TVS Jupiter: 11,000km Long Term Wrap-up

Published May 21, 2019
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5 min read

As Nelly Furtado once said… all good things come to an end

Almost two years, a dozen grand kilometres and countless office commutes later, it is time for our trusty ol’ Jupiter to go back to its makers. It has been one of the longest-serving vehicles we’ve had in our fleet yet, and almost everyone in our team has at least commuted on it at one point of time or the other. I got my hands on the Jupiter early last year after my previous long-termer, a properly sporty supersport bike, went back to the manufacturer.

Initially, I wasn’t too enthused with the idea of “downgrading” from a twin-cylinder motorcycle to a staid old scooter. However, it took just a few days of living with it for me to utterly fall in love with the Jupiter and with the general idea of a scooter as a daily city commuter. And now that it is going back, I’m going to have serious parting pains.

Dressed in a deep, lustrous dark maroon violet-ish colour, our Jupiter -- replete with “MillionR” stickers, to commemorate TVS selling a million of these -- came to me just as the monsoons arrived in Pune. I was instantly thankful of the protection it offered my legs from soaked roads. The Jupiter let me arrive to office with a dry (moderately) pair of jeans and some dignity intact even after misjudging the weather and lazily setting out without putting on outer raingear. And yeah, I could afford to set out of home without putting on the bulky raingear in the first place because I could just stow it under the seat. And my backpack with my laptop and other electronics, which normally would’ve stayed on my back, could now go on the hook behind the front apron - even more protection from the rains. This is already Scooter: 1, Motorcycle: 0, isn’t it?

It also came with stylish black split alloy wheels and a front disc brake, and that just sweetened the deal even further. The added braking power of the disc brake greatly increased confidence in the wet and I now strongly believe it is high time manufacturers start offering it on every scooter above 100cc, at least as an option.

A few months later, TVS sent us a pair of 90/90 - R12 Dragon tyres for review, and thus, our Jupiter promptly got a set of new tyres, replacing the original Contas, also from TVS Tyres. The new footwear imparted better grip and braking in the wet, although dry weather and smooth tarmac performance remained the same.

With just 8PS on tap, the Jupiter isn’t the most spirited scooter on the roads today, what with newcomers like even its own flashier sibling, the NTorq, pipping it soundly in terms of performance. Instead, what the Jupiter offers is a relaxed and stress-free commuting experience that is sure to grow on you with the passage of time. Engine refinement is unreal and even today, with more than 11000km on the clock, it sounds, feels and goes as smoothly as it did on my first ride. The suspension is set up on the comfort side of things, so there’s not much in the way of speed breakers or potholes that can unsettle it. There is nary a hint of vibration or discomfort anywhere - not when you’re in the city anyway.

Yes, I’ve taken it out on the highway too. While keeping up with the flow of 21st century traffic is quite a task, the Jupiter can and will do the odd long-distance run -- provided you’re willing to live with the overly soft seat. It isn’t much of a bother -- it is actually a boon really -- on short rides in the city, but longer stints on the saddle will certainly necessitate breaks, not just for fuel but to rest your bum.

Ah yes, fuel. Consulting the ZigWheels long term sheet indicates that it initially returned 49kmpl when I got hold of it. That would mean that now, almost two years later, its efficiency has dropped by just 1kmpl on average, changes in my riding style not considered. Riding two-up, which I did quite frequently, didn’t alter that figure noticeably either, standing at roughly 45.6kmpl. Was that a faint squeak of thanks from my wallet?

All the servicing during her time with me was done at the same authorised TVS service centre in Pune: Century TVS. A free replacement for a crack in the left clear-lens indicator and a 1000-rupee front disc brake pad change aside, it hasn’t needed anything apart from adhering to the usual servicing schedule. That deep paint job still glistens in the sun as beautifully as it did two years ago.

In its time with us, the TVS Jupiter has proven itself as a supremely effective commuter that does its brief extremely well. Unassuming and understated, it doesn’t scream attention at itself, but quietly and calmly goes about its job without ever throwing a hissy fit. Its bulletproof reliability is as good as anything we’ve seen from the Japs, and I’ll be sad to part ways with this classy scooter.

Date Acquired: November 2016

Total Km Till Date: 11,480km

Fuel Efficiency: 48kmpl

Cheers: Fuel efficiency, Front disc brake, Refinement

Sneers: Soft seat, Beige floorboard gets dirty easily, (Insipid horn, I guess?)

Photopraphy: Vikrant Date

TVS Jupiter [2013-2024] Video Review

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Saeed | 7 years ago @Mohit, that's great to know. Thanks for sharing your experience with the Jupiter. 3 Reply

Mohit | 7 years ago I am a die hard sports bike fan. When I shifted to Bangalore, i thought of buying another sports bike. But since we also needed a family vehicle so that my wife can ride it too, we went in search of scooters. The main thing that stops you from buying scooter in Bangalore is the availability on rent. There are enormous providers giving you vehicles on rent. But if you will do the calculation, your owned vehicle will be much cheaper in long run. This made us to look for scooters.We first went to TVS, then Honda, then Yamaha and then Suzuki since these are the leaders in the market. Activa is just sold like hell. You go to any Honda showroom and people are just like I need Activa. Its like all goats go together. People don't thhink just buy because it is Activa. So i removed it from my list. I gave the choices to Ntorq/Jupiter. Ntorq is the leader but I didnt went for it since it has less space in front. The ride quality is awesome but still there are few chances of failure of its digital console in the long run. Also it lies somewhat in between a scooter and a bike.I wanted to buy Jupiter and then Jupiter Grande Disc caught my attention. You wont believe I bought it for 85 which is just 1k cheaper then Ntorq. But believe me it is the best family class vehicle. I go to drop and pick my wife from her office and we keep both the laptop bags in front. Acceleration is too good. You can see me beating bike-riders in that traffic light race :D The boot space is enough and the looks are Oh my God!.. Just take a look at its tyre (Jupiter grande Disc) and you will be in love at first sight.I have ridden almost 1k km with one service done and Im still feeling like I bought it yesterday. So don't worry, buy one for you and enjoy! :) ...Read More 9 Reply