TVS Protorq CF/CR Radial Tyre: Gear Review

• Tyre: TVS Protorq 
• Front: 110/70-17 Protorq CF (Rs 1,925)
• Rear: 140/70-17 Protorq CR (Rs 2,467)
• Bike used: Yamaha FZ25

Competition:

• MRF Zapper FY 110/70 R17 front (Rs 1,625)
• MRF Zapper S1 140/70-17 Rear (Rs 2,575)
• Michelin Pilot Street 110/70 R17 front (Rs 3,900)
• Michelin Pilot Street 140/70-17 Rear (Rs 5,500)

Ever since it arrived in Pune in late 2017, I have been using the Yamaha FZ25 as my daily commuter in the city. My daily route has majorly concrete roads, which doesn't offer as much grip as tarmac, so braking aggressively can get a little dicey here. Also, my weekend commutes to Mumbai see me covering 160-odd kilometres of highway, including some exciting twisties in the ghats along with potholed state highways. We fitted the new TVS Protorq tyres (110/70-17 Protorq CF front and 140/70-17 Protorq CR rear), on the FZ25 and since then have covered more than 1500km on them. Here’s what we think of them.

City riding:
The front end feels more eager now and is quicker to turn in thanks to the more rounded profile than the earlier MRF tyres. Dial in the excellent grip this pair offers in straight lines and you’re in for a breezy city commute. Comfort has gone up by a notch over the previous tyres and surprisingly there is less tyre noise while riding over concrete roads, rough tarmac, small potholes or rumble strips. There’s no tyre noise while cruising on the highway either. TVS claims these tyres give better fuel efficiency. With the new tyres, the FZ25’s fuel efficiency did increase, but just by 1kmpl.

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Highway use:
The TVS Protorq get ‘Zero Degree Belt’ technology, which TVS claims, gives the tyres a stronger structure to reduce flex and improve stability. It also has lower internal friction, which means less heat plus wear and tear. On my weekend rides to Mumbai, the tyres felt stable at high speeds, even over uneven road sections. Once warmed up, the tyres stick to the tarmac really well, which further helps in urgent braking scenarios. Carrying speeds over undulations or small potholes and bumps isn’t a bother either, but its best to keep your pace in check while tackling a patch of gravel. So tarmac and concrete roads isn’t much of a concern but gravel and loose surfaces comes are like kryptonite for these tyres. 

Handling: 

The TVS Protorq tyres have an intermediate tyre compound that leans toward the harder side for longevity. Over the course of 1500km, the tyres have seen negligible wear. I also had the opportunity to sample these tyres on the twisties of Lavasa in the rainy season. The rubber did take time to heat up, but when it did, the performance was quite impressive. Shorter sidewalls and a rounded profile offered maximum contact patch with the tarmac, perfect for mid-corner stability.

Even when you enter a corner, there’s ample grip from the front. However, when you roll on the gas while exiting a corner, the rear tyre slips slightly, which isn’t very confidence inspiring. That aside, I was quite satisfied with how the tyres performed in the rains. There was adequate enough grip while commuting on wet roads, which could be down to the deep grooves that TVS claims, help in repelling water efficiently.

Braking:

Panic braking can be the scariest aspect of riding and is a major concern for every rider. TVS’ Protorq tyres proved to be quite reliable on this front, be it riding in the city or out on the highway. 

In fact, there was an instance where I had to correct my line mid-corner while climbing up a stretch of twisties. And due to the oncoming traffic, despite wet road conditions, a slight tap on the front brake helped me get back in line without any loss of traction from the front tyre.
Braking hard from triple-digit speeds is also not much of an issue as the front end remains quite stable here as well. However, the rear tyre doesn’t feel so stable and moves around a bit.

Final thoughts:

Overall, on our 1500km-long journey, the TVS Protorq tyres have proved to be good enough for Indian road conditions. We loved the grip levels of the front tyre but felt the rear could do better. The tyres offer good high-speed stability, ride comfort and traction, and will prove to be a good choice for riders who love to cover long distances.

The cushioning effect they offer while soaking up potholes and tackle speed breakers will also add on to the pillion comfort in the city.
For the performance they offer, we think these tyres should cater well to bikes in the 200cc to 300cc segment, both in urban and touring environments.