[JerryG]

P.S. Pic from training...

 

[JerryG]

@JerryG Offtopic, What Handlebar and exhaust did you fit to the bike?

Sorry, forgot exhaust question: My exhaust is made by Scorpion exclusively for Rally Raid. I like the sound, but I really like the 2.6 kg (6 lb) weight reduction from the OEM.

 

[Kris]

i really do not understand you guys's logic. if you want to go proper off-road, get an off road bike, instead of spending all that money.

 

[JerryG]

i really do not understand you guys's logic. if you want to go proper off-road, get an off road bike, instead of spending all that money.

Your own signature line answers your implied question..

"as you love riding, you need to love you bike"

 

[Kris]

I mean, i spend so much money on my bikes so I do not blame anyone for doing the same. I have Hero Xpulse bike in India that I use for off-roading and crf250 in Thailand. I guess, I spent the same amount of money for each of these bikes than off-road modification for GS. Just saying.

 

[JerryG]

I mean, i spend so much money on my bikes so I do not blame anyone for doing the same. I have Hero Xpulse bike in India that I use for off-roading and crf250 in Thailand. I guess, I spent the same amount of money for each of these bikes than off-road modification for GS. Just saying.

I get that, but It really does boil down to your saying "you need to love you (sic) bike". In college, I bought my first bike, a Honda CB750 and kept it until I bought a Honda GL500 Silver Wing as a graduation present for myself. I added a 250 for off-road (TS, then a YT) while I was in Hawaii on Oahu; riding the sugar cane and pineapple fields was a blast. Before I returned to the continental US, I traded my way from the GL500 to my first BMW, an R100/7. When I returned to the states, I brought the R100/7 and the YT250 with me, but my first experience off-road was dirt roads that had been deliberately strewn with roofing nails. That took the air out of my tires and the wind out of my off-road ambitions. From then until just six weeks ago, almost 40 years, I owned and rode only street bikes and, thanks to the quality I experienced with the R100/7, they were all BMWs. Yes, thanks to modern production methods, I know most modern bikes have comparable quality now, but that wasn't the case during the 80s and that left it's mark on me.

At this point, I have logged some 500,000 miles across 49 states in the US (Alaska is in my plans). When I retired, I knew I wanted three bikes, a sport-touring bike, a sport bike, and an adventure bike. After the R100/7, all my bikes have been inline 3 or 4 cylinders and I've gotten addicted to their smoothness. So, I ended up with an S1000XR for sport-touring (165 HP, 498 lbs), an S1000RR for sport (199 HP, 459 lbs), and an empty spot in the garage for the adventure bike. To me, an adventure bike should be light enough to be OK off-road and comfortable enough to OK on-road for at least moderate distance days, say 300-500 mile days. All of BMW's serious adventure bikes were 500-600 pound behemoths that I had no desire to load up and try taking off-road and their only sub-400 pound adventure bike was really a misnamed street bike whose wheels and suspension where designed for rough roads, not off-road. For the first time in almost 40 years, I started looking outside BMW; I came close to buying a Husqvarna 701 and very close to buying a Honda CRF300 Rally. A friend who had the 701 convinced me against going that direction. Most of the reviews on the CRF300 said it was a dirt bike that was OK on the road, but not so much for the distances I was envisioning. On the other hand, most of the reviews of the G310GS said it was a street bike that was meh off-road, but those reviews came with an interesting caveat, the G310GS could be upgraded to be a real sub-400 lbs GS.

So, that's what I've done, I've created a very comfortable, light, nimble GS that, a couple weeks ago, the lead instructor at the BMW Rider Academy said was "killing it" during their Two-Day Adventure Course. Yes, the R1250GSs and GSAs where doing the same drills, but my G310GS did them with an ease that only comes with being 150-200 pounds lighter than the 1250s, especially for someone who is 62 and planning to ride until I'm 84. As far as I'm concerned, this is what BMW should have produced when they built the G310GS, but didn't because it would eat into sales of their more profitable behemoth GSs. So, that's my answer to your "Why?" But, I'm only six weeks into this adventure and if it works, great; if it doesn't, I'll sell it and try something else while filing away the new memories it's given me.

