TVS NTorq 125
TVS’ sporty scoot ridden
The sudden boom in demand for scooters doesn’t come as a surprise as the need of the hour is clearly, convenience. This need for convenience supersedes the bifurcation of scooter classes vis-à-vis wants of a particular set of consumers. If you want sporty then there are a plethora of 125-150cc motorcycles to choose from. If you want to run errands though, motorcycles don’t even come close to the twist and go ease of a scooter. Not just errands, commuters are staring to prefer this convenience even for long city ride. And this is where the need for a slight powerful 125cc engine comes in over a 110cc counterpart. TVS can offer the lovely Jupiter in the latter class but a clear shift to a premium category addressing the need for more is coming to fore. With the Ntorq, sporty doesn’t seem to be a limiting factor for scooters any more.
The Ntorq is an all-new scooter and by all-new, we literally mean a ground up design rather than an inaccurately used marketing terminology of current times. To start with, the engine isn’t just a new unit but also packs four years of success in the Indian Scooter Racing Championships hence the deserving TVS Racing stickers on the Ntorq. The 124.8cc engine has been dubbed CVTi-REVV and acronyms aside, the extra ‘V’ almost starts to make sense while riding it. It actively packs enough gusto from the get go showing that a good chunk of torque is available for the rider immediately. That’s also a sly play of words and mention of its current competitors in the 125cc segment barring the Grazia which we’ll come to in a bit as the Ntorq even manages a splendid show of grace in its road manners.
With a 3-valve, SOHC engine, the Ntorq steadily builds up its power through the rev range. Fuel and air is still fed through a carburettor but the two intake valves are designed to aid combustion and better breathability, thus it manages to offer
good throttle response even when a quick twist of the throttle is demanded at speed. The refinement levels are top notch too, with nearly no vibrations to speak of and no gruffness from the engine note. The power delivery is smooth, linear with just a hint of sportiness from the torque. This is simply to expand the scooter’s appeal to a wider audience rather than competing with the likes of the outright sporty thus niche Aprilia SR125 that was launched at the Auto Expo 2018. Despite being at TVS’ short test track and doing higher than usual speeds, the engine shone through without any hint of stress even at lower speeds, leaving nothing to complain about.
Close attention has been paid to the Ntorq’s handling and astride it, I couldn’t help but notice how well it complements the character of the engine. The under bone chassis is a derivative of the one on the 110cc models and is supremely stable. The long right
hander at TVS’ facility brings the Ntorq at its cornering limits with minor bumps and undulations that are amplified at speed. Not once did the Ntorq flinch or lose its line, responding not with urgency but with accuracy to the rider’s inputs to turn in. The suspension, just like the engine, is midway between comfort and sportiness, easily soaking undulations while retaining rigidity to assure ample mechanical grip while cornering hard. The Ntorq runs 12-inch wheels front and back with wider rubber adding to the sure-footedness and even eliminating the rear-heavy feel of scooters running 10-inch rear wheels.
NOT ONCE DID THE NTORQ FLINCH OR LOSE ITS LINE, RESPONDING WITH ACCURACY TO THE RIDER’S INPUTS