AX100, Shaolin, Shogun, Supra & more: FORGOTTEN motorcycles from TVS Motors

TVS Motorcycles is one of the oldest indigenous motorcycle company of India. Though many of you may not know, the company was named after its founder, whose name was Thirukkurungudi Vengaram Sundram Iyengar. His name’s initials formed TVS and that’s what the company is known as now. Now the brand sells two wheelers ranging from mopeds to high performance motorcycles. TVS launched its first product in 1978. Here are thirteen bikes that were launched by the brand and are now forgotten by most of the Indians.

IND-Suzuki AX100R

The AX100R is the result of one of the first Indian-Japanese tie-up. Suzuki and TVS came together to form a partnership for R&D and other processes. The AX100R was targetted at the commuter segment in India. It had a 100cc which was good enough for 8.25 Bhp of power, quite enough for that time. This series continued until 2008 and ended with the Max 100R. Also, the Max 100R was India’s last two-stroke bike.

TVS-Suzuki Supra

After the AX100, TVS though of bringing in something more sporty to woo the customers. Then the Supra was launched as a sportier version of the AX100R. The main differences and changes were bolder body graphics and a more powerful engine. It had a 98.2cc, 2-stroke engine which produced a maximum of 9.2 Bhp of power and 9.6 Nm of peak torque. The Supra became the first performance-commuter segment bike from the manufacturer.

Suzuki Shogun

The Shogun was among the more popular bikes of its time. Aimed squarely at the Yamaha 100, it offered more power but also had a higher kerb weight. It was also a jointly developed project by TVS and Suzuki in India. Powered by a 108cc two-stroke engine, this bike produced a good 14 Bhp of power. Moreover, the bike’s engine came with advanced port geometry which resulted in it being more inclined towards power than efficiency.

Suzuki Samurai

The Samurai was another stylish offering by the joint venture. Marketed as the “no problem!” bike, it was launched in 1994. The Samurai was equipped with a 98.2cc, 2-stroke engine that generated a maximum of 7.5 Bhp of power and 9.8 Nm of torque. It was a hit among the youth in the Indian market.

TVS Fiero

Not quite as fiery as its mane suggests, but the TVS Fiero was one of the more fun to ride bikes at its time. It was among the first four-stroke 150 cc segment bike from the brand. It came fitted with a a 147.5cc four stroke engine that churned out a maximum of 11.8 Bhp power and 10.5 Nm torque. The Fiero came in 2005 and became quite popular in the market owing to its design and power packed ride. It can be dubbed as a fun city bike.

TVS Fiero F2

After the good response received by TVS for the Fiero, the company launched the Fiero F2 in the Indian market. It was actually an updated version of the Fiero. Changes made on the bike were both aesthetic as well as mechanical. The 147.5cc, single-cylinder engine now produced a maximum power of 12 Bhp and 11.3 Nm of peak torque.

TVS Fiero FX

Another Fiero on the list, the Fiero FX was a retro-looking version of the regular bike. It was aimed at the popular Bajaj Pulsar brand which was among the best selling motorcycles then. All the internals on the FX remained the same as on the other bike with changes only limited to the looks, which included the round headlamp of the bike.

TVS Shaolin

 

Keeping up with the Japanese nomenclature, the Joint Venture yielded another bike in 1998. Called the Shaolin, it was next in line after the Shogun and the Samurai. It had a big bore 138.2cc, 2-stroke engine that pumped out 11.5 Bhp of power and 12.3 Nm of peak torque. The bike came with best-in-class power and torque figures and a 5-speed transmission that ensured a high top speed.

TVS Centra

The TVS Centra never made it to top number in terms of sales. Powered by a four-stroke 99.8cc engine that generated a maximum power of 7.5 Bhp and 7.5 Nm, the bike failed to grab buyers attention despite boasting of an impressive fuel efficiency figure of 68 km/l. The bike was advertised heavily with the company emphasizing on new engine technology. This is among the bikes tat TVS might well want to forget.

TVS Jive

The TVS Jive was the first and only semi-automatic bike in the Indian market. The stylish commuter had a clutchless transmission that made the gear shifts quite easy and effortless. In-fact, the Jive did not even have a clutch lever in place. Powered by a 109.7cc engine, the bike came with decent power figures of 8 Bhp power and 8 Nm of torque.

TVS Victor GL

The TVS Victor GL is among the most popular and successful bikes by the manufacturer. First launched in 2003, it became an hit in the market.  legendary bike that first came into the market in 2003. Powering this stylish bike was a 109cc, 4-stroke engine that generated a maximum power of 8 Bhp along with maximum torque of 8 Nm.

TVS Phoenix

The TVS Phoenix is among the more recent bikes on this list. It was brought into the market in 2012 as a premium-commuter bike. It featured a fully-digital instrument control, tubeless tyres, spring suspension and a 240mm roto-petal disc at the front. The Phoenix was powered by a four stroke, 125cc Eco-Thrust engine that produced a maximum of 10.5 Bhp power and 10.8 Nm torque.

TVS Max

TVS Max was launched for the commuter class and came with retro-looks including a chrome finished round headlamp. The bike came powered by a 109.7cc, 4-stroke engine that was utilised by various TVS bikes. It produced a maximum of 8.28 Bhp and 8.5 Nm. TVS also launched a version of the bike with a mobile charger that became quite popular in the market.