One of the shortcomings with the original BMW 310s launched in the BS4 emission era was the amount of vibrations that filtered in via various body parts including the handle bar, tank and pegs. When the updated BS6 models were launched last month, a lot of us assumed that among the updates would be a smoother ride at highway speeds. But is this true? Has the BMW G310GS vibration issue been taken care of?
I went for a fairly long Sunday afternoon ride yesterday, clocking about 150km in the process. The ride started out with a fast commute through Delhi's traffic towards the open stretches of NH8 or the Gurgaon expressway. So while I was filtering through traffic in the 3-5k RPM band, on the highway, I let my GS stay in the 5-6k band. Later, once I hit the curves around Gurgaon, mid-range was again made use of. Hence, by keeping the motorcycle in various zones of the engine speed, I was able to understand if the vibes had been filtered out.
The answer isn't too pleasant I am afraid. No, the BMW G310GS vibration issue is not completely gone. Once you start hitting the 5500-6000rpm zone, which by the way is the limit for the run-in period, you do feel vibes coming in from the tank and the handle bars. At these engine speeds, you are doing about 95-102 km/h on the speedometer which is more or less the speeds tourers will keep during long rides. I am sure the buzzy nature will get annoying in the long run. But, to give it the benefit of doubt, this is still a brand new motorcycle and I am sure once the engine runs-in and the first service is done with (including the oil change), the bike should feel smoother. Finger crossed!
In flowing traffic, if you keep the bike between 3000-5000rpm, it does feel a lot more smoother. Infact, I am pleasantly surprised with the low-end punch that comes in handy in traffic as opposed to the KTM Adventure 390 that needs a lot of effort at lower revs. So yes, for most riding done inside city limits, if you aren't too heavy with the right wrist, the BMW G310GS's vibes won't bother you. I am keen on getting the first service done and then see if the buzz that comes in at 5500-6000rpm disappears or not. But that will take about a week or two. Stay tuned!
