[Ownership Thread]: BMW G310GS Ownership Experience Thread

[activa]

Hi Everyone,

Rohit Here from Mumbai. I Just took delivery of BMW G310 GS on 23rd December 2018. 650 kms done till now. Wanted a bike for 2 up plus luggage, I hope it serves me well .

After some 19 kms on odo I had noticed little oil precipitation on the upside down fork (left side). After 55 kms oil started dripping down slowly (just normal city roads riding). Got it replaced in Andheri Navneet BMW Motarrad Service Center.

After that ridden around bunch of places, everything is alright after that incident.



Have fun, Happy riding.

[xBhp]

Re: Bmw G310GS

Thread approved.

Congratulations on your purchase brother. Although the suspension started out bad, we are glad that the problem has been resolved.
Keep us posted on how it behaves in the longer run and yes, photos please!

Ride hard, ride safe.

[activa]

Re: Bmw G310GS

Thanks for the approval.

Here are few pics of my gs.








more to come.

[Globe Trotter]

Re: Bmw G310GS

Lovely pics indeed...didn't realize there are places like these in Mumbai...Don't mind my asking but do you really plan to keep the saree guard installed?

[activa]

Re: Bmw G310GS

Lovely pics indeed...didn't realize there are places like these in Mumbai...Don't mind my asking but do you really plan to keep the saree guard installed?

Yes saree guard would be there, it is sturdy and can be used to tie some stuffs if needed and yes around Mumbai there are many such places, monsoon is the perfect season to roam around

[activa]

Re: Bmw G310GS

On Saturday I had took Gs for 1st service which was Running-in Check at 1150 kms. I didn't had any issues except vibrations above 5000 rpm. Dropped the bike at morning 9.30 am and got it back by afternoon and it costed INR 5739 , which included cost for labor for running in check and washing, and cost for consumables for engine oil, chain lube/cleaner, oil filter and its gasket, disk cleaner, etc. Chain was set/cleaned and lubed properly and bike was washed thoroughly(even tires were shining-maybe some sort of polish).Vibrations are little less now and overall they did a good job(nothing required much as it is still new) but a bit pricey.

[activa]

Re: Bmw G310GS

Close to 2000 kms now, enjoying every bit of riding with GS. I wish it had a bigger tank than it currently has. It surely needs a radiator guard as the front mud guard is shorter and also there is no protection from flying dirt/stones and insects, this should had been there as stock. Also the engine skid plate I am not sure is sufficient for rough trails. Any GS owners out here? or am I Alone.

Some pics around Palghar.

[sayanchakraborty89]

Re: Bmw G310GS

On Saturday I had took Gs for 1st service which was Running-in Check at 1150 kms. I didn't had any issues except vibrations above 5000 rpm. Dropped the bike at morning 9.30 am and got it back by afternoon and it costed INR 5739 , which included cost for labor for running in check and washing, and cost for consumables for engine oil, chain lube/cleaner, oil filter and its gasket, disk cleaner, etc. Chain was set/cleaned and lubed properly and bike was washed thoroughly(even tires were shining-maybe some sort of polish).Vibrations are little less now and overall they did a good job(nothing required much as it is still new) but a bit pricey.

It is damn pricey! Can you throw some light on your decision of buying a sing cylinder at this price point?

[activa]

Re: Bmw G310GS

It is damn pricey! Can you throw some light on your decision of buying a sing cylinder at this price point?

Hi buddy, in India we do not have much option in the dual purpose off-road/on-road category. We have the Kawasaki versys 300 X which is way more costlier than this and is not focused in the category, well nevertheless it is a versatile bike. Himalayan is a nice option too but a bit under-powered for my liking. Little bit of background of myself, I had tried to modify my 200ns a lot to make it the way a dual sport / adventure bike that would take luggage and pillion comfortably.



