[rajeshsundaram]

In 6 simple words:
I bought a TVS NTORQ 125

So the story started almost a year ago

TVS WEGO
I own a TVS Wego (still own it) . For the past couple of years, it serves as my daily commute vehicle to my office and elsewhere. The scooter is pretty good. I never had any complaints about it's reliability, or performance or ownership-happiness. The only grouse I had with the scooter is - Brakes! Every time I apply brakes when I was driving above 50 KMPH I felt scared. The bite was poor and was not inspiring confidence. Complained to the A.S.S and changed the brake pads, but yet the same issue persisted. So I decided to live with it, because I drive in jam-packed Bangalore traffic which does not permit anyone to travel beyond 30 KMPH on an average. LOL.

Coming back to the story. Recently a couple of instances happened that made me feel bit scary about the brake's performance. While the brakes did stop the vehicle, it never inspired any confidence. The Wego I have has drum brakes around. So I enquired the A.S.S about retro-fitting the disc brake in front. They did not give any positive reply and cited it involves replacing the fork, tyre rim etc etc.


LOOKOUT STARTS
Disappointed with the brake's performance, I decided to upgrade to a new scooter with Disc brake.

My Requirements were
1. Front Disc Brake
2. Better performance engine
3. Fuss free ownership
4. Should be serviceable easily

Also, I am bit choosy about brands and colors. During my lookout either I did not like the brands, or the color was not available. Wifey suggested to wait for sometime. Anyway I thought I would give a try with the current crop of scooters. Based on my preferences, I squared upon 3 brands, Yamaha, Aprilia 150 and Honda.

Yamaha RAY-ZR Disc Brake
Test drove Ray-ZR in Erode, my home town. The engine was smooth but the peppiness is missing. Brakes were okay, better than wego. Did not connect with the heart. So I dropped it out.

Aprilia 150
Test drove Aprilia 150 in home town. The test ride experience was good, but the test vechicle was a beaten one. Too much vibration and did not felt like a 11nm engine. Mediocre. Later I learned from the show room people that young ones, who test drive the scooter tried to do all sort of stunts and that had caused the test-drive scooter to go bad. Unfortunately they did not have any other test-drive vehicle at that time. For some reason, Aprilia did not connect to me.

Honda Activa 125
I did not test drive Honda. My past experience with my Unicorn 150 and the crowded service centers returned to my mind as nightmare. While the bike is a gem, the service centers are totally bad. Over crowded, over loaded, irresponsible and careless attitude.

AUTO EXPO 2018, NTORQ LAUNCH & BOOKING
Back to Jan 2018. The Auto Expo started and TVS NTORQ was launched. I immediately walked to Indian TVS Bellandur to enquire the booking. The showroom people said there is no word of availability from the company yet. So I walked into Kubera TVS where I bought my Wego earlier. The sales girl said "Yes sir, we accept booking for NTORQ". Happy, I paid Rs.5K on spot and booked it. Little did I realised that I was the first one to book at Kubera TVS.

The sales girl called me next day to inform that I will be allotted the first NTORQ from the first lot they receive. I opted for Yellow color and she was positive that first batch would be Yellows and Reds. The waiting duration was 12 days. So I waited patiently, and as committed I received a call after 12 days from Kubera Motors, HSR Layout. The SA informed me that the scooters have arrived, and I can visit the showroom and pay the rest of the amount to close the deal. That evening I visited Kubera Motors and paid the rest of money. There would be another 2 days delay for the RTO formalities. 2 days later I was called and informed that the scooter is ready, and I will be first customer to take delivery of first NTORQ 125 from Kubera TVS. I was happy again. Told my wife, and she was too excited.

D-Day
Myself, wifey and son visited Kubera TVS in HSR layout to take the delivery of my Yellow NTORQ 125. Wifey was super-impressed to see the scooter in real. My son was instantly hooked to it. Like how most kids claim the vehicles as their own - he said "Appa, this is my ntorq" Hehe.

