BMW's baby sportsbike arrives: German firm reveal fully faired G310RR sportsbike to the Indian market

After endless social media teasing, BMW have pulled the covers off their sportiest A2 category bike so far: a fully-faired G310RR single based on the existing G310R naked and G310GS adventure bike.

Although we get the R and GS here in Europe, the RR isn’t currently planned for our market, with a BMW UK spokesperson telling MCN: “India and China have a strong, growing and significantly younger group of motorsport and motorcycle enthusiasts who want to enter the sports segment and the BMW Motorrad brand with an attractively priced offer.”

That said, having been produced in conjunction with BMW’s Indian partner TVS, it does meet the country’s BS6 (and Europe’s Euro5) emissions limits – meaning a global launch wouldn’t be an impossibility further down the line.

Although based on the existing R and GS, there are critical differences to the RR’s chassis, powertrain and equipment. At its heart is the same 313cc liquid-cooled single, which was updated with a ride-by-wire throttle in 2021.

Although producing the same 34bhp, the RR differs significantly by gaining four switchable riding modes – Track and Sport (both with full power), plus Urban and Rain (both with a reduced 25.5bhp). Whether all of that is nessecary remains to be seen. There’s also a digital dash and different switchgear.

Elsewhere, although the tubular steel trellis frame, non-adjustable 41mm USD forks and preload-adjustable-only rear monoshock are unchanged, the RR has slightly sharper steering geometry and a shorter wheelbase to give more nimble handling.

Its shock position is more upright too – helping give a taller seat height of 811mm compared to the R’s 785mm.

The RR’s wheels and tyres are identical to the G310R in being 17in five-spoke alloys wearing 110/70 and 150/60 tyres front and rear.

Its brakes are unchanged too, comprising a single 300mm front disc grasped by a four-piston, radially-mounted ByBre caliper, with a 240mm rear disc and single-piston caliper – both assisted by ABS.

But the most obvious difference is its sporty new bodywork, including stepped sports seat, fully-enclosed race fairing with twin, S1000RR-style headlights, and sportier riding position with lower clip-ons, higher seat and more rear-set footpegs.

In India, the new RR is priced just 5.5% higher than the R suggesting a potential UK price of around £5200.

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Baby sportsbike BMW on the way: Indian-launched A2-friendly G310RR could be UK bound

First published on 30 June 2022 by Ben Purvis

Ever since BMW revealed plans to make a range of small single-cylinder bikes in partnership with India’s TVS back in 2013 there have been whispers of a baby RR sportsbike.

And now, after years of speculation, it’s finally happened, with an A2-licence friendly G310RR announced in India and a global release for the model looking likely for later this year.

BMW’s G-series project kicked off in 2013 and by 2015 the template for the new range was revealed in the form of the G310 Stunt concept.

It would be two years before deliveries of the production version – the G310R – began, but it was clear that the bike was well placed to become a fully-faired sports model.

So clear, in fact, that within months TVS showed its faired 2016 Akula concept bike demonstrating the G310’s sporting potential, and soon after the start of G310R production a faired sportsbike rolled off the lines alongside it.

It shared the same frame, engine, suspension, wheels and brakes. In fact, virtually everything was identical to the G310R except its full fairing and the badge: it carried the TVS name and was sold in India as the Apache RR310.

A BMW G310RR seemed sure to follow but it’s taken four years for the bike to appear.

Not that the G310RR is a four-year-old model in a new frock. The Apache RR310 was revamped in 2020, gaining improved emissions to meet India’s BS6 (and Europe’s Euro5) limits, and optional adjustable suspension, lower clip-ons and raised ’pegs – elements that appear to feature in G310RR teaser images. 

The TVS has already been approved for sale in Europe so there’s no barrier to it being offered on wider markets.

The branding change means that the G310RR also now has access to BMW’s dealer network, so it would be a surprise if it isn’t added to the wider range in the future.

BMW G310RR in detail

Singles club: The 313cc, DOHC single is the same as the G310R’s – with its unusual reverse-cylinder design – and there’s a slipper clutch as standard.

Spring in your step: The steel tube frame is from the G310R. Inverted KYB forks are expected to offer compression, rebound, and preload adjustment, with rebound and preload settings for the shock.

Power modes: Four settings are on offer. Sport and Track give 34hp at 9700rpm, Rain and Urban limit it to 25.8hp and 7600rpm.

Borrowed rims: Wheels and brakes come straight from the G310R, with the same distinctive spoke design and ByBre calipers gripping a single 300mm disc at the front and a 240mm rotor at the back.

Electric avenue: A full-colour five-inch TFT dash is mounted in portrait orientation, and is a step up from the kit used on the G310R, and on the TVS Apache. It’s app-supported to give smartphone integration.