The Hindu Business Line : Can Zeus lord it over the 125cc competition?

Suzuki's Zeus 125cc seems designed to avoid any undue criticism from any angle. Suzuki seems to have chosen to position the bike as a sort of `premiumness' compromise for better mileage that the executive segment bike buyer may be looking for.

Looking to Zeus to deliver

Suzuki's re-entry into the two-wheeler market was marred by delays. But once the company got its act together, it quickly rolled out two bikes in the entry and executive segments.

While partnering TVS Motor, Suzuki was the technology provider and preferred to stay in the background in the erstwhile joint venture company TVS Suzuki. Following the break-up of the alliance in 2001, the company has had to do a brand-building exercise to remind potential customers of its new avatar in the form of a wholly owned motorcycle-manufacturing subsidiary. After all, though Suzuki is more well-known as a bike manufacturer in many mature automobile markets worldwide, in India, it is as yet better known as a passenger car manufacturer.

After its corporate campaign and rolling out its entry-level bike Heat, Suzuki Motorcycle India has now introduced a new executive-commuter segment bike called Zeus 125. The bike is being launched nationally and some markets are yet to receive the disc brake version of the new bike.

Design and build

On the face of it, the Zeus seems to lord over the Heat, Suzuki's earlier offering in the entry-level segment. But there is a lot that is common between the two. Suzuki has chosen to retain the engine and the gearbox of the Heat for this new snazzier variant.

The Zeus seems to have been designed to avoid any undue criticism from any angle. Flowing lines, colourful decals and premium fittings vis-à-vis the Heat, give the Zeus a fairly pleasing appearance.

In the front, the Zeus has a unique cowl and headlamp assembly. The V-shaped, large multi-reflector headlamp, which houses a halogen bulb, reminds one of Bajaj's Caliber Kroma. The shapely tinted visor has been bolted on to the fairing giving the bike an offbeat look. The front wheel mudguard sports an arrow-shaped front half.

Housed within the curves of the fairing is a neat, elegantly simple dual-pod speedo and rpm-meter combo. The gauge assembly also sports turn indicators, shift indicators for pointing out the current gear slot and a fuel gauge. The Zeus' fuel tank is simple in terms of design and again identical to the Heat's. In the Zeus, however, the decals have been improved to offer better colour contrast.

An ergonomically designed, stepped up seat gives decent support and together with the raised handlebar offers an upright riding posture for the Zeus user. Chunky body side-panels and more decals continuing the colour theme go all the way to the back of the bike. Topping the rear panel of the Zeus is an aluminium die-cast grab rail instead of the chrome-finished steel tube in the Heat.

The Zeus is one of the smallest bikes in the 125cc segment as far as its wheelbase is concerned. The bike's overall length is marginally more than that of the Bajaj Discover. But the Zeus' wheelbase is a low 1,240 mm compared to the Discover's 1,305 mm and the Yamaha Gladiator's 1,300 mm. Ground clearance is also lower, but, of course Suzuki can claim that this reduces the saddle height of the bike making it more suitable for shorter Indian riders. The Zeus' chassis is a single down tubular member. Braking is via a 130mm drum or a 240mm disc in the front and 130mm drum in the rear.

Suspension and electricals have also been carried forward from the Heat.

Engine and transmission

The Zeus has the same 124cc four-stroke engine and five-speed gearbox as the Heat. The engine genuinely feels underpowered when pushed on long stretches. Though this does not affect driveability in city riding conditions much, there is a general lack of a premium feel to the engine due to its low 8.7 bhp of peak power, one of the lowest in its class.

However, though the peak power kicks in a bit late, at around 7,000 rpm, the bike's peak torque, a high 10 Nm, sets in as early as 3,500 rpm. So, though there is clear shortage of top-end whack even when the throttle is fully open, the bike does tend to make up with its overall torquey performance. But as we have come to know by now, in the market, the numbers do make a lot of difference.

So, even if most riders do not get to test the peak power levels of most bikes in crowded city riding conditions, the tenet that the bigger the number the more the effect on the rider's psyche does seem to be at work. The all-aluminium engine is finished well and the fairly closely set gear ratios offer a comfortable riding range. Matt-black exhaust pipe with chrome heat plate looks cool. But the Zeus will also be one of the few bikes in the market that do not feature the more contemporary constant velocity (CV) carburettor.

The Zeus' gearbox is five-speed and follows the internationally popular one down, rest up shift pattern. Gearbox shift quality and overall engine refinement are on a par with the competition.

Some of the premium features that slot the Zeus into the executive segment better are: optional disc brake for the front wheel, die-cast sub-frame, handle bar end weights to isolate vibrations, stylish under cowl just below the engine and premium rear grab rail.

However, despite these features, there are a number of misses in the Zeus that potential buyers in this segment may have got used to expecting; after all competing products such as the Bajaj Discover, the Yamaha Gladiator and the Hero Honda Glamour offer them. They also come with the option of electric start, box section swing arm for better turning stability (the Zeus comes with a conventional tubular swing arm), thicker rear tyre and a more elegant fuel tank lid (instead of the clunky chrome version that is now offered).

Though the fit and finish quality of the Zeus seems to be only a notch below bikes such as the Gladiator, Suzuki seems to have chosen to position the bike as a `premiumness' compromise that the executive segment bike buyer may be willing to make for better mileage.

We have been on that street before. Remember how Hero Honda with its deep understanding of the bike market still made the mistake of assuming that there is a section of the 125cc bike enthusiasts who are willing to make the compromise. The original version of the Super Splendor was targeted at this illusionary segment. No wonder Hero Honda had to make amends in the form of sprucing up the bike's upmarket features to improve sales.

For the Zeus, what is more important is also the fact that at Rs 45,000 (ex-showroom Chennai, for the disc brake version) it is actually more expensive than some of the competing bikes in this segment.

The test quite literally will be on the roads for Suzuki's Zeus. Will the 125cc bike buyer be willing to forgo a bit of the premiumness for the sake of a five per cent improvement in mileage?

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