Even though the consumers in the Indian market have started upgrading to motorcycles with higher capacities, there is always that crowd that wants motorcycles for local commuting and expects a good fuel economy. For them, the motorcycle manufacturers always amaze the consumers with mind-blowing motorcycles like the Bajaj V15, the Honda NAVI, even though the NAVI doesn’t come under the motorcycle category it is a unique product offered to the buyers. Compare Technical Specifications of Bajaj V12 and TVS Victor
Similarly, TVS came back with the Victor (2016) which was a supreme motorcycle a decade ago. The Victor wanted a good competitor so Bajaj came up with the V12. Let’s see how the Bajaj V12 and the TVS Victor square off against each other.
Styling:
The V12 looks just like its older brother the V15, from the headlamp to all parts of the motorcycle, but there are some parts that Bajaj will help us distinguish the V12 from the V15. The alloy wheels and the tires are a big difference, the V12 come with a 5 spoke alloy wheel and smaller tires. Apart from the similarities, the V12 is an amazing looking bike with a beefy looking tank that is made from the INS Vikrant Ship’s metal.
The TVS victor, on the other hand, looks like the Star city with a 30% increase in size on the front bikini fairing. The all new Victor is a total change over from its previous model. The motorcycle looks decent for a daily commuter, with the neatly laid out design.Winner - Bajaj V12.
Instrument Cluster and Switchgear:
On the Bajaj V12, the instrument cluster has a big dial speedometer along with the odometer. On the other side, it features a fuel gauge and the tell- tale lights. The quality used on the switch gears feel good.The meter console on the Victor feels so much more up market and modern, with the analog- digital display. The speedometer, trip meter, and fuel gauge get a digital display and eco power mode is offered. The Victor gets a hazard light feature in the place of the kill switch button, which can get confusing at times. The quality of plastics used feel better than the V12.
Winner - TVS Victor
Engine and Performance:
The Bajaj V12 gets a 125cc single cylinder air-cooled mill that churns out 10.8bhp at 8500rpm and 10.8Nm of maximum torque at 5,500rpm. The engine is mated to a 5 speed manual transmission. The ride quality on the V12 feels very smooth, with the nice and wide single seat that offer ample amount of comfort for city as well as long rides. The seating position feels upright with the wide and high set handle bars. The gears felt a little hard to shift. The exhaust sounds bassy and felt like a charm to the ears. The hand grips and the foot pegs feel super grippe.Coming to the TVS Victor, it is powered by a 110cc engine like the star city, but the major difference is that it has 3 valves and the engine churns out 9.6bhp and 9.4Nm torque. The engine is mated to a 4 speed gear box. The acceleration in the Victor feels crisp offering a good ride quality, but the ride quality provided by the V12 was more impressive. The seating on the Victor was more impressive even with a pillion rider.
Winner - Bajaj V12
Braking and Suspension:
The Bajaj V12 receives a telescopic front suspension and Nitrox filled rear suspension that are made specially to absorb the pot holes that the Indian roads have. The suspensions just do their job perfectly in absorbing the shocks. Coming over to the braking department, the V12 comes only with drum brakes, Bajaj have disappointed us with this matter. The front brakes could have been improved, whereas the rear brakes feel good.The suspension setup on the Victor is like the V12, they work well in doing the job and shocks they are given. The Victor receives an optional front disc brake. The front disc brakes are impressive, they don’t feel very sharp or dull they offer a decent feedback and ample amount of stopping power. We suggest the disc brake variant as it can provide a better stopping power.
Winner - TVS Victor
Verdict:Both the motorcycles do an astounding job as local commuters, as it is a comparison review, we always need to have a winner at the end, so our overall performer for this shootout is the TVS Victor. The V12 too is an amazing performer, but it just lacks some small features that the Victor bags for the cost.
By: Rishath Suresh