Results were good and I have lived happily with it from few years, but you can never get the kind of suspension setup/comfort/handling which these bikes have.
My ns had raised front suspension, could not do anything to rear as it already is heighted and there is no place as airbox comes in between(everything is cramped down there). Also putting long travel suspension does not guarantee good results as with just front risers and heavy riding on bad terrain with luggage and pillion had taken toll on the chassis, slight bend on the part which connects the chassis to the rear shock absorber. Front long travel suspension is pricey too and bike may behave differently. It had many few bits in it but it was not as comfortable as I wanted it to be. Take any good bike and do such things, you would really love it but everything has a limit.

I still have all my bikes which are Yamaha, Bajaj and Honda and have experienced other manufactures too, their after sales and service in that sense BMW India is not that bad but that not good too if pricing is kept in mind.

I had got the bike when there was some discount offers going on and I bought it for 3.82 L on road Mumbai. I too was keen on the KTM Adventure 390, but I wanted a bike right now and cannot wait on something which was not existing right now on which I cannot speculate how it will be and how it would be priced.

I know BMW India has got a lot of hate for G310GS but I really cant complain as it is doing what I want it to do.

Also the bike is simple to work on, maybe some parts sharing with apache 310 which can help if want to maintain it on own, as the bike is not that much complicated. Service is pricey but once in a year or once in 10,000 kms is fine I guess to claim the warranty on which I found them prompt on replacement.

[sayanchakraborty89]

Re: Bmw G310GS

Hi buddy, in India we do not have much option in the dual purpose off-road/on-road category. We have the Kawasaki versys 300 X which is way more costlier than this and is not focused in the category, well nevertheless it is a versatile bike. Himalayan is a nice option too but a bit under-powered for my liking. Little bit of background of myself, I had tried to modify my 200ns a lot to make it the way a dual sport / adventure bike that would take luggage and pillion comfortably.

[ATTACH]247616[/ATTACH]

Results were good and I have lived happily with it from few years, but you can never get the kind of suspension setup/comfort/handling which these bikes have.
My ns had raised front suspension, could not do anything to rear as it already is heighted and there is no place as airbox comes in between(everything is cramped down there). Also putting long travel suspension does not guarantee good results as with just front risers and heavy riding on bad terrain with luggage and pillion had taken toll on the chassis, slight bend on the part which connects the chassis to the rear shock absorber. Front long travel suspension is pricey too and bike may behave differently. It had many few bits in it but it was not as comfortable as I wanted it to be. Take any good bike and do such things, you would really love it but everything has a limit.

I still have all my bikes which are Yamaha, Bajaj and Honda and have experienced other manufactures too, their after sales and service in that sense BMW India is not that bad but that not good too if pricing is kept in mind.

I had got the bike when there was some discount offers going on and I bought it for 3.82 L on road Mumbai. I too was keen on the KTM Adventure 390, but I wanted a bike right now and cannot wait on something which was not existing right now on which I cannot speculate how it will be and how it would be priced.

I know BMW India has got a lot of hate for G310GS but I really cant complain as it is doing what I want it to do.

Also the bike is simple to work on, maybe some parts sharing with apache 310 which can help if want to maintain it on own, as the bike is not that much complicated. Service is pricey but once in a year or once in 10,000 kms is fine I guess to claim the warranty on which I found them prompt on replacement.

I understand your causes. I actually was disappointed with the price tag of the BMW, with I felt could/should have been atleast 50~80K less. However, it's true that in India, we do not have any other options except for the Himalayan, which, has nothing on it's side against baby GS except the price.

I am doing adventure trails since last 5 years, covering Sandakhphu, Gurudongmar, Sikkim range along side countless inter-state rides and cross-country rides to Bhutan and Nepal on my SZ153. I know the need of a good dual-purpose motorcycle that has 50-50 focus for both highway and mountain trails. In that way, your decision is spot on. Just make the most out of your motorcylcs, which, I am sure you will. You are not the guy who bought that beemer only for that BMVV tag.

However, one thing will never be justified is the risk of dropping a 3.8 L motorcycle with the capabilities of a 2.5 L motorcycle. Just don't don't don't drop it.

Regarding the hate for GS in India, if someone hates a motorcycle, he is an idiot, I would rather hate the owner, if he mistreats it . As it is said, "Motorcycles are like dogs, there are no best, just best for you."

