[G310R News]

It’s the test ride we’ve been waiting for; the BMW G310R being ridden side by side with its main competitors, the KTM Duke 390 and the Yamaha MT03.

Unfortunately, the test ride took place in Russia so that’s why the video is in Russian and it doesn’t have closed captions either. Luckily, the original owner of the video has provided us with a rough English translation in the video’s comments section.

We can clearly hear the bike’s exhaust note when it accelerates from a dead stop in the beginning and its acceleration in the mid-range is impressive. In fact, it seems like the G310R accelerates better than the other two bikes from around 50-60 kmph to 126 kmph. According to the YouTuber, the G310R starts to ride at around 7000 rpm so you’ll have to keep it at higher rpms.

Compared to the Duke 390 and MT03, the G310R is more stable and comfortable to ride even though it’s a bit slower with a top speed of 310 (145 km/h) and has what he thinks is a nasty sound. If you overlook the sound, mostly down to personal preference, the G310R makes a great starter bike because of its stability and the KTM is more of an experienced rider’s bike.

If this video is any indication, Russia may be one of the first countries to get the BMW G310R.

 

[LiquidCool]

The sound isn't the best but it's not exactly nasty when he accelerates. He did mention stability which is both great for new riders and those who want to weave around like the guy in that commercial going downhill. I'd take a stable bike any day over a KTM.

 

[SlickRick]

The sound I'm definitely not fond of. But for a beginner bike, you really can't go wrong.

 

[LiquidCool]

Not really sure what the reviewers are looking for, it's a sub 500 cc bike so 145 km/h is more than enough and you can still go on the freeway with it.

 

[Sidewinder]

It's like riding a grom and expecting 150km/h lol.

Some people just don't posses a basic understanding which kind of makes you question as to how they ended up in that position as a reviewer

 

[bmwrider]

It's like riding a grom and expecting 150km/h lol.

Some people just don't posses a basic understanding which kind of makes you question as to how they ended up in that position as a reviewer

I know what you mean.
It's for that same reason I rather look into communities and find actual enthusiasts that understand bikes rather someone talking about just because it's their JOB.

 

[SlickRick]

Yup. Majority of these people only get the job because they're either good writers, or have a good face for the videos and can speak properly.

A lot of them have no idea what they're actually doing, solely because they aren't enthusiasts. You need to have a passion for these in order to do an effective job .

 

[EvryDayRide]

The g310r may not have the best power at low engine speeds but the reviewer says it has the smoothest engine in the segment. In comparison, the Duke may have more power but it also requires more experience and the bike very uncomfortable its hard suspension settings and extremely sporty seating position.

 

[Sidewinder]

Comfort is definitely a bigger deal for this segment than speed is. This places the G310R in a very good position I think ?

 

[bmwrider]

The g310r may not have the best power at low engine speeds but the reviewer says it has the smoothest engine in the segment. In comparison, the Duke may have more power but it also requires more experience and the bike very uncomfortable its hard suspension settings and extremely sporty seating position.

power is only important to the extent that the every day rider is happen enough with it on local streets and one thing for sure is that the G310R has the power to do that. Maybe going forward all BMW would need to do is improve how power is spread across the power band.

 

[Sidewinder]

I'm sure you'll be able to tune for that though no ?

 

[LiquidCool]

The KTM Duke does have more power but it's not very dynamically balanced and produces a lot of vibration. Also, the bike's aggressive acceleration may be too brutal for India's roads. The g310r may not be as sporty but it'll appeal to buyers who aren't into the aggressive Duke but have no other options.

 

[SlickRick]

I find the majority of people enjoy that smooth power delivery. Once your riding this on the streets, smooth delivery is kind of key

 

[LiquidCool]

Really down to rider preference and what you're using it for. Personally prefer the g310r's smooth delivery for city riding and the lack of vibration would be better for long weekend rides.

 

[EvryDayRide]

With you on that. don't really want to get bar end weights and other things just to reduce the KTM's vibration.

 

[LiquidCool]

There's going to be a shootout between these bikes once the G310R is out since there's so much competition in this segment.

 

[Sidewinder]

I love watching shootouts. Really nice to see them in one video performing the same tasks rather than having to jump video to video and try to factor in different variables.

 

[EvryDayRide]

I think it'd be great to have new riders test the bike. Bikes like these will make great starter bikes and what better way to draw in the new riders than have new riders give them a review?

 

[Sidewinder]

Never actually thought about that. That's actually a really smart idea, it'll be able to give new riders a direct connection and get them to feel a lot more comfortable and skew them into buying this rather than another 300 series somewhere else.

 

[EvryDayRide]

Experienced riders from publications will already have a preference to what they like but new riders are a blank slate. Things like how easy the g310r is to ride, balance, gear shifting, etc will be important.