Test riding the TVS Victor GLX

TVS Victor

The Victor was indeed a winning product when TVS launched it in 2001. It caught the imagination of the Indian buyer and TVS sold good numbers. Then came the TVS Victor GLX with better styling and - for the first time in that segment - ‘Eco' and ‘Power' modes. The fast changing scenario in the 110-cc segment eventually saw the sad demise of the TVS Victor. Or so we had thought, for, like the mythical phoenix (no reference at all to TVS' other 125-cc motorcycle) rising out of its ashes, the TVS Victor has come alive again. And TVS Motors is hoping that the return of the Victor will do for them once again what the first Victor did.

TVS Victor GLX's nice sculpture and clean lines make for a handsome finish. Pics/ Sanjay Raikar

From a visual standpoint, the Victor's tallish handlebar combined with the commuter-ish foot-rest position and the flat seat hints at its practical proposition. Meanwhile, the design's sharper creases and pinched surfaces, along with a short and sporty looking exhaust, add the desired panache to the TVS Victor's visual appeal.

The design of the bike's digital analogue instrumentation is contemporary and houses a digital fuel-gauge and a telltale for the Power and Economy modes. What is immensely likeable here is the quality of switchgear.
The other likeable feature is the provision of the hazard lamps that are operated via what looks like the engine kill switch. TVS has also, rather thoughtfully, put soft surfaces on the pillion grab-handle.

The bike is powered by a new 109.7-cc air-cooled single-cylinder three-valve engine that puts out 9.6 PS at 7,500 RPM and 9.4 Nm of peak twist force at 6,000 RPM. Transmission is via a four-speed (all-up shift pattern) gearbox, which felt a little clunky on one or two occasions when we were trying clutchless upshifts on our runs down the TVS test-track at Hosur. When shifting in a less frenetic manner, however, this clunkiness isn't noticeable at all.

As far as top speed is concerned, we managed to hit the 94-95km/h mark a couple of times before deciding to abandon speed run attempts. The Victor gets an eight-litre petrol tank of which two litres is reserve. While TVS claims a 76km/l ARAI certified fuel economy, we reckon that in the real world you'll be hard-pressed to get more than 60-65km/l, which is still good for more than 450km on a tank-full.

The hallmark of TVS motorcycles has always been nimble handling and the Victor is no different in this aspect. It is sprung slightly stiffer than the Star City+. On the bumpy sections of the track, one can feel the road imperfections.
Stopping duties on the Victor are taken care of by a single 240-mm dia petal disc up front and a 110-mm drum at the rear. The set-up works quite well and brings the bike to a halt without fuss.

The TVS Victor was launched at Rs 51,490 (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the version equipped with a disc brake (the drum brake equipped version carries a sticker of Rs 49,490). While the bike is good value for money, it will also have to battle it out with competitors such as the Hero Passion xPro, Honda's CD 110 Dream, Dream Yuga and TVS' own Star City+. And though TVS hopes that the old Victor name will work its wonder again, the new Victor will not find it easy to carve out space this time around.