BMW F 450 GS vs TVS Apache RTX 300: Detailed Comparison

BMW Motorrad recently launched the much-awaited F 450 GS in India. The bike is made by TVS, but it is not the only ADV made by the manufacturer. TVS also makes the Apache RTX 300. Both the BMW F 450 GS and the TVS Apache RTX 300 are actually more similar than you’d think. They have a road-biased 19-inch front wheel setup, are tech-loaded and look good. So we thought it’d be a good idea to just put them head-to-head and see what it’s like. While it’s not a direct comparison, it’d be interesting to see how two bikes on opposite spectrums but manufactured by one brand hold up against one another. Here’s how that went: 

Price & Variants

• The TVS Apache RTX 300, on the other hand, is the definition of value for money. For a starting price of under Rs 2 lakh, the bike has plenty to offer as a good commuter and comfortable tourer. Even if you opt for the quickshifter variant, which we think you must, it’s still a lot of bike for that much money. 

• So the TVS bike is the clear winner of this category. 

Dimensions & Design 

• The BMW F 450 GS, despite having a bigger twin-cylinder engine, is actually the lighter of the two, and that’s quite impressive. BMW has kept the GS’ weight on the lower side, and we quite like that. 

• In terms of design, they’re both big, expensive-looking bikes which should make for a lot of road presence. That said, the RTX 300 is the more conventionally good-looking bike, so it might be the bike more people gravitate towards. When the BMW R 1300 GS came out, its new design polarised many, and we expect the same to happen with the F 450 GS as well. 

• And that makes the RTX 300 that much more impressive. For a Rs 2 lakh bike to be able to hold its own in terms of design and finish levels against a much more expensive bike is nothing but impressive. 

Features & Safety

• The F 450 GS’ features list is long and comprehensive, as it should be. BMW Motorrad is positioning it to be a great tourer and plenty capable off the road, so it has to have features that’ll be useful in both scenarios, and it almost does have it all. 

• Of late, TVS bikes have been incredibly feature-loaded, and the RTX 300 is no different. The amount of features it gets for its fantastic price point is honestly impressive, and all of that just adds to its value-for-money proposition. 

• And we used ‘almost’ for the BMW bike earlier because there’s something that the RTX 300 has which the BMW doesn’t: cruise control. Given that even the Hero Glamour X 125 now has cruise control, we feel BMW should’ve given it as standard on the F 450 GS. 

Engines

• The BMW’s 420cc engine pumps out healthy power and torque figures. It has enough torque to drive you out of sticky off-road situations while having enough horsepower up top to cruise at high triple-digit speeds with reasonable ease. 

• The RTX 300, on the other hand, is a single-cylinder engine, and the differences are visible. It’s quite smooth in the city at low speeds, and it feels nice and torquey, meaning you can be in a higher gear and still have enough grunt left to execute quick overtakes. 

• Out on the highway, while the RTX 300 is quite happy to hold triple-digit speeds, it might feel a bit vibey, say, after 105-110kmph, being a single-cylinder engine. That is where a twin feels a bit more refined and sophisticated over a single-cylinder engine. 

BikeDekho Says 

The TVS Apache RTX 300 is an adequate bike for most riders. It’s a very good commuter, has reasonable off-road capabilities and makes for a smooth, comfortable bike out on the highways at triple-digit speeds. It comes in at a fantastically value-for-money price and still has tons of features. And the cherry on the cake is its attractive, eye-catching design language, which looks premium and fancy. Most people will be better off buying the RTX 300 and spending surplus money, if any, on fuel or riding gear. 

But if you have a substantially higher budget (much higher buying and running costs) and truly want something that really stands out, something that’s exclusive, and more importantly, something that has a more luxury badge on its tank, the F 450 GS will interest you more. Through the F 450 GS, BMW has made the GS brand more accessible, and a lot of us grew up watching pictures and videos of the older 1250 GS. If that matters to you, you might gravitate towards the F 450 GS more than the Apache RTX 300. 

Rivals: 

The Honda NX500 is sweet, smooth, easygoing and quite a no-nonsense bike. But if you want some spice and extra premium appeal, you’ll have to pay more for the F 450 GS. 

If you are fine with the Himalayan 450’s weight and the lack of a BMW badge, the Himalayan 450 is plenty capable at a much lower price point. 

The KTM 390 Adventure is very capable in all departments at its price point. Spend extra for the F 450 GS only if you really value the BMW badge. 

The Benelli TRK’s sheer heft isn’t something everyone can get used to, so most people will automatically gravitate towards the BMW F 450 GS. 

The Kawasaki Versys-X 300 is an old motorcycle which hasn’t been updated in ages and is still quite expensive. So the BMW is the better deal of the two.