The house of TVS has come out with a new two-wheeler called the TVS Star City +, a 110 cc bike that claims to be super fuel efficient and at the same time high on style. Trying out the bike on the roads and highways of Delhi provided a chance to check out the company’s claims, including the advantages of the Eco thrust engine which enables it to go the distance on least consumption of fuel.
A few days on the bike proved that these claims are not hollow. A unique bike in the 110 cc segment priced at Rs.43,000-plus onwards, it is a good mix of fuel efficiency and smart new looks. For the first ride I filled the tank to capacity and started my ride from Jamia Millia Islamia University. Going to Old Delhi via the congested streets of Zakir Nagar, I continued through Ashram, choc-a-bloc with traffic, on to the smooth stretch of Mathura Road and again the polluted stretch of ITO and Delhi Gate. All along, the bike’s fuel meter barely moved down, proving that it can take in the miles on a litre or less of petrol. The bike is claimed to give a mileage of 86 kms to a litre of petrol and I can vouch that on the highways and major roads it will provide around 75 kmpl.
Also, the bike has a unique comfort factor making for an easy ride with its electric self start and smooth pickup. It makes the bare minimum noise and is easy to manoeuvre on the city roads. It has a 4-speed gearbox and the gear shifting is quite smooth requiring very little effort from the foot. It has drum brakes on both the wheels. The front brake is hand operated, internally expanding 130 mm diameter and the rear is foot operated, internally expanding 110 mm diameter.
However, the bike has a couple of drawbacks that could be easily corrected. At high speeds one would prefer disc brakes rather than the drums; they are not as sharp as I would have loved them to be. The suspension at the rear could have been softer: it does not iron out the bumps on the road, taking away the pleasure of an otherwise very smooth ride.
All things considered, TVS star city + is good value for money. It’s a nice option for youngsters going to college or those in their first jobs. At 43,000 it does not burn a hole in your pocket and with its fuel efficiency in a mileage driven market it is likely to score with many bikers.
Specification
Engine displacement: 109.70 cc
Engine type: Eco thrust DLI duralife engine
Compression ratio: 9.2:1
Maximum power: 8.4 PS @ 7000 rpm
Maximum torque: 8.7 Km @ 5000 rpm
Front tyre: 2.75x17
Rear tyre: 3.00x 17
