[bluescooterman]

Hi all,
First off, I'd like to thank team-bhp and all its distinguished members. I have always been fascinated by everything with wheels, and team-bhp is my Britannica and Bible for everything related to it. I've been lurking around since a long time, and always enjoyed going through the posts and threads.
Now, I have finally hit the milestone of purchasing my first set of wheels!

I have been riding scooters (or more appropriately, Motor Vehicles without Gear) for as long as I can remember (ahem, after I turned 18 of course ), and was fairly distant from riding bikes. The little bike-riding experience I have is all thanks to my elder cousins in my hometown. I've learned riding on the humble Lord Splendor, and have (very briefly) driven an RE Classic 350 and a KTM Duke 390.

However, those little experiences made me gravitate towards owning a bike as my first vehicle.

The Prerequisites:
My prerequisites might be fairly different than my similar aged peers, but hey, to each their own

• Seating Position: I have an ankle mobility issue, and cannot drive bikes with a sporty stance for long. Notably, I had no problem with the classic 350, but couldn't drive the Duke 390 for long without pain in my ankles.
• Easy to maneuver: I do not pride myself on my strength, and whilst I could manage the classic 350, I knew daily driving it through traffic was not going to an option for me. I wanted something lighter, but with a similar level of comfort. For some insights on my profile, I am around 5'10 and weigh around 66 kilos.

The Ronin fit the bill perfectly and was within my budget. I am also part of the 1% that likes the Ronin's looks , and the Midnight Blue edition (released around November 2024, I believe) just tugged at my heartstrings.

The Showroom Experience:

As a current resident of Hyderabad, and as a corporate slave, I started by visiting a few showrooms during the weekends.
Here's my experience in chronological order:

The first three weeks:

1) Landmark TVS, Gachibowli: This was my first option as it is near my residence. I went to the showroom on 2 consecutive weekends. The test drive vehicle was not available. I managed to gauge the seating position through the display piece (which they promptly mentioned that I could test ride but I noticed the odometer was disconnected and refused outright. I offered to wait for the test-ride vehicle).
I took a quotation, but the staff were too unbothered to follow up. When I called the executive on the third week, he told me he'd call me back and ghosted me. I gave up and decided to give other showrooms a visit.

The weekend after:

2) Antriksh TVS, Mehdipatnam: I went into this showroom by chance. The showroom is fairly small and the Ronin wasn't on display. I took a quotation and asked for a test ride arrangement. The executive redirected me to their Tolichowki branch, which I visited the same day.

3) Antriksh TVS, Tolichowki: After making me wait for half an hour, the executive promptly brought out the display piece for the test ride (Of course, the odometer was disconnected). The good samaritan in me wanted to reject it, but my patience had worn out. I meekly drove it around 500 metres (which is all they let you drive, by the way) and confirmed that the bike fulfilled all my prereqs. (I apologise in advance to the poor chap who might own this piece in the future.). I left after the test drive, as even though I loved the bike, I left with a bitter taste in my mouth.

The weekend after:

The executive from Antriksh TVS, Mehdipatnam followed up on the quotation I took, and I decided to pay them a visit again. They had the base variants in stock, but I was only interested in the editions with dual-channel ABS. I was not very set on the colour scheme earlier, but by this time, the Midnight Blue edition grew on me, and I wouldn't budge. The executive then asked around and kindly redirected me to Anjali TVS, Somajiguda, which I visited the same day.

4) Anjali TVS, Somajiguda: This was the first time I saw the Midnight Blue special edition live, and the executive mentioned that the display piece was the last piece they had. This made me more eager than before. (In hindsight, this could've been a ploy, but I admit I have fallen for it).
Since I had a good idea of what to expect, I checked for visible wear and tear on the display bike, and after convincing myself that I could live with it, proceeded to pay a minimal (and refundable) booking fee.

After that, I proceeded to do a small PDI of sorts and asked for a short test ride (I could live with this as I had booked this piece already. The odometer was disconnected, by the way). I did not find any issues with it, at least to the extent of my limited riding experience.

The Red Flags:

1) None of the executives, across all showrooms, seemed to know much about the Ronin. (Thanks to team-bhp and its contributors, I managed to get a good grasp on what to expect beforehand)

2) The showrooms seemed to have no qualms about letting people test-ride display bikes with disconnected odometers - and later selling them. (Is this a thing with TVS?)

The Present:

I am all set to take delivery of the bike in the coming week, but I am also worried that I might be ignoring all the red flags.

