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Just saw this thread and I may have a bit of input. I've been trying one in the moroccan desert in february. How it happened was actually quite funny :
We've been riding along the algerian border with 3 friends and were staying in a bivouac (touareg style tents that you can rent for the night) and after diner we saw some fellow exhausted riders come in. Middle Aged german that came all the way from germany to have try a bit those GS310. Funny thing is that they arrived by car, with their support vehicle. They had ditched the bikes in the desert 15 to 30 kms ago, when they couldn't manage to get past the fech fech track. Full of confidence after riding for a week in the sand (with bikes ranging from 250 two-strokes to husqy 701) we offered to recover the bikes for them if they could manage the truck to drop us on the location. We've been there in pitch black night and found the bikes deeply in sand with the OEM tyres and OEM tyre pressure ! Obviously, this is going to be hard without knobblies.... And it was! The standing position was a nightmare and there was way to much weight on the front end to manage anything good...the suspensions was overwhelmed by everything that came at it. The ground clearance could have been way better and the seat was way to low for you to get your foot out in sitting position (for exemple in a rut curve) Don't get me wrong : going straight for the desert with OEM suspensions and OEM tubeless tires and trying to ride in deep sand is pure madness. Those guys didn't have a clue what they were getting into. But even with better suspensions and knobblies, I doubt this bike could go for this type of terrain. The overall bike is too heavy especially the front end, and the standing position isn't good for me. If I wanted something in this price/power range, I would go for a CRF250L, especially knowing that the heavy GS310 isn't more comfy... But surely, this type of track isn't what this bike is made for...It is more road oriented. You know the saying; If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree... |
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Currently I'm running a blog on ADVrider, but will be condensing that (as I have done with my previous trips) as a dedicated ride report here on the HUBB once I've finished this trip at the end of August and have some time to go through it all. I'll also be at the Horizons Canada-West event in a couple of weeks, plus California at the end of September - with the bike and my latest AV presentation about the trip this summer. Jx |
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BMW 310 GS - wet weight 169,5 kilos Kawasaki Versys 300 - wet weight 175 kilos Suzuki V-Strom 250 - wet weight 188 kilos Honda Crf 250 Rally - wet weight - 157 kilos Royal Enfield Himalayan - wet weight 191 kilos Benelli Trek 502 - wet weight 213 kilos For comparison: KTM 690 - wet weight 150 kilos Husqvarna 701 - approx 155 kilos Suzuki Dr 650 - wet weight 166 kilos Say no more... |
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ADV bikes by their nature tend to come with a lot more bodywork/fairing/screens, better lights, far more comfortable seats, a stronger subframe, and usually a lot more fuel capacity too... Add that lot to a 690/701 or DR650 and the weight is basically the same - although at least with the 690/701 you'd get a lot more power and typically better suspension too. Jx |
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and that GS310 doesn't have anything special specific to adventure bikes, that is before you add your designs rally kit :) I agree with heavy weight argument here, low power and lot's of kilograms are not going well in pair. Similar crf250l or 250l rally. Besides, for adventure bikes the most important thing is reliability and that remain to be seen yet for this new bmw model. Looking how some guys using on long trip real enduro bikes like 110 kg ktm 500 exc it's really hard to understand why companies makes such elephants for entry level adventure market. Why bmw don't bring back good 650 x-country model with 147 kg dry and 52 hp ??? |
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But I certainly agree with you with regard to the overall weight of this new breed of small capacity 'adventure' bikes - however, that is almost inevitable - they are built/specced down to a price (who's really going to spend $10,000 on a showroom spec 250cc bike? - certainly not enough people to warrant a mainstream manufacturer building one!) - so if you want a genuinely high-specification small capacity bike, you're going to have to look at modifying some sort of base bike for your needs. In that regard I really don't think there are that many people choosing something like a 500EXC as a base - yes it can be done, and it's a great lightweight platform, but as I mention above - once you've added all the elements of civility, the bike doesn't weight 110Kg any more... CCM came close with their GP450 - unfortunately that was not the ideal engine for genuinely long-distance travel, and they don't make that bike any more. I certainly share your enthusiasm for the old BMW X-Country and other bikes built around that 650cc Rotax designed engine. But things move on, and I doubt that engine meets current and certainly new emissions regulations for example. Unfortunately the X-Country and X-Challenge were also limited (from the factory) with rather small fuel tanks, no-doubt helping to keep their overall/wet weight down. At the end of the day, people on internet forums seem to be obsessed by weight (not so much on here, but certain on ADVrider eh? ;o) - when the variables are inevitably huge on a travel bike - not least how much luggage you carry, and how much you personally weigh, and are you taking a passenger etc etc. Personally I think it's a waste of time wishing for what was, or hoping a unicorn will be born. I look at what's currently out there, find something that most closely suits my needs (or at least I can afford), then set about preparing and modifying it as I consider appropriate for the trip I have planned. Bringing this conversation back around to the title of the thread, if you want me to break down my experience with the G310GS so far, I'd be happy to do so. In the meantime, I've ridden over 14,500 miles in a very short period of time (less than 9 weeks actually on the road), and so far it has proven utterly reliable - and yes, I had reservations about the bike initially (before I bought it), but those have proved unfounded... It's true it isn't the fastest thing on the open highway (here in the USA), but it will sit very comfortably at 70mph/112kph all day (and I mean ALL day - I've ridden a number of 600mile/1000km days back to back already, including one day just shy of 750 miles), with a little more in reserve for overtaking - although you kind of need to plan for those compared to a larger capacity/more torquey bike of course. The only real weak link I've