[GTO]

High Points:

- TVS Motor Company today announced the development of a new transmission that will enhance fuel efficiency by as much as twenty percent, when compared to the CVT technology deployed today.

- Expected launch is in year 2013. TVS has spent 6 years on developing this transmission and several patents have been applied for.

- Engine & transmission weight could come down by up to 15%.

- The Scooter & Motorcycle will use an Automatic Transmission in place of a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), and gear changes will be monitored by an ECU.

- Harne Vinay Chandrakant, President, New Product Development said “The objective of this technology development is to deliver a compact engine layout, that will deliver enhanced fuel efficiency and which is usable across product forms like scooter, motorcycles and step-thru’s. This technology also delivers the lowest CO2 in scooters while providing for low floor board and space for luggage.”

- This transmission has been developed with a 110 cc 4 stroke engine with two Independent, high precision actuators for the clutch and gear shift operations, mounted directly on the engine itself.

[scopriobharath]

Thats a nice move by TVS. A similar technology was launched by Hero Honda in the "Street" model. It was a flop but it had an autogear at that time. The market was not matured enough to have a nice motorcycle like Street.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

Thats a nice move by TVS. A similar technology was launched by Hero Honda in the "Street" model. It was a flop but it had an autogear at that time. The market was not matured enough to have a nice motorcycle like Street.

AFAIK Street had just Auto clutch not Automatic gearshifts.

[Shivank]

The Indian biking scene is going red, green and orange, while TVS thinks its time to go automatic!

I appreciate these newer technologies they are coming up with, but its high time they start manufacturing bikes that can go neck and neck with other 2xx bikes in the market.

Remember reading TVS already been trounced over by Honda for third spot. It's about time to wake up TVS.

[AdrenalinJunkie]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

AFAIK Street had just Auto clutch not Automatic gearshifts.

Yup, quite similar to the TVS JIVE.

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by Shivank

The Indian biking scene is going red, green and orange, while TVS thinks its time to go automatic!

I appreciate these newer technologies they are coming up with, but its high time they start manufacturing bikes that can go neck and neck with other 2xx bikes in the market.

Remember reading TVS already been trounced over by Honda for third spot. It's about time to wake up TVS.

I didn't understand your point about the colors and going neck2neck with 2xx bikes.. please explain..
20% FE over current 40kmpl standards is 8kmpl. TVS better not anticipate any upgrades for such paltry savings..

[Shivank]

Originally Posted by hellmet

I didn't understand your point about the colors and going neck2neck with 2xx bikes.. please explain..

Okay, here's making it simpler to understand,

Indian bike market is now flooded with new performance bikes like CBR, Ninja and the soon to be launched KTM. A 200-250 cc bike from TVS stable, if its made on the same lines as of the RTR, could give the biggies a run for their money, that too for a whole lot less.

I believe TVS has the potential and resources to manufacture a bike like that. Can't understand why they are not making one!

May be they are waiting for Bajaj to take a step ahead, and will follow suit later.

[AlphaKilo]

Here goes the link for the post by GTO and has an image of probably the new engines. The engine blocks though on the outside looks similar to the hero honda setup, but the automatic transmission which the tvs specialized in their new bike found its way into this engine along with many more technical advancements. TVS has filed a patent for the same in India as well as abroad.

Two-wheeler maker TVS Motor Company has developed a new technology, automatic transmission, to deliver a compact engine layout that could be commonly used across product forms such as motorcycles, scooters and step-through bikes.
Claimed to be a breakthrough initiative achieved through five-to-six years of intense research and collaboration with leading institutions within and outside the country, the new technology is expected to drive fuel efficiency by as much as 20 per cent when compared to the conventional technology in place today.

The Hindu : Business / Companies : TVS Motor develops technology to usher in common engine for two-wheelers

[vinair]

That's good news from TVS! the last scooter with automatic transmission was the Bajaj Saffire, which just failed to click... Hope TVS plonks these hi-tech engines into bikes/scooters that are well designed! Remember the Centra (looked so very fragile!!) and the Jive (which was much better looking than the Centra!)

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Shivank

Okay, here's making it simpler to understand,

Indian bike market is now flooded with new performance bikes like CBR, Ninja and the soon to be launched KTM. A 200-250 cc bike from TVS stable, if its made on the same lines as of the RTR, could give the biggies a run for their money, that too for a whole lot less.

I believe TVS has the potential and resources to manufacture a bike like that. Can't understand why they are not making one!

May be they are waiting for Bajaj to take a step ahead, and will follow suit later.

Okay, let me take a crack at making the economics side easier to understand.

2xx cc bikes are flagship models. They are the pride, the talking point but they DONT make money as a rule - taking all associated branding, training, servicing/promotions, etc etc together. (or if they do, they're overpriced - ninja is a case in point)

Case in point: Hero Honda.

They make money from CD Dawns and CD Deluxe and Splendor +++.

Bajaj makes money because of the runaway success of the recent Discover 100cc DTSi - 10 lakh bikes in 15 months. Try doing the math for the ninja, include all associated costs (maybe even bung in a salary cost for the management time involved in launching such a bike) and see if the profitability is anywhere in the same area code.

That said, TVS has horses for courses. They already have a "semi automatic" product like that in Indonesia.

See this for example: TVS Motor Company Indonesia - 13 bhp from a step thru - whatay fun it'll be!


But its not launched in India, go figure!

[highway_star]

Good to see an Indian company doing path-breaking R&D in an industry which is dominated by foreign technology. Keep it up TVS!

[jalsa777]

This is a great initiative by TVS.

My only concern is the dogma attached with automatic transmissions in India. In my opinion, Indian bike buyers are even more conservative compared to car buyers. Car buyers still feel automatics have lesser fuel efficiency as compared to manual, they also feel automatics have higher maintenance costs.

Convincing the bike buying junta that automatic is a better option will be an up-hill task.
As an example, just ask any average biker what he feels about disk brakes, and chances are he will be against them !!

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

That said, TVS has horses for courses. They already have a "semi automatic" product like that in Indonesia.

See this for example: TVS Motor Company Indonesia - 13 bhp from a step thru - whatay fun it'll be!


But its not launched in India, go figure!

13bhp! liquid cooled! discs! Why not here!

[sparsh]

If TVS has an ace up its sleeve, I think its going to give other makers in the market a run for their money. Most importantly its going to benefit the customers who have an even wider choice of vehicles to choose from. As rightly pointed out by our teambhpians, fuel efficiency and the cost are the key factors. In the current market scenario, customers want the best of everything i.e powerful engines, fuel economy, lower maintenance costs, driving comfort and above all a lower price tag.

[Kartik Krishnan]

Originally Posted by jalsa777

This is a great initiative by TVS.

My only concern is the dogma attached with automatic transmissions in India. In my opinion, Indian bike buyers are even more conservative compared to car buyers. Car buyers still feel automatics have lesser fuel efficiency as compared to manual, they also feel automatics have higher maintenance costs.

Convincing the bike buying junta that automatic is a better option will be an up-hill task.

This is indeed true, the Indian buyer is normally inclined to think that manner.
Hoping for the best for TVS since this really is a great initiative by them!