You could be forgiven for never having heard of TVS, but chances are you’ve seen one of the 3 million motorcycles they make each year on British roads.
The Indian manufacturer is the third biggest bike company in its home market and, in 2016, joined forces with BMW to develop and build the German company’s G310R and G310GS models and last month they introduced this, the TVS Apache RR310 under their own brand.
One of the most anticipated bikes in the Indian market, the TVS features the same 34bhp reverse cylinder DOHC engine as the BMW G series models, but wrapped in a sportsbike package that goes wheel-to-wheel with established rivals like the KTM RC 390 and Honda CBR300R, two bikes that are reasonably successful sellers in the British marketplace.
TVS’s new sportster certainly has all the credentials to make it to Europe with a BMW badge slapped on the side. Suspension comes from respected Japanese supplier KYB, Brembo engineered ByBre brakes, dual channel ABS, LED headlights and thoroughly modern instrumentation panel that includes features such as a lap timer and top speed recorder. Despite the BMW inspired RR name and logo, the styling has more than a touch of Ducati about it, with a steel trellis frame (which is also shared with the G310R) and a back end that could well have been influenced by the Panigale 1299.
Officially, there’s no news on the RR310 making it to these shores but there’s no doubt that it could do well as an entry level sportsbike. With a new fairing and asymmetric headlights, there’s every chance this TVS could be the genesis of the future BMW G310RR.