TVS has revealed that the motorcycles launching in India from the TVS-BMW joint venture will sport TVS tyres. This comes as a disappointing update as TVS tyres do not provide good levels of grip.
Everyone is eagerly waiting for the first product, codenamed K03 that will come to the market as a result of the TVS-BMW joint venture. The entry-level performance motorcycles that will spawn from the collaboration between the two companies are going to be engineered completely by BMW, while TVS will provide top-notch quality parts at cost effective prices. Till now we are aware that the first motorcycle from the two companies will feature a 300cc water-cooled, single-cylinder engine and will be in a street-fighter avatar.
The latest update for the same reveals that radial tyres that are going to be used for the TVS-BMW two-wheeler products’ joint venture will be sourced from TVS Srichakra Limited, i.e., the tyre manufacturing division of TVS. The company is looking to invest around Rs. 150 crores this year alone to expand its manufacturing capacity from two million tyres per month to 2.3 million tyres per month by December 2015. The radial tyres that are being developed for the upcoming performance motorcycles are going to be of two different types.
This does not come as very good news because TVS tyres currently does not have a good name in the market. Their tyres lack grip and rob away the handling confidence from the bike, which should be a detrimental factor for the TVS-BMW motorcycles as BMW engineered products are known to be very good handlers. The EuroGrip tyres from TVS are often jokingly referred to as ‘EuroSlip’ by Indian bikers due to their very nature. Though TVS tyres are very cost effective and more affordable, their tyres cannot match MRF tyres in terms of grip and traction.
TVS is carrying out the expansion in its Madurai and Rudrapur plants which in the year 2014-15 made a monthly 1.6 million tyres and 4,00,000 tyres respectively. We sincerely hope that TVS comes up with better engineered rubber compound tyres for the products coming from the TVS-BMW joint venture and not disappoint the Indian public.
Source – Business-Standard.com