Brought home a black TVS Ronin as my first bike: Initial impressions

As a first-time bike owner, I found the bike quite heavy since the only two-wheeler I had ridden before was an Activa.

BHPian GetemNowBoom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey All! This is my first-ever post on Team-BHP. A few months before I got my first bike, which was the TVS Ronin 225, a friend introduced me to Team-BHP. Now, after six months, I have enough to share about this bike. Since the purchase experience differs from dealer to dealer, I will skip through that and go directly to my experience with the bike. I reside in Bangalore, and therefore, I bought the base variant (Lighting Black) of the Ronin from the TVS Solar Dealership near Rajarajeshwari Nagar Arch.

Bike experience on the first day

On the first day when I received the bike, as a first-time bike owner, I found the bike quite heavy since the only two-wheeler I had ridden before was an Activa. However, on the ride back home, I got used to the weight, and it took me only a couple of weeks to be completely comfortable with the weight of the Ronin (it weighs only 160 kgs, which is quite low for a bike of such stature). The gear shifting was unbelievably smooth. I could barely feel the gear shifting, and the gear indicator was the only way I could find out if the gear had actually changed. I was mesmerized by the look of the bike (although every person has their subjective preference and likings towards this bike). I am 5'7" and had no issues while sitting on the bike. My feet would easily touch the ground without any issue.

Toward the end of the week of my purchase, I took a trip to Kunigal and did approximately 200-250 kms in total. On this trip, I tried to push the engine to the top speed, and with luck and no lesser windblast, I was able to achieve 125 kmph with a pillion (this is the max I could do so far even while I was solo riding). I know a lot of people are apprehensive about pushing their bikes before the first service, but I had researched enough to find out that it is best to try varying speeds, both high and low, to break into the engine of a new bike. The ride was quite satisfying, and I fell in love with the bike. A couple of days later (exactly a week after my purchase), I was due for my first service.

My worst experience with the Ronin

This was the 6th day after my purchase. I had gone to Koramangala with a few friends for lunch. Just like any other Bangalorean, due to a lack of parking space, I parked my bike on the roadside along with other two-wheelers. When I came back, the bike had an alert sign on, which was a triangle with an exclamation mark inside the triangle. And the bike would not start. I tried multiple times, and I even tried pushing and starting the bike, but the ignition would not happen. I pushed the bike to a nearby mechanic (which was merely 10-15 meters away). I asked him to have a quick look to see if he could understand what the issue was. He said that it seemed like an issue with the electronics of the bike and that he couldn't look into it because if he did, then my warranty would not stay valid. After this, I tried reaching out to the nearby TVS service centres. Another important thing to note is that all this happened on a Saturday. Koramangala did not have any service centre; I was aware of only one service centre in Koramangala, which was the TVS Flagship service centre, but their contact wasn’t available. I then contacted the Jayanagar service center, and they told me that they had no labor because it was a Saturday. I then reached out to 3-4 more service centers, including the service center connected to my dealership, and none of them could help me.

The dealership service center told me that the alert sign means that there is a fault with ISG of the bike. After waiting for 5-6 hours on the road with my bike, two boys from the Bommasandra Service center came to collect the bike on a bike of their own. I was expecting a towing vehicle or at least a tempo to take away my bike. However, it was this one guy who put his feet on my bike while the other guy sat on my bike, and they pushed my bike to their service center. I verified their identity with the service center, and since I had no other option, I had to let them push my bike away. I got the bike back the next day. The service center did not explain to me what the issue was, and since I was in a hurry to attend to something else, I did not bother much as well.

I noticed that I had this issue twice again, but upon removing the key and putting it back, the issue would go. However, I got it inspected by the service center, and it was a software issue which they resolved.

Another issue I faced once was that even after putting the back on neutral (the gear indicator also showed it), the bike would move as though it was in 1st gear. Another friend who bought Ronin told me about this issue on the 2nd day of his purchase. I only faced this after 3 months.

Changes I Noticed Post 1st Service

• The handle had become lighter, which made navigating easier.
• The brake had become looser, which I did not like because I liked the tightness of the brake lever before the service.
• Gears weren't as smooth as before.
• I also got the windshield added since on my Kunigal ride I realized how bad the windblast was without it (after adding the windshield I have not faced windblast issue).

I will write a separate post on the service experience if required.

City Commuting Experience

One of the main reasons I wanted to get a bike was because commuting to my college daily on a scooter was killing my back. I travel a total of 33-40 km daily. After getting used to the weight of the Ronin, I find it very easy to navigate through traffic. Even parking and unparking the bike is relatively much easier, and 98% of the time, I can manage the bike alone without any help from anyone. The assisted slipper clutch makes commuting so much easier. The constant need to use the clutch in Bangalore traffic becomes a lot easier. The suspensions of the bike are just amazing. They absorb unevenness and potholes quite well. My back pain has reduced exponentially.

The mileage I am getting in Bangalore city is currently 40 km/liter. I have tested this mileage multiple times, and it is always between 38-41, but 80% of the time, it has been 40. (Before the first service, I was getting 34-36 km/liter). As per my needs, I have to refuel twice a month. For city rides, the pillion seat is also very comfortable, and my friends and family have never complained about it. The bike has a good road presence in the city. I have been asked questions about the bike multiple times by fellow city riders.

People notice the exhaust sound, which turns heads quite easily. A few times when you have to do offroading to take shortcuts, the tires handle it very well. To me, this is one of the best multip- purpose commuters. Riding the Ronin makes the Bangalore traffic slightly more bearable on a daily basis.

Highway Cruising Experience

I have done a total of 4 short bike trips (within 200kms one way) on my Ronin within the 6 months for which I have owned it.

• Kunigal
• TK Falls
• Savandurga
• Yelagiri

My experience over all has been good. The bike is pretty comfortable for cruising at 70-80kmph speeds. Post 90kmphs the vibrations on the bike are quite high which makes the rider tired sooner. The seat is quite average because after 100-150kms of non-stop riding your bottom starts aching. The seat is worse for the pillion. For the pillion, the seat size is small for a long-distance cruise, and it also causes pain in the buttocks.

The seating position for the rider does not cause any pain. i have not noticed any shoulder or neck pain so far, although on my last ride to Yelagiri, I did a total of 401kms with a few 15mins breaks every 150kms.

On average, I have gotten 45kms/litre of mileage on the highway. However, on my ride to Savandurga, I maintained a speed of 50-80kmph with constant speed for long distances and got a whopping 60kms/liter of mileage as well (yes, I was very surprised as well )

Recently I got the side stays and the rear rack put on the bike, which are officially being sold for Ronin by TVS. I haven't got any saddlebags or straps. Please leave me any suggestions

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