The Delivery
Kubera TVS is not known for exceptional customer service nor A-Class delivery experience. Even though mine is the first NTORQ to be delivered, there was no special arrangement. Not even a photo.It was yet another delivery in their day-to-day life. I even doubt if their claim that my NTORQ was the first NTORQ delivered from the showroom is true or not.

After the signing formalities are over I was told to go and collect the scooter from the service area. So I asked my wife to stay there and walked out. The SA accompanied me. My NTORQ was waiting outside. After the SA spoke to the delivery incharge, he took the scooter to service area once again - checked the engine, lights and other stuff. When the checking was over, the scooter was driven back to delivery area (actually the road). I thanked the SA and by this time my Wife and son walked out and joined me.

The delivery incharge demonstrated the basic operation of the vehicle and handed the key to me. Smiling, I switched on the ignition and the scooter roared to life with its signature exhaust note. Me, Wifey and son drove the scooter to the nearest Petrol bunk and filled the tank to the brim. We then had coffee and Sambar vada in the nearby restaurant and returned home. The evening was good.

REVIEW
The Engine
NTORQ 125 uses a 125 cc 3-valve engine mated to a CVT. (I guess this engine is derived from their 125cc engine from TVS FLAME) I am pretty sure that that is the only reason TVS was able to keep the price a bit low. The engine is not smooth like their 110cc engine found in Wego or Jupiter. It sounds bit gruff. But it is torquey, and feels more responsive. The fly-in-the-ointment is - vibration at low RPMs. But when the RPMs increase, the vibrations fade out. Overall - 7/10 points

The Transmission
It's a CVT and it works fine. No complaints so far. 7/10.

The Style
Radical for a TVS scooter. Targeting the young crowd. While the front facia looks similar to Dio and Ray-ZR, the rear looks absolutely different with modern, air-craft like vents. The build quality is good. No loose screws, or no rattling panels. 8/10.

The Brakes
The front disc brake works as expected, and feels safe. The rear is a drum brake. So using the Front and Rear in tandem works good. 8/10.

The Tyres
The TVS REMORA tyres are a bit of surprise to me. They have enough grip and helps in cornering and straight-line stability. The rear tyre is wide and adds some sporty character to the looks. 7/10.

The Seat
The flattest seat I've experienced. It pains my butt after 40 mins. Saddle sore is pretty common. I am thinking of adding a inch of foam to the seat, to make myself feel comfortable. 3/10.

The Lights and Horn
NTORQ comes with a LED DRL under the headlight. It is neatly integrated and has a decent throw. The headlight is a single reflector one powered by 35w Halogen bulb. Resembles a lot like Dio's headlight. It takes a day or two to get used to the fixed head-light system. But the throw is pretty okay, and high-beam is actually better than the low-beam. The Horn note is on the bassy side. Not the usual "keee keee" sound. It is "kheengghhhh kheenngghhh" - bassy. 7/10.

The Exhaust
Distinctive exhaust note. Bit deep with bassy note. 7/10.

The Dashboard
Well it is fully digital and says it can connect with my Android phone and assist in driving. I have not checked this feature yet. Will post a separate thread when time permits. 6/10.

The Fuel Efficiency
It lingers around 35-40 KMPL depending on driving style. A little disappointing though. 5/10.

Driving on City Roads
In a congested traffic, the scooter performs as expected. Feels fine, good braking, and better engine performance helps a lot. I find it better than driving my wego, and my BIL's Access 125. The Engine kill switch is a welcome addition. It is handy in congested traffic, to save some fuel. The mirrors offer decent coverage of my rear.

So here are some pics of my scooter.
















Here are some QA styled observations

How is it when compared to Suzuki Access 125?
My BIL has Access 125, which I liked for the comfortable seat. While the Access 125's engine is pretty smooth and the performance is good on par with NTORQ 125, it does not offer the NTORQ's sportiveness. People who prefer comfort should try Access 125 and not NTORQ.