Ride Safe Bro.

[rkavthekar]

Re: Bmw G310GS

Hello!

I own a pearl white GS. Took delivery on 8th December. Here's my account on her and experience so far

Why GS? - Well, I had a RE Thunderbird prior to buying in GS. I graduated from Splendor (17 years) to RE Thunderbird (6 years) to now GS. I actually took to riding motorcycles only after I bought Thunderbird. Did usual Ladakh ride and several rides in Maharashtra. However, legendary RE is, its service and maintenance is legendary too. No on the right side of 40's, I wanted a comfortable bike that would be road worthy and can do not so serious off roading. The only choices were 1. Himalayan, 2. Hero Impulse and 3. BMW G310GS.

Coming from RE, I was sure that I will not buy Himalayan, given the fact that it is from RE stable and its own issues with Himalayan V1.0. I just had enough of RE. Hero Impuse was way too under powered. This in comes GS into scheme of things. Having test driven all the above 3 bikes, I was smitten by GS. Its suspension was just right for me. Its weight was less than Thunderbird. Power was more than double RE Thunderbird, Informative digital dashboard, bigger better dual purpose tyres, dual channel ABS (switchable) and most important, riding posture. In all aspects, it was a perfect upgrade that suits all my requirements.

The only drawback was price tag. But as said earlier, on the wrong side of 40's, I don't see buying bikes often from here on. It was worth the investment for me. Especially, when I am looking forward to keep this bike for a long term. (BTW, We have BMW 500CC boxer unit in running condition, bought by my grand father in 1950's in the family). So, once I overcame the pricing barrier, it was perfect in all its aspects.

Dealer Experience - Got my bike booked at Bavaria Motorrad Pune. The entire experience was good. Visited several times to the showroom and each time, was treated very well. Booking to Delivery timeframe was about 2 to 3 weeks.

First Service Experience - I was impressed with Service Center. Ease of taking appointment, drop off the bike, Waiting at the service center, access to service bay and happy to resolve / address / explain any issue by the staff was top class. Nothing much happened though in the first service apart from Oil / Oil filter change, tightening of chain, lube, tourque check all the chassis nuts and cleaning. Spent close of 6K for first service. This may sound a bit on high side, but if I compare my own experience in maintaining RE over a period of one year, I would spend a lot more (average service bill for RE was 3.5K to 5K every 3 to 4 months), then it does not feel a costly proposition of once a year service for GS.

Experience so far - I have completed 3.9K on the Odo. That includes several small half day rides or breakfast rides and one long ride (1400kms). I also use it for daily commute within city to office. I was quite apprehensive to leave it in the office parking for the whole day unattended, but, nothing untowards has happened (fingers crossed). Its a perfect bike for daily commute, given its power and acceleration and plush suspension for city roads. I quite enjoy my daily rides. Earlier, I had to think well before I would overtake over my RE, but now, its a breeze. The bike does not get very hot in city traffic. If you do not get caught in bumper to bumper traffic, the fan does not even kick in. Fuel economy in city has been around 32-34kmpl.

The running in period was the hardest. Getting used to low torque at low rpms in the initial days was hard. I had to remind myself everytime I started the bike and start rolling it. But now, it no issues any more. Got used to that fact. No stalling at low rpms anymore.

The long ride experience - Did 1400+ kms in 3 days. Most of it was Highway driving. I was comfortably cruising between 95 to 115kmph for most of the time. Occasionally hitting 125kmph. You do feel some vibrations in the bike (above 5K rpm), especially, if you hug fuel tank with your legs. Buzz can be felt at the handlebars. But coming from RE Thunderbird background, this felt nothing. May be for someone coming from other Japanese bikes, they may see issue regarding these vibrations in tank area. On daily basis, we were on the bike for close to 10+ hours (sightseeing included and not only riding). No fatigue at end of the day at all. Rolling over rumblers on highway was a breeze. However riding on highways on GS has one major drawback (Should I say drawback?). Its range is severely restricted by its fuel tank capacity. You need to fuel up every 250 off kms. Riding at high speed does brings down the fuel efficiency. I averaged around 28- 29kmpl during my ride. With RE Thunderbird, I had a range of 500+ kms on a full fuel tank. I would have certainly liked atleast 15Litre tank capacity on GS. A windshield would have been better. Top Box was such a bliss in this ride.

