Hey guys! Time to book your new BMW motorbike! Six-speed gearbox. 34 horses unleashed;  313 cc liquid cooled bike. Cough up Rs 50,000 to book yours today! Won’t cause a too big hole in your pockets … just about  Three to three and a half lakhs!

BMW is all set to launch its much-awaited BMW G 310 R and BMW G 310 GS in India on July 18. The German automaker has already commenced the pre-bookings of both the motorcycles.

First spotted in india at  Auto Expo 2018, both the BMW G 310 R and BMW G 310 GS are powered by 313cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder unit with four valves and a DOHC cylinder head as seen on the TVS Apache RR 310.

The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox and produces 34hp of power and churns out 28 Nm of peak torque. Both BMW G 310 R and BMW G 310 GS gets tubular steel frames, five-spoke alloy wheels and ABS.

It is expected that the G 310 R will be priced around Rs 3 lakh while the G 310 GS is expected to be priced around Rs 3.5 lakh. BMW will launch both the bikes in collaboration with TVS and both the bikes will be produced at TVS plant at Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The BMW G 310 GS was recently spotted on the India roads for the first time on a flatbed pickup truck on Chennai-Bangalore highway.

These are  BMW Motorrad’s two most affordable motorcycles. The company’s dealerships in India started accepting bookings of the two motorcycles at a token amount of Rs 50,000 earlier this month. While the launch invite does not clearly mention the name of the products to be launched, based on our sources and dealers, we are sure that the event will witness the arrival of aforementioned Beemers only.

Sources  suggest that the BMW G 310 R will be priced close to Rs 3 lakh in the Indian market. On the other hand, its ADV cousin G 310 GS is expected to demand Rs 50,000 more and hence, will most likely arrive with a price tag of Rs 3.5 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom).

The BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS share the same 313cc, single cylinder, liquid-cooled engine and it is the same unit that powers TVS’s flagship Apache RR 310. The fuel injected motor on the two BMWs develops respective power and torque outputs of 34 bhp and 28 Nm.

The gearbox is a six-speed unit and the two bikes will have disc brakes at both ends and an ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) will most likely be offered as standard. Other notable features include a digital instrument cluster, LED tail lamp and more.

The BMW G 310 GS gets some additional off-road bits in the form of a taller windscreen, long travel suspension and placement for luggage panniers. The BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS get inverted forks up front along with a monoshock at the rear.

The two BMWs for local market will be manufactured at the TVS production facility in Hosur alongside the export units. While the BMW G 310 R will directly compete against the likes of KTM 390 Duke, the G 310 GS will have to wait for competition until next year till the launch of KTM 390 Adventure. In the meanwhile, the motorcycle will lock horns with Kawasaki Versys X-300, though the price of the latter is significantly higher.

The most anticipated detail that is yet to be known is whether BMW Motorrad India manages to price the G 310 R and G 310 GS competitively. Even if it does it is unlikely that BMW will be able to undercut KTM’s pricing. Hence, it will be interesting to see how the G 310 R competes with the more feature rich and lesser-priced KTM 390 Duke. While the entry-level Beemer may not compete in terms of feature list and power, it will surely appeal to those who admire the brand value and have dreamed of owning a BMW. That said, this space will heat up over the next few days and we can’t wait to witness the fireworks on 18th July.

The new BMW G 310 R and G 310 GS will be sold in India exclusively through the BMW Motorrad dealership network. The company currently has its dealerships in seven Indian cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Bangalore, Kochi and Ahmedabad. BMW Motorrad will soon be opening dealerships in the cities of Chandigarh and Kolkata and these will start accepting bookings after the official launch.

Contributed by Deb Boruah, Guwahati

  bike, BMW, MOTORCYCLES