• Will I regret buying something that was on display? (Almost feels like I am getting into a toxic relationship with someone who has a troubled past )
• Should I just wait for the 2025 edition to roll out? TVS has kept us waiting pretty long. And the Midnight Blue edition just does not seem to be in stock anywhere.
• Is it worth gambling on the after-sales experience? The TVS horror stories I've read here still linger on my mind, and my experience with the sales kind of scares me into expecting worse after-sales.

I'd really appreciate it if anyone could guide me on the above. Please help bluescooterman graduate to bluebikeman!

[Aman2438]

Hi Bluescooterman,

I currently own an Apache RTR 310 and have experienced multiple TVS showrooms across Bangalore and Indore. All of them had clearly stickered test ride bikes, or they clearly declined to provide test ride in case the bike wasn't available for any reason.

The Red Flags:

1) None of the executives, across all showrooms, seemed to know much about the Ronin. (Thanks to team-bhp and its contributors, I managed to get a good grasp on what to expect beforehand)

2) The showrooms seemed to have no qualms about letting people test-ride display bikes with disconnected odometers - and later selling them. (Is this a thing with TVS?)

Coming to your scenario:
It really seems like the dealership has a very lackluster attitude towards customers and isn't professional enough. I am pretty sure that Hyderabad must be having many more dealerships which will provide you with much better service compared to the current one. Even in Bangalore there are certain dealerships which have reallly poor reputation and some have stellar reputation at the other end. Is there any specific reason for not considering other dealerships? Ronin is not that rare, and one shouldn't have an issue with getting a test ride for the same.

I personally don't find any issue with a display bike if it's well maintained and wasn't manufactured too long ago. Also getting or not getting a 2025 version is upto you as I don't know if there's any major update which is going to come.

TVS aftersales is something that really depends on the dealer. If you are getting a TVS bike, I will strongly suggest you to get into the owners group as it will really help you know which dealerships to prefer and which one's to avoid. I can assure you that it will make your life much simpler and you'll also get a lot of support in case there's any issue you are facing regarding the service. If you are willing to keep little things like this in mind then you can certainly live with the service experience.

In your case I would certainly suggest you to look into some other dealerships, as that would give you peace of mind.

[bluescooterman]

Hi Aman2438,

Thank you for your insights.

Originally Posted by Aman2438

Is there any specific reason for not considering other dealerships?
Ronin is not that rare, and one shouldn't have an issue with getting a test ride for the same.

I have been to 4 showrooms and the sales experience was almost the same throughout. I have also tried looking online but for most TVS dealerships in Hyderabad, the reviews were polarising. (Most of the positive reviews feel like they were coerced by the staff.)
There seems to be no proper leads to good showrooms even on this forum, and I am hoping my experience will guide others like me.

Originally Posted by Aman2438

I personally don't find any issue with a display bike if it's well maintained and wasn't manufactured too long ago.

The manufacturing date was early December 2024, and the bike seems to have been maintained well.
The only visible wear and tear I could find were on the footpegs and the gear and brake pedals. The executive mentioned that this is only because people sit and examine on the display bike.

Credit where it is due, the executives at Anjali TVS did a decent job guiding me through the process after booking the bike, including asking me to verify the chassis number and taking a full walkaround video of the bike for later verification.
The bike is, however, still on display as this is the only piece they have.

Originally Posted by Aman2438

Also getting or not getting a 2025 version is upto you as I don't know if there's any major update which is going to come.

The only major updates to the 2025 version seem to be an open chain guard, a longer seat, an updated pillion grabrail and an additional mudflap at the rear, from what I could observe in the first look video.
The version was expected to launch mid-Jan but got delayed.
At this point, TVS does not seem to bother much with advertising. This strikes me as weird because I think the Ronin fits most people's requirements but is relatively unknown. (At least when compared to its main rival, the RE Hunter 350.)

Originally Posted by Aman2438

If you are getting a TVS bike, I will strongly suggest you to get into the owners group as it will really help you know which dealerships to prefer and which one's to avoid.

I would really appreciate it if someone pointed me to the owners group.

Originally Posted by Aman2438

In your case I would certainly suggest you to look into some other dealerships, as that would give you peace of mind.

Thank you, Aman. At present, I am still leaning towards taking the delivery of the bike from the same showroom. However, if required, I will shift to other showrooms for servicing.

[ramubwoyy]

Originally Posted by bluescooterman

Hi all,

• Will I regret buying something that was on display? (Almost feels like I am getting into a toxic relationship with someone who has a troubled past )
• Should I just wait for the 2025 edition to roll out? TVS has kept us waiting pretty long. And the Midnight Blue edition just does not seem to be in stock anywhere.
• Is it worth gambling on the after-sales experience? The TVS horror stories I've read here still linger on my mind, and my experience with the sales kind of scares me into expecting worse after-sales.

