Jun 15, 2011 04:56 PM
21477 Views
I bought my TVS Victor GX (110CC) 6 years ago. So far, its clocked about 30000kms. I guess now is a good time to write the review.
I won't go into the bike specs here, as you can easily find it at the TVS website - https://tvsmotor.in/victor-gx.asp
My requirements while going in for a bike were purely utilitarian. I wanted a bike with good mileage, reliability and low maintenance. So the choice at that time was pretty much between the Hero Honda Splendor/Passion and the TVS Victor. There were a few 100 - 125cc variants from Yamaha also that I considered, but the choice was pretty much between the two.
What I understood from reviews was that the Victor has an excellent engine - very well designed, while the splendor/passion has an excellent gear box. The hero honda gives better mileage, but it has a narrower front tyre. Which means lesser road grip. Talking of road grip, the previous version of the Victor (just called Victor) was notorious for its poor road grip, this I figured out later was because it was heavier than the Victor GX and was not as well balanced. In the end, the choice was narrowed down by the test drive. The hero honda bikes have a lower handle bar grip - which I found uncomfortable.
My driving habits are as follows:
I am a slow rider; average speeds of 40 - 60 kms per hour and don't do any aggressive riding - weaving in and out of traffic braking hard, etc.
I service the bike regularly - every 3 months or 1000 kms
6 years on this is how the bike fares:
-The exhaust pipe of the Victor GX is placed higher than the hero honda bikes and this has saved the day on numerous occassions while driving through flooded roads in Bangalore. Due to the height water doesn't easily get into the exhaust and the bike has never died down on me (except on one occassion when I drove into an open manhole)
-There is no problem with road grip as such. There have been a few occassions when the bike has skid on wet roads while braking suddenly, but I guess any bike would skid under the circumstances. But the point to note is that the skidding has never caused me to fall off the bike - it skids for a while and then when I stop braking, I'm just able to continute riding
-The bike is very reliable, it has never stopped dead with me having to call a mechanic. The tyres are hardly worn out and even after 30000kms they are no where near replacement. The battery that came with the bike lasted for 3.5 years and I have had to change the head light every year.
-The engine is smooth (when serviced properly) and is not noisy. However, at speeds above 60 kms there is some vibration, which I was told initially was an issue with the model. They supposedly corrected it after the 2nd service, but the issue occurs from time to time. I have been able to touch a max speed of 80kms per hour, but frankly the bike is not designed for speeds above 60-65kmph
-For the first 3 to 4 years, the bike gave a mileage of 60 kmpl in city riding conditions and about 65kmpl for long rides (at 40-60km per hour). It now gives me about 50kmph in city and 55kmph over long distances.
-The gear box is not smooth and there's a noticeable sound while changing gears. Another thing that I have had a problem with during the first 2 years was that sometimes, after changing gears, it feels like the gears haven't meshed properly and the ride isn't smooth (I don't know how to describe it better). However, this could also be a result of poor servicing by the service center guys
-The rear foot pedal is in an odd position and it if its not retracted, it hits the shoe while kick starting.
All in all I have no regrets with this bike and for a 100 cc bike, it has fared well in all the areas it was expected to, except for mileage (I was expecting about 70kmph). I bought it for Rs.45000 and I would say it gives good value for money
About Service:
This is by far the most important aspect of owning a vehicle. I only took the bike to an authorised service center for the first 5 years and it hasn;t been a good experience. The mechanics in an authorised service center are paid a monthly salary and they do not have any incentive to do a good job of servicing your bike. It is hence understandable that they are pretty much indifferent. In my experience in Bangalore Tristar TVS in intermediate ring road is the best service center (though some of the staff are unfriendly) and Mars Motors is the worst (if it still exists). A typical service costs around Rs.600 and if there are parts that need to be replaced, it can go up to Rs.1000+
I have always been skeptical of going to a roadside mechanic, as I was afraid they might steal some parts or harm the bike in some other way. But I was recently referred to a mechanic in JP nagar and the results are really stunning. After he serviced the bike, it actually felt a few years younger. The engine was really smooth, it had an improved pick up and the overall riding experience felt much better. So I have now decided to go to this person and have intermittent visits to the authorised service center (when parts have to be replaced).
Do let me know in case you want to know anything else about this bike and I'd be happy to respond.
