This is TVS Motor's new engine. And it is a game changer. It is a 299cc, single cylinder (as is obvious), liquid cooled, oversquare engine that puts out 35bhp and 28.5Nm of torque. It is the first in a series of engines that will follow displacing different engine capacities.
This will happen mainly by changing the bore diameter, which means the lesser capacity engines based on this platform will have a flat and accessible torque curve thanks to their relative increase in stroke in the bore and stroke ratio. These lower capacity engines which should make their way on smaller Apaches, should deliver entertaining amounts of low-end performance.
The TVS ADV
The bigger story with this engine of course is the TVS adventure motorcycle that is conspicuous by its absence. Now, you might imagine the company could very well sell the BMW G 310 GS as its own with a revised styling and a lower price tag. But, that can't happen courtesy the deal TVS-BMW signed years ago when they first started producing this platform in India.
You see, TVS has the rights to be race-replica or the fully faired genre of motorcycle, while BMW similarly owns the ADV genre in this marriage. And while TVS handed over its rebadged RR310 to BMW to sell in India, BMW is quite protective about its GS brand and refused to allow TVS to build its own ADV on the 310 platform.
Needless to say, TVS needed its own new engine to enter the ADV sphere. And here it is - the RTXD4. It uses ride-by-wire, which means riding modes and possibly rider aids like traction control will come with this engine as well. And, this engine will be mated to a 6-speed gearbox. But, this engine won't be limited to just an ADV. There will be RTR / steet-naked, and RR / race-replica Apaches based on this engine too.
There is more good news. Unlike the 310 engine which was already at its max capacity, this new 299cc can go up in size significantly. So, expect upto a 420cc single on this platform going forward.
The 450cc twist
The other part of this puzzle is the new 450cc, liquid-cooled, parallel twin that BMW showcased on its GS prototype in Milan. This 450cc engine will also be made by TVS. And much like the 310 platform, the street-naked aka R, and the adventure bike aka GS, will continue to belong exclusively to BMW. Similarly, TVS will launch an RR 450 model on this platform, which TVS will have exclusive rights to.
We should see the F 450 GS based on this platform coming out sometime in April of 2025; less than five months from now.
What of the 310?
The 310 platform will continue for the forseeable future. TVS will continue to sell its RR310 and RTR310 in 2025 and beyond. But, come April 2025, and BMW will end the production run for both its GS and R models based on the 310 platform. It will replace these bikes with new ones powered by the 450cc parallel twin.
BMW is looking at more performance from its entry-level models to better suit its overall brand story. The 310, though popular, felt short when it came to performance and refinement by BMW standards. The 450 addresses these shortcomings without compromising on reliability; a crucial consideration for BMW.
As for TVS, it has gotten the 310 homologated for the tougher, new emission norms, and it will therefore continue to sell its bikes till BS7 norms come into effect. There is currently no firm timeline for the introduction of BS7 norms. As is clear, with this new engine, TVS finally has its based covered. And it is now in a position to offer a variety of motorcycles and various capacity and price points without it having to invest heavily for every new introduction.
