India to become hlobal hub for BMW small bikes

BMW has decided to manufacture its current smallest capacity engine motorcycle, the G310R, in partnership with TVS group in India. The 313cc motorcycle will also be exported to the BMW’s home market and countries around the globe such as the US and across Europe. This is perhaps the first time that the company will have a bike under 500cc. The BMW G310R will be sold under the famed Motorrad brand which makes it a determined project for the company.

The German company’s decision to produce it in India reflects the motorcycle as a large-scale production bike. Currently, the firm is in talks with retailers and distributors in India and the bike is expected to hit the market early 2017. The prices have not been revealed yet however, being a small capacity bike the price may range between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh.

The bike will be produced at the TVS Motors Hosur plant in Tamil Nadu and the Indian partner will launch the local version of the G310R, which the company showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo as Akula 310. The G310R was designed and developed by BMW Motorrad at Munich in Germany, while the production will be done by TVS Motors.

The new motorcycle is mated to a six-speed gearbox producing 34 BHP of power at 9500 RPM and 28 Nm of peak torque at 7500 RPM. The bike is expected to hit a top speed of 144 km/hr and will have ABS as standard fitment. The BMW G310R comes with a large liquid crystal display instrument cluster which offers a clear and wide range of information. BMW will also offer a lot of accessories for the bike.