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.”
While it’s hard to authenticate the source of this rumor, the idea of small-displacement ADV machine does mimic what we have been seeing from other brands, especially from Honda, with the Honda CRF250 Rally getting ready to drop later this year.
For BMW, the move could also be seen as part of a larger strategy to protect the market segment it basically helped to create.
BMW Motorrad’s best-selling machines worldwide are its GS models, with the R1200GS & R1200GS Adventure routinely being the brands top sellers, and the Germans have a vested interest in making sure that no other brands can gain a stronger foothold on the ADV demographic.
An ADV bike based off the BMW G310R could answer the call for smaller and lighter off-road machines, though it remains to be seen how big that market could be for an OEM like BMW.
As we have seen with the 250cc/300cc market on street bikes, these smaller ADV bikes could be good aspirational starting points for greener riders, and sporty options for riders who reside outside of the North American and European markets.
Just as we will have to wait and see how this rumor pans out, we will have to watch and see how the small-displacement ADV space develops over the coming model cycles.
Source: MoreBikes
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