- The 450 platform is the successor to the 310
- G310R and G310RR will be replaced with bigger iterations
- F 450 GS production has started at TVS’ plant
While we are waiting for the BMW F 450 GS to make its India debut, the German brand’s top honcho revealed some interesting information about their future products based on the 450cc platform. During one of the recent interviews, BMW Motorrad CEO affirmed that this will be a replacement for their 310cc platform. He also mentioned that the future 450cc line-up will have successors to the 310 offerings, thereby indicating that a 450GS-based naked roadster and faired sportbike are in the works.
This doesn’t come as a surprise since every company uses a platform to spawn a variety of products – it is an economical way to expand its portfolio and makes business sense. The future models, including the roadster and sportbike, might use the same steel trellis frame and aluminium swingarm as the 450GS, but with shorter-travel suspension and 17-inch wheels at both ends. We might also see a mild tweak in the engine tuning to suit the purpose and character of each bike.
The company spokesperson pointed out that the inclusion of a 19-inch front wheel, instead of a 21-inch unit, on the 450GS was a decision based on feedback from customers and engineers who thought it would be a good balance for on and off-road use. Moreover, using a 19-inch front would’ve also helped the brand keep the chassis compatible for usage on other bikes with 17-inch wheels, without making major changes. The Automated Shift Assistant (ASA) semi-automatic gearbox might also be retained on all the 450-based models, perhaps as an option.
Now, since the 450 twin platform has been developed in collaboration with TVS, the Indian brand will also use it to make its own products. TVS will perhaps kick things off with a faired motorcycle, testing of which is already underway in full swing, as per our knowledge. All of this indicates that we are going to see a slew of new motorcycles from BMW and TVS in the near future.
