We popped down to BMW Motorrad East Rand, grabbed the most cost effective BMW motorcycles on the market and took them for a ride
At R123 300 for the GS and R112 750 for the R brand new, BMW’s little 310’s have the lowest price tags of any of BMW’s range of bikes.
By now you’ll know them. The smallest BMW’s have been in SA for a while now.
Both models are powered by a fuel injected single cylinder fourstroke engine, with the R sporting firmer suspension and street styling and the GS with longer travel suspension for adventure travel.
Both bikes are unassuming, economical and fun to ride. We took our Tristan Foley with us to see how the littlest BMW’s bikes would weigh up as a commuter to varsity and back every day, a round trip of around 100KM’s.
We know that the bikes are perfect for that purpose, economical on fuel and peppy enough to do the job. You also need to consider time saving, sitting in a car in gridlocked traffic is not fun, where on a bike, you can work your way through and save yourself hours every month.
The ones we rode are pre-owned units, both in immaculate condition.
Same DNA: So what’s the difference between the two models?
On paper, not much:
Same engine, same power, same six-speed box, same BMW badge. The BMW G310R and G310GS have the same braking system, consisting of a single 300mm front disc and a single 240mm rear disc, along with standard dual-channel ABS. The primary difference in the braking system between the two models is that the G310GS offers a switchable ABS function to disable it for off-road riding, while the G310R’s ABS is not switchable.
The G310GS features longer travel suspension, with approximately 180mm at both the front and rear, compared to the G310R’s roughly 140mm front and 131mm rear suspension travel. This difference in suspension is designed to give the adventure oriented G310GS better off road capability and stability on rough surfaces.
We took both bikes for a little spin out on the East Rand, through the rush hour traffic on the North Rand road, into the suburbs until we arrived at the FK Go-Kart Track on the outskirts of Benoni. There, we asked very politely if we could do a couple of laps on the bikes and proceeded to have Lotsa fun.
Tristan threw a leg over the BMW G 310 R, the naked roadster of the pair. The price on that is R75000 with just more than 6500KM’s on the clock. It was in perfect condition.
Compact, sporty, sharp, and light on its feet at just under 160 kgs.
The bike has sensible ergonomics too, sporty but still comfortable.
It’s built for city life with a seat height of just 785 mm. Most riders can plant both feet confidently.
Fire up the 313 cc single-cylinder, and it delivers a tidy 34 horsepower with cool little growl. Fuel economy? About 3.3 litres per 100 km.
In South Africa’s current market, that means roughly R74.00 to cover 100 km. That’s not too shabby eh Nige?
On the track, this bike was the most fun to ride.
Glenn climbed onto the pre-owned BMW G 310 GS with very low mileage priced at R79000.00.
It’s taller than the R and looks a bit tougher with its 19-inch front wheel.
This one was liberally sprinkled with extras like the bag out back, brushguards and handlebar raisers and an aftermarket seat, branded GS1300.
With 220 mm of ground clearance and long-travel suspension. Compared to the R, potholes vanish, gravel roads can be explored, and speed bumps feel like minor ripples. At 835 mm, the saddle sits higher, with a sit up and beg seating position.
The same 313 cc engine hums along but she does carry a bit of extra weight. Roughly 10 kilos more than the R. She also has a bit more wind resistance which will affect the overall economy. She ran at 3.5 litres per 100 km. Or about R78.00 to cover 100 km. Over 10,000 km, that’s a mere R384.00 more than the R.
The feel between the two on the road is very different.
The R is BMW’s mini sportsbike. Nimble, more aggressive and ideal for the urban grind.
The GS is BMW’s introduction to adventure style biking. Taller, softer, more comfortable and ready to go off the beaten track.
Both bikes top out around 143 km/h, both sip fuel politely compared to your car.
The R saves you a little at the pump and feels perfectly at home in the city.
The GS is waiting to be pointed in the direction of the nearest gravel road, which is exactly what Tristan did when he got tired of going round and round on the track…
Both are a great, unintimidating choice for new riders.
Decide what kind of riding you’d like to do. Select the one that’s built for you.
These ones from BMW Motorrad East Rand.
The BMW group have some ideas about making motorycling more affordable with some of their select finance options.
Chat to the guys, they will make it happen.