Sorry if I've bored anyone, but you did ask. Smile side up, everyone! 😃

 

[Kris]

I get that, but It really does boil down to your saying "you need to love you (sic) bike". In college, I bought my first bike, a Honda CB750 and kept it until I bought a Honda GL500 Silver Wing as a graduation present for myself. I added a 250 for off-road (TS, then a YT) while I was in Hawaii on Oahu; riding the sugar cane and pineapple fields was a blast. Before I returned to the continental US, I traded my way from the GL500 to my first BMW, an R100/7. When I returned to the states, I brought the R100/7 and the YT250 with me, but my first experience off-road was dirt roads that had been deliberately strewn with roofing nails. That took the air out of my tires and the wind out of my off-road ambitions. From then until just six weeks ago, almost 40 years, I owned and rode only street bikes and, thanks to the quality I experienced with the R100/7, they were all BMWs. Yes, thanks to modern production methods, I know most modern bikes have comparable quality now, but that wasn't the case during the 80s and that left it's mark on me.

At this point, I have logged some 500,000 miles across 49 states in the US (Alaska is in my plans). When I retired, I knew I wanted three bikes, a sport-touring bike, a sport bike, and an adventure bike. After the R100/7, all my bikes have been inline 3 or 4 cylinders and I've gotten addicted to their smoothness. So, I ended up with an S1000XR for sport-touring (165 HP, 498 lbs), an S1000RR for sport (199 HP, 459 lbs), and an empty spot in the garage for the adventure bike. To me, an adventure bike should be light enough to be OK off-road and comfortable enough to OK on-road for at least moderate distance days, say 300-500 mile days. All of BMW's serious adventure bikes were 500-600 pound behemoths that I had no desire to load up and try taking off-road and their only sub-400 pound adventure bike was really a misnamed street bike whose wheels and suspension where designed for rough roads, not off-road. For the first time in almost 40 years, I started looking outside BMW; I came close to buying a Husqvarna 701 and very close to buying a Honda CRF300 Rally. A friend who had the 701 convinced me against going that direction. Most of the reviews on the CRF300 said it was a dirt bike that was OK on the road, but not so much for the distances I was envisioning. On the other hand, most of the reviews of the G310GS said it was a street bike that was meh off-road, but those reviews came with an interesting caveat, the G310GS could be upgraded to be a real sub-400 lbs GS.

So, that's what I've done, I've created a very comfortable, light, nimble GS that, a couple weeks ago, the lead instructor at the BMW Rider Academy said was "killing it" during their Two-Day Adventure Course. Yes, the R1250GSs and GSAs where doing the same drills, but my G310GS did them with an ease that only comes with being 150-200 pounds lighter than the 1250s, especially for someone who is 62 and planning to ride until I'm 84. As far as I'm concerned, this is what BMW should have produced when they built the G310GS, but didn't because it would eat into sales of their more profitable behemoth GSs. So, that's my answer to your "Why?" But, I'm only six weeks into this adventure and if it works, great; if it doesn't, I'll sell it and try something else while filing away the new memories it's given me.

Sorry if I've bored anyone, but you did ask. Smile side up, everyone! 😃

So you have spoked wheels now? Try to take out the tubes, and seals the spokes with goop. this what I have done with couple of my bikes.

 

[JerryG]

So you have spoked wheels now? Try to take out the tubes, and seals the spokes with goop. this what I have done with couple of my bikes.

I have cross-spoke wheels like those on an R1250GS. The spokes do not penetrate inside the tire, the come out on the edges. That's once of the reasons I wanted them rather than Rally Raid's, which come through the rim inside the tire and their tubeless version has a plastic seal around the interior that's guaranteed for only four years. Here's a close up of mine...

 

[Kris]

I have cross-spoke wheels like those on an R1250GS. The spokes do not penetrate inside the tire, the come out on the edges. That's once of the reasons I wanted them rather than Rally Raid's, which come through the rim inside the tire and their tubeless version has a plastic seal around the interior that's guaranteed for only four years. Here's a close up of mine...

