New Bavarian naked based on TVS-made F450GS
When BMW launched the F450GS with its all-new, 420cc parallel twin engine there was never much doubt that additional models would be hot on its heels and now the first of them is being teased on BMW’s social media pages with a silhouette that’s clearly that of an F450R roadster.
The image shows a bike that uses the same chassis and engine as the F450GS, but with 17-inch wheels and conventional naked roadster styling, leaving no doubt as to what’s in store. The full reveal is due on October 1st, according to the teasers, but we can already surmise that the bike has 35kW – like the F450GS – and the same unusual 135-degree crankpin offset.
Like the earlier G310 single-cylinder range, the F450 models are made in India by TVS. The engine has been created to be sold in multiple variants: the 585cc, 270-degree twin in the Norton Atlas adventure bike, also made by TVS, is closely related to the BMW unit, and the Atlas chassis is also similar to the BMW F450GS’s. Meanwhile, TVS has confirm it plans to make its own, TVS-branded twins using the same basis.
BMW will be targeting 35kW to suit Europe’s ‘A2’ licence rules, which also impose a 0.2kW-per-kg power-to-weight limit. That means the F450R can’t weigh less than 175kg and still comply, but it’s likely to be aiming to be as close to that figure as possible to maximise performance within the A2 class.
