[Nimz]

Originally Posted by mad4nfs

So how's that asymmetric speedometer felt? Did it feel out of place while riding? Or that odd position is not much noticeable?

No. I did not feel it odd. I was in fact constantly checking it to see which gear I was in.

@Sebring - it was TVS Surya Pratap at KR Puram. It was quite chaotic being a Sunday. Not sure if a senior sales person may have had more info.

[pannags]

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

Was looking at the CB350 for a while now but for the limited ride I do, this might just be it.

Originally Posted by Nimz

For folks like me who like a lighter, smaller cubic capacity, sedate and comfortable bike to use in city and limited highway rides there are very few options hence this is good.

I've been deliberating on picking up a bike for occasional, casual use and had the Honda CB350RS and Jawa 42 in mind. I was finding it hard to justify the investment given that it is 15 years since I rode a bike (A Bajaj Caliber) and my usage is likely to be abysmally low.

The Ronin seems to strike a good balance. Have registered my interest on the website too. Looking forward to getting back on the saddle (for a TD )

[Nimz]

Originally Posted by pannags

I've been deliberating on picking up a bike for occasional, casual use and had the Honda CB350RS and Jawa 42 in mind. I was finding it hard to justify the investment given that it is 15 years since I rode a bike (A Bajaj Caliber) and my usage is likely to be abysmally low.

The Ronin seems to strike a good balance. Have registered my interest on the website too. Looking forward to getting back on the saddle (for a TD )

Welcome to the club. A 225 cc oil cooled engine and USD forks may still be an overkill for my kinda city + highway usage but not many choices in this range.

Good luck with waiting for a TD. Nothing happened in my case. I just walked in. If you have only dealt with car dealerships all these years be prepared to significantly lower your expectations.

[Nimz]

Quick question to the experts here:

What role would an USD shock absorber have in a 20 bhp commuter? Am trying to understand what could have been the reason for TVS to put this in here? Just looks or is there more.

Most technical stuff on the net including Powerdrift and TVS own blog say that there is no difference in performance for low speed commuter bikes. USD is more expensive and potentially higher maintenance.

Nimz

[payeng]

Originally Posted by Nimz

Quick question to the experts here:

What role would an USD shock absorber have in a 20 bhp commuter? Am trying to understand what could have been the reason for TVS to put this in here? Just looks or is there more.

Why don't you feature the Yamaha MT15 / KTM Duke 125 with the same question?

[drt_rdr]

@Nimz: I'm no expert, and I agree with you. USD forks can potentially be a pain point on a bike meant to be practical. Why TVS went with it is anybody's guess.

I had a look at the Ronin yesterday. The bike has a chunky, substantial, and exaggerated appearance even though it's smaller sized. The handlebar is thicker than usual, the mudguards are steel construction, as is the bulbous fuel tank and IIRC the side panels, the chain guard is oversized for the sprocket within, the sump guard is oversized and so on. My best guess is, they wanted overall consistency in the bulky appearance and went with USDs to get this. Though they missed a trick by giving it 130 width tires instead of 140, 150.

Another guess is, they were trying to get this bike to handle better. I don't know if lower end USDs make a big difference to damping properties or not, but they do lower unsprung mass by a kg or two which affects the flickability of the bike, how eager it is to dive into turns and all that.

Lastly, I guess it's for the bling factor. Most people don't care to dissect the technical advantages of USDs over conventional forks, they just go for "wow, I'll look cool on this". Since Honda and Yamaha have got USDs on their premium bikes in the price range, I guess TVS didn't want their customers to feel left out.

[am1m]

So where do you guys peg this bike? Cruiser to compete with the REs and the Honda 350? 225cc commuter to take on the FZ25 and Pulsars? What's the engine response like, any ideas? Must say after the 310, expected something category defining from TVS (plus, have a soft spot for TVS, had a Shogun in college). To my eyes, this is like the grown-up version of the Bajaj Caliber.

[drt_rdr]

Let's see. The REs and CBs offer a chilled out riding experience. The throttle response is slow, speed buildup is slow, the handling is slow. The Pulsar250 or FZ25 will outdo the 350s on these fronts. But the 350s offer natural\relaxed ergonomics. In comparison, the seating posture is less comfortable on the 250s.

Though I've not ridden the Ronin, my guess is, it would be the best of both worlds. It's not gonna be as easy going as a 350, but it'll be just as comfortable (atleast as far as ergonomics go) while being similarly flickable as the 250s. That 20Nm torque @3750RPM does look interesting on paper.

Will be able to confirm when I TD it sometime next week.

