TVS Motor Launches Its Most Powerful Motorcycle Yet

TVS Motor Company Ltd. today launched its 310 cc motorcycle Apache RR310, marking its foray into the entry-level sports motorcycle segment.

The new fully faired motorcycle is built on the same platform as the BMW G310R, which is being co-developed by BMW and TVS in India, said KN Radhakrishnan, president and chief executive of TVS. The G310R, expected to launch next year, will be the cheapest BMW-branded motorcycle in the world.

In April 2013, the two- and three-wheeler maker had tied up with BMW Motorrad to produce motorcycles in the domestic and global markets under the sub-500cc segment. TVS Motor invested about 20 million euros in this alliance.

Radhakrishnan said that the premium bike segment (bikes in the 150cc to 500cc) forms around 14 percent of the country's motorcycle market and has been growing 10 percent annually.

TVS is looking to sell 10,000 units in the coming year, said Sudarshan Venu, joint managing director of TVS, after the launch. The motorcycle will also be shipped overseas but only in a “phased manner”, Venu added.

The bike is priced at Rs 2.05 lakh (ex-showroom), Radhakrishnan said, adding the on-road pricing would vary from state-to-state. The motorcycle would hit the road by end of this month, he said.

Venu added that the company has enough capacity to produce the motorcycle at its facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The company would also be launching an upgraded variant of the existing Apache 160cc ‘very soon', Venu said, declining to elaborate.

Currently TVS Motor retails Apache RTR 160cc RTR 180cc, RTR 200cc. It also retails TVS Victor, Star City+ in the commuter segment.