Photo: MCN
Things are on the move in the BMW-TVS partnership, as the first spy shot of the new-generation bike has recently surfaced. The shot is as frustrating as it could ever be, as whoever managed to capture the bike only got a view from the rear. If we were completely skeptical about this we’d even say that there’s nowhere near enough proof to believe this bike is an actual BMW-TVS machine.
Truth be told, there isn’t, but at times we just have to play along and make believe. Frankly, the bike we see in this washed out picture could be almost any bike. Still, the small exhaust port of the underseat silencer has a fairly small diameter and this tells us we’re looking at a small-displacement bike. The width of the rear wheel is not that relevant, as most quarter-liters today have 130mm-wide tires, and we’ve even seen bigger ones.
300cc is the new direction
Apparently Stephan Schaller, the boss of BMW’s motorcycle department has confirmed that the new generation of small displacement machines will be introduced in the fall of 2015. No further mention was made as of whether the BMW-TVS bikes will make appearance at Intermot or EICMA, but if more than one or two bikes are planned, we might expect the Germans to split the launches for both shows.
The fact that BMW is planning to release a new generation of bikes powered by under-500cc engines was somehow confirmed by a Motorrad official during an interview with us at the EICMA 2014. Still, no tech details have been provided.
Will BMW deliver a small-class GS?
In the absence of a firm denial, we can hope that a small-displacement adventure bike will also be among the new models. It looks like some of the Chinese manufacturers have been quick to act in this segment and seized the occasion to offer small-displacement adventure/travel motorcycles, happy to at least be the first in this niche.
The new machines resulting from the BMW-TVS tie-up will be marketed and sold separately. TVS will sell them under its own badge in India and possibly other markets in the region, while the Bavarians will stamp the BMW emblem on them for worldwide distribution. 2015 is definitely going to be an interesting year for BMW, don’t you think?
300cc is the new direction
Apparently Stephan Schaller, the boss of BMW’s motorcycle department has confirmed that the new generation of small displacement machines will be introduced in the fall of 2015. No further mention was made as of whether the BMW-TVS bikes will make appearance at Intermot or EICMA, but if more than one or two bikes are planned, we might expect the Germans to split the launches for both shows.
The fact that BMW is planning to release a new generation of bikes powered by under-500cc engines was somehow confirmed by a Motorrad official during an interview with us at the EICMA 2014. Still, no tech details have been provided.
Will BMW deliver a small-class GS?
In the absence of a firm denial, we can hope that a small-displacement adventure bike will also be among the new models. It looks like some of the Chinese manufacturers have been quick to act in this segment and seized the occasion to offer small-displacement adventure/travel motorcycles, happy to at least be the first in this niche.
The new machines resulting from the BMW-TVS tie-up will be marketed and sold separately. TVS will sell them under its own badge in India and possibly other markets in the region, while the Bavarians will stamp the BMW emblem on them for worldwide distribution. 2015 is definitely going to be an interesting year for BMW, don’t you think?
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