2021 BMW G 310 R on test [Urban Motorcycle Test in Los Angeles]

Who doesn’t enjoy whizzing around town with nothing to do but find out what a beautiful day it is and see where you might end up for lunch? Also, when it’s rained for too many days in a row, at least by SoCal standards, you don’t let a blue sky day go to waste. Instead, you roll out this 2021 BMW G 310 R, which looks at you expectantly every time you lug another load of laundry into the garage. There are several updates for 2021 worth exploring.

The BMW G 310 R is the perfect bike for urban day trips. It’s small and nimble, easy to maneuver, and the 30.9-inch seat height means I can keep my feet flat on the ground at every stop.

Those are all important, since I’ve joined the post-Christmas hustle and bustle on the boulevard. Drivers are still somewhat distracted, leading to unexpected stops and evasive maneuvers. The 310 is also narrow enough to cut through lanes to get me to the front of the queue and keep me one step ahead of the fight.

I have to twist the throttle well to pull away handily, as the 313cc single’s torque isn’t uncharacteristically low in the rev range. The delayed shifting of the clutch must also be taken into account.

BMW has added ride-by-wire to the 2021 G 310 R to meet Euro 5 emissions requirements. A side benefit is that the ECU is programmed to automatically increase the rpm when the engine is about to stall. This is a big advantage, especially for a beginner bike.

The ergonomics make for a comfortable ride as I cruise the suburban streets of the San Fernando Valley. The almost upright seating allows me to look slightly over my shoulder to keep an eye on the surrounding traffic and see some new storefronts emerging from the economic landscape scarred by COVID responses. The footpeg position is slightly sporty and the reach to the handlebars is natural.

I am blown away by the newly adjustable hand levers. There are four positions to choose from, with the tightest setting narrowing the previously established lever-to-grip gap by about a quarter of an inch. I don’t have small hands – big women’s gloves – and I still found the reach a bit long in the tightest position. Luckily, the clutch lever has a very light pull due to the new assist function, which is joined by the slip function.

Take the winding Sepulveda Blvd. Crossing Sepulveda Pass — a popular, fast-flowing four-lane bypass of the perpetually congested San Diego Freeway with roots dating back hundreds of years — gave me the opportunity to turn the 310’s throttle harder. I pushed back into the seat and leaned into a more athletic stance.

The real power of the short-stroke DOHC single is in the higher rpm range, and I was able to keep an eye on my driving mate’s 500cc twin in the wide, sweeping corners. The Michelin Pilot Street tires performed flawlessly with as much demand as the 310 can muster.

The G 310 R has a single 300mm disc up front, and that’s enough stopping power for expected entry-level and city bike use. Initial engagement is soft, so you have to squeeze the lever hard to get full power out of the four-piston Bybre caliper. However, this is a good strategy by BMW to avoid mishaps with drivers who haven’t refined their hand controls yet.

The bike is equipped with ABS, and it’s not difficult to trigger it with a firm foot on the brake pedal. I didn’t find it intrusive. Instead, having the front brake added for quicker deceleration felt reassuring.

Sepulveda Blvd. has a few well-remembered hard bumps that the G 310 R copes with surprisingly well. In general, the mostly non-adjustable chassis damping is better than expected. I had noticed this in the Valley, where many roads are overdue for renewal. Perhaps because the target audience is less experienced and often smaller, the G 310 R has a little softer suspension, which works well for my 115 pounds.

After a whirlwind ride around Bel Air on the plummeting Sunset Blvd. we reach the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. This brings speeds down again and shows how easy the BMW is to handle in busy environments.

The liquid-cooled single’s performance is smooth and predictable, shifting is spot on and there’s little to manage. At just under 350 pounds and with a three-gallon fuel tank topped up, the tiny bike never feels physically overwhelming, and that instills confidence in riding in dynamic environments.

With so much to see and no schedule to follow, I don’t mind that we were caught by traffic lights on what seemed like every other block. With the eye-catching red trellis frame and red wheels, the G 310 R is fun to cruise and be seen. It’s a sharp looking bike, and the new LED headlights and turn signals add a more modern look.

