TVS Raider 125 Drum Vs Hero Super Splendor

The Raider 125 Drum brake variant rivals the Super Splendor in the 125cc segment. Here’s how they perform against each other

The TVS Raider 125 Drum variant has been recently launched in India at Rs 84,869. The Raider competes with the Hero Super Splendor in the highly competitive 125cc segment. The prices for Super Splendor start at Rs 80,848 for the drum brake variant and go up to Rs 84,748 (all prices ex-showroom) for the disc variant. We compared both bikes to find out how they compare against each other. 

Design 

The TVS Raider 125 Drum variant sports a stylish and sporty streetfighter design. The 125c bike has a sporty-looking fuel tank with tank extensions. It has a long single-piece seat and a single-piece grab rail. It has a sleek tail section at the rear. The TVS Raider Drum variant comes in two colours: Striking Red and Wicked Black.

The Hero Super Splendor comes with a simple and straightforward commuter design. It gets chrome highlights that add a premium touch to its looks. The Super Splendor also has a long single-piece seat with a sleek single-piece grab rail. At the back, the bike gets a slim tail section. It is available in five different single and dual-tone colours, including Black-Sports Red, Black and Accent, Black-Silver STR, Candy Blazing Red and Metallic Nexus Blue.

In terms of looks, we like the TVS Raider Drum’s sporty streetfighter stance more than the simple commuter design of the Super Splendor.

Engine

The TVS Raider 125 is equipped with the same 124.8cc, air and oil-cooled, 3-valve, single-cylinder engine, producing a maximum output of 11.38PS and 11.2Nm. It is paired with a 5-speed gearbox. The Raider Drum accelerates from 0 to 60kmph in just 6.23 seconds, as per our real-world tests. It delivers a real-world tested mileage of 71.94kmpl in the city, and 65.44kmpl on the highway.

Whereas, the Hero Super Splendor gets a 124.7cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine that makes 10.7PS and 10.6Nm, paired with a 5-speed gearbox. It claims to deliver an ARAI-certified mileage of 55kmpl, and its real-world mileage could be slightly lesser. 

The Raider 125 Drum takes the 1st position in terms of performance as well. It not only makes slightly more power and torque than the Super Splendor but also delivers more mileage and has better acceleration too. That’s why the 125cc TVS bike is our pick between the two bikes in terms of engine performance. 

Features

The TVS Raider 125 comes with an LED headlight with DRLs (daytime running lights), an LED tail light, and halogen indicators as standard. It features an LCD instrument console, which displays the speedometer, odometer, fuel levels, mileage indicator, gear position indicator, tripmeter, and other basic information. It additionally gets a USB charging port, a side stand cut-off feature and a little underseat storage as well.

The Hero Super Splendor gets a halogen headlight with bulb-type tail light and indicators. It has a semi-digital instrument cluster. The analogue part shows the speedometer and the LCD inset displays the odometer, fuel level, real-time fuel efficiency, and other basic telltale lights. The bike also has a USB charging port and a side-stand cut-off feature. 

The Super Splendor also has the Hero i3S start/stop technology, which saves fuel by shutting off the engine automatically when the bike idles for a while. It turns back on when the clutch lever is pressed and the accelerator is slightly twisted. This i3S function can be turned off as well.

Underpinnings

The TVS Raider 125 is equipped with a telescopic fork and a 5-step preload-adjustable, gas-charged monoshock. Braking is managed by 130mm brakes on both ends, with CBS (combined braking system). The bike rides on 17-inch alloy wheels with 80-section front and 100-section rear tubeless tyres. The bike gets a ground clearance of 180mm, weighs 123kg (kerb) and comes with a 10-litre fuel tank.

The Super Splendor gets a telescopic fork and 5-step preload-adjustable twin rear shocks. The bike is equipped with a 240mm disc or a 130-mm drum front brake, depending on the variant, and has a 130mm drum brake at the rear. The Super Splendor rides on bigger 18-inch alloy wheels which come wrapped with 80-section and 100-section tubeless tyres as standard. It has the same ground clearance of 180mm and the same 10-litre fuel tank capacity as the Raider. The Super Splendor also weighs almost the same at 122kg (kerb) for the drum and 123kg (kerb) for the disc variant.

Verdict

The result of this comparison surprised us all. The TVS Raider 125 not only performs better but also gives significantly more mileage than the Super Splendor, which we didn’t expect. The Super Splendor is still a good bike, but in this comparison, the Raider Drum stands out in most areas, including design, engine performance, features, and EVEN mileage.

However, if you are someone who doesn’t want the sporty looks of the Raider and like the Super Splendor’s simplicity then the Splendor makes more sense for you. Additionally, the drum variant on the Super Splendor is 4,000 cheaper than the Raider, and the disc variant of the 125cc Hero bike is priced close to the Raider Drum variant with a difference of just Rs 121.