The Hindu Business Line : TVS Motor’s upcoming quartet

In their attempts at catching up with the industry leader, two-wheeler manufacturers Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor are putting together new teams of bikes and scooterettes with great speed. The fact that the two-wheeler market has experienced a slowdown has not deterred the second- and third-ranked manufacturers from planning new products.

Another difference between the market leader and the two manufacturers that follow is that the investment in in-house research and development that Bajaj and TVS Motor have made during the last few years has enabled them to come up with new technology platforms and features that have been successfully adopted in their new bikes.

Now, both the companies are extending their in-house technologies, such as VT-i and DTSi, to newer, more sophisticated versions that enhance the benefits from the adoption of these features. Bajaj unveiled a new version of its digital twin spark ignition in August. Called DTS-Si — referring to the extension of its twin spark ignition to also include swirl induction — the new engine technology is to be installed in Exceed, a bike that is to be launched later this month.

Bajaj unveiled the new technology, but TVS, which is emerging as a strong competitor, beat the Pune-based company into the customer’s mind-space by unveiling both the new technologies and the new bikes that will sport them.

The new bikes are not going to be available at the showrooms before October or November this year, but the auto media and through them the customers will get a sneak peek into the potential of these new products.

After witnessing the roll out of its first three-wheelers and the new bikes and scooterette that will now be manufactured at its Hosur plant, we were given exclusive, first test rides of these new two-wheelers. Here is a summary of the four new two-wheelers that will be available at TVS showrooms from November.

TVS Flame

— S. Muralidhar

Flame CC-VTi

The most exciting new launch from TVS is likely to be the new Flame, a 125cc bike that sports a very unique new-age design and a new 3-valve engine with the company’s latest CC-VTi (controlled combustion variable timing intelligent) technology.

TVS says that the styling of the Flame is inspired by the Delta wing design found in the latest fighter jets. So, it has adopted a triangular (DeltaEdge) design theme to many of the Flame’s features.

The Flame is brand new and is likely to be a good alternative to the Victor. This bike is also the first to feature the extension of TVS’ in-house technology. Developed by the company’s R&D in collaboration with AVL of Austria, the CC-VTi technology features two different intake ports for swirl and power.

The swirl port creates a swirl motion of the intake air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, thereby leading to a more efficient burning of lean air-fuel mixture and helping improve the bike’s fuel efficiency. In the power throttle mode, the power port opens to allow a high flow rate of the air-fuel mixture to deliver high power. The engine’s peak power is a class leading 10.5 bhp at 8,250 rpm.

StaR City 110

— S. Muralidhar

StaR City 110

The TVS StaR City has had a bit of a late start. Sales of this entry-level bike have gradually grown to reach a critical mass for the company. With new variants that address a wider range of buyers in the entry-level segment, the Star City probably only lacked a more powerful engine for those looking for a bike that focuses on fuel economy but can also deliver a decent on-road performance.

The new StaR City 110 will attempt to cater to that segment. The new StaR City features quite a few cosmetic changes, though the overall design of the bike remains the same. The bike also features a new 110cc engine that now sports TVS’ CVTi engine technology that combines swirl and tumble motion to achieve a very high in-cylinder charge leading to improved combustion. In addition, TVS has applied its VTi technology consisting of fuel cut-off on deceleration and significantly reduced friction to improve the overall fuel efficiency of this bike.

Scooty Teenz Electric

— S. Muralidhar

Scooty Teenz Electric

TVS has tested alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles in the past, but had not made a foray into the segment with marketable two-wheeler. The new Scooty Teenz EV is likely to be the first of a group of new alternative energy two-wheelers that the company will launch in the coming months.

Targeting the growing community of buyers that are opting for a completely electric two-wheeler, TVS is planning to launch the Scooty Teenz EV. The new Scooty is a pure EV and will only feature an electric motor — there will be no petrol engine — that has a peak power of 800 watts. The Scooty Teenz EV will be capable of touching a maximum speed of 40 kmph and will have a driving range of 50 km per charge.

It will house a normal VRLA battery that can be fully charged by plugging it into a household power socket for four hours. Extending its focus on alternate fuels, TVS is also likely to launch dual-fuel LPG and CNG powered bikes in the near future.

Apache RTR 160 FI

— S. Muralidhar

Apache RTR 160 FI

The Apache RTR 160 is still fresh in the market, but TVS has chosen to quickly come out with a fuel-injected version of this bike. The new Apache RTR 160 will feature electronic fuel injection and will enable the same bike with the same basic 160cc engine to offer an additional 0.5 bhp of peak power. It will also be capable of offering a higher top speed of 121 kmph.

The new EFI technology employs an electronic control unit that is combined with sensors, a fuel pump and a main injector. The EFI technology offers better engine smoothness and refinement, faster throttle response, lower emissions, better performance consistency under varied riding conditions and lower emissions.

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