Would you buy again

I had the G310GS for 18 months.
It was great on the test ride and bought it straight away. I wanted to downsize from a GSXS1000. But I also ride a YZFR15 which I have owned for nearly 8 years and over 100,000km. I have no problems with low power.
It was summer whn I bought it. It was fine and had a lot of fun with it.
After a while, the areas where corners were cut started to show.
The stator failed on me at about 5000km and left me stranded. The BMW roadside assistance(which is subcontracted to other road side assistance companies) took 7 hours to get to me. Service was nice but man, that was a hassle.
I got tired of the strange gearing design. First gear is way too long and 6th is too short. Even if you change final ratio through sprokets, I didnt want to increase the revs at 110km more than what it was already running at stock.
After some perspective, the bike was not equiped compared to its rivals.

The experience has left me with a sour taste for the BMW brand. I moved over to the KTM 390 adventure. So far no issues. It was a far better equiped bike with better dynamics. I prefer the looks too. If the 390 adventure was available when I bought the bike, I would not have bought the BMW.

Good question.... Would I buy again.
Probably NO.
1st off... BMW got the styling absolutely spot on! It’s definitely a looker. Also the ride comfort and lightness are up there with the best. And of course you get to ride the BMW badge at a reasonably low cost. It’s good for light off-road stuff too.
BUT......
I’m getting a bit frustrated at the buzzing engine if I try to cruise at 100kph+. It’s just not happy and a view in the rear view mirrors is just a memory! The engine sounds like a bag of nails and is not particularly fuel efficient. My 300cc Yamaha XMAX is a LOT quieter, as smooth as silk, a LOT faster AND does 40km/l as opposed to 33! So much for superior German Engineering!
Items like the air filter are CRIMINALLY difficult to get to. If you’re out in the middle of nowhere on a dusty trail and your filter gets clogged up, I pity you because you’ve got to take 1/2 the plastic off to get to it!
..... oh and the exhaust sound is bloody awful!
So sorry but NO.
If I knew 18 months ago what I know now, I’d buy a Honda CB500X. Not much difference in price. Smooth engine. 130kph all day. Bullet proof reliable.


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I got the BMW intending that it would see me out if it lasts as long as my last bike (20 years). However, having had an R for the day while the calipers were done on the GS I might be tempted to the R as getting on and off the GS can be a bit of a pantomime (and certainly will be when I'm loaded with camping gear in future). My upbringing prevents me mounting the bike Lone Ranger style and the need to lean the bike to the right in order to get the stand up is a poor design feature. The foot of the stand on the R is further from the ground when the bike is vertical for some reason so that is not required on the R.

The air filter may be a fiddle to reach but is well positioned - you'd have a job finding water deep enough to drown the motor whilst staying aboard. As regards off road capability I accept the plastic sumpguard as part of the building to a price (none of the problems such as charging etc can be excused by this though) and would quite happily replace it with an alloy one if I was using the bike on technical off road stuff.

However, for that use the design is flawed. Nobody designing a bike for serious off road use would have the brake pedal and the stand bracket hanging down below the sumpguard line to catch whilst sliding over rocks or logs.

At 90 or so mpg (Imperial) in general use and high seventies mpg on the motorway it is acceptably economical for me. At 8,000 miles the buzz in the bars at high speeds has all but disappeared, though it's still not quite possible to know if that car in the distance behind is a police car😊. I knew from a test ride that it would be busy on the motorway but that's how you get power from a small motor and I wear earplugs so it does not bother me.

I have no real interest in the big models (there's too many bikes in the garage to have room to negotiate sticky oot cylinders) but, to be frank, the main obstacle to a future BMW purchase would be the intransigence of the BMW organisation, from importer to dealer, over known issues and the questionable competence of my local dealer.

I have 3 observations here:

1- The known problems appeared when the bikes were still under warranty, and for most part were promptly corrected by BMW, under said warranty.

2- We have not heard of other problems than those already known of, for almost 2 years now. Most of the threads now relate to farkles ( silencers, seats, etc) or individual concerns.
(not being judgemental here).

3- We were buying a new design, built by a sub contractor, in a emerging ( but technically savvy) economy. I, for one, was realistic concerning potential teething problems. I gambled that BMW would stand behind its product and correct it in a timely mather. I would not have given this confidence to TVS by itself.

So yes, I'm very happy with my G310R, and would recommend it to a friend, who, like me, prefers a lightweight, great handling, and sufficiently powerful bike, for riding on secondary roads (no Interstates for me....to boring). I'm keeping mine which has just gone out of warranty. and has had most of the known problems, except starter clutch. I just wish BMW was not so greedy with it's parts prices.

Maybe if the Yamaha MT-03 had been available I would have had a harder choice, but at the time I bought, coming from my Honda CBR250R, I have no regrets whatsoever !