TVS has been working round the clock churning out updates to existing bikes, even launching new bikes like the Raider and a built to order platform with the Apache RR 310. Now, the company has launched an all-new product to compete in the 125cc commuter scooter market — the TVS Jupiter 125. This segment is one that TVS has not been present in and with the Jupiter 125, the company hopes to take a chunk out of the share of the Honda Activa 125, Yamaha Fascino and Suzuki Access 125. Can it? Let’s find out.
The TVS Jupiter 125 has a very familiar design and definitely looks like an upgrade over the standard Jupiter. TVS has garnished the Jupiter 125 with a bunch of chrome across various places like the front apron, above the headlight and instrument cluster and along the side of the body. The scooter gets full LED lighting and LED DRLs as well, the performance of which I can’t comment on as I only rode it at the test track during the day. This is a handsome looking scooter and especially so in this Orange colour that we tested it in. TVS has also added some nifty features like a reflective strip on the rear grab rail to aid better visibility at night. I can’t help but think that this reminds me of another scooter but that’s for you to decide.
The TVS Jupiter 125 comes with a 2-valve 125cc engine. The identical 124.8cc displacement and 53.5mm x 55.5mm bore and stroke suggests it could be from one of TVS’s other 125cc engines but the engineers insist it is all-new. The engine on the scooter is good for 8bhp at 6000rpm and 10.5Nm at 4500rpm. The engine is nice and smooth and pulls extremely well from around 10kmph to 60kmph which is where it will be used most of the time. In terms of NVH, the scooter was extremely refined with faint vibrations being felt on the floorboard after 70kmph. But then again that wasn’t everyone’s experience so it could be just a pre-production niggle. The scooter also gets the Intelli-go technology with an auto-start function and it works exactly like you’d expect it to.
The TVS Jupiter 125 is an extremely light scooter and not just in terms of its 109kg kerb weight. It feels extremely nimble and light on its feet and is extremely flick-able. This could be down to the fact that TVS has a new layout for the fuel tank, wherein the fuel tank is now under the floorboard and the filler is also located on the apron instead of at the rear, making fueling up easy. This has two added benefits. One, the centre of gravity is lower allowing for much better handling than the competition and second, the under-seat storage has increased dramatically. TVS claims that you can store two helmets in the compartment though full-sized, full-face helmets won’t fit. In terms of suspension, the Jupiter 125 uses a 30mm telescopic fork set up at the front and a gas-charged monoshock at the rear. Out on the test track, the scooter handled very well and my only complaint was that the rear was a little too soft. But that was addressed immediately by bumping up the preload with the hand adjuster.
The 12-inch wheels in combination with the chassis make the scooter one that is extremely quick to change directions. There weren’t any bad roads there so I’ll reserve judgement on how it handles that after a proper road test but my bet is that the suspension will cope well. The seat is comfortable as well and TVS claim it to be the longest seat in the class. It is around 65mm longer than the one found on the 110cc Jupiter with the rider getting 25mm space and the pillion getting a full 40mm more room. One aspect that the Jupiter 125 really impressed me with was its braking performance. We rode the top-spec variant of the scooter which gets a disc brake at the front and a drum brake at the rear. The braking was confidence-inspiring. The front brake has proper bite and feedback and the rear drum did a good job as well. All in all, a great handler, this.
The Jupiter 125 does not get the SmartXonnect feature yet and that is slated to launch sometime soon. That aside Jupiter 125 is still a feature-packed scooter with stuff like a front fuel filler, a 2-litre glove box with a USB charger, a massive boot and great handling and performance to go with it all. With the Rs 81,300 ex-showroom price for the top-spec front disc brake variant we tested, It offers great value for all the features it offers. It also definitely packs a strong enough punch to make itself a compelling choice over its rivals.