Since 1923, BMW Motorrad has been making some of the best motorcycles. In India, the German motoring brand has spent the latter part of the last decade trying to crack the entry-level adventure segment with the G 310 GS, a single cylinder machine.
Cut to today, the F 450 GS launched in India, replacing the now discontinued G 310 GS, marking the brand’s shift to a twin-cylinder platform in the entry-level adventure segment. Similar to its predecessor, it is manufactured by TVS at their Hosur, Tamil Nadu, facility. But how is the F 450 GS different from G 310 GS?
Taking inspiration from the larger BMW R 1300 GS, the F 450 GS comes in a similar silhouette. The headlight, though, is more compact, carrying a tall stance, upright riding position and windscreen that define the GS design language. Under the bodywork sits a 420cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine producing 48 hp at 8,750 rpm and 43 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm, with a 135-degree crankshaft offset that gives it a distinctly smoother character than the single-cylinder competitors it will go up against. The chassis is a newly designed tubular steel trellis frame with a 43mm upside-down fork and 180mm of travel at the front, and an adjustable monoshock at the rear. The bike rides on a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel combination.
Four variants are on offer: Basic, Exclusive, Sport and GS Trophy, with higher trims adding riding modes, adjustable suspension and accessories as standard. Even in base trim, the F 450 GS comes with ABS Pro, traction control, riding modes, heated grips, adjustable levers and a 6.5-inch TFT display with smartphone connectivity. Only the top-end GS Trophy variant gets cross-spoke wheels, while the remaining variants come with cast alloys — all variants are fitted with tubeless tyres as standard.
The headline technology reserved for the GS Trophy is the Easy Ride Clutch, BMW's take on a centrifugal clutch system. The ERC allows the rider to come to a complete stop without pulling the clutch lever, while still retaining engine braking, something often missing on similar setups. Paired with Shift Assist Pro, clutch use becomes almost optional in most riding situations. For less experienced riders and those navigating city traffic, it is a meaningful real-world advantage rather than a marketing feature.
Pre-bookings opened at select dealerships ahead of today's launch, with a token amount of Rs 10,000, and prices are expected to start around Rs 4.80 to Rs 4.99 lakh for the base variant, with the GS Trophy sitting at a premium above that. It will compete directly with the KTM 390 Adventure, Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and Honda NX500. Given the twin-cylinder engine, the full suite of electronics and the GS pedigree behind the name, the F 450 GS arrives as the most credible entry-level adventure motorcycle BMW has brought to India. The segment has been waiting for exactly this.