[lovlyfella]

Thank you guys for your most helpful feedback. Booked the Stargaze Black Basic Version today. Hopefully, will get delivered in a month.

[clementw]

Ok despite my misgivings and it's smaller size, (it feels compact actually) I have booked the top end grey and expect it to be delivered this week. Will update experience soon.

[100Kmphormore]

I rode the bike today at Synergy TVS Bengaluru and was impressed with the ride quality and the feel of the bike though.
I come from a V15 which I used for 27000 km across weekend rides and office commute in the pre Covid days and own a Himalayan for my daily duty + highway touring.
Climbing onto the motorcycle, I was struck by how light and balanced it is. It may be so as I lug a 205 kg motorcycle daily ( I have to push the bike and put the center stand on, no villa style parking!). It even seemed lighter by my V15 (137 kg) even though it is 23 kg heavier than that (160 kg). The seats are extremely comfortable and the riding position is awesome. The seating position is easily the best of all the bikes that I have been on.
A
Starting the motorcycle is an experience. The crank is silent whereas the growl on starting is sweeet!
Once you start riding is when the real fun begins. What a sound. Deep and bassy exhaust ( I asked the showroom to reconfirm if they fitted an outside exhaust XD) and acceleration is quick by commuter standards, as it comes with the same state of tune of the RTR 200 - 20 hp. It was set in Urban mode, (yes, there are riding modes like the RTR as well), couldn't explore the other modes as it was disconnected.
Braking is where a lot is desired. Even though they are disc brakes, they are very light and you will need to plan your braking. Single channel ABS for the base model, and the upper models get dual channel ABS

Suspension is another area where it excels. According to me, TVS and Tata suspensions have always the best for Indian roads and it was so. Only major potholes affect the otherwise superb ride quality. No bottoming out or unsteady behaviour. Coming from my brother's NTorq, they have done a really good job on that too.

The lights however are a how-you-like-it department. I liked the front lights which is adequate bright but not the taillights which seemed to be coming straight from the iQube. Really, TVS?

However they have screwed up with the pricing. It starts at 1.96L on road Bengaluru for the base single colour single channel variant and goes to 2.19L for the tricolour dual channel variant. It should have been a little lesser than the RTR at around 1.7L at most. Plonking a larger engine with the same power and the hit or miss body style does not command the premium. Purely my opinion though. Price it well and sales are bound to be good for this bike.

[bhppower]

I took test ride today in Pune. My impressions based on short run. currently I ride a 2014 Honda Unicorn and previously owned 2-stroke Suzuki Samurai (absolute gem to ride. Sold it after 15 years).

1. Bike looks smaller in person. TVS could have done a better job. Length is awkward.
2. Rear end if not integrated well. Chain cover actually makes it look bulky and may be bit old fashioned.
3. Ride quality was good. It is very easy to manoeuvre bike in traffic. No doubt that less weight helps.
4. I liked the riding posture.
5. Pickup was good. Took few minutes to adjust to slipper clutch.
6. Refinement was too good. Engine was smooth and no vibrations.
7. Seat length is short. It would not suit well built two people
   
   Overall liked engine, ride and handling but yet not convinced 100%.
   I still need to try Honda CB350 & Royal Enfield Hunter before I can finalize.
   
   

[sreejithkk]

Originally Posted by bhppower

1. Bike looks smaller in person. TVS could have done a better job. Length is awkward.
2. Seat length is short. It would not suit well built two people

How does it compare to your Unicorn in terms of size, refinement and ride quality (suspension plushness)?

[bhppower]

Originally Posted by sreejithkk

How does it compare to your Unicorn in terms of Size, refinement and ride quality (suspension plushness) ?

My opinion
Size - I felt Unicorn is better. Ronin is more neither here nor there
Refinement - better
Ride quality - better

[drt_rdr]

I had a test ride of the Ronin for a few kms. I rode the base model. Came away impressed indeed. Many things felt really nice on the bike.

The key has a nice weight and the wavebite pattern is supposedly more secure, though I don't know... I'm sure the lockpicking lawyer has many Indian subscribers. Honda's marketing spiel for the CB300F made me realize this bike also needed the keyhole on the tank so that it's "always within your reach" rather than having to stretch for it across the handlebar.

