The BMW G310R sees an update for the 2021 model year, namely in the hopes of refining this entry-level machine with some of the German brand’s upmarket knowledge.
The most obvious changes are on the exterior, where we see new body panels and a new headlight assembly. Rest assured though, the same 313cc single-cylinder engine and chassis remains on this pint-sized street bike.
Bad news for several BMW motorcycle owners, as the German brand is recalling several models because their front and rear brake calipers may corrode, which can cause the pistons to stick or drag in the caliper bore.
The recall affects three two-wheelers from the BMW Motorrad lineup, the BMW G310R (2017-2020) and BMW G310GS (2018-2020) motorcycles, and the BMW C400X scooter (2019). In total, 5,938 bikes are affected by this recall.
Both of BMW Motorrad’s tiniest bikes are the victims of the German brand’s latest recall, as both models suffer from an issue with their chassis. In total, 2,376 motorcycles are affected by this recall.
According to recall documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the G310 platform has an issue with its frame and/or its kickstand, where repeated use or loading of the kickstand can see it become damaged.
Over time, the section of the frame that encases the kickstand bushing could eventually break, which could lead to an injury of the rider and/or passenger. As such, a recall has been started for the two motorcycle models.
The BMW G310R is an unassuming small-displacement machine, from little German company called BMW Motorrad.
Joking aside, the minds in Berlin might be the most successful in the motorcycle industry right now, with BMW continuing to release intriguing new bikes, and also continuing to see steady growth in its sales year after year.
Some of that success is built around BMW repurposing motorcycle platforms for different segments. The company’s boxer engine powers the entire R line, the company’s inline-four engine powers the entire S line, and so on and so forth.
For the G lineup of bikes, BMW is drawing upon its 313cc single-cylinder, for both its beginner model street bike, and an entry-level adventure-tourer. Taking a look at the rest of BMW Motorrad’s lineup though, Oberdan Bezzi has imagined some other niches that BMW could take its G line.
A few months ago, this pocket-sized street tracker caught my attention on Facebook. It was based off the BMW G310R street bike platform, that much I could tell, but I couldn’t find anymore information on the machine.
A few more weeks of this lonesome photo sitting in my ‘to do” box, and it finally moved on to the place where all good stories go to die.
So, imagine my surprise when our friends at BMW Motorrad Japan sent me the following photos, which depict a new custom bike they commissioned from Takashi Nihira, at Tokyo’s Wedge Motorcycles.
It is the same bike I saw months earlier, but now we know who to thank for its creation, as well as a little bit more about its build. Its is quite impressive, for an unassuming “little” street tracker, don’t you think?
What you see here is the TVS Akula 310, the Indian company’s 310cc sport bike that shares a platform with the BMW G310R.
The Akula 310 isn’t likely to be seen on city streets in the United States, or even in Europe for that matter, but it gives us a glimpse of what is to come from BMW Motorrad on the small-displacement front.
As you can see, the TVS Akula 310 is quite fetching, getting a strong response from motorcyclists since its debut in February of this year.
As such, TVS is moving up the timeline on the project, with the Akula 310 likely to go into production by the end of this year, as a 2017 model (supposedly renamed as the TVS Apache RTR 300).
When the BMW G310R arrived, the German brand indicated that the small-displacement street bike would be the first of many model based on the 313cc platform. Now it seems that the first iteration is ready to drop, with news that BMW Motorrad is working on a G310R-based adventure-touer model.
According to Motorcycle Sport and Leisure, BMW Motorrad UK’s Director Phil Horton has confirmed that a BMW G310GS model will debut, perhaps in time for the 2017 model year, saying “new models aside, the line-up isn’t as comprehensive as it needs to be. But there are plenty more bikes to come, including, hopefully in 2017, a G310R GS-style derivative.”
The Auto Expo in India isn’t usually an event we would cover, but some interesting machines have turned up in New Delhi. The first one to grab our attention is the TVS Akula 310.
On its own right, the TVS Akula 310 is a sharp looking small-displacement machine, especially when its dripping in carbon fiber (Daddy like). Beneath the skin though, the Akula 310 is exactly the same as the BMW G310R sport bike, which is pretty interesting.
This is because TVS and BMW Motorrad collaborated to bring both models to market; and as such, the Akula 310 gives us an idea of where BMW could be headed next with its 300cc class offering.
After hearing of the sales growth from BMW Motorrad USA for 2015, we speculated that we would soon here from the German marque on its yearly results internationally, and it seems we were right.
As such, BMW Motorrad is happy to report its fifth consecutive all-time best sales year, with 2015 seeing 136,963 motorcycles and maxi-scooters sold by the German brand. That figure is an impressive 10.9% gain over the sales from 2014, and BMW shows no signs of slowing down.
News from BMW Motorrad shows that the Germans did quite well in the United States last year, selling 16,330 units in 2015. That figure is up 9.3% from the 14,945 units that BMW Motorrad sold in 2014, in the USA.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, BMW Motorrad USA’s best model was its liter-bike offering, the BMW S1000RR, which accounted for 13.3% of BMW’s total sales in the USA – roughly 2,170 units.
The S1000RR has often rivaled the BMW R1200GS for the top-billing in the US market, with the R1200GS Adventure taking 12.2% of BMW sales and the R1200GS with 11.5%, (roughly 2,000 units and 1,900 units, respectively).
The EICMA season is clearly upon us, with the first fruits of the Milan show to debut on Monday, an actual day ahead of the expo’s doors opening. Dozens of motorcycle will debut in Italy, from all of the major brands.
BMW Motorrad will of course be at EICMA, and the German brand has telegraphed that five new models will debut at the show, including one world premiere.
The big news for BMW is that a new R-series model will be unveiled, which will almost certainly be the BMW R nineT Scrambler.