Get ‘em young and keep ‘em keen

BMW AIMS TO HIT BRAND-LOYALTY PAYDIRT WITH THE G 310 R, WRITES MATHIEU DAY-GILLETT

Premium motorcycle manufacturers have a problem in the modern market. Although they have plenty of bikes that riders lust after, these often don’t translate into sales because riders develop other brand allegiances early in their riding careers.

With competition for sales hotter than ever, getting young riders on board has become more important, and BMW Motorrad now has a solution.

The G 310 R is the first sub-500cc bike BMW Motorrad has sold new in New Zealand, with the platform already spawning a second variant in the soon-to-arrive G 310 GS, plus rumours of other models in the pipeline.

BMW previously had only one variant that could be considered a learner bike, the G 650 GS. It was discontinued this year, but had plenty of drawbacks, putting off learner riders not keen on the adventure styling, including a taller seat height.

The new G 310 R addresses many of the shortcomings of the G 650 GS. It’s a tight package suitable for any learner rider, or a rider considering a nimble bike for daily commuting duties.

Its seat height is just 785mm, perfect for those shorter in the inseam, and it weighs in at only 158kg ready to hit the road.

As soon as you swing a leg over the seat and settle in, the package as a whole feels easily manageable. The bars are low, in keeping with the roadster styling, but are easily within reach. When the bike was stationary, my feet comfortably reached the ground.

You do lean forward into a streetfighter-inspired position as a result of how low and flat the handlebars are, but it didn’t result in any discomfort during my ride.