Because of their low cost and ease of use, commuter bikes dominate the Indian motorcycle market. In order to keep prices low and attract more sales, most commuter motorcycles have a very generic design and are equipped with basic features. However, there are some motorcycles that are a little sportier and come with some interesting features. One such motorcycle is the TVS Raider, which was released in India yesterday for 77,500 rupees (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Raider is powered by a 125cc engine that claims to have the best acceleration and torque in the segment. This commuter bike also comes with more features than most of its competitors, including an optional TFT instrument cluster and smartphone connectivity. But, do all of these factors make the TVS Raider a better buy than the popular Honda SP125? Let’s see if we can figure it out.
The Raider has 180 mm of ground clearance and weighs 123 kg (kerb). In comparison, the SP 125 weighs 117 kg (kerb) and has 160 mm of ground clearance.
This demonstrates that the Raider will outperform the SP 125 on nasty speed bumps and potholes. The SP 125, on the other hand, is lighter than the Raider and will be more manageable for new riders.
Features of the TVS Raider vs. the Honda SP 125
The Raider comes standard with a coloured LCD display that provides necessary readouts such as speed, trip metre, gear-shift indicator, tachometer, fuel economy, top and average speed, helmet indicator, odometer, fuel gauge, and so on. It is the first bike in the segment to have two riding modes: Eco and Power. The Eco mode offers 3% more fuel efficiency, while the Power mode offers faster acceleration. In addition to these features, the Raider has a side-stand engine cutoff that prevents the bike from starting until the side stand is completely disengaged.
This is not the end of it. Customers can also choose a five-inch TFT instrument cluster with the SmartXconnect app for smartphone connectivity from TVS. This console has a slew of features, such as navigation, digital document display, call and message alerts, voice assistant, and so on. The TVS Raider also features the company’s IntelliGO technology, which employs an integrated started generator for a silent start. This feature also turns off the engine when the bike is idle and can be started with a blip of the throttle.
In comparison, the LCD instrument cluster on the Honda SP 125 provides information such as speed, trip metre, gear position indicator, clock, ECO indicator, fuel efficiency details, and fuel gauge. Aside from that, the Honda 125 cc commuter bike has an engine start-stop system and a silent start system.