BMW F 450 GS India Launch Tomorrow

• Made in India by TVS at Hosur, Tamil Nadu
• Will compete against bikes like the KTM 390 Adventure
• Prices expected to start from Rs. 4.80-5 lakh, ex-showroom.

BMW Motorrad’s highly anticipated small-sized adventure tourer, the F 450 GS, is all set to make its India debut tomorrow, 23 April. The twin-cylinder motorcycle will compete against the likes of the KTM 390 Adventure, but is expected to be positioned on the more premium side of the spectrum in terms of pricing. Bookings for the bike are already officially open in India.

Now, there have been a lot of online speculations and guesstimates about the pricing of the bike. We believe BMW will distinguish the F 450 GS as a more premium offering than bikes like the 390 Adventure. The company did the same with the now-discontinued G 310 GS, which was a little too expensive for what it was, but the company still garnered decent sales. It might follow the same strategy with the 450. And considering most variants of the bike are handsomely equipped, demanding a premium for them is a given. We expect the bike to have a starting price of around Rs. 4.80-5.00 lakh, ex-showroom.

The BMW F 450 GS is powered by a 420cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled motor that produces 48bhp at 8,750rpm and 43Nm at 6,750rpm. The engine features a unique 135-degree firing order and comes paired with a six-speed gearbox. It comes equipped with a slipper clutch and a bi-directional quickshifter as standard. As for the hardware, it rides on a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel setup, shod with dual-purpose tyres. USD front forks and a rear monoshock handle suspension duties.

The most talked-about aspect of the bike is the ERC (easy ride clutch), and we have already explained it in detail. The F 450 GS will be offered in four variants: Basic, Exclusive, Sport, and GS Trophy. The latter is the more off-road-focused version, featuring tubeless wire-spoke wheels and knobby-pattern tyres.