Spied: TVS Akula 310 caught testing in India
At the 2016 Auto Expo, TVS Motor had showcased the Akula 310 concept which got a lot of show goers excited. The production version of the TVS Akula 310 has now been caught testing in Bengaluru. TVS and BMW had entered into an agreement in 2013 to develop sub-500cc platforms which would underpin different versions of their motorcycles. The Akula 310 is TVS Motor's version of the BMW G 310 R. It is the first TVS motorcycle based on the joint-development project that both motorcycle manufacturers have been working on.
After the unveiling at the Auto Expo, TVS designers revealed to OVERDRIVE that around 60 per cent of the design would get carried over to the production model. Despite the blurred pictures and the camouflage, the shape of the fairing is very similar to the concept. It cannot be identical, naturally, most of the time; some of the finer details cannot reach production due to cost, complexity or long-term reliability.
What made the TVS Akula 310 concept's race-bike like tail design possible was its bolt-on aluminium subframe. Apart from looking good, aluminium is lighter than steel which helps reduce weight. But, using it would have resulted in an expensive price tag for the motorcycle. At the unveiling, TVS engineers had stated that the production version would get a regular trellis-style subframe. Unlike the concept, which featured a lightweight single seat, the production version will have two seats. A steel subframe is cheaper and strong enough.
Also the production TVS Akula 310 will have a regular plastic fairing. TVS did briefly flirt with the idea of a limited edition carbon-faired version but it was not to be.
TVS had also stated that the production version of the Akula 310 would be launched after the BMW G 310 R reaches showrooms. And BMW had exclusively told us that that G 310 R would be launched this year.
We expect the G 310 R will be launched sometime in January or February 2017. And the production version of the TVS concept, which is expected to retain the Akula name, is likely to arrive in showrooms by March 2017.
Spy image source: DriveSpark
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