Can I drive on long drives?
Yes, But make sure the saddle sore is taken care of. The scooter rides well planted on the road and with calculated over-takes this can be a good cruiser for weekend long drives.

Rattlings?
Number Plate vibrates with the rear mud protector. It is a design fault.

How is the suspension and tyres?
Suspension is bit hard. Especially the rear suspension. On bad roads, you will feel the undulations pretty much. The tyres are okay though. The rear tyre is good and helps in cornering, like a bike.

Is this better than Wego and Jupiter?
Yes this is better than Wego and Jupiter. Better power.

How about the Storage space?
It accomodates medium sized full-face helmet. The storage space also has a USB charger and a LED light. Pretty handy.

Is NTORQ 125 really heavy at 116 kgs?
It does not feel like one.


LIKES
1. Sporty Design
2. Good Engine
3. Good Performance on Road
4. Brakes
5. Handling
6. Tyres
7. Rear T light

DISLIKES
1. Seat. It pains!
2. Vibrations at idle and low RPMs.
3. Hard rear suspension
4. Storage space could be better
5. No LED for blinkers. Uses standard bulbs.

Conclusion
I was skeptical when booking the scooter without test driving it. But thank god, the scooter did not disappoint. Overall I am satisfied with the purchase. NTORQ 125 feels like a better alternative to Honda Dio and Yamaha Ray ZR. It's own quirks include bad seat and vibrations in low rpm.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the 2-wheeled Section. Thanks for sharing!

[NiInJa]

Congratulations on your new scooter ! and a nice crisp review, covers most of the things I wanted to understand.

My dad is planning to sell his Activa for no particular reason (I guess he just wants to splurge his pension money ), so I suggested him to check out the Ntorq. He has not been able to do so because of incessant rains here this weekend. So can you help me with the weight of the scooter ? I mean, does it feel light enough for an old man in his early 60s ? He feels the Activa's controls are a bit heavy so his priority is that the next scooter should 'feel' light.
And he is a bit short, about 5'6in so will that be a problem ?

[rajeshsundaram]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

Congratulations on your new scooter ! and a nice crisp review, covers most of the things I wanted to understand.

My dad is planning to sell his Activa for no particular reason (I guess he just wants to splurge his pension money ), so I suggested him to check out the Ntorq. He has not been able to do so because of incessant rains here this weekend. So can you help me with the weight of the scooter ? I mean, does it feel light enough for an old man in his early 60s ? He feels the Activa's controls are a bit heavy so his priority is that the next scooter should 'feel' light.
And he is a bit short, about 5'6in so will that be a problem ?

NTORQ weighs 116 kg. One of the heavy scooters in this segment. If your dad is able to handle Activa, then handling NTORQ should be okay. I do not feel any heavyness when I move it around with hand.



Activa and others weigh in the region of 105-110 kgs appx. So for anyone who handled Activa in the past, handling NTORQ should be fine. They wont feel any extra heavyness.


The seat height almost matches Activa. So your dad wont face problem. But take care of the thin seat issue. Ask him if he prefers a comfortable seat or thin seat?

[silverado]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

so his priority is that the next scooter should 'feel' light.And he is a bit short, about 5'6in so will that be a problem ?

Maybe he can try Scotty ZEST from TVS. Should fit him perfectly.

Does NTORQ come with easy stand? if yes that he may not really feel the weight I believe.I had gone with a friend of mine to book NTORQ, he ended up buying Jupiter since he wanted a practical scooter.

TVS sales guy clearly told that average of NTORQ hovers around 35kmpl, and anyone looking for that should go for Jupiter/Wego.

[narayan]

Nice review - the best part was - picking up the scooter and then coffee + sambar vada and then home - loved that !!

