Collaborations are great. They are meaningful primarily for the parties involved, as they jointly work on building new products, sharing tech, resources, and costs. They are also beneficial for the consumers, especially if the product is more mass market-oriented.
One of the biggest reasons, and the resultant benefit, for two manufacturers to come together for developing motorcycles is to ride on each other’s strengths. In this case, BMW and TVS shook hands to let BMW enter the highly competitive, absolutely hot beginner sport bike segment (250cc-500cc). BMW would use TVS’s huge scale of production (a trademark trait of Indian bike makers) while TVS would benefit from BMW’s technical know-how, expertise, and experience in making some of the most technologically sophisticated motorcycles on the planet.
The result of their collaboration is the G 310 R platform, consisting of the G 310 R street bike itself, the G 310 GS adventure bike, and TVS’s RR 310. Now, BMW has launched the G 310 RR sport bike, its full-faired version of G 310 R. In doing so, BMW has demonstrated a perfect example of platform-sharing.
BMW G 310 RR
You see, the G 310 RR, quite literally, is the TVS RR 310. And that is not a bad thing at all, no matter how disappointing it sounds to all those who were expecting a different motorcycle. TVS built the RR 310 on the G 310 R platform, which is basically BMW’s. So, BMW is simply widening its G 310 R lineup using the motorcycle which is already well into production. No extra or massive development costs are involved. The RR 310 has already been refined by TVS since its launch, and it would seem that BMW was merely waiting for the right time to turn the RR 310 into the G 310 RR.
Majority of the specifications of the BMW G 310 RR are identical to the TVS RR 310. The engine is a 312.12cc, reverse-inclined, liquid-cooled, 4-valve, DOHC, single-cylinder unit, producing 34 PS of power at 9,700 RPM and 27.3 NM of torque at 7,700 RPM. The G 310 RR has four riding modes: Track, Sport, Urban, and Rain. These power figures are for the Track/Sport mode; in the Urban/Rain mode, the power and torque are reduced to 25.8 PS at 7,700 RPM and 25 NM at 6,700 RPM, respectively. Also, BMW mentions that the ABS is least intrusive in the Track mode.
The lighting is completely LED. The bike’s 174 kg ready-to-ride weight and the 130 kg payload are the same as in the TVS RR 310.
Differences with the TVS RR 310
There are some minor and some key differences between the G 310 RR and the RR 310. The BMW’s seat height is listed as 811 mm while the TVS’s seat height is 810 mm; the BMW’s fuel tank capacity is 12 liters and TVS’s fuel tank capacity is 11 liters.
However, major differences include the tyres; the RR 310 comes with the amazing Michelin Road 5 tyres while the G 310 RR is equipped with the not-so-impressive Michelin Pilot Street (same as on the G 310 R). Also, while the specifications of the front and rear brakes are the same between the two motorcycles (300 mm front disc with 4-piston radially-mounted ByBre caliper and 240 mm rear disc), the RR 310 has petal discs at both ends while the G 310 RR has the traditional circular disc.
But the biggest difference is due to the TVS Built-To-Order (BTO) program. You can opt for optional adjustable front and rear suspension for the RR 310 with the help of the BTO program. BMW doesn’t offer any such option for the G 310 RR.
Furthermore, both motorcycles share a similar-looking 5-inch TFT console, but of course, BMW has its own menu different from TVS’s. Also, TVS has an app SmartXonnect to connect a smartphone via bluetooth. BMW doesn’t offer any such feature. I, personally, don’t mind that at all.
BMW G 310 RR Colors and Price
The G 310 RR is launched in two colors: Black storm metallic and Sport (white with red/blue graphics). The starting price is 2.85 L ex-showroom for the black color and 2.99 L ex-showroom for the Sport. In comparison, the TVS RR 310 is priced at 2,59,990 L ex-showroom. Consider the price difference a premium for the BMW brand.