Oct 07, 2005 03:50 PM
10938 Views
(Updated Oct 10, 2005 06:10 PM)
Few days back, I met one of my friends Srinivas. He is a bike enthusiast and was having a 100cc Kawasaki bike (2 stroke). I had driven that bike many times and was no doubt a delightful bike. Srinivas changed his old bike and bought a Centra.
I knew that Srinivas has bought a Centra could ride it only when it became one year old.
I was really disappointed by Centra?s performance. It was having an awful exhaust note as if the engine would give up any time. Lot of noise while the engine was in idle condition. I drove it. Its pick-up was not at all impressive. It gave an impression of a fragile machine. Ride quality was never comfortable and its handling quality was never near impressive.
However I did not express my disappointment, though it was clear over my face. Srinivas understood the matter and confessed ? I should have gone for a splendor. I made a mistake?. However my friend and neighbor, Sandeep is also having a Centra. He is a satisfied person.
I have driven his Centra also and its engine, pick are in good shape. Sandeep is having all praise for Centra?s superb mileage. Some time we both go to office together( On Centra) and I have seen Centra touching speed of 60-70 km/hr without any difficulty!
Sandeep has replaced his old splendor with Centra and is never resentful!
These are two different cases for Centra. In one case Centra is not worth buying. In other case it is as good as splendor.
When Centra was launched few years back ( just after Victor had become popular), it was considered as a technical wonder. It was equipped with variable spark time ignition control and made so much of news about being most fuel efficient 100cc bike.
2-3 years back and now Centra could not make a sizable presence. Its sales figures are disappointing ( somewhat near 10000 ) and TVS must be scratching their heads. Even on MS we can hear many disappointing experiences with Centra.
It seems TVS failed to provide
A reliable and durable engine that customers were getting continuously from Hero Honda stable.
Ride and handling quality that many of the 100cc bikes like splendor, Crux , Victor have been providing.
TVS could not maintain overall quality for which Hero Honda is reputed. Many Centras were good but many proved problematic too. This is not heard with Hero Honda. People need peace of mind and reliability. If a customer is not sure of the bike?s reliability, he will not go for it. Take my case. When I rode Srinivas?s Centra, I decided not to buy this bike and I bought a CD Dawn instead.
TVS (even Bajaj up to some extent) need to learn few lessons from HH and these are providing a refined and reliable engine, smooth transmission, nice handling and above all excellent quality control. These are primary issues and in case of Centra, these proved fatal!
I myself drove a Fiero and I am sure that TVS is not consistent in maintaining overall quality. However, TVS is a new player in 4-stroke bikes market, aggressive in introducing new technologies and hence we can expect them to improve on the quality front. I wish if TVS could provide 3-years warranty to all its 4-stroke products as HH has done for SS. Such a move could have encouraged customers to come out of HH range of bikes.
