UTTER BLAST
At 313cc, the little engine isn’t a powerhouse in
comparison to other ‘Adventure Bikes’ out in the
market, but its 34hp is more than ample for the
needs of the market the G310GS is aimed at.
With that said, low-end grunt really isn’t really
the 313cc engine’s thing, and being a small-bore
machine it loves to rev out. Get the revs up to
above the peak of the torque curve (28Nm @
7500rpm) and it really does sing its way right up
to the 10,000rpm redline with its peak power
coming in at a lofty 9500rpm.
Wringing its neck was an utter blast on the
recent BMW GS Rallye in Mangawhai, even with
the little G310GS Kiwi Rider brought along being
the only representative of the breed in
attendance. With the addition of Mitas E09
rubber which publisher Vege had wrangled to
replace the factory hoops, the little GS had no
trouble staying up with the KTM 950 Super
Enduro of my riding companion of the day.
While it’s got the power to easily take you
anywhere you’d want to go, one of the first
things I noted while riding along was the lack
of good wind protection offered by the little
GS’ fairing and screen.
While it does look very cool and very GS
appropriate, I found that my upper chest and
shoulders weren’t particularly shielded from
windblast by the factory screen and my peaked
Scorpion ADX-1 took a bit of buffeting. If only
the screen was a little taller... thankfully this is an
area where the aftermarket has come to the
party and with only a couple of bolts holding
the screen on its an incredibly simple fix.
Thankfully the rest of the bike was a gem out
on the open road, with the seat, in particular,
needing praise in a class where it seems other
manufacturers have forgotten that riders
actually spend a lot of time on their arse.
While it’s not all-day comfy, it‘s pretty damn
near it I reckon.
In fact, the only real downsides to the G310GS
would be the slightly cramped cockpit, which is
mostly put down to the surprisingly comfortable
stepped seat which sits at 835mm high.
WHEEL COMBINATION
The suspension is firm enough to prevent
blowing through the stroke when you hit a
pothole, but not so plush that hitting the
brakes on the road makes the bike wallow.
KIWI RIDER 101