BMW G310R, KTM 250 Duke and 390 Duke are all naked streetfighters – here is a comparison of all 3
BMW Motorrad has left everyone surprised when it launched the G310 Twins recently as the newly updated bikes are cheaper than their predecessors. The BS6 compliant G310R is about Rs 50,000 more affordable than its BS4 counterpart. This makes it a lot more competitive segment as it can now compete with two of its KTM rivals.
In terms of price as well as specifications, the G310R is very closely matched to KTM 250 Duke and 390 Duke. Let us see, how does it fare against its nearest naked roadster rivals.
Engine
All three bikes are offered with engines which are similar in construction. This means they all are single-cylinder liquid-cooled DOHC engines, however, their displacement is different. One can gauge from their names, the 390 Duke gets the largest displacement and 250 Duke gets the smallest displacement in this lot. Therefore, the output figures vary accordingly.
390 Duke is the most powerful while 250 Duke is the modest among the three. The 373.2cc units of 390 Duke cranks out 43.5 PS of power and 37 Nm of peak torque. All three are mated to a six-speed gearbox.
Dimensions
KTM 390 Duke and 250 Duke are exactly similar in their dimensions. Both have an identical wheelbase of 1357mm whereas G310R has a longer wheelbase of 1380mm. One area for shorter rides is that they will be more comfortable on the G310R rather than the Duke siblings. This is because the saddle height of Duke siblings measures 830mm and that in G310R measures only 785mm making it more comfortable.
All three weigh around similar regions of 160kg. The KTM duo can hold fuel up to 13.5 litres whereas the BMW roadster can hold 11 litres of fuel.
Features
All three bikes are offered with a digital instrument cluster, however, 390 Duke’s cluster is a more intuitive one with a 5-inch TFT screen and Bluetooth connectivity and an audio player. The latest iteration of BMW G310R also gets Ride By Wire Technology which is already present in the bigger Duke. Unfortunately, the smaller Duke misses out on this. The 390 Duke also gets a bi-directional quick-shifter.
Hardware
Duke 390 and Duke 250 carry the same chassis and hardware. Both bikes are equipped with upside-down WP USD forks at front and preload adjustable mono-shock at rear which carry out the suspension duties. The G310R also gets upside-down USD forks and a mono-shock unit at rear. While the KTM due are based on a Split Steel Trellis Frame, the BMW naked streetfighter is based on a tubular spaceframe.
Another common feature on all three bikes is their wheels. They all get 17-inch alloys wrapped around by 110/70 profile and 150/60 profile tyres at front and rear respectively. All are offered with dual-channel ABS as standard.
Price
The updated BMW G310R acts as a bridge between the two KTM siblings both in terms of specs as well as price. The BMW G310R is priced competitively at Rs 2.45 lakh whereas the KTM duo of 390 Duke and 250 Duke is offered at a price of Rs 2.57 lakh and 2.05 lakh (All prices mentioned are ex-showroom).
