TVS-BMW motorcycle details emerge

When TVS and German bikemaker BMW announced their partnership, it created a lot of excitement among Indian two-wheeler enthusiast. Both the manufacturers have been very secretive about the new bike being developed which has been codenamed K03. The bike was recently spotted testing in Germany and import documents reveal that lots of components for the bikes have been sent to India. In a recent interview to Australian magazine AMCN, BMW Motorrad CEO Stephan Schaller divulged few details regarding the upcoming TVS-BMW motorcycle.

According to Schaller they handpicked TVS after scouting for partners across various Asian countries in the pursuit of making a cost effective entry-level BMW motorcycle. The engineering for the upcoming TVS-BMW bike will be done completely by the German bikemaker while TVS will localise the components for the bike to keep the pricing aggressive. Both the manufacturers will develop an all-new platform on which various motorcycles will be based and will be sold separately as TVS and BMW motorcycle similar to KTM and Bajaj motorcycles. But unlike KTM-Bajaj partnership where the latter has a stake in the Austrian two-wheeler manufacturer, BMW and TVS don’t have any financial liabilities between them.

Schaller also confirmed that the upcoming TVS-BMW motorcycle will be powered by a sub-500cc, single cylinder motor as opposed to a twin pot mill to keep costs low. It is rumoured that the TVS-BMW K03 will be powered by a 300cc, water-cooled engine and the test mule also featured a back-to-front cylinder with the exhaust beginning from the rear of the engine similar to the Yamaha YZ450F. Schaller also hinted that the new engine being developed will be used by TVS in its future range of products which is great news for Indian two-wheeler aficionados.

From the spy picture of the KO3 being tested we can figure out that it will feature a single unit headlamp, USD forks, alloy wheels, Michelin tyres, disc brakes at front and rear and a side-slung exhaust with a hefty muffler. The TVS-BMW motorcycle will be pitched against the KTM 390 Duke and the Kawasaki Z300 in the international market. In fact, BMW test riders were also spotted testing the KTM 390 Duke probably to compare the performance of both the machines. The TVS-BMW motorcycle is expected to make its debut at the 2015 EICMA or INTERMOT motorcycle show later this year with an official launch by mid-2016. The TVS-BMW motorcycle will be showcased for the first time in India at the 2016 Auto Expo in Delhi early next year. 

Source: AMCN

Image Courtesy: VD