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First TVS-BMW bike spied


So here it is, captured by Visor Down testing in Europe, what will be the very first TVS-BMW bike. This naked streetbike that will shortly be manufactured and sold by TVS, will be built with BMW technology at its heart - a four-stroke, single-cylinder powerplant is tipped to displace somewhere around 300cc, as reported by Autocar India last year. 
 


KTM and Bajaj have already moved the goalpost in the segment, with their brilliantly positioned 390 Duke. Keeping that in mind, it's safe to estimate that this eagerly awaited Indo-German bike will match up and deliver similar, if not better, performance. We'd like to see a power figure of around 40bhp, although the enthusiast in us will hope for a touch more from this exposed-chain driven bike. Expect the bike to get healthy engine specifications including fuel-injection, in addition to the existing liquid-cooling technology. 
 
Looking at the images clicked by Visor Down, we can tell you that this new TVS-BMW bike will get a single-cylinder engine that will lean a few degrees away from the vertical. Although uncommon in India, it has been done before, and helps in keeping most of the weight close to the bike's centre of gravity, thereby improving handling. There's little doubt that TVS and BMW will walk the extra mile by offering high quality construction on their new bike. 
 
Although the spy pictures don't show the new TVS-BMW bike in its final production guise, it gives away a distinctive looking facia, including a purposeful-looking projector headlight and a compact instruments readout. It also seems like the upcoming TVS-BMW will come with edgy, minimal yet thoroughly contemporary body panels, and with its tank bay leading down into a neat pair of radiator shrouds. The belly and tail fairings aren’t in place on the bike pictured, although a sharply extended tail and, neat, (probably) LED-lit turn signal indicators can be seen. The new bike has also been given a pretty sizeable radiator; it seems like TVS and BMW are taking the torrid Indian weather seriously, as the Indian market is certain to be the biggest target audience for the motorcycle. Over the radiator sits a voluminous, chunky looking and smartly-crafted tank. There's plenty of alloy used on the sleek wheels, steering clamps, footrests and their mounts, and the rear swingarm. The rest of the motorcycle frame isn’t clearly visible in the picture.
 

The bike gets a pair of sturdy, fat upside down telescpoic front forks in addition to the monoshock. However, on the new bike, they are placed in a standard position close to the swingarm pivot section, and not in a horizontal layout, as on the TVS Draken concept bike seen at the Indian auto expo. 

The new TVS-BMW bike gets a slim, curvy stepped single unit for a rider saddle, which brings us to the most important take-home from these images. The significant differentiating factor that TVS and BMW will be clever in giving its bike is comfort, something that the aggressive, 'ready-to-race' KTMs aren't engineered to offer. The seemingly tall test rider seen in the pictures is clearly seated in a not-so-aggressive, spine-upright posture, with his hands falling in relaxed angles to the wide, flat set handlebar. His legs aren't extended too far back either, or high; something that will stress the knees. 

The TVS-BMW streetbike also includes meaty radial and tubeless tyres front and rear. It can be seen in the pictures that the new TVS-BMW bike will include potent disc brakes front and rear, with the front caliper being a radial mounted unit. ABS will be offered as standard, a given on every bike that has anything to do with BMW.
 
The new TVS BMW bike looks perfectly poised to meet its production deadline later this year, or latest by early 2016. More good news, thanks to information gathered by Visor Down sources, is that this could become a platform for even more exciting bike projects - a mini GS adventure bike and perhaps even a faired up sportsbike in the time to come. According to Visor Down sources, this could also become a platform for even more exciting bike projects, a mini GS adventure bike and perhaps even a faired-up sportsbike in due time. 
 
There’s plenty of industry-wide anticipation regarding where the partnership of these two giants will lead, keeping in mind how outrageously successful the first major Indo-European two-wheeler venture (Bajaj and KTM) has grown in our times. KTM overtook BMW less than two years ago, on the back of its partnership with Bajaj; and with BMW now opening its Indian innings, the European theatre is clearly closing in for a battle royal - a ferocious no-holds-barred fight. Amid all this action, India has somehow managed to book the best seats in the house. Our bike market stands to gain in spades!

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