TVS Victor Edge
The TVS Motor Company has learnt how to ride out stormy weather in its recent few years. The 109.2cc Victor, which rolled out in 2001, will always remain that special bike to have gifted TVS its first heady swig of motorcycling success. But the passage of time and cut-throat competition have eroded the one-time champion's sales.
The big question that needs an answer is whether the Edge is more than a chip of the old block and can it prove itself to be as good a 125cc motorcycle as any.
Design, Engineering and Interiors
TVS isn’t taking chances by going against the conservative Indian biker’s grain. The unadventurously styled Edge looks exactly as its father. Save for a fresh set of decals and proclaiming its name via side panel badges, the new model remains a Victor in new clothing. The Edge does sport dual-colours. The Edge has fine quality grips, levers and switchgear, these essential touchpoints aiding in making it comfortable. As on most TVS bikes, power and economy mode indicators display when riders leave and enter mileage-friendly speeds. A helpful fuel gauge and speedometer accompany the other usual warning lights.
The top-of-the-line Edge is available with snazzy five-spoke alloys and a disc brake. The drum brake version, however, will stick to spoke wheels unlike the segment chief Bajaj Discover, which now offers alloys across its range. The well built Edge has a decent level of fit and finish in all areas and the paint and chrome quality are just fine. Seen as a whole, this 125cc bike feels outdated and visually outclassed by the majority of its smartly-clad competition.
Performance, Fuel Economy and Handling
The 124.8cc motor first seen on the Victor GLX has been retuned before being slotted into the Edge engine bay. Essentially the same powerplant—it is air-cooled, employing user-friendly near-square cylinder dimensions and a four-stroke cycle hammering away within the confines of a cast iron block and alloy head. While TVS has chosen to negate the use of a CV carburettor for this bike, the latest figures disclosed by TVS R&D show peak power has curiously dipped to 9.2bhp made slightly lower in the power band at 7000rpm from the 10bhp available on the GLX at 7750rpm.
The Edge has been tuned for better mileage and a more effective low- and mid- range power delivery. It is due to this that peak torque has risen marginally from 0.97 to 1kgm churned out at a more useable 4000rpm. Industry-standard roller bearings have made their way onto the ends of both rocker arms. The Edge mates its engine with a slick four-speed TVS trademark all-up shifting gearbox. The cable-operated wet clutch likewise works competently, with a light and accurate feeling making its way back to a rider's fingers.
There’s nothing for a tester to pick fault with on this engine, save for its glaring lack of 'dum'. The Edge is the slowest motorcycle in its segment and just a notch quicker than the 100cc bikes. The fastest 0-60kph run we managed on the Edge was a lethargic 7.72 seconds.
The Edge positions the rider in very much the same posture as on the earlier Victor. No complaints here as the first bike was ergonomically designed. TVS has spoilt us with the Star, for after the meaty feel imparted from that fuel tank, we expected more from the Edge. The decently padded seat causes no undue weariness or back pain. A single downtube frame mates with the engine that is used as a stressed member. The rear is where the big change has been effected — the Edge uses a flex-free box- section swingarm, with dual gas-charged shock absorbers, without a piggyback reservoir making that obvious. While the spoke rim-equipped bike will come in 18-inch front and rear, there’s a less conventional approach for the top-of-the-range Edge with die cast alloys. For on this version, the front rim comes smaller at 17 inches, shod with a thicker 90/90 section tyre in a new pattern.
The bike with a spoked rim sticks to a 2.75 x 18-inch tyre in front.There's a marked improvement in ride quality, the Edge surely among the best damped TVS motorcycles available today. Cornering on the modern TVS test track with its surfeit of bends and varying terrain was handled by the Edge with a reassuring steadiness. As always, we recommend the quicker stopping disc brake equipped bike, over its drum sibling.Real-world mileage tests carried out on Bangalore’s crowded gullies and open highways reveal the bike gives 55.2kpl in crowded urban conditions, that figure rising to 57.3kpl on the highway.
Verdict
Sure, the new Victor holds the proverbial Edge on its precursor. It looks a bit snazzier when shod with those handsome five-spoke alloys, and it’s got the drivetrain smoothness and refinement that went hand in hand with the older bike. But we still came away from this test with more than a tinge of disappointment. The Edge looks too much the original Victor and it’s among the slowest 125s out there. You may argue the bike is frugal and the segment it belongs to isn’t performance-oriented, but we say a new bike’s got to be about more than simply pressing a refresh button.
Source: autocarindia.com
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