Seems like nowadays, any activity pursued by two or more people gets labeled as a “sport,” and everyday we see new activities and hardware added to the mix. Stunt riding is just such an activity. Professional riders have taken elements that are widely regarded as dangerous and unnecessary on the road, and moved them to a closed-circuit, or otherwise controlled environment, where they belong. These intrepid riders have taken raw shenanigannery and honed it to an art form all its own. Now usually, stunt bikes are relatively stock machines with customized additions such as extra footpegs, engine guards (for obvious reasons) and unique features such as a 12- o'clock bar for some of the more extreme (read: vertical) maneuvers. However, since they aren't purpose-built in a factory, bike-building ability is part of the overall skillset for the sport.

Enter the G 310, a concept stunt bike built by BMW->ke1398 Motorrad that is meant to go straight from showroom to event with a minimum of mechanical dickering. This roadster->ke294 comes stripped, with no turn signals or lights of any sort, or even a license plate holder, so not only is it built for a specific purpose, it's no good for any sort of (legal) road transportation. Before you read that as a negative, bear in mind that all of BMW's resources went into handling stunts, with nothing wasted on any sort of non-essential bits and bobs. The result: we have the opposite of a Jack-of-all-trades, a purpose-built master of one particular style of riding.

Continue reading for my first look at the BMW Concept Stunt G 310.

BMW enlisted the help of European and World Champ stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer for his expertise in the field, and you can see his influence all over the bike. A very deep saddle, what Beemer calls a “seat hole,” is nestled between the stunt-friendly subframe, and the dramatic fuel tank bump that comes with a footpad for tricks that require the rider to stand on the tank, such as the "Cross." Footpegs on the front axle give a solid platform for "Endos" and various other front-end tricks, and the pegs on the subframe facilitate "Ape Hanger" maneuvers and other 12-o'clock stunts. Built-in engine guards protect the mill, because accidents are inevitable in such a radical sport, and damage from an "Endo" (or any one of the many tricks) gone wrong could end a performance or competition early without adequate protection. Protected by the frame and swingarm, the exhaust turns down just behind the rearward-slanted engine and under the coil-over monoshock.

The nature of stunt riding requires a balance of power, handling and well, balance. Brute power takes a backseat to manageable output and weight considerations, and so the engine is rather small at, I deduced, only 310 cc. This strikes a balance (that word again) between engine weight and grunt, ensuring enough power to handle the weight, with no weight wasted on excess power. Engine and chassis controls also got the stunt bike treatment with a lockable throttle for hands-off tricks, and special brakes on the rear. Dual rear calipers grip the same rotor, and while one caliper operates normally off the foot pedal, the other caliper operates off the left-hand brake lever nestled in next to the clutch lever so you can maintain front-wheel control when it's time for a feet-off stunt.

This bike was built to be looked at, and the paintjob certainly makes it hard to ignore. The palette combines the colors of the Brazilian flag with Beemer's blue/white/red livery, and gives the bike tons of stage presence. No doubt, the pattern on the wheels was calculated to accentuate their rotation and add to the show. I look forward to seeing what a world class pro can do with this special stunt-Beemer.