View attachment 16751

That's very nice. I wish most manufactures used this system. it is obviously more expensive.

 

[JerryG]

When I bought, the set was listed by KKE Racing as $1079.00 plus shipping (still is in the link below), but in email discussions with their contact, I lucked into gold rim/black hub stock they already had in California (vice China) for which they gave me a discount to $1025.05 and included the normally $280 shipping for free (from there to North Carolina). I ordered on Jan 9th; they arrived on the Jan 15th.

Link: VMX 2.5*19"/4.25*17" Tubeless Wheels Set Fit for BMW G310GS 2019-2021 Black Hub Gold Rim

Contact: [email protected]

In contrast, had they been available (they weren't and still aren't), Rally Raid's set would have been $1214.82 plus $168.90 shipping totaling $1383.72 and they would not have been cross-spoke.

I'm quite happy with the price I paid and very fortunate that I avoided any supply chain or shipping backup issues. If I sell my OEM wheels, I'll probably recoup at least half that amount back. I haven't decided to sell or keep them yet.

 

[Kris]

that very nice. in the link you sent they are out of stock. I found this: VMX Racing 2.5*19"/4.25*17" Cush Drive Tubeless Wheels Rims Set For BM

but i am hesitating for 2 reasons. first, I don't really use this bike for serious off-roading, and second, I will be probably ripped off by customs here (Thailand). My bike is actually in India, but there the taxes are even higher. You guys in USA are very lucky because the aftermarket parts are easy available and rather cheap.

 

[JerryG]

The link you found is the same KKE folks. I went back and forth with the person at [email protected] before I pulled the trigger; I think that's best given some of the confusion I saw in the web sites (two very different prices). Once our discussion was complete, I did order through the web site they pointed me towards and using the discount codes they provided for the 5% off and free shipping.

That said, if I had no intention to do any serious off-road and I had your customs risk/expense, I'd probably stick with the OEM wheels. If you find the suspension too soft, I'd upgrade that and stop. During my visits to various forums (fora?), I came across one rider who rode his G310GS to the top of Alaska with no suspension or wheel changes. Now that's a lot of unpaved travel, some of which is quite technical and messy. If he can do that without mods...well, you have to make that call based on your riding plans.

My own intent is to rack up a number of Back Country Discovery Routes and some or all of the Trans America Trail, some of which is definitely serious off-road, and I didn't want my bike to be a limiting factor. When the lead instructor at the BMW Riding Academy test rode my bike, he was really effusive in his praise that my bike was night and day better than the OEM bike. I knew I had nailed it at that point. The only thing he really didn't like was how far forward the rider's footpegs were, so I'm brainstorming how to fix that now.

 

[Kris]

The link you found is the same KKE folks. I went back and forth with the person at [email protected] before I pulled the trigger; I think that's best given some of the confusion I saw in the web sites (two very different prices). Once our discussion was complete, I did order through the web site they pointed me towards and using the discount codes they provided for the 5% off and free shipping.

That said, if I had no intention to do any serious off-road and I had your customs risk/expense, I'd probably stick with the OEM wheels. If you find the suspension too soft, I'd upgrade that and stop. During my visits to various forums (fora?), I came across one rider who rode his G310GS to the top of Alaska with no suspension or wheel changes. Now that's a lot of unpaved travel, some of which is quite technical and messy. If he can do that without mods...well, you have to make that call based on your riding plans.

My own intent is to rack up a number of Back Country Discovery Routes and some or all of the Trans America Trail, some of which is definitely serious off-road, and I didn't want my bike to be a limiting factor. When the lead instructor at the BMW Riding Academy test rode my bike, he was really effusive in his praise that my bike was night and day better than the OEM bike. I knew I had nailed it at that point. The only thing he really didn't like was how far forward the rider's footpegs were, so I'm brainstorming how to fix that now.

