BMW G 310 GS

WE START OFF LOOKING AT THE BMW G 310 GS, ARGUABLY the best looker here and also the costliest, its Rs 3.49 lakh (ex-showroom) price tag putting it out of reach for many. It inherits many design cues from the larger machines in BMW Motorrad’s legendary GS range of adventure bikes and is powered by the 312.2-cc reverse-inclined liquid-cooled single that is shared with the TVS Apache RR 310. The motor pumps out 34 horses and 28 Nm of peak torque, which is enough to get the baby GS to 100 km/h in less than eight seconds, with a top speed of around 150 km/h. On the move, the 310 GS feels punchy and responsive, its 180 mm of suspension travel at either end easily dispatching bumps and bad patches of road, while its reasonable 835-mm seat height should be comfortable for all but the most vertically challenged.

The primary chink in the GS’ armour, apart from the price, is that the motor starts to feel rather stressed beyond 120 km/h, with vibrations making their way through to the rider through the handlebars and tank. Consequently, maintaining these high speeds when out on the open highway can get tiresome and I

Brakes: 300-mm disc with Four-piston caliper (F), 240-mm disc with single-piston caliper (R)

Tyres: 110/80 R19 (F), 150/70 R17 (R)

Weight: 169.5 kg (kerb) found this bike’s cruising sweet spot to be between 80 and 120 km/h.

Heading off-road, the G 310 GS is more capable than those 19- and 17-inch alloy wheels and the plastic bash plate would have you believe. The bike lends itself perfectly to standing up on the pegs and bouncing over the rough stuff. Its excellent weight distribution makes this GS extremely easy to ride off road and it can confidently blast along rocky trails at over 60 km/h with no problem at all. The G 310 GS is definitely a capable all-round motorcycle and while it is a premium offering, it is still by far the most accessible manner in which to realise the dream of owning a BMW adventure bike.