Is The TVS Raider The New 125cc Commuter King?

With the Raider 125, TVS re-entered the 125cc commuter motorcycle segment. The bike, positioned between the Hero Glamour and Bajaj Pulsar NS125, packs a handful of segment-first features, including riding modes.

We have tested the three, and here’s how the TVS Raider compares with its rivals performance-wise.

Acceleration

The TVS Raider is the quickest of the lot, that too by a fair margin. Its three-valve configuration and the additional 0.58PS and 0.6Nm leave the Glamour in its dust. Interestingly, despite having a four-valve engine and making almost 1PS more, the Pulsar NS125 still falls behind. This can be attributed to the Raider being 11kg lighter than the Pulsar and the latter making its power higher in the rev range.

Braking

The TVS Raider and Hero Glamour have a similar braking setup, but the former's front brake lever pull is limited, hampering braking. Though the Pulsar has the same 240mm disc brake as the other two bikes and has a bigger 170mm drum brake, the lack of ABS results in the rear wheel locking up easily.

Fuel Efficiency

The TVS Raider’s 'ECO' riding mode dulls the throttle response and limits the revs to 7000rpm, resulting in better fuel economy in the city by a sizable margin. However, out on the highway, in the 'Power' mode, it isn’t as frugal as the Hero. Given the heft, performance, and the way it makes its power, the Pulsar has the least efficiency on the highway, but surprisingly, manages to outlast the Hero Glamour.

TVS has tried to strike the right balance between performance and practicality with the Raider, and it has worked to some extent. To know how it fares, check out our road test review.