And by the way - you started off with some great priorities for the new scooter and then went and bought one without a test drive -- all the makings of a petrol head who thinks through the heart

Lastly - I feel good service by Kubera TVS - they seem to have stuck to their commitment in every step - I like such dealerships and I wouldn't mind the low profile hand over ceremony ( after all you anyway celebrated over vada, coffee and with family - what more can you ask ! )

[rajeshsundaram]

Originally Posted by narayan

Nice review - the best part was - picking up the scooter and then coffee + sambar vada and then home - loved that !!

And by the way - you started off with some great priorities for the new scooter and then went and bought one without a test drive -- all the makings of a petrol head who thinks through the heart

Lastly - I feel good service by Kubera TVS - they seem to have stuck to their commitment in every step - I like such dealerships and I wouldn't mind the low profile hand over ceremony ( after all you anyway celebrated over vada, coffee and with family - what more can you ask ! )

Absolutely. The booking and purchasing decision was finally decided by what the heart wanted.

And true that - it was a very pleasant occasion - after taking delivery, enjoying the moments with family + Sambar vada + coffee!

[rakesh_r]

Congratulations on the Ntorq, its feature loaded for sure. Felt bad that you couldn't get a good test ride of the Aprilia. As an ex owner I can vouch on its performance, its a pocket rocket for sure. When I was on the lookout for a scooter, I had 3 parameters in mind- Disc brakes, DC lighting and a nice powerful engine. The SR ticked all the boxes. But, as the saying goes, life is always not rosy. For the sake of performance the suspension of the SR is super stiff, a boon on smooth tarmac and a curse if you ride over bad roads, especially the rumbler strips. Moreover for two people, the seat is a bit crowded. Moreover the floor board is narrow which doesn't help for Grocery shopping. Regarding the vibrations, the idling is super vibey, thanks to the three valve configuration. But once on the move its nearly as smooth as a Honda.
Neverthless, the Ntorq is a great scoot, an allrounder. Congratulations and safe riding
PS- I sold the SR with just 2k on the odo. It took me one year to figure out that scooters are not my cup of tea.

[dinu2506]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

Congratulations on your new scooter ! and a nice crisp review, covers most of the things I wanted to understand.

My dad is planning to sell his Activa for no particular reason (I guess he just wants to splurge his pension money ), so I suggested him to check out the Ntorq. He has not been able to do so because of incessant rains here this weekend. So can you help me with the weight of the scooter ? I mean, does it feel light enough for an old man in his early 60s ? He feels the Activa's controls are a bit heavy so his priority is that the next scooter should 'feel' light.
And he is a bit short, about 5'6in so will that be a problem ?

I would suggest the Access 125. Its extremely light at 102kg and the engine is very refined and peppy. Saddle is comfortable but just check if the height suits, its a wee bit on the taller side.

[gautamkhadse]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

Congratulations on your new scooter ! and a nice crisp review, covers most of the things I wanted to understand.

My dad is planning to sell his Activa for no particular reason (I guess he just wants to splurge his pension money ), so I suggested him to check out the Ntorq. He has not been able to do so because of incessant rains here this weekend. So can you help me with the weight of the scooter ? I mean, does it feel light enough for an old man in his early 60s ? He feels the Activa's controls are a bit heavy so his priority is that the next scooter should 'feel' light.
And he is a bit short, about 5'6in so will that be a problem ?

Your Grampa , would love the Wego for its ease . I know its old , but its light , its nimble and has a relatively horizontal seat , compared to the seats on these new age scooters , which slope downwards . Sometimes that sporty slopes is very unconfortable, specially for the pillion .

Ask him to look at electric scooters aswell .

Also if wego is not an attractive option , ask him to check out Jupiter . Its a fantastic scooter . He might not be able to connect with the NTORQ . Just my humble opinion .

[pradeepnair]

Originally Posted by rajeshsundaram

Attachment 1781726

In 6 simple words:
I bought a TVS NTORQ 125

So the story started almost a year ago

TVS WEGO
I own a TVS Wego (still own it) . For the past couple of years, it serves as my daily commute vehicle to my office and elsewhere. The scooter is pretty good. I never had any complaints about it's reliability, or performance or ownership-happiness. The only grouse I had with the scooter is - Brakes! Every time I apply brakes when I was driving above 50 KMPH I felt scared. The bite was poor and was not inspiring confidence. Complained to the A.S.S and changed the brake pads, but yet the same issue persisted.

