Wunderlich recently sent out a tasteful selection of protection and storage for the ADVRider 310GS build. We’re splitting up the reviews into bite-size pieces to give you a good overview of the parts we’re covering.

First up, some replacement parts. The bike, if you may remember, got an el-cheapo windshield and sidestand foot shortly after I brought it home. Wunderlich has graciously upgraded these parts. Next, a tank bag from the German aftermarket parts supplier—I have not installed a tank bag on the bike at all, so that’s totally new. 

The Old Windshield

I had bolted a larger-than-stock windshield to the little GS almost immediately after purchasing it. I spent $30 on it, and it was serviceable; impressive, even, for the cost. Installation involved some persuasion. The bolt holes aren’t spaced correctly for the bike, so you sort of have to flatten it out to line up the holes, and then hold it there while you thread them in to avoid cross-threading anything. It also wiggled and howled a bit – but only a bit – at speed. And, it interfered with the bike’s mirrors with the bars at full lock. All in all, a fine cheap windshield but with some annoying features.

Old windshield on the left, New Wunderlich on the right. Photo: Kate Murphy

The New Hotness

The Wunderlich Marathon Windscreen, on the other hand, retails for $249 US. Instead of simply re-using the four original bolt holes (as the cheap no-name windscreen did), the Wunderlich screen comes with a reinforcing frame, which reaches down to the dashboard mount bolts.

The windshield mounting hardware makes it evident it’s serious business. Photo: Kate Murphy

First, the windshield’s frame bolts to those original mounting points. The top bolts secure the secondary mount points that reach down into the dash. Then, the screen itself bolts to that reinforced frame, at wider set points, for an overall much more stable mounting system. Installation was a breeze, everything lined up perfectly, and it is rock-solid at speed. It is not, however, adjustable at all.

Installation was a snap, once I wiped the anti-seize off everything. Photo: Kate Murphy

So Much Better

The totally smooth surface and reinforced mount of the Wunderlich screen means the wiggles and howls are totally gone. There’s no buffeting or turbulence behind the screen, and very little distortion. And the bike feels a whole lot smoother on the highway. It doesn’t transfer any vibration or resonance into the frame of the bike.

The view from behind the windshield: totally clear, very little distortion. (Photo: Kate Murphy)

Now, you may be wondering, as I did, if the price difference between the cheap no-name windshield and the extremely nice Wunderlich windshield is worth it? And the answer is: it depends. 

Awesome Comes At A Price

When it comes to brand-name (read: high-end) windshields, the Wunderlich is not out of bounds in its price range. And if you’re riding long distances at high speeds the wiggling and howling of a cheap windshield will really (if you’ll pardon the expression) get on your tits after a few hours. The upgrade is a welcome relief. Similarly, if you’re doing a bunch of tight maneuvering, hitting your windscreen with your mirrors all the time gets old fast, too.  If your 310 is your knockaround bike and you’re never going to go over 40 mph for any real time on it, maybe the cheap windshield works out just fine. I’m very happy with the upgrade, though.

A Stand Foot Upgrade

The old side-stand foot was an Amazon find, cheap as hell, and that cheapness meant installation was a bit of a struggle. It made the side-stand a bit too tall for the bike, and getting the stand up and down meant leaning the bike waaaaay over to starboard. Luckily, this is a small, light bike and I am not inseam-challenged.

Installing A New One

After I pulled the el-cheapo foot off, Wunderlich’s replacement practically jumped right onto the stand’s foot. All I had to do was right the bike in my garage, slide the new foot under the stand, set it down and “click,” it was in place, perfectly sized for the bike, and level. Three bolts and corresponding sunk, conical washers hold the foot in place. And it ships with a tiny bottle of blue threadlocker for the task.

The new foot is a slightly different shape, and thinner, than the old foot. That means the stand isn’t as tall (even a millimeter or two helps here) and deploying and retracting the stand is less work.

Three little bolts and a perfect fit. Easy install with a T25 bit. One down, two to go! Photo: Kate Murphy

Value For The Money

The comparative value? Again, it’s a personal calculation. The cheap ($14 US) foot works fine, but the thickness makes the bike unstable, especially when loaded. Wunderlich’s foot ($60 US) works better, installs much easier, and its footprint makes deploying/retracting the stand easier (but still not as easy as nothing). Both of these pieces are huge improvements over the previous installations. Having limited previous experience with the brand, I am impressed by the quality and engineering of the pieces I’ve installed so far. Which leads us to…

The Elephant Tank Bag

The Elephant Classic Tour tank bag fits the 310GS with a dedicated tank-bag base. The bag ($230 US) and the base ($117 US) are sold separately, since the base is motorcycle-specific. At the front of the bike, the base attaches with 1” webbing threaded underneath the bike’s frame just behind the steering head. Remove the seat and the two fairing bolts at the back of the tank, and then reinstall them through the two holes in the tank bag base.

Front and back of the Wunderlich tank bag base. Photo: Kate Murphy

The bag then attaches to the base with a large slide-release buckle on 2-inch webbing at the front, and two strips of hook-and-loop fastener at the back. Pulling the bag off the bike is about a five-second proposition. To access the gas cap, you pull the bag off the base and then pull the flap (secured with hook-and-loop fastener) up. There’s your gas cap!

The mounting system makes accessing the gas cap very easy. (Photo: Kate Murphy)

Small But Useful

I’ve always run tank bags on my bikes, some huge and some small. This one comes in around the middle, on the smaller side. It will hold your wallet, phone, a small bottle of water, and your GPS case. Much beyond that and you might be hurting for space. It’s a smallish (10L) bag meant for daily use, not a huge bag for heavy travel.

The bottom of the bag is convex, following the curves of the tank, so it’s smaller than it looks. Banana for scale. Photo: Kate Murphy

Waterproof? Waterproof!

Unlike every other tank bag I’ve ever used, this one is waterproof right out of the gate, including the zipper. There’s no waterproof cover for it. I wish this was the case everywhere, because pulling over to put a cover on your tank bag in the rain is always a drag. 

Paper Maps? How Droll

The bag does not feature a map pocket (that’s sold separately if you want one), but I almost always run a GPS so I don’t list a map pocket high on my priority list these days. It does feature a MOLLE-compatible holding system, an integrated outer elastic tie-down, and a pass-through at the front for your charging cables.

The tank bag in action. Photo: Kate Murphy

Solid Mount

The way the base anchors to the bike, and then the bag to the base, means the entire business doesn’t slide around or feel wobbly at all. It mounts solidly to the bike while maintaining easy on/off.

All in all, I’m rather impressed with the quality of the Wunderlich aftermarket pieces. They mount easily to the bike and are great quality. It’s all in solid you-get-what-you-pay-for territory. Two big thumbs up for all these installs.