I'd really appreciate it if anyone could guide me on the above. Please help bluescooterman graduate to bluebikeman!

To answer your questions:
1. While this is a problem, I would say that you need to test ride more bikes and for longer durations. Try to rent the model that you are looking at if the showroom doesn't give for long TD.

And I am sorry but even on all the bikes/cars I have liked I have asked for a minimum of 2 test drives, out of which atleast one is 5 km (I pay for the fuel if the showroom is apprehensive). I cannot in good conscience recommend that you go ahead with the Ronin based off the display piece.

2. I will club my second and third answer together because it mostly covers the same point. TVS has to work on their engineering. Most Indian brands have to in fact. I'm all for nurturing home brands but as a long tourer, reliability is not something that I am willing to compromise on at all. The Ronin's engine while mostly smooth is just not a niggle-free one. I have had 2 friends from my riding group face constant problems.

Moreover, the bike will feel slouchy on highways.

Lastly, on the riding stance. I initially used to ride the Classic 500 and could not fathom bending my knees beyond 90 degrees or tolerate slightly forward leaning stances on bikes. In fact, when I test rode the bike I own now (Vstrom 250) I felt pain in my knees and was instantly dissuaded.

However, with more test rides and reviews I actually grew to love the rider's triangle and now cannot think of going back to the classic 500 as it gives me lower back pain. So as a fellow rider, I would implore that you keep an open mind when it comes to rider's triangle, especially since you haven't done long distance.

I would suggest you look into Japanese brands as well. Their service is hit or miss for the most part but I can confidently tell you that I would rely on a Japanese bike any day.

And last but not the least, wait if you can. This time of searching and test riding is the most exciting part of purchasing a bike, enjoy it as much as you can.

Hope this helps you out!

[Indraneel Bhat]

Hello,

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I had done a mini-review of the Ronin when it first came out.
You can read it here --> https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...pressions.html (TVS Ronin Review & Initial Impressions)

I would ask you to please test ride more bikes as there are better options today in the market for approximately the same price range and weight (give or take INR 10k). For example,

1. Honda Hornet 2.0
2. RE Hunter 350
3. Bajaj NS200

Your ownership experience will be far better. But if your heart is set on the Ronin, then the heart wants what the heart wants. But just understand that any bike comes with it's own set of issues and problems.
Secondly I would NEVER buy a display piece bike unless it comes with a HUGE discount.

[BullettuPaandi]

Adding to ramubwoyy about the riding stance:
It certainly helps to be a tad adaptable when it comes to riding stance. Try renting bikes that you're otherwise interested in (regardless of the riding stance), to see how close it gets to 'livable' to you.

On the off chance you find yourself not-so-adaptable, look into if the bike can be modded to suit your preferred stance- or at least closer to it. Most bikes without split seats can be modified with a handlebar riser or a different handlebar altogether, in such manner.

I myself got similarly spoilt after owning a Classic 350. In my current bike- an XPulse 200- I initially did find the foot peg position a tad aggressive. I tried to compensate by sitting slightly further back, but the stock seat steps up to the pillion seating area right where I wanted to sit. So, I thought of buying the 'Rally seat' which has a flat profile; but even the showroom guys suggested to rather add foam and seat cover on top of the stock seat instead. That is what I ended up doing- raised the seat height just about enough make the seat flat, and covered it with a 'grippy' seat cover, which the lining workshop guy suggested, to make up for the lack of support from the step-up seat that holds the rider in place when under hard acceleration, and he even claimed that it'll make off-roading easier. I initially thought he's just trying to up-sell, as the 'grippy' seat cover costed more. But to my surprise, it actually made a difference- more than I would've imagined even if I believed it would. Only after using the 'grippy' seat cover did it became apparent to me how much I was struggling to position myself with the stock seat, especially on rainy days. I feel like it is similar to sitting on bucket seats in cars. I then added the OEM handlebar risers, with which now I'm able to sit on the bike just the way I want to, and even handle it better despite the higher saddle.

Such modifications are possible on any bike- and easier on single seat bikes- should trying to adapt to the "sportier" seating position that the mass market prefers for some reason fails.

An other option, is to buy a <150cc & <150kg relatively cheap, reliable, Japanese commuter- say, Unicorn, FZ X(since you mention liking the Ronin's design), etc.- that you can use for the most part, and then adding a bigger, performance oriented bike to your garage, that you can use for weekend tours, road trips, etc. My first bike was a used FZ15, and I very much regret selling it to this day. If I were to begin my Motorcycling journey today, this is what I'd do.