FLAMING FLORY

Nobody expects a miracle moneyspinner from a company that has been written off by competition and panned by customers. TVS Motors has straddled this mindspace for some time now. As it turns out, this has proved a blessing. For the underdog has dished out, what looks to be a winner, in Flame, its new 125 cc bike.
After the initial success and subsequent failure of Victor, TVS had kept away from the executive segment, concentrating on the entry level and premium segment bikes like Star City and Apache. But as the executive segment began expanding at the cost of entry level and ahead of premium, it decided to do something about it. Fortunately, it didn8217;t devise a cosmetic variant of Victor, going back instead to the drawing boards and coming up with a completely new product. Thus comes the 8220;country8217;s first valve motorcycle8221; which has already begun to rattle the competition.

Exterior
After Discover, this is perhaps only the second bike in the category that wears a sporty look. What TVS calls the Delta Edge styling is actually an overt use of the triangle. The bike has very few mouldings and many edges. The triangle is evident eveywhere, from the seat and fuel tank to exhaust, lens tail lamps, indicators and other external add-ons. In a way, this is a path-breaking move because for a long time now, and especially due to Hero Honda, the 125 cc segment has been treated as an extension of the 100 cc, with bikes that are conventional in shape and high on reliability and fuel efficiency. TVS tries to break the monotony with its sporty, muscular and compact looks, that are bound to set the pulse racing. It may not be the best looking bike in town, but in its segment and given the constraints, it is a looker all right.
The sporty look extends to the instrument panel, where for the first time in its category, Flame has a semi-digital dial. While the speedometer is still manual and conventional, the odometer is digital, gives the time and acts as trip meter and fuel indicator. The bike has a longer wheelbase, comparable and in some cases better than its counterparts in the 150-160 cc segment.

Engine performance
On paper, the bike is the most powerful in its segment due to its extra valve, and is even ahead of Bajaj8217;s recently launched and much talked about XCD see table. Where all other bikes belt out 9 bhp power, Flame gives a high 10.5 bhp 8250 rpm with a 10 Nm6250 torque. The torque, however, is on the lower side and TVS might want to re-do it a bit before launching the bike.
This raw power had to have an impact on the road. The bike is slow to take off but does so after the third gear. All the power comes at a higher rpm, which means the bike has longer legs than its competitors. It is not the fastest in the 0-60 kmph range and my guess is that Discover will beat it, but beyond 60 kmph, it is untouchable. It is equally at ease at low and high speeds. The engine noise is negligible and details like throttle response and gear ratios are good. We hit a top speed of 102 kmph, but did not go beyond this due to a wet test track. The bike should hit at least 105 kmph on dry tar, making it the fastest in its segment.

Last word
A final verdict is impossible on two counts: we do not know the bike8217;s price and fuel efficiency. Flame should be in market by the festive season and though most other bikes in the segment are in the Rs 43-48,000 range, Bajaj XCD has created a new benchmark with Rs 41,000. TVS will try to match it, and if so, the bike is a steal. Whether the sales figures match the performance depends on its fuel efficiency. Due to high interest rates, buyers have stayed away from the two-wheeler showrooms. We suggest they that continue to do so till Flame arrives. This bike is worth waiting for.