TVS Flame road test

I don’t quite like the Flame ad, because plainly, I don’t quite understand it. But, it isn’t me all the way. You see, when a motorcycle advert shows a guy racing through twisty roads on a bike, being hunted down by a women coming down a parachute, for a date, there’s something seriously wrong somewhere. And then to learn from a company insider that the bike and the advert, both are targeted at the self employed lot; well, it just leaves me tragically confused.
Thankfully, the bike herself isn’t as confusing.
She is brilliantly styled: the fuel tank along with those ‘delta’ styled side flanks with turn indicators incorporated, adds a sense of occasion to the Flame’s presence. She does get an alien like face though, which when viewed head-on looks good, but otherwise fails to gel with the overall design.
Having said that, besides the tank, the rest of the design isn’t as gorgeous; it’s nice of course, but it’s more regular than outstanding. The clocks are part analog (for the speedo), part digital (for everything else), like on the XCD. It’s much better executed though – looks more up-market, is easier to read and has a yellow hue to it as well.
Get on board, and you aren’t really sure what the designer and engineers set out to do. The racy styling notwithstanding, they wanted to make this a smarter commuter, now that I am sure off, but an uncomfortable one? Don’t think so!
It’s, therefore, a case of the ergonomics going bad – the handlebar and the footpegs are set low, and the latter are set too far forward as well. The only thing that seems in the right place then, is the seat. And the complete ergo comes across as if it were meant for a long legged masochist.
To the designers’ credit, they did think of a lockable cubby hole as part of the tank. It’s not big enough for a lot of things, but will house your cell phone, wallet, and even a tiny water bottle (200ml or something). Neat touch. But, it has robbed the tank of its fuel capacity all the same, which is now down to just 7.5 litres.

Thankfully, there’s nothing embarrassing about the bike’s cycle parts. The Flame uses a single downtube chassis suspended on the customary telescopic forks up front, but at the rear, in come gas charged dampers to offer a better compromise between good handling and cosseting ride.
And the Flame delivers: the handling is predictable and relatively sharp. She also has a good turn in, a must really, if she is going to be ridden aggressively. And the tyres offer good grip too. The bike does have a longish wheelbase for a 125 and as a result it blossoms in a straight line. Ride too is comforting.
The performance from the all new 125cc engine, developed with the help of AVL of Austria could have been better though. The single spark plug, three valve head – two for intake and one for exhaust- layout develops 10bhp and 10Nm of torque, which is pretty much the same as the most powerful 125 currently, the Gladiator. The Flame also uses a trick carburettor to feed the intake valves – with the throttle partially open, the carb only feeds one valve, through its single open tract. Wring the throttle open further, and the second tract comes into play and the juice is now being feed into the combustion chamber through both valves.
The idea here is to save fuel in the initial stages, and then pump in more air and fuel when the rider wants to up the pace. However, the theory hasn’t really translated all that well in the real world – the bottom end isn’t great, and there’s nothing to grin about the Flame’s top speed either.
To add insult to the wound, the engine is harsh as well, and the well-shifting gearbox has only four gears, limiting the engine’s flexibility.

The Flame then is a good attempt by TVS – she is brilliantly and thoughtfully styled, rides and handles very well too, but is she really worth going for? Well, if you base your buying decision on how the machine looks, and what the world thinks of it; buy it, now!
But if you are slightly sensible, wait for another week, cause the Gladiator vs Flame comparo is round the corner…

Specs
Engine
Capacity: 124.8cc
Max power: 10.5bhp
Max torque: 10Nm
Gearbox: 4-speed
Performance
0-60kmph: 6.64s
0-80kmph: 12.47s
0-100kmph: 30.42s
0-400m: 21.37s
Top speed: 101.68
Cycle parts
Chassis: Single downtube rectangular cross section
Suspension F: Telescopic forks
Suspension R: Coil springs and gas charged dampers
Brakes F: 240mm disc
Brakes R: 130mm drum
Tyres F&R: 2.75 x 18” & 3.00 x 18”
Price: Rs 45,990 ex-showroom