When it comes to the 500cc class, BMW Motorrad isn’t just introducing a new motorcycle, they’re opening up a completely new category: the first GS in the 500cc bracket. A genuine adventure bike. Not a motocross in disguise or a sports machine, but a worthy descendent sharing the same hallmarks of the GS 1200 we have grown to appreciate over recent decades. A true GS: complete with characteristic design, sturdy appearance, dependability and drivability both on and off the pavement. Overland Journal was offered the opportunity to test the 310 GS for two days over a stretch of 500 km from Barcelona to Andorra, and back again. On highways, byways, and trails.
First on the agenda was the hand-over in Barcelona. BMW Motorrad expert Alexander gave me a seat from the accessories catalogue for people taller than 1.80 m. This effectively raises the seat height to 855 mm compared to the stock saddle at 835 mm and the variant for shorter legs at 815 mm. Those three alternatives should cover most physiques. I strapped a 49 litre luggage roll, just large enough for a weekend trip, to the standard rack which is usefully designed and provides plenty of options to tie stuff down. Finally, I’m given a green light to leave the hotel…only to find myself in one of the city’s infamous traffic jams. The GS makes light work of weaving through gaps between the cars; well balanced, agile, light clutch, and a surprisingly good riding position. Accelerating away from the toll booths along the Spanish highway, I’m up amongst the quickest with swift and precise gear changes—leaving most cars well behind. Thanks to the functional wind shield, riding long stretches of the highway at 130 kmh is relaxed and my helmet is kept out of the buffeting airstream.
On to the byways and into GS terrain: curves and more curves. As I head north toward Andorra it becomes quite apparent the small GS is possessed by two opposing spirits: One wafts you on hikes along narrow, even unpaved roads; the second coaxes you to flick through mountainous serpentines. However, you can easily ride this bike at 40 kmh in fifth gear without the slightest complaint from the engine, no chain whipping or juddering. Select sixth at 60 kmh and you swim effortlessly with the rest of the traffic.