Long term review of the Ntorq 125

TVS has been developing and manufacturing two wheelers for years now and is counted amongst the largest two wheeler manufacturers in India. Alongside manufacturing mass market offerings, TVS has supported and carried forward the cult of performance oriented machines till today with some of its benchmark worthy bikes, like the Apache 200 4V and the RR 310. With the growing popularity of such bikes, TVS decided to up the performance game in the 125cc scooter segment as well with the debut of the Ntorq 125. Since its inception in 2018, the Ntorq has been the most favoured performance scooter of the country. Now that’s primarily because of two things, the way it goes and the way it pose. Talking about the latter, TVS has done an exceptional job in the design department with the Ntorq and boy it looks a class apart with the muscular front end, a comparatively short ovehang and an aircraft inspired rear end. Even at rest, the Ntorq seems ready to pounce ahead on the tarmac, and now with the BS6 Race Edition TVS has managed to add a bit more flair to the overall package. The major talking point however remains to be the new full LED headlight housing a T-shaped DRL featuring the difference between the standard and the Race Edition. Having said that, it’s not just the looks that have kept the market amazed, but the factors like a consistency in the quality of the materials and fit-n-finish, features that are actually useful on the go than being on the brochure along with the proportions that can accommodate various body sizes with ease have made this 125 a desirable alternative. The Ntorq can easily accommodate riders ranging from 5’0 to 6’0 feet tall and the seat height at 770mm is more than manageable with a kerb weight of 118 kgs which ensures that the scooter remains calm and composed on high speeds while being easy to manoeuvre around the tight spaces of our cities. Now coming down to the feature list, Ntorq has a host of them. Starting with the instrument screen which is by far the most informative displays I’ve ever seen on a scooter. It can easily perplex you by the amount of information it projects on to the TFT screen like clock, speed, fuel level, engine temperature, eco mode, low fuel warning along with lap timer, 0-60 kmph speed timer and top speed recorder. The feature list further accentuates to a pass light toggle switch, a boot light along with a charging port. However, the most convenience oriented feature that I like about the Ntorq is the fuel lid lock which is incorporated in the boot lock. Then come the utilitarian features like a 22 litre boot space, high and low beam functionality with a light that has a wide and decently strong light spread and an engine kill switch. These plethora of features make the ownership experience of the Ntorq quite a likeable one. What further elevates the ownership experience of the Ntorq 125 are its mechanical bits. The Ntorq uses a powerful 125cc 3-valve single cylinder 4-stroke air cooled carbureted Revv engine that pumps out 9.25hp @7,000 rpm and 10.5nm @5,500 rpm. These figures alone make this scooter powerful than most of the 125cc scooters currently on sale in India. Also, the nature of the engine and the power delivery is oriented towards brisk acceleration than commuter friendliness, which is evident the moment you ring the throttle wide open. Also the gearbox, the CVTi unit which incorporates an Automatic Centrifugal Clutch, is tweaked in such a way that it always keeps the engine rpms right within the power band. This engine and gearbox combo makes the Ntorq a joy to ride on long stretches and eggs you to twist your right wrist a little bit more. Completely complementing this magnificent combo is the High Rigidity Underbone Tubular Frame which is among the best frames I’ve experienced for a scooter in this bracket. This frame is stiffer as compared to any other frame used for a 110 to 125cc scooter, except the Aprilia SR125, offering a great stability even at 80kph, beyond which things start to get a bit unnerving. The chassis however is confidence inspiring when you’re carving corners or even dipping the scooter at the bends. It’s surprising how you can actually dip the Ntorq and the chassis holds the scooter in place, until the roads are smooth. Even at the switchbacks, tossing the scooter from one side to the other never felt as nerve-racking as it would have on an Activa or even the Access for instance. It’s just that it takes a little bit of getting used to with the lightness of this machine, which though at 118kgs is fairly decent as per the 125cc scooter segment. Also, the suspension setup in the Ntorq is very well judged and tuned to cope up with our average road conditions while still being playful. This setup incorporates Telescopic forks along with Coil Springs in front and rear respectively with Hydraulic dampers at both ends. One thing to note though is the factory setup of the Ntorq’s suspension is a bit on the softer side, so hard core riders might just need to make some after-market adjustments to the suspension if they want to get the best out of this magnificent scooter as there are no mechanical adjustments that can be made to the stock suspension components. Nonetheless, as I mentioned previously that for an everyday ride this suspension does a commendable job in dealing with our road conditions while still offering enough feedback to make out for a jolly riding experience that almost no other scooter currently in our market can offer. Now, for those who were eagerly eyeing on the top speed, I have clocked a 103kph on this 125cc machine with a completely tucked down stance, and as per TVS’s claim, the Ntorq is capable of hitting 60kph in just 9 seconds which I totally believe. So yes, the Ntorq is viciously fast for a 125cc scooter. The next best thing about the Ntorq are its brakes, which by far have the most superior stopping power. The 100/80 front tyre integrate a 220mm petal rotor and a drum brake at the rear which have the ability to shred speeds in a jiffy. And the last but not the least is my personal favourite component of this scooter, the exhaust. The sporty stubby muffler not only looks sporty but sounds bloody good as well. The bass of the exhaust note is so intense that even the pedestrians can’t help but turn their heads to take a glance of what’s flying by. An exhaust note this sweet accentuates the sense of speed even further and engulfs the rider into an experiencing that simply ushers you to look past all the short comings of this snazzy 125.

Now if you can control your emotions a bit and try to look past all the above mentioned attributes of the Ntorq, there are a few shortcomings as well. For instance, the throttle response has dulled down quite a bit with the BS6 rendition as now the gases are not able to flow as freely as they used to in the BS4 Ntorq. This has costed almost 1.5 seconds in the 0-60kph run down time. It has dropped from mid 7 seconds to a shade over 9 seconds. This might be a huge bummer for the keen hot heads eyeing on the Ntorq. On the contrary though, the linearity of the throttle response is now in the favour of the much less demanding audience preferring a laid back ride experience without having to compromise with the funky and aggressive styling of the TVS’s stallion. Now, in context to the ride, the ride quality is on a stiffer side when compared to other 125s like the Activa, Access, Burgman and even the TVS Jupiter 125. So it might strike the best balance between sportiness and comfort, but those looking for just a daily commuter might not settle down for the Ntorq in this particular department. Another key mention here has to be the seat, which is quite roomy for the rider but gets a bit short on space and comfort when you decide to carry along a pillion. Still average sized Indians will tag along happily on that short rear seat bench. Now some people might get away with the average pillion comfort, but most of us might just roll their eyes off the Ntorq because of the fuel economy it offers. As we all know that in this segment people do pay heed to fuel economy and in this case, the Ntorq returns the least kilometres to the litre edging out the Aprilia by a slight margin. And finally the price, which at Rs. 66,885 (ex-showroom) pushes the Ntorq towards the pricier side of the scooters when compared to the other 125s in India. With such niggles should you still consider the Ntorq over the others?

The answer to that is very simple. The Ntorq is not meant for everyone. Just like the Aprilia’s, the Ntorq also targets to that segment of buyers who want to enjoy the thrill of riding without having to compromise on the every day practicality of a scooter. People of this genre have the capacity to understand that all the shortcoming listed above are the trade-offs for providing a ride experience that is second to none in this price bracket. In simple words the Ntorq is the scooter that can put a smile on your face every time you take it out for a spin while providing all the necessary practicalities of a daily work horse. What else do you need!!!

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Author - Soumil Dey