TVS Radeon: 3,800km Long Term Report

Last month, I did an efficiency run on the TVS Radeon just to see whether the Econometer is a gimmick or if it made a difference. The results will make your jaw drop. So much so that I had to do a third run just to make sure the efficiency is as good as the numbers on my previous attempt. But before that, the motorcycle was due for a service as the odometer reading had already crossed 3,000km.

The motorcycle spent a day at the service centre, and when the time came to checkout, the folks at the centre refused to share the costs as it was paid by the company and not me. It’s a tad redundant as the whole point of having a long-termer is to see how the ownership experience is over a period of time. That said, it should have been about Rs 350 to Rs 400 considering it was a free service where only consumables are charged. I got the oil replaced, brakes tightened and the motorcycle cleaned. For the Radeon, the first five services are free and the rest are paid. The service interval stands at every 3,000km or three months, whichever is earlier.

After the service, the motorcycle felt relatively smoother. It was never that harsh in the first place anyway, but the oil change did make the motor feel a little more refined. The next day, my colleague Benjamin Gracias (our road tester) and I headed to the fuel pump to fill it up to the brim again. As usual, I set the tyre pressure to the recommended levels for a solo rider, which is 25PSI up front and 32PSI at the rear. If you’re wondering about the pressures for rider and pillion, it is the same up front but at the rear, the pressure is recommended at 36PSI.

After the fuel-up, I managed to cover exactly 120km in 1.17 litres purely in Eco mode. That translates to an amazing 102.56kmpl! That’s a lot more than the WMTC-claimed figure of 69.3kmpl. It simply reinforces the fact that the Radeon is capable of offering triple-digit efficiency figures if ridden with a really, really sensitive wrist. But then again, you do compromise on acceleration and cruising speed, and this whole exercise really tests your patience as two-wheelers with smaller capacities overtake you left, right and centre. But if you manage to not get swayed by the temptress of speed, you will save up a lot of money on fuel!

Month acquired: October 2018

Km when acquired: 850km

Km till date: 3800km

Cheers:

• Refined and efficient engine
• Affordable service costs
• Really interesting colour options

Sneers:

• Brakes tend to loosen up after hard use

Fuel Efficiency: 102.56kmpl