TVS To Re-enter 125cc Commuter Segment With Victor 125?

Is TVS on the verge of re-entering the 125cc commuter segment? Could this be a semi-automatic bike?

Most of TVS’ lineup has already been updated to meet BS6 emission norms, but the company has just put out a teaser on social media indicating that a new launch is just around the corner. So, what could it be?

Well, there are a couple of models in the brand’s lineup that are due for a BS6 update. The Scooty Zest 110 has not yet been brought up to date, even though the model’s website has been saying for some time now that the BS6 version is coming soon. TVS says that official prices will only be announced once the updated scooter reaches dealerships. So maybe the Scooty Zest 110 BS6 with a fuel-injected motor is arriving soon.

Another model that hasn’t yet entered the BS6 era is the Victor commuter bike. In its BS4 iteration, it was a 110cc commuter bike, but TVS already has three BS6-compliant offerings in this segment: the Sport, Radeon and Star City Plus. It wouldn’t make much sense for TVS to have a fourth 110cc commuter in its lineup, which is why we think TVS is perhaps working on a Victor 125.

The brand already has a 125cc motor powering the NTorq 125 scooter, and with this engine now being fuel-injected, it shouldn’t be too difficult to remap it for a more commuter-friendly role. It also shouldn’t be a task to mate it to a traditional 4 or 5-speed gearbox, but is that what TVS will do?

The online teaser states that this upcoming model will be India’s First… something. We don’t know what yet. But it could be India’s first 125cc commuter with a semi-automatic gearbox. TVS used to offer the Jive with a rotary transmission and centrifugal clutch, making it a semi-automatic bike -- it had no clutch lever, only a traditional foot-operated gear shifter. Perhaps TVS is giving this idea another go, but in the 125cc segment this time.

Sticking with a familiar and trusted moniker like Victor will help the bike’s chances at success, and this would also plug the big gap between 110cc and 160cc in TVS’ motorcycle lineup. In fact, the Victor has already been offered as a 125cc bike before, in the form of the Victor GLX 125, meaning that it could well be making a comeback.

So, is a semi-automatic Victor 125 going to be the next launch from TVS? Well, we think there’s a pretty good chance of a 125cc commuter coming from Hosur soon, but exactly what it’ll be called and what transmission system it’ll employ, only time will tell. We did try reaching out to TVS, but they were pretty tight-lipped regarding this matter, so watch this space for more updates.