It’s unfair, no? Pitching a pocket-friendly commuter against motorcycles that are ten times its cubic capacity or price. The TVS Victor 110 finds itself in just such a predicament here. Evaluating the Victor 110 around a ‘power-circuit’ in the company of big bikes from Triumph, Ducati, Harley Davidson, et al, is akin to taking a knife to a gunfight. And it’s no katana either – but more of an everyday butter knife. So, you might assume that it was left unattended amongst a sea of bigger and fancier machines here. But that was not the case.
You see, the Victor was a very successful motorcycle for the TVS brand a decade ago – so expectations from the new model were inevitably high. In fact, before bringing the Victor nameplate back to showrooms early this year, TVS had to ensure that all the bases were covered with the new model. And this is clearly evident in the end product. For a motorcycle that’s aimed at commuters, the TVS Victor is really well made – the quality of materials and the fit-and-finish is simply impressive. The styling may not grab many eyeballs, but it’s a pleasant looking motorcycle. And on top of that it looks and feels quite big for an 110cc motorcycle. The saddle is supportive and the riding position is comfortable.
Speaking of the powertrain, the Victor comes with a new air-cooled 110cc single-cylinder ‘3-valve EcoThrust’ engine that develops 9.46bhp at 7,500rpm and 9.4Nm of torque at 6,000rpm. Fuel is fed to the engine using a CV-type carburetor. On the move, the engine is supremely refined and the power flows with linearity.
Performance wise, it feels quite brisk too. The engine revs freely and speeds of up to 80km/h come up easily on the digital speedo.
What we really love about the Victor, though, is its ride and handling balance. The ride quality is stellar, and while it may not be an outright corner carver, the chassis is surprisingly stiff and stable around bends. Bite from the front disc is phenomenal as well, allowing you to go faster than you intend to.
While the Victor was not able to get top honours here, it was over 8 seconds faster than its direct rival – the Hero Splendor iSmart 110. So, you could say that it’s quite fast too – well, relatively speaking!
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