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by am1m

So where do you guys peg this bike? Cruiser to compete with the REs and the Honda 350? 225cc commuter to take on the FZ25 and Pulsars?

It is VFM bike which offers a lot with compromising a little on all genres.

What's the engine response like, any ideas? Must say after the 310, expected something category defining from TVS (plus, have a soft spot for TVS, had a Shogun in college). To my eyes, this is like the grown-up version of the Bajaj Caliber.

From various first ride reviews, it comes out to be very tractable bike and has good all-round performance (highway runs, city driving and off-road). Nobody has pointed out any quality or vibration issues. Although there is some nitpicking about its looks (rear end in particular).

[ityogi]

I TD'd a Ronin today (the base version) for a short ride that the showroom allowed.

The tank feels bulky and out of proportion, but rest of the bike still feels like regular commuter bikes. It's much easier to manage in traffic than CB350RS or Classic 350.

The engine grunt is louder and bassy (like CB350).
The good part is, the suspension can deal with Bangalore's potholes quite well, and those are not felt much at your spine. Engine start can barely be felt on a noisy street, it's so smooth. The bike does not spring up on throttle opening, so it's for gentle riding style.

[Nimz]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

My best guess is, they wanted overall consistency in the bulky appearance and went with USDs to get this. Though they missed a trick by giving it 130 width tires instead of 140, 150.
.

After researching (googling rather) I am inclined to agree that it's more for show and to go with the overall beefy theme. I think bigger rims would have given it a better stance.

[Sebring]

Looks BOLD in RED. In fact the solid single tone colours make it POP. Had a close look at the console and realised one just has to switch the risers and you get it CENTERED. Not an issue. The chain cover spoiled the fun for me, as it's not going with the rest of it. Alloys are great

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Looks BOLD in RED. In fact the solid single tone colours make it POP. Had a close look at the console and realised one just has to switch the risers and you get it CENTERED. Not an issue. The chain cover spoiled the fun for me, as it's not going with the rest of it. Alloys are great

Thanks for sharing the pics Sebring, the red color is really droolworthy. You've put up a good idea for centering the instrument cluster, but then won't it fowl with the ignition key slot?

[Sebring]

Once we do it, we should know

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Thanks for sharing the pics Sebring, the red color is really droolworthy. You've put up a good idea for centering the instrument cluster, but then won't it fowl with the ignition key slot?

[shancz]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

- I wouldn't say identity crisis just because reviewers can't seem to find an easy slot to peg it onto with their predispositions.

- For me, bottom line is: Seems to be an an easy riding, comfortable, and practical bike at a good price for what it offers.

- Other reviews have pointed out that the bike can cruise comfortably even at 100 though.

- Identity crisis or not, IMHO it stems from their attempt at the "lifestyle" buyers who will ask what is it ? Scrambler/Roadster/Cruiser ?
I don't think it would attract such opinions if it was in the under 150cc segment and priced slightly over the Raider.

- Ditto, I would imagine someone primarily using it for city commutes and occasional weekend rides. I have always felt that using larger capacity bikes when the usage is primarily in city to be a waste of the bike and fuel.
And not everyone can afford multiple bikes so this would be a stylish commuter with weekend capabilities.
A valid gap in the market but let's see how the market responds.

- IMO a 225cc bike weighting 160kgs and producing 20bhp can cruise at 100 but at that speed headwind will be a bigger issue to deal with. Considering how the bike is set up a 80-90 cruise should be enjoyable.

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

TVS, should realize there is an ADV segment that's up for grabs and it's a shame they couldn't get a pie nor a decent product for this market, considering their DNA was burned and rooted in the off-road arena.

Agree, when the Ronins deliveries enter the cruise mode (whatever the numbers are), TVS have to look at the RTR 310 and the 450 ADV please.

On a side note they're really good at technical stuff like they demonstrated with the RR310 launch, they should use that as a yardstick. For lifestyle segment launches they need to learn a lot from the likes of RE(which might/might not be a good thing)

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

- So, maybe, they've taken the safe route to test the market with a smaller increment.
- Would've been nicer if it was just 25ccs more though.

- I thought the same and makes sense for whom they're trying to target.
- IMO it wouldn't make that much of a difference.
Not using the 310 engine is also because of their contract with BMW Motorrad. Seems like it has got amended with pics of the BMW G310 RR surfacing.

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

Lastly, I guess it's for the bling factor.

Bling and to have it retain the signature Zeppelin look if you remember that prototype.


IMO the reviews (not first rides) should be the real vindication of this bike and TVS make good motorcycles. So the engineering isn't a grey area but capturing the buyer's perception is.

Will wait for your test ride too