Anyway, the bike fires up with a light push of the ignition button. And unlike the Suzukis, the button is not jutting out, it's normally positioned with a soft action. I'm guessing Suzuki designed theirs that way to avoid accidental ignitions by giving some amount of play before contact happens. Have to be be aware of this on the TVS, but points for ease of operation.

The weight of the bike makes itself known while moving around the parking area, but it's nothing to complain about. It's easy enough to manage.

The bike looks compact but it didn't feel like the bike was small for me. Rather, it felt just right. I'm guessing this is because of the relaxed ergos. The footpeg is a bit forward set which results in a chair-like seating position. The seat felt soft and grippy enough.

It's a very comfortable seating position except for one sore point. I just couldn't settle into a nice position for faster riding because I couldn't hug the tank with my legs. The knees fouled against the flared out part. Wish they'd shaped the tank a bit better to accommodate taller riders too. Maybe sitting slightly further back would help with the issue? I don't know. But atleast the tank is narrow enough at the crotch area so it doesn't feel like you're in a spread-eagle position like on the REs.

The bike shoots off nicely and felt like there's enough juice all across the revrange till around 7 or 8k rpm (couldn't find the space to rev further). It felt like it can pick up from almost anywhere and is happy to rev up. But it's not giddy power, not hooligan enough.

That's not necessarily a bad thing though. Just that, on paper, 20nm torque from a low 3750 RPM sounds like the bike means business. I guess it's just the expectations vs reality problem.

But it does undeniably have a strong pick up. And while I wouldn't call this bike luggable, it can pick up from as low as 2000 RPM in 4th gear. Very convenient. Not sure if it's got the low-rpm assist like the RTR though. The clutch pull is not Honda light, but still very easy. I also didn't feel vibes even at 8K rpm. Then again, it could be that I was too involved in the ride to notice them, if any.

Anyway, all said, the engine felt really nice and agreeable though i wanted more from it. I think I'd probably grow to love it if I gave the bike a chance. The exhaust note was also quite nice on the move. None of the dug-dug imitation business, just a cool growl.

The instrument pod did not feel awkwardly placed at all, it felt natural and I was comfortable using it within no time. The round shape makes for a good layout that doesn't compromise on the visibility of the important bits, the speed and tach. I didn't fiddle around with any settings though, so I don't know how easy or difficult the controls are to use.

The brake master cylinder looked small. Not sure if it looked that way because the handlebar is thicker than usual or if it's actually a smaller unit. The front brake had a progressive bite, though it does bite sharp enough if you grab a handful. It's not the best braking I've experienced but felt nice enough and close enough to my Suzuki GS150R. No issues for me.

The rear brake, though... For all of TVS claims that they've made the pedal feel more progressive, locking up the rear is still easy. (Not that I mind it or anything though)

The suspension could be plusher but it felt nice! It felt neither too stiff nor too soft. It's soft enough that going over smaller potholes sitting down was not a bother and felt like it kept the tires stuck to the ground nicely even over bumpy roads.

The bike feels planted and feels a bit hesitant to change lines at first, but agrees just as soon. It's probably the extra bit of rake and the weighted axle doing this. I mean it's not as flickable as the RTR, but flickability is not an issue at all. It's just a bit slower, which is not a bad thing. I couldn't try any corners but I'm sure it'll tip in nice enough and hold lines well. The thinner tyres also help with the good handling, I suppose. Overall, the handling is a pleasure.

Great bike! Far from an RE imitator. It's a fairly nimble bike that responds to revving up or chilled out cruising. I probably would've taken one home today if only it had more horses.

TVS, I'm eagerly awaiting my Shinobi!!

...
...


Misc:

Earlier, I was informed that the TR bike is a dedicated TR unit, but today, I notice the speedo\odo is disconnected. Then the sales rep says to me, "Only 1 km allowed." I'm like, "Do you even want to sell this bike or what?" He relents and lets me ride longer.