How is the suspension and tyres?
Suspension is bit hard. Especially the rear suspension. On bad roads, you will feel the undulations pretty much. The tyres are okay though. The rear tyre is good and helps in cornering, like a bike.

Good Analysis from a User Perspective. Thanks Rajesh.

I also have a Scooty Zest which is being used for the last 3 years. Run more than 35000kms till now. As you mentioned I had also felt the rear suspension as HARD for TVS Zest also. At the same time I had felt, after driving Scooty Pep, that the suspension in Pep is much much better that Zest. Surprising that the same hard suspension is there in NTorq125 also.

Zest has the biggest space under seat. Good that brakes had been much improved in NTorq125. I felt okay with the braking efficiency in Zest. I always use front and rear brakes simultaneously.

Hope you will have good user experience with NTorq125. Happy riding.

[Crankpin]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

Congratulations on your new scooter ! and a nice crisp review, covers most of the things I wanted to understand.

My dad is planning to sell his Activa for no particular reason (I guess he just wants to splurge his pension money ), so I suggested him to check out the Ntorq. He has not been able to do so because of incessant rains here this weekend. So can you help me with the weight of the scooter ? I mean, does it feel light enough for an old man in his early 60s ? He feels the Activa's controls are a bit heavy so his priority is that the next scooter should 'feel' light.
And he is a bit short, about 5'6in so will that be a problem ?

I would too recommend the Access125. It's a nimble scooter and at about 102 Kgs it really does feel light to move around.
My dad finds it's perfect and he prefers it over our earlier Activas. Seat height shouldn't be a problem on the Access and it has lots of storage space.

[VaibhaoT]

Congratulations on the new scooter . It is definitely a good looking one.
I have noticed quite a lot of advertisement for Ntorq. They have given a lot of focus to Bluetooth on hoardings.
I am not clear from their website on use of Bluetooth. How is your experience with Bluetooth?

[Crankpin]

Originally Posted by VaibhaoT

Congratulations on the new scooter . It is definitely a good looking one.
I have noticed quite a lot of advertisement for Ntorq. They have given a lot of focus to Bluetooth on hoardings.
I am not clear from their website on use of Bluetooth. How is your experience with Bluetooth?

Honestly, Bluetooth connectivity used for anything other than navigation, is in my opinion, somewhat a distraction for a motorcyclist.
That said, it's more of a 'must have' in the product planning checklist for any manufacturer.
However, features like 'parked location assist', 'service reminder' are good to have.

[highlander]

Originally Posted by rajeshsundaram

How is it when compared to Suzuki Access 125?
My BIL has Access 125, which I liked for the comfortable seat. While the Access 125's engine is pretty smooth and the performance is good on par with NTORQ 125, it does not offer the NTORQ's sportiveness. People who prefer comfort should try Access 125 and not NTORQ.

I am looking to replace the first gen Access 125 with either Ntorq or the current Access 125.

I have had fuss free ownership for almost a decade and am certain that with proper care, this scooter can carry on for many more years. My reasons for replacing are somewhat similar to yours -- inadequate braking (lack of disc brakes) and the abysmal ride quality on bad roads.

I have heard that the new Access is much better than mine in terms of ride quality. Since you have first-hand experience of both these, I have a few queries:

1) Is the ride quality of new Access significantly better than Ntorq? What is comparison for good road v/s bad roads? Is it more pronounced on bad roads?

2) Doesn’t the 12 inch wheel and thicker tyre at rear contribute much to better ride quality?

3) When you mean comfort in the above statement, are you referring more to seating comfort than ride quality?

Since this is from the same stable as Jupiter, I was hoping that TVS used similar frame/suspension on its flagship product.