Press "Enter" to skip to content

BMW F450GS vs TVS RTX 300 vs KTM Adventure 390 vs Himalayan 450

BMW has just unveiled the F450GS and it has got me so impressed that i can’t wait to buy one. Not only BMW has unveiled specs and design but also have now expected price of this bike. In this post, we’ll break down whether you should hold off for the F450GS or book the recently launched TVS RTX 300, or opt for already available options like the KTM Adventure 390 or Royal Enfield Himalayan.

SpecificationBMW F450GSTVS RTX 300KTM 390 Adventure (2025)Royal Enfield Himalayan 450
Engine420cc parallel-twin, liquid-cooled299.1cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC398.63cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC452cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled
Power48 PS @ 8,750 rpm36 PS46 PS40 PS @ 8,000 rpm
Torque43 Nm28.5 Nm39 Nm40 Nm @ 5,500 rpm
Transmission6-speed with ERC (clutchless shift option)6-speed with assist & slipper clutch6-speed with quickshifter6-speed
Suspension Travel (Front/Rear)180mm / 180mm (adjustable)Not specified (telescopic forks / monoshock)200mm / 205mm (WP Apex)200mm / 200mm (USD forks / monoshock)
Seat Height845mm (830mm low / 865mm high options)835mm830mm825mm (adjustable to 845mm; 805mm low option)
Fuel Tank Capacity14L12.5L14.5L17L
Kerb Weight~175kg (dry estimate)180kg183kg196kg
Price (Ex-Showroom, India)4.00-4.50 Lakh (expected, Dec 2025 launch)1.99-2.29 Lakh3.68-3.95 Lakh3.06-3.20 Lakh
Mileage (Claimed)~26 kmplNot specified~30 kmpl29.15 kmpl

Engine Specifications

Hands down, the BMW F450GS wins here. It’s the only one delivering a twin-cylinder experience. Sure, BHP and torque are standard, but a twin-cylinder is a game-changer. If you’ve only ridden single-cylinder bikes, switching to this will completely show you different feel. you’ll be thrilled with the ride, I guarantee. Twin-cylinders always edge out single cylinder engines.

Power-wise, it’s unmatched too: spec-for-spec, it pumps out 48 PS and 43 Nm, way ahead of the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450’s 39.5 PS and 40 Nm or the KTM 390 Adventure’s 43 PS and 37 Nm. This makes the F450GS the most powerful bike in the segment, i also feel no competition in terms of power and engine specs.

Looks and Design

Lets compare the looks and practicality of the design. F 450GS is no doubt an absolute killer in terms of look and has no match in the segment but TVS RTX 300 still has some chance against it. It might lack in other specs but stands toe-to-toe against the BMW F 450GS. The Himalayan and KTM has nothing special design comparison in terms of design. Personally, though, both the RTX and F450GS stand out as incredibly sharp bikes. And when it comes to engine specs, there’s no contest.

Suspension

Suspension
Suspension

Let’s talk about suspension, here i would say Himalayan and KTM Adventure 390 has better suspensions with travel length of 200 mm which is 20 mm less compared to the 180 mm on the BMW and RTX 300.

But i don’t think it will make much difference unless you are doing real offroading task. For now, specs favor the Himalayan and KTM.

Seat Height

Seat height is huge in India, where the average rider is around 5’6″—anything over 820 mm feels tall. The F450GS sits at 845 mm, which could challenge shorter riders. Go for the rally seat, and it jumps to 865 mm, even taller than the Himalayan. Test it yourself by sitting on the bike; I can’t decide that for you—it’s personal.

Transmission Features

The F450GS shines in transmission with ERC—a mechanical take on Honda’s E-Clutch for clutchless shifts. No clutch needed for gear changes, a unique perk none of the rivals offer. If a quick shifter suffices, the RTX or KTM work fine.

But for clutch-free riding in cities or on highways, this could be revolutionary. Quick shifters and cruise control suit highways, but clutchless shifts might transform city commutes. Test ride to see if it’s for you.

Cruise Control

BMW dropped the ball on cruise control. The TVS RTX includes it from the base variant for just 2 lakh. Even the F450GS top model skips it—a missed chance for a premium GS twin-cylinder bike.

It’s a shame, especially for highway tourers where cruise control is a lifesaver. This could be a deal-breaker for mile-munchers.

Heated Grips

On the plus side, the F450GS offers heated grips—absent from competitors. We saw it in the European spec; fingers crossed for India. No cruise control? At least give us heated grips for mountain rides—they’d be a welcome addition.

Pricing

Now let’s talk about the pricing. See, in terms of price, no one can beat the TVS RTX 300. The introductory price of the top variant comes in at 1,99,000 lakh. And when the brand removes the introductory price, then we can expect that motorcycle to be expensive by another 20,000, which brings it around 2.5 lakh. Then it also becomes the best value-for-money option.

On the other hand, if we compare this motorcycle with the previous GS310’s price, with the European spec price, if we tally it up, then in European spec, the GS310 was launched around 6000 Euros. Here, the same was launched at 3.3 lakh. So a 6000 Euro bike was launched at 3.3 lakh. And this F 450GS European version is launching from the base model at 7000 Euros.

We can expect the same thing here: that the base variant’s price will be less than just 4 lakh. Meaning, the base variant’s price will probably start from 3.8 lakh And the top variant, hopefully, will go up to around 4.8 lakh. On-road price depends state to state. Meaning, we might see this bike’s price between 3.8 lakh to 4.8 lakh.

I’m saying this because the engine development cost is shared among three different brands: TVS, Norton, and BMW. The engine development cost for the TVS version was borne only by TVS and BMW.

Here, the same cost is spread across three different brands. So the cost of development for BMW in this motorcycle has come down a bit. So in that aspect, we can expect aggressive pricing for the base model at least, where you don’t get quick shifter or any such features. So that motorcycle can be launched at an introductory price of 3.8 lakh and go up to 4.8 lakh as an introductory price.

Ownership Costs

But don’t just consider the price. When you’re buying a BMW motorcycle. I’m saying this repeatedly. Because when you’re buying a BMW, you have to keep ownership costs in mind. Even if you take an extra 1 lakh loan at the time of purchase to buy the bike, you’ll have to spend more on maintenance in BMW.

So, keep that in mind. BMW will be a much more expensive proposition in terms of ownership. Because at least 2.5 times more expensive than the other brands available in the market. I’m talking about the Indian market. So, keep that in mind and make your decision. And the answer to that is only with you—whether you can afford it or not.

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *