KIWI RIDER JULY 2020 VOL.2 | Page 104

I was interested to ride the 310GS and see if it could fill the confidence and capability gap I know I share with some other riders. For me, it’s the gap between my Yamaha XL250 and my BMW 700GS. The 250 is a little tractor with its 21-inch front wheel. I’ll have a go at taking it anywhere but it’s just too small and uncomfortable on long adventure riding days. On the other hand, I can happily ride my F700GS all day, even fully loaded with luggage, but when things start getting tight and technical, the size and weight quickly become apparent. That limits exploring on my own – I need to have confidence I can get out under my own steam. So, I took the 310GS up through both gravel and sealed roads in North Loburn and Whiterock and then up to the top of the Okuku Pass. The Pass road is a winding little road with a variety of riding surfaces – from jaggedy rock with loose stuff on exposed hillsides, through slushy hairpins in forested sections, which then drops down into the Lees Valley. A big storm had gone through the night before so there was quite a lot of loose rock, small broken branches and slippery bits to navigate. Heading out from home onto the first 5km of gravel, I quickly got the feel of the 310GS on the loose stuff and was happy to sit through it on the comfy seat. I like the torquey feel of the bike – it has a good road presence and I found it easy to settle into. As a smaller bike I found it a little buzzy going up through the gears but things smoothed out at open road speed. The Akrapovic exhaust sounds great on the open road sections – there’s definitely a desire to blip the throttle going down the gears. However, I noticed farm stock was quite unsettled as I rode past so my preference would be for a quieter exhaust note. Next, I happily clipped along through slushy gravel and had no problems skipping tracks to accommodate oncoming traffic. Back on the seal again, the 310 was rock-solid through corners sprinkled with fine gravel and silt. On to the rougher stuff, I felt confident moving around on the bike, tackling broken branches, trickling around slushy hairpins and giving it a squirt here and there. I stood up a couple of times although I didn’t really need to. As with my F700GS when I first got it, standing felt a bit awkward – a set of risers would solve that. I was impressed with the tyres – they handled a variety of surfaces well and gripped well under braking. I had a smile on my face when I stopped at the top, and would have happily kept going if I had the time. Turning the bike around on a hill with loose footing was absolutely no problem either. The 310GS is a great fit for younger, less experienced or increasingly “sensible” adventure riders; it would also be a good choice for commuting and exploring city streets and unfamiliar places. So, does the 310GS fill the confidence and capacity “gap”? Yes, I think it would be an excellent choice, especially for day trips and holidays where you want to have a pokearound and do some tricky bits, while still being able to carry some luggage and be master of your own fate. 104 KIWI RIDER