I was on the market for a 125cc and a Bajaj bike was the last thing on my mind. Primarily because of the pathetic experience I had owning automatic scooters from Bajaj and simply too lazy to remember the number of Bajaj Discover versions dished out. If I’m not wrong, Discover has seen 115, 135, 150, 125 and 100 cc versions and none of them doing exceptionally well.
They all seem to excite initially and fade out in the market soon. So when Bajaj launched a 125 ST, I was too lazy to take note of it initially. And at the end I did buy a Discover 125 ST after through research even though I was not keen on owning a Bajaj bike. The reason is that Bajaj has learnt its lessons from the past and the 125 ST is a thoroughly engineered product. A new generation product like the 200NS.
Now a Quick comparo:
Hero Ignitor: This is a very exciting product for youngsters and Hero has added certain nice goodies which were missing from the Stunner like a Full chain case, kick lever, digital instrument console, low end torque for city driving. This combined with Stunner’s strength of good engine, five gears, tubeless tires, excellent build and paint quality make it a great package.
However what lets it down is the apprehensions customers have whether this product would be continued by Hero post 2014 agreement with Honda. Hero dealers also are not keen on clarifying customers. Comparing with the Discover the Ignitor makes less power with more kerb weight (11PS vs 128 Kgs). Also the pillion seat is very uncomfortable for women and riders under 5’5 would feel the bike too tall. This is primarily because of Ignitors broad seats. So I had to remove Ignitor from my options. Price of Ignitor OTR Bangalore INR71000, Discover 125 ST: INR 66000
Gladiator SS: One of my favorite bikes and now starting to get old compared to new bike launches. Also fuel efficiency is less.
Honda Shine: The Shine is essentially a city commuter with short gearing and 4 gears. This does not suit a guy who would want to go on an occasional long drive. Also in Honda they even charge for number plates and saree guard and is definitely not a value for money option. Least powerful engine in the 125cc segment but good fuel efficiency.
TVS Phoenix: I also own a Starcity and a Phoenix looks like a Starcity in profile. This is not a good thing. Look closer the Phoenix is a nice looking bike with nice features. But overall its got only 4 gears and makes under 11 PS in power and gets knocked out by the Discover ST in performance.
So coming to the Discover 125 ST:
Pros
1: Best power to weight ratio. Power 12.8PS (Highest in any 125cc) Weight 124 Kgs
2: Good looker with nice sculpted tank. Looks like a 150 cc bike.
3:Value for money
4: Good features: mono shocks, nice alloys, disk brake, 4 valve engine, twin spark
5: Good ride and handling combo. The bike feels extremely light to flick around.
Cons:
1: The stickers and paint scheme remind you of old Discovers.
2: The tyres are not tubeless and the battery is not maintenance free unlike a Honda
3: Bajaj has launched a the same bike with a 100cc engine minus the monoshock, this devalues the 125 ST.