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.
When BMW Motorrad showed us the BMW G310R Stunt concept, we knew that a small-displacement model from the German company was just around the corner, and sure enough here is the 2016 BMW G310R street bike – project undertaken by BMW with help from India’s TVS Motors.
A 313cc single-cylinder engine with four valves and a dual-overhead cam, the BMW G310R makes 34hp, and tips the scales at 350 lbs. Of note, the cylinder is racked rearward and has been rotated 180° from normal, with the intake facing forward, and the exhaust ports facing rearward, like some more advanced thumpers on the market.
The frame is made-up of tubular steel, with a long swingarm used for better handling characteristics. Suspension is done by upside down forks, and a linearly mounted rear shock, the latter having an adjustable preload. ABS is of course standard.
All-in-all, the BMW G310R should be ideal for the A1 tiered license structure found in the European Union, and the G310R should slot in well with its small-displacement counterparts for markets like the USA.