found has been the cush-drive rubbers - there are only three vanes in the hub, and coupled with the rubber being rather soft, there ends up being a lot of fore-aft play in the rear sprocket carrier after only a few thousand miles. The foot controls are rather low-rent, but again, referring back to the top of this post - that is kind of to be expected on a bike that comes in under $6000 USD - and don't forget that price includes a 3-year warranty and roadside assistance in the USA too. As I mentioned earlier on in this thread, I took a punt on a G310GS earlier this year, and I'm currently blogging my experience with this bike in detail on a different forum, so it might be worth dipping in there if you can't wait for a condensed summary here later this summer. As I always say: manufacturers don't make 'bad' bikes these days - they can't afford to. Whether a particular model meets your specific needs (or at least would make a good basis) is a decision you need to make - and I trust you agree that every single one of the bikes owned by members of the HUBB will have been personalised and modified in some way. Such is the nature of our beasts. I hope that gives some food for thought? Jenny x |
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: The fact is that many overlanders have taken a KTM 690 RTW or in long overland trips and also some Husky 701 is taken overland touring, still a new model of course. And the Suzuki Dr650 is probably the most used model EVER for RTW/overland travel. So you can brand them this and that and exactly how you like, in reality they are used for RTW and overlanding just as much as «real» ADV bikes. What does it make these bikes then? |
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I think what we're seeing now is manufacturers essentially 'accessorising' these kinds of bikes to offer a similar specification, so less work needs to be done - and also basing them on more street orientated chassis and engines, so they retain their longevity and strength with less maintenance. The problem there of course is that usually means more weight and bulk? You can't really blame the manufacturers though - they are effectively offering us the SUVs of the two-wheeled world. Those few people who prefer something more focused, still have the option of taking a Jeep or Defender and modifying it? Jx |
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But never mind, I am to be honest surprised a bit by your choice - if you really wanted bmw experience why didn't you choose more suitable bike like F750GS for instance? unless this is mainly for promoting adventure kit. |
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If you'd read any of my thread on ADVrider you'd already know why - because I wanted to try something a little smaller and lighter and more nimble than what I usually ride (my Rally-Raid/Honda CB500X); In comparison, the F750GS is: a) long and low, and handles like a barge in comparison. b) has less suspension travel and ground clearance. c) weighs 120lbs (54Kg) MORE than the 310GS. d) is hugely more expensive. e) not available in the USA at the time I bought my bike (April 2018), due to, I believe, cheese valves. I'm sure the list could easily be longer! Again, I would refer you to the running blog on ADVrider to see the kind of riding I've been doing on this GS, and it ought to be obvious... certainly I cannot see any benefit to owning a F750/850GS, unless you wanted to primarily shlep up and down highways all day. Jx |
As some of you are aware, I work in a large BMW dealership during the UK summer months.
An update on the 310's. Lots are being sold. They're very popular with new riders (BMW's new rider scheme helps here), women and lots of aging riders who are finding big bikes just too heavy now. Even though they are cheaply made and there have been a few recalls, we have yet had one back with what I would class as a serious failure. We've had a few faulty sensors here and there and that's about it. At the moment, I'd say a brand new R1200GS is more likey to let you down than a 310 ! perhaps It proves the age old adage that simple is best. Still. It's early days. I'd like to work on one that's done a long trip and see how it's faired. |
Following on from what Ted has said above, I would tend to agree... in my experience this bike would appear to be just about as reliable as any other (other than Hondas of course ;o) - I've now covered more than 17,500 miles on my G310GS - and as mentioned previously, the only issue I've had is the cush-drive rubbers wearing very quickly and needing to be replaced.
During the latter part of the trip I also suffered a strange wiring issue with the headlight bulb connector melting - someone speculated it's possibly due to the vibration of the headlight (which does seem a little excessive on this bike) causing the terminals to loosen and eventually arc, which would explain that... However, in neither instance has that stopped me continuing the trip, and simply getting the faulty components changed at an appropriate juncture. I've not suffered any issue with my own side stand (and I have hammered it on rocks countless times during the summer), but Amy Harburg who rode her G310GS from Mongolia to the UK recently did have her side-stand bracket snap as a handful of other owners have experienced. If anyone is interested in what this bike might be like to live with day-in and day-out on a long distance trip, I've now condensed my original blog into a ride-report here on the HUBB :Beemer Beemer chicken deener and I've essentially split the trip into three sections, with observations and a summary at the end of each leg: Virginia to California, California to Toronto, and Toronto back to California (with a brief pause in Idaho). Hope that helps anyone considering this bike as an alternative to a larger machine... Jenny x |
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well I would say the 310 makes a great small travel bike, it all comes down to cost. off road its ok as standard but no enduro bike on road it will sit at 70mph all day what more do you want . people always compare bikes of greater value to it . 690&701 are not in the same ball park £ for£. as for all them 650 dr/xt good bikes but not in production at present , as for men stuck in the desert at night must be the bike not the rider !!!! you have choice where to spend your money, it may be an up and coming maker from the east. 40/50 years ago japan had the same problems!!!! triumph honda bmw hardly worthitson seem to head that direction might tell you the future is coming again.
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https://www.suzuki.ca/en/2018-dr650se They are getting long in the tooth, but you can still buy a brand new one for under 3000 GBP in Canada WITH a 5 year warranty:) I still could not justify buying one of these new small capacity bikes that weigh more than a DR and pay an extra $1000 + to do so. |
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