Over the past few years, there’s been lots of chatter about Chinese OEMs entering the European and North American markets, but if a new concept bike from TVS is any indication, it looks like India’s manufacturers might be poised to make their own play for our consumer dollars.
Indian manufacturer TVS has been making motorcycles for a long time now, and a lot of those bikes have even been sold in western markets… under BMW’s name. TVS is the OEM for the G310-series BMW motorcycles.
Recently, TVS took the wraps off its new RTS X Supermoto at India’s Bharat Mobility Global Expo. This is a concept bike, with no guarantees of production, especially in the form that was shown at the show. The bait-and-switch between a flashy concept bike and a dumbed-down production machine is a game as old as motorcycle shows themselves.
Yet, this machine looks like it might be quite interesting if the platform does make it to market. It’s based on a single-cylinder that revs high, like the old Yamaha WR250R design, but with more power and torque than current Japanese 300 four-stroke dual sports. TVS claims 35 hp at 9,000 rpm, and 21 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm, which should be enough to handle any Canadian highway—although speeding up for a pass might take a while.
The engine has 299cc capacity, a four-valve head with double overhead cam and liquid cooling. A ride-by-wire throttle lets them add a quickshifter to the six-speed transmission.
Fuel capacity is a claimed 8 litres, with curb weight at a claimed 143 kg. Not quite as light as the latest 300-class dual sports, but not too far off, and with better power from that single than something like the CB350 single that Honda makes in India.
The frame is borrowed and adapted from the TVS Apache sport machine, and that’s based off the BMW G310 design. Which leaves us with this question: TVS is tying to pick up more business in the west. Will this engine be the basis of those efforts, or does it show us the bones of BMW’s next made-in-India bike?
