TVS Raider: A Stylish, Feature Packed, Fun Bike

At first glance, the new TVS Raider could be mistaken for a 150cc or 160cc machine. The 125cc bike has a sense of presence that you don’t expect from machines in this segment and the design is quite likeable.

Its sharp looking LED headlamps with a striking set of DRLs are easier on the eyes than the quirky headlamps on the bigger RTR. Then there’s the big, sculpted fuel tank that looks like it came from a bigger bike. TVS has added small touches in the form of small silver colored tank shrouds and belly pan.

Split seats add to its sporty stance, but the rear section is a bit more upright with a large and practical grab rail and two neat LED brake lamps. There are four colors available including black, an interesting deep blue and a nice shade of red. The overall design is something you would expect to see in a segment above and apart from the beautiful, but aged Pulsar, the TVS Raider 125 is going to be the sportiest looking of the passengers.

The good news keeps coming when you get on the bike. There are no boring commuter riding positions here and TVS has injected a dash of sportiness in the foot peg position with a slight tilt towards the handlebars. It is still nice and comfortable and the seat to foot peg ratio is not as tight as the bigger Apache RTR. The split seats are quite large, well padded and there is enough room for larger riders as well. Thanks to the friendly 780mm seat height, even younger riders won’t feel left out.

The company has also considered designing things like interesting looking brake lever, generous under seat storage space and optional USB port located next to the fuel filler cap. The most premium bit is probably the new negative-LCD display that shows a lot of information, including a gear position indicator, two trips, fuel economy, range, and more. The bike also gets a side-stand down engine kill feature, which is rare at this price point.

And that’s not all as TVS will also offer a top-end model with Bluetooth connectivity and a TFT display. However, that bike will be launched in a few months.

Effectively, the TVS Raider is easily one of the most feature-packed motorcycles in the segment. But the switchgear has some rough edges like iffy-looking plastic and loose-feeling fuel-filler flaps. Mostly though, the quality level and finish is quite good and the Raider feels more premium than would be expected from a typical 125cc machine.

This is TVS’s first 125cc bike in almost a decade and they have made a new engine for the job. On paper, the 124.8cc three-valve architecture is identical to the Ntorq’s motor, but the company says the similarities end there. We are told that all the internal components are new and as a result, this engine makes a total of 11.38hp at 7,500rpm and 2 hp more than the standard Ntorq for 11.2Nm at 6,000rpm.

The Raider is also the first TVS motorcycle to come with an integrated starter generator and this means that it has a scary silent start without any typical starter motor sound. The ISG also enables a start-stop system where the engine automatically cuts off when idling for a short period of time. A quick blip of the accelerator starts the engine back up and the system appears to be working smoothly, but this is something we’ll need to test on public roads in heavy traffic.

Another segment-first is that the Raider gets two riding modes – Eco and Power. These modes don’t change the power output, but Eco mode brings the rev limiter to 8,000rpm in first four gears and 7,000rpm in fifth gear, which limits top speed slightly. The Eco also gives a slightly softer response and TVS says it will improve fuel efficiency by around 3%. Meanwhile, Power Mode gives you clear feedback, but disables the start-stop system.

You can switch between modes using the switch on the right-hand handlebar that looks like a kill-switch. Once the rider closes the throttle, the mode will change on the go. However, the placement of this mode switch means that the Raider does not get an engine kill switch.

The value of the riding mode on an 11hp motorcycle matters more on the brochure than the actual riding experience. But don’t let that drive you away from the engine, because this little thing is pretty impressive.

First, the refinement levels are excellent and the engine is smooth, no matter the speed. The actual performance is also quite good and this engine has the highest torque in the segment while the quoted power comes in close second to the 125cc Pulsar.

Acceleration feels strong for the segment and is generally accompanied by an attractive exhaust note that you expect from a TVS. We saw an indicated top speed of 107kph straight on the TVS test track and even at this point, the engine didn’t really feel stressed or sad.

The motor is also quite tractable, with peak power coming in at as little as 7,500rpm and it doesn’t mind getting as low as 35kph in fifth gear. The transmission is smooth and precise and that means the bike should be good enough to ride on the road as well.

The Raider comes with an exposed chain, which is not common on practical bikes in this segment. It looks nice and sporty, but will require more frequent maintenance. That being said, it will come as no surprise that a more sensible commuter oriented bike will be followed on this new platform in the future. After all, TVS had trademarked the name Fiero 125 only last year.

Nevertheless, even with the relatively sporty Raider, TVS says that they have also focused on fuel efficiency and claims that customers can expect a real world efficiency figure of 67kpl. We’ll reserve commenting until we’ve fully tested the bike. But as things stand, this new engine is a pleasure to use.

The Raider gets a brand new chassis that holds things together. It uses a single-downtube frame monoshock rear suspension and the entire bike weighs 123kg. The slim 30mm telescopic forks and 5-step preload adjustable shock have been tuned for that distinctive soft and supple feel you would expect from a TVS and the comfort on the road should be quite good.

While we’ll have to wait for that to be confirmed, what’s clear for now is that Raider is a cute little handler. The bike feels incredibly light and agile, to the point that you need to get used to how quickly it reacts to inputs.

Once you do, it’s a lot of fun and the TVS Remora tires have great grip when needed. We never scraped the foot pegs in the corners, but the rear suspension feels a little soft and bouncy when you really push it to the limit. Increasing the preload helped, but for most customers in this segment, this level of handling is sure to be appealing.

For braking, 240 mm front disc and 130 mm drum are given in the back. The front brake has a nice firm feel on the levers, but the performance is a bit sluggish as you would expect from a bike in this segment. There is no ABS, but the combined braking system works well. However, if you step enough on the lever you will be able to lock the rear brake. TVS will also sell the base variant of the Raider with a drum brake at the front, but we didn’t get the feel of that bike.

Prices for the drum brake model start at ₹ 77,500, ex-showroom Delhi, which is excellent value. This puts the Raider at par with relatively young and sporty 125s like the Bajaj Pulsar 125 and the Honda SP125, not to mention making it a full ₹20,000 cheaper than the Pulsar NS125.

However, TVS will charge you ₹8,000 more (₹85,469) for the disc brake model you see here. It seems like an unreasonable amount to only add a front disc, as the company tells us that the disc model doesn’t get any extra features. Perhaps TVS will increase the price of the base model in a few months to bridge the gap.

But still, the Raider has a lot of game changing style and features along with the riding character to be really fun, and makes it not only a confident 125cc bike, but also a legitimate alternative to the likes of the popular Yamaha FZ which produces just 0.6hp more.

We still get to know a lot when we drive it on public roads but things look good after a fun blast on the TVS test track. The raid comes at a time when motorcycles in general are becoming expensive, buying power has been curtailed and the simple act of driving to a fuel station can leave you angry and frustrated. A relatively inexpensive but stylish, feature packed and really fun to ride bike can be exactly what the doctor ordered in these tough times.