TVS Apache 450 will be developed on BMW’s 450 platform while the upcoming Norton motorcycles in India will also use this parallel-twin platform
TVS Motor Company is working on a plethora of new models for the Indian market, which includes an all-new electric scooter and the RTX 300 adventure motorcycle among others. However, we have now learnt that it is also readying a 450cc motorcycle based on BMW Motorrad’s parallel-twin platform. It was revealed by none other than Sudarshan Venu, MD of TVS, in an interview with CNBC-TV18 where he spoke about the upcoming TVS bikes and scooters in India. Venu further stated that TVS-owned British brand Norton will use this 450 platform for its motorcycles in India.
BMW Motorrad unveiled the F 450 GS ADV concept at the EICMA 2024 in Milan, Italy. It was later showcased at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Global Expo in New Delhi. Recently, BMW F 450 GS was spotted during its test runs near the TVS factory in Hosur. Hence, it makes things pretty clear that TVS will also have its own 450cc motorcycle based on this platform. However, it won’t be an ADV bike akin to the F 450 GS but a fully-faired supersport motorcycle.
TVS-BMW partnership in India has been going for the last so many years and we have seen multiple motorcycles emerging out of this collaboration in the form of the RR310 and RTR 310. Both the bikes were developed on BMW’s 310 platform by TVS at its Hosur factory. We strongly believe that TVS is going to continue with this approach with the 450 platform as well, and hence the first bike based on it is likely to be a supersport, identical to the RR310 based on the 310 platform.
A few weeks back, we told you that Norton Motorcycles, the UK based two-wheeler brand, is all set to debut in India. Owned by TVS, it is expected to debut with single and twin cylinder motorcycles in the middleweight (400-600cc) segment. Now, it is confirmed that Norton will also use the same 450 BMW platform for its initial models in India.
Sudarshan Venu said, “….and you will see Norton and TVS versions using similar platform”. BMW’s 450 platform uses a 450cc twin-cylinder liquid-cooled petrol engine with a max power output of around 47 bhp. The upcoming TVS Apache 450 will be equipped with the same engine, albeit with a bit of retuning to suit its supersport character. It could become the second locally manufactured fully-faired parallel-twin motorcycle in India after the Aprillia RS457.
The upcoming TVS Apache RR 450 could be unveiled at the MotoSoul 2025 in December while the first 450cc models from Norton for the Indian market could debut at the EICMA 2025 in Milan, Italy. The Norton bike is expected to be a neo-roadster with focus on performance. Stay tuned to this space for more info on the same.
