Fire starter

TVS's latest offering in the 125cc segment.

You've already read reams about the big fight in the Indian motorcycle world. So we're going to skip that and talk about the motorcycle that fuelled this flame, er... fire, instead. With the Victor GLX sales curves dipping like a stricken fighter jet, TVS bosses asked their designers for something new.

A motorcycle that could match their flagship Apache for looks and sweep the competition and potential customers off their feet. It still had to satisfy the utilitarian needs "" fuel economy, convenience and performance.

TVS unveiled the Flame on August 31, 2007. The new 125cc motorcycle looked really good from the word go. One of the best looking motorcycles in India, the Flame sports a lot of international design cues. TVS' designers clearly thought outside the standard template that is applied to most motorcycles in the segment.

The KTM Super Duke-ish mini-fairing, the Suzuki GSX-R1000-style triangular exhaust lead the list of bells and whistles which include a digital speedometer, alloy wheels, a front disc and an electric starter, most of which are becoming the industory norm now.

The Flame also sports a neat lockable, water-bottle-sized cubby hole ahead of the tank, which will prove really useful in daily use. The plastic tank adornments incorporate the indicators and complete the look, but they have their own utility value too. They give TVS innumerable styling options when upgrading this motorcycle without any new tooling costs.

TVS turned to AVL to help design the new 125cc engine and improved age-old swirl port technology by incorporating TVS' variable ignition technology (VTi) and designed a new three-valve engine head that houses two spark plugs. The engine, dubbed CCVTi, was powerful, efficient and it also almost landed TVS in a law suit with Bajaj. TVS threatened to sue for libel.

Now, after the dust has settled a bit, TVS maintains their innocence and Bajaj will consider moving courts once the Flame is launched. Bajaj also launched their new 125cc entry level motorcycle the, XCD, ten days later. Although it isn't a direct competitor of the Flame, what remains is to be seen is how the two newest 125cc bikes in the Indian market will settle into the pie.

TVS's new 125cc 4-speeder offers 10.5 bhp at 8250 rpm with 0.98 kgm at 6,250 rpm of torque and is an eager motorcycle. The gearbox clicks positively as well but it's a shame that they didn't have a 5-speed gearbox on offer.

With adequate low-end grunt and a near-the-front top speed (110 kph approx), the Flame could be leading the 125cc segment performance charts. The gas filled shocks effectively absorbed the few bumps on the track while showing great handling prowess.

TVS said that the Flame, which is in its final stages of development, will be launched in the next three months, which means the manufacturer will (once again) miss the festive season sales spurt. Although TVS hasn't given us an indication of the pricing, we expect the Flame to be on par with other motorcycles in the executive commuter segment.