BMW and TVS first joined hands in 2013 with the intention of producing a sub-500cc motorcycle. Two years later, we are finally getting a glimpse of what the offspring of this Indo-German coalition might look like. While the previous spy picture of the K03, as the motorcycle is internally called, was quite ambiguous, these latest snapshots from Germany make it abundantly clear that the motorcycle will be a liquid-cooled naked roadster.
The K03 prototype featured a smoked single headlight unit, inverted forks, a single-disc front brake and a beefy side-slung exhaust. The overall design of the K03 seems to be influenced by the Draken X-21 concept, though the same cannot be said about the chassis and the mechanicals.
While technical specifications are still unclear, the K03 is expected to be powered by a water-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder engine, which would displace around 300cc. As such, the K03 will go up against the likes of KTM Duke 390 and the Kawasaki Z300.
It is pretty obvious that like with its other motorcycles, BMW will use this platform for more than a single motorcycle and we can expect a fully-faired supersports and a GS-like adventure motorcycle to follow this roadster. While BMW has so far been looked upon as a premium brand, its venture into the sub-500cc category marks an increasing interest in the developing markets. While TVS can benefit from the German manufacturer’s proven engineering prowess, BMW can get access to cost-effective manufacturing process and cheap labour through TVS with this deal.