If we’re on Sunset Blvd. Continuing east, we finally cross the Los Angeles River on Cesar E. Chavez Avenue to Boyle Heights – it’s time to get serious about the food. A few turns later we’re at Lupita’s, a family-run Mexican restaurant on 1st Street.

We park the G 310 R on the sidewalk for a quick photo by the bike rack, head inside and fill up on everything hand-made: caldo de pollo, chorizo ​​breakfast burrito, tortillas, refried beans, chips and salsa. Having eaten twice as much as I should have, I am fortified for the ride back across the river, through the city, into the northern valley.

It seemed reasonable to jump onto the freeway at this point. The sun seems to go down suddenly at this time of year. Once it drops behind the mountains it feels like the temperature is free falling. We had to buy time and the G 310 R can handle motorway speeds. While not quite pinned, I had the throttle almost wide open to keep up with the speeding vehicles.

The 310 R is stable at full speed and the Michelin Pilot Street tires had nothing to do with the rain grooves. On the Hollywood Freeway, however, I notice three things: This is a naked bike, so the gust is relentless at high speeds; The gas tank design is not suitable for gripping the bike with your knees. the hum of the single-cylinder engine at 7000 rpm makes the mirrors almost unusable.

These three observations remind me that while small displacement bikes can be great commuters, that needs to be qualified. Off the Autobahn, the G 310 R is manoeuvrable, narrow and light, and weaving through traffic jams is a pleasant challenge.

On fast-paced roads, the BMW feels comfortable and the expected single-cylinder vibrations aren’t intrusive – you can still get good useful images in your mirrors. A short stretch of motorway is fine, but there are better options if you’re in the fast lane in a major metropolitan area.

Regarding the knee grip issue, someone thought it would be a good idea to design a crease in the tank where the rider’s knee rests against it. While I hadn’t noticed this uncomfortable interface during tooling around town, it was immediately apparent once I hit freeway speeds. I instinctively squeeze the bike to get a secure grip when the wind picks up, but the G 310 R is quite uncomfortable to hold onto with my knees.

Those issues aside, there’s a lot to like about the 2021 BMW G 310 R. The ergonomics, physical size, pleasant personality and engine size make it a very inviting entry-level motorcycle. It makes an excellent commuter bike for many riders and is a perfect city bike for experienced motorcyclists looking for a more casual ride.

Photograph by Don Williams

driving style

2021 BMW G 310 R Specs

ENGINE

• Type: Single cylinder with front intake
• Displacement: 313 cc
• Bore x Stroke: 80mm x 62.1mm
• Maximum power: 34 hp at 9500 rpm
• Maximum Torque: 21 ft-lbs at 7500 rpm
• Top speed: 89 km/h
• Compression Ratio: 10.9:1
• Valve train: DOHC; 4 valves
• Cooling: liquid
• Transmission: 6-speed
• Clutch: Assist and Slipper
• Final Drive: Endless X-Ring

CHASSIS

• Frame: tube frame
• front suspension; Travel: Non-adjustable 41mm inverted forks; 5.5 inches
• rear suspension; Travel: Spring preload adjustable non-link damper; 5.2 inches
• Wheels: cast aluminum
• Front Wheel: 17×3.0
• Rear Wheel: 17×4.0
• Tires: Michelin Pilot Street
• Front tires: 110/70 x 17
• Rear tire: 150/60 x 17
• Front brake: 300mm disc with radially mounted 4-piston Bybre caliper
• Rear brake: 240mm disc with single-piston Bybre floating caliper
• ABS: standard

DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES

• Wheelbase: 54.1 inches
• Rake: 25.1 degrees
• Track: 4.0 inches
• Seat Height: 30.9 inches (options vary from 30.3 to 31.5 inches)
• Fuel Capacity: 2.9 gallons
• Estimated fuel economy: 71 mpg
• Curb weight: 349 pounds

COLOURS

• Cosmic Black
• polar white
• Limestone Metallic (Sport Style)

2021 BMW G 310 R Price: $5045 MSRP

2021 BMW G 310 R Review Photo Gallery