cycle parts like the upside down front forks and monoshock suspension at the rear. A 300mm disc brake in the front and a 240mm at the rear along with ABS takes care of braking.
BMW G 310 GS, on the other hand, borrows design cues from the flagship R 1200 GS bike. Since it is an off-roader, the G 310 GS forks have a travel of 180mm, 49mm more than G 310 R, while at the rear the shock travel is also increased to 180mm, up from 40mm. The Royal Enfield Himalayan rival gets newly-designed fairing, the 'GS' moniker on the fuel tank, off-road friendly tires and a new engine cowl.