Additions done on GS - 1. Radiator Guard, 2. Barkbusters, 3. MV Handlebar risers, 4. Hepco Baker top box


Overall, pretty happy owing Baby GS. Now looking forward to some serious trail ride, which has been kind off elusive in its first 3 months.

Will keep adding more as I add more miles....

takecare and ride safely
Rajesh

[rkavthekar]

Forum for Pune Owners

Dear All,

I would like to create a group of BMW Owners in Pune. If you are from Pune please PM me and will add you to the group. If there is already a similar group that you are part of, do let me know and I would like to join that group (Then we don't need to create another one).

Take care and ride safely
Rajesh

[Slvrvisn]

Re: Bmw G310GS

I am considering to buy this bike for long trips occasionally with a pillion. do you guys feel i should wait for KTM 390 adventure?
main points i am considering are
1. we have a KTM service center in mysore but i dont see a BMW service center coming up hear anytime soon.
2. will the power be enough with a pillion and luggage on board?
3. reliability of the bike.

any inputs will be greatly appreciated.

cheers.

[rkavthekar]

Re: Bmw G310GS

I am considering to buy this bike for long trips occasionally with a pillion. do you guys feel i should wait for KTM 390 adventure?
main points i am considering are
1. we have a KTM service center in mysore but i dont see a BMW service center coming up hear anytime soon.
2. will the power be enough with a pillion and luggage on board?
3. reliability of the bike.

any inputs will be greatly appreciated.

cheers.

Hi Slvrvisn, sorry for the late response. KTM 390 Adv release looks to be round the corner. My suggestion is to have a look at it as well. This doesnt mean that GS does not have enough power for pillion and luggage. For me, GS reliability is not an issue. I have almost completed 5K now on the odo and have no issues absolutely. I would look for options always and would be happy to make a choice of my own rather than to buy something out of no choice. After all, it's hard earned money.

As for servicing is considered, you should have a one in Bangalore and you need to do it only once in 10K or 1 year after the first one. Mysore and Bangalore are not too far off in my opinion. You can always plan a ride for the same. My own experience with BMW service was good. I was able to stand with the mechanic and see all the basic stuff he did on the bike (changing oil, checking and adjusting chain slack, tightening of all nuts and bolts etc) with all my questions answered by him. So now, if I need to do some basic stuff, I can do it at home too. I am the one who would like to dirty my hands at first given opportunity.

Trust this helps you.

take care and ride safe.
Rajesh

[Dandamudi Mohan Krishna]

Re: Bmw G310GS

I am considering to buy this bike for long trips occasionally with a pillion. do you guys feel i should wait for KTM 390 adventure?
main points i am considering are
1. we have a KTM service center in mysore but i dont see a BMW service center coming up hear anytime soon.
2. will the power be enough with a pillion and luggage on board?
3. reliability of the bike.

any inputs will be greatly appreciated.

cheers.

Hi,
I was taking the test ride for both Duke 390 and G310R last week , the G310R feels under powered compared to the Duke 390 but it had better handling and was more nimble not to mention build quality feels much premium, the 390 adventure might have similar characteristics. But since you already have mentioned that there's no service for BMW I don't thinks it makes any sense to buy a a bike that you cannot get serviced in a place where you live. Another thing to consider is that the service network for KTM is much bigger than the BMW if your bike breaks down in some town for example chances are there might be a KTM showroom nearby and even though both companies provide onroad assistance the problem with BMW is sometimes there's waiting period for some parts and could take 2-3 weeks.

Last but not least many 310 owners have faces alternator issues which you can read about

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/204852-bmw-g310-many-bikes-suffering-reliability-issues-due-alternator-problem.html

I would say wait for KTM 390 to launch and hope all issues in 310 are fixed and then you can test ride side by side to get a better picture.

Regards,
Mohan.