And returning to the showroom, though the sales rep is polite and courteous, he is not even trying to convince me on the bike. I tell him I'm also looking at RE's 350cc bike in this exact price range and ask him how he's gonna turn me towards this bike, the guy has nothing much to say though there's a brochure full of praises to sing.

I was planning to check out the Hunter just for the heck of it. But after the Ronin TR, I abandoned that plan, no thanks to the sales rep. In my mind, there's no point in going to RE. The Ronin would slice up the Hunter into pieces everywhere except the looks and chill factor. And the Hunter is not desirable enough for me anywhere except the looks. The Ronin's not a bad looker in the flesh either. It's definitely got some street presence. I'll even go ahead and say it looks hot from some angles. Hope TVS revise the rear section for next year's model.

I really liked this bike. And though I want to reject it for the motor not being exciting enough for my personal tastes, some part of the experience has lodged itself into my heart, so much so that I'm even warming up to the ugly top end model colours. Maybe it's all the nice things the bike has going for it aside from the engine that resonates with me. Or maybe it's a subconscious reciprocation to the amount of effort TVS appears to have put into the bike. I'll have to think hard about this. My garage space is limited.

...
...

TL;DR: Very cool bike that's not trying to be an RE. Really good stuff for the price. Take it with a pinch of salt.

[clementw]

I am the proud owner of a Ronin. Its early days but the bike makes me smile and when I read the specs I am a little surprised as the looks are so deceptive. It is not actually small, it feels compact, comfortable and the position is relaxed for me at 6 feet. With possible one of the best GC our crazy speed breakers are crossed effortlessly and at times i don't even downshift.

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by clementw

I am the proud owner of a Ronin.

Which model? Do you feel lack of power on highways, with pillion or while climbing out of underground parking, etc.?

[S2K]

Originally Posted by clementw

I am the proud owner of a Ronin

If you have gotten the chance to ride enough, can you please shed some light on how good is the bike for 30 KM daily commute round trip on our cities' broken roads as well as occasional highway drives for a couple hundred KMs?
Also, how good is the pillion experience, especially for the highway rides?
Any unique pros/cons you have observed, not mentioned in most reviews?

[sreejithkk]

I did test ride Ronin today. To me, the biggest disappointment was the size of the bike, mainly the length of the bike, as well as the seat length. I did test ride the hunter just before the Ronin test ride, and overall I felt the hunter as a better option. I am 188 cms tall, and that may be the reason I felt the bike smaller. Once I seated, there was very little space left for pillion in Ronin, but in Hunter, there was ample space was there for the pillion. While hunter also smaller than classic and highness, it definitely felt bigger than Ronin. Ronin felt smaller than even the 150 CC commuters like Pulsar and Unicorn. However where the Ronin felt miles ahead was the speedo console, light clutch and slick gear shift. The engine also was smooth, however the hunter engine also felt similarly refined and peppy.

[lovlyfella]

Originally Posted by lovlyfella

Thank you for the review. Could not have come at a better time for me. I am on the look out for a bike and did TD for a 400 metre ride and liked it. I would like to have the opinion of this esteemed group on my use case and whether Ronin is a good bike for me.

So, I have finally booked the base version and took delivery on 8th August from Ramcor TVS Malakpet, Hyderabad. Started using the bike from today (was waiting for auspicious day for Puja). Loving the bike so far. Ride is fantastic. Seat is more than sufficient for 2 people. Suspensions are pretty good.I need to get adjusted to turn radius. Seat height is perfect for a 5ft 5incher. Looking forward to loads of rides. Thank you guyz for providing the needed motivation to go-ahead.

[catkins]

Originally Posted by lovlyfella

I need to get adjusted to turn radius

Agreed. None of the reviews I've seen mention that but I noticed it on the test ride. The angle of the front when fully turned is less than usual.

[fordday]

Wanted to know from the owners about the seat length. Is it comfortable for an average built gent and lady seating across (Indian style) ?

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by fordday

Wanted to know from the owners about the seat length. Is it comfortable for an average built gent and lady seating across (Indian style) ?

The seating does appear to be small for this use case. Do take a proper test ride to see if the pillion will be comfortable and safe.