I have the rear shock from Rally Raid's and front springs from Hyperpro. So suspension-wise i am ok. I changed also the front master cylinder so the brakes are less wooden. And I will soon fit the Smart IAT to get smoother power delivery. I also changed the exhaust, fitted rox risers, etc. I am pretty happy with the bike. I have the bike in Himalayas. The roads are not great, but good enough. I personally did not find the footpegs being too much forward, but I guess it is a personal preference. But i did change the footpegs to SW Motech, which are lower and wider.

 

[JerryG]

I haven't noticed any issues with the brakes or the power delivery, but then my only points of comparison are the state-of-the-art braking and electronics on my S1000XR and S1000RR. Re Smart IAT, what made you think the G310GS needs it?

 

[Kris]

yea, but there is always place for improvement. with Magura MC the brakes are definitely more responsive. As to the Smart IAT, it works similar to booster plug but appears to be more sophisticated in enriching the fuel mixture. The modern bikes tend to be too lean. I noticed for instance, that 2018 model runs stronger than 2021, as the emission rules are getting more strict. Hopefully, the smart IAT will compensate for this. I will test it in 1 month when I go back to India.

 

[MotoMoses]

Just got these new set of wheels installed on my bike, very happy about the result, I think they look absolutely stunning.

They are not from Rally Raid, although I do love Rally Raid products, I feel since it is a small GS it deserves a bit of the big GS style, so i fitted the cross spoked ones on it.

When I was holding the wheels I can feel the wheels are slightly lighter then original ones, I will use them on the greenlanes later to see how do they hold up.

In case you spotted them in the pic, I also removed front mudguard and replaced them with self made fork guards and radiator guards, so the mud won't clog up the front wheel when off roading... I will open another post later once they are ready.

View attachment 16476

That looks so good

 

[RedLighter]

Hello bro!

I am enjoying off-road with g310gs in Korea.
I saw a homemade fork guard in your post.
I did two fork repairs during 19000kms
I want the style of fork guard you made, but I can't find it on the market
Thinking of selling 3d file or products?
please be sure to reply.

 

[normanzb]

Hello bro!

I am enjoying off-road with g310gs in Korea.
I saw a homemade fork guard in your post.
I did two fork repairs during 19000kms
I want the style of fork guard you made, but I can't find it on the market
Thinking of selling 3d file or products?
please be sure to reply.

hey check my post here, they are open sourced:

self designed g310gs mods for 3d printing (brake riser...

hi there, Here are the 3D printed mods (radiator guard, fork guard and brake riser) I made for g310gs, in case someone else find them useful: https://github.com/normanzb/g310gs.git please let me know how do they do for you if you did try them out.

www.g310rforum.com

don't forget to post some pics if they works for you

 

[normanzb]

i really do not understand you guys's logic. if you want to go proper off-road, get an off road bike, instead of spending all that money.

I think g310gs is a great choice within my budget, one misconception from people who is new to trail riding is that you absolutely need a badass mx or enduro beast bike to ride trails, that's completley wrong because:

1. we need a bike that works both on road and off road, most of us don't live right next to trails.
2. trails can be far away, very likely we will need to ride some motorway mileage first, for the same amount of money you can also get a crf300l, but it is less comfortable on motorway, i am sure my prostate gland will hate it.
3. trail riding is not a competition, you want to finish it safely and make sure you enjoy the riding, the nature, the scenary, be fast is not mandatory, while the abs on the front wheel helps a lot.
4. because of 1 and 2, something like exc 250 will not only cost you double the price for the bike, yet it can't be ridden on motorway, no electronic safety equipement, short interval of service is also a hassle,
5. for people who does motorcycle touring, inevitably you will hit some difficult terrain if you travel far, doing off road riding on a relatively heavier bike make you prepare for that better.

the g310gs is far from perfect IMO, the suspensions are soft, ground clearance is not enough, front wheel should be 21 inch, the foot pegs are too forward, but these can be upgraded later or workarounded with technics, within my budget for a bike that i use to sharpening my riding skills and enjoy the weekend with my friends, that's great choice.

 

[normanzb]

The only thing he really didn't like was how far forward the rider's footpegs were, so I'm brainstorming how to fix that now.

I feel exactly the same, please let me know if you have found any workaround.