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BMW Motorrad and TVS Motors tie up: More details emerge

18th October 2013, 16:25 by JayPrashanth

German motorcycle maker BMW Motorrad and Indian auto giant TVS Motors, known for its 2 & 3 wheelers, are in a tie up to build small capacity motorcycles in the sub-500 cc segment. BMW Motorrad and TVS Motors will brand and market the new crop of sub-500 cc motorcycles under their respective brands.

Note: The BMW F650 GS image used in this report is illustrative in nature.

TVS Motors' expertise in low cost-high quality manufacturing and sourcing will be leveraged by BMW Motorrad. In that light, these motorcycles will be built in India, at one of TVS Motors' factories. Now, new details have emerged on VisorDown, about the BMW Motorrad-TVS Motors partnership.

BMW and TVS will roll out their sub-500cc range of motorcycles within the next three years (before 2016).
For the second time since the announcement of the BMW-TVS partnership, hints of a 250 cc motorcycle have been dropped.
The 250 cc motorcycle is likely to feature either a naked or an adventure (touring) design theme.
A sub-250 cc motorcycle could also be under consideration.

More details of the BMW-TVS partnership could be announced at the upcoming EICMA 2013 motorcycle show that will be held in early November at Milan, Italy. Earlier this year, Austrian motorcycle maker KTM, in which Bajaj Auto holds a near 48 % stake, overtook BMW Motorrad as Europe's largest motorcycle maker.

The small-capacity Duke range, comprising of the Duke 125, 200 and 390 models, has been instrumental in KTM moving past BMW Motorrad in the European motorcycle market. The small-capacity Duke range (first introduced in 2011) has nearly doubled KTM's yearly volumes, and the upcoming RC range of full-faired small capacity sportsbikes only promises to further boost volumes.

It is with background in place that BMW Motorrad tied hands with TVS Motors, the fourth largest two wheeler maker in India, to take on the combined might of KTM and Bajaj Auto. With the new sub-500 cc motorcycle range, BMW Motorrad is likely to directly challenge KTM in India and other international markets including its home market of Europe.

These developments have other angles to them. In the near term, TVS Motors might not expand the Apache range of high performance motorcycles, instead preferring to wait for the new crop of sporty offerings that the company will launch in collaboration with BMW Motorrad, in an approach that Bajaj Auto has embraced with the Pulsar 200 NS.

Also, TVS Motors is likely to focus on the commuter motorcycle and the automatic scooter segments until the arrival of the sporty motorcycles under the BMW-TVS tie up. TVS Motors' newly developed automatic transmission, which the company showcased at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo, could be the major technological innovation that is likely to keep the company's commuter range fresh for the next couple of years.

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