BMW Motorrad to begin operations in India by October 2016, hints at G 310 R launch: Report

BMW Motorrad, the motorcycle-manufacturing arm of BMW, is reportedly ready to begin operations in India by October this year. BMW Motorrad has been long rumoured to open its India chapter and was expected to make its formal announcement at the Auto Expo 2016 in February.

Now a report of Overdrive, quoting Stefan Schaller, the president and CEO of BMW Motorrad, claims that the company is set to commence its operations by October this year. BMW currently sells its bikes in India through its distributors — Deutsche Motoren in Delhi and NCR, and Navnit Motors for the rest of the country. With its entry into the lucrative Indian two-wheeler market, BMW Motorrad is expected to set dealerships in major cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and others.

With the announcement of its entry into the Indian market, BMW Motorrad has also fuelled a fresh round of whispers about the launch of the first India-made motorcycle, the G 3210 R. The G 310 R, the motorcycle developed in association with TVS Motor Company, could also make its entry around the same time. The company had showcased BMW G 310 R at the Auto Expo and the motorcycle has been undergoing testing in the country since then.

First premiered at EICMA 2015 in Milan, Italy, the G 310 R is powered by a 313cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine, which can churn out power of 33.5bhp at 9,500rpm and maximum torque of 28Nm at 7,500rpm, mated to a six-speed gearbox.

The BMW G 310 R employs a 300mm disc brake at the front, and 240mm at the rear. It features front upside down forks and monoshock suspension at the rear. BMW G 310 R is expected to be priced at about Rs. 2.5 lakh in India.

[1 lakh = 100,000 | 1 crore = 10 million | 100 crore = 1 billion]