with a rhythmic staccato of microwave popcorn. Intimidation factor: zero. As we pulled away, I found the relation-
ship between the handlebars, seat and foot- pegs relaxed, and at the first red light, both boots rested comfortably on pavement. As we wound our way through the morning rush-hour traffic, the comfortable ergo- nomics were welcome, and the 310's spirited motor was always willing to please, provided the correct gear was chosen. Once on the 101, the 310 R weaved easily through the surrounding traf- fic, with the motor humming along at 7,500 RPM while pushing the bike along at a comfortable 75 miles per hour. Just as I was beginning to think I was riding back home down a straight and boring central Illinois highway, we exited onto Topanga Canyon Boulevard and then west on Mulholland Drive. Jay Leno has compared
Mulholland Drive to the Nür- burgring, the race track in Nürburg, Germany. Known to most as “The Ring,” it’s widely considered to be the toughest, most dangerous and most demanding race track in the world. Mulholland Drive is the most well-known of Los Angeles' scenic drives and sports eight scenic overlooks along its 55-mile length. Signs along many of the tight curves warn riders of the conse- quences of being seduced by the breathtaking views of the Los Angeles basin and San Fernando Valley below. Other signs warned of horseback riders and mountain bikers. It took only moments to realize I wasn’t riding in Illinois anymore. Unlike the other bikes in the BMW family, the G 310 R requires an active left foot to keep the motor happy. Forget about relying on a big dis- placement and a couple gears to get you from corner to cor- ner. The G 310 R just doesn’t
have the horsepower, but it will keep up with its bigger siblings as long as it’s in the right gear. What the G 310 R lacks in simple horse-
power, it makes up for in spades with it’s easy handling and agility. The short wheel- base and light weight allow for quick and predictable cornering which combined to make the bike a blast to ride through the
canyons. No ride on Mulholland Drive is complete
without a stop at The Rock Store. Originally built as a hot springs resort, legend has it that during the days of prohibition the owner was a bootlegger, with the resort attracting Hollywood heavyweights of the day with hot water baths and whiskey. Later, it was a gas station and a grocery store before becoming a hot desti- nation in the 1960s when Steve McQueen began blasting through Mulholland on his Triumph. The road’s popular- ity grew over the years, and even an aggressive crackdown on speeding and a temporary closing in the 1990s did little to slow the “The Snake’s” popularity. Back on the 310, we contin-
The G 310 R's large instrument cluster details speed, RPM, time, gear and much more. (Below) The unique feature of the 310's motor is its reverse cylinder design using a backward-tilted cylinder and head roated 180 degrees, positioning the intake in the front and exhaust in the rear.
ued onward, eventually inter- secting State Route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. With the day growing longer, it was time to head back. BMW route masters spend a great deal of time creating routes to illus- trate a new model’s capabilities, and with the canyon-carving ability of BMW’s newest road- ster now proven, we were shown how the G 310 R han- dles commuting duties. Our ride on the PCH took us through Malibu and along Sunset Boulevard past UCLA, the Hollywood Bowl and other area landmarks before turning onto the circus that is Holly- wood Boulevard. In my brief time getting
acquainted with the G 310 R, I’m convinced BMW Motorrad hit all the right chords, and with the new bike’s sub-$5,000 sticker price, dealers will have a difficult time meeting early demand. Most of us began riding
small displacement bikes and were eventually seduced by multiple cylinder models with lots of ccs. The G 310 R proves bigger is not always better and a rider can have a lot of fun on a small bike.
February 2017 BMW OWNERS NEWS 71
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