I purchased the TVS Pheonix bike at Ramkay TVS, Chennai & writing this review after a good use, to help others. I will do a followup ride experience as & when I get it serviced & after specific KMs are done. So this one is a near Detailed review as of now.
-Looks & Features-
> The Looks of the bike though is a little better than Ordinary, but not the Best. But the overdone graphics from previous phoenix(2012 Model) is ruled out now. Thanks to the suttle graphics. And 3D emblems on its body.
> The design is retained from 2012 model Phoenix, with a slight change in Tank design & added scoops to the tank.
> The Digital meter is altered which includes an Tachometer this time & seems inspired from Wego’s unit. There is a service reminder, battery fault indicator, Trip & Odo meter(with a button to change its mode). Its a white backlit unlike the Red from 2012 model, which is eye pleasing too.
> A Nitrox suspension is newly added to already existing Series spring suspension. And the Suspension is really great.
> The Bike has a Parking/Hazard lights switch(All 4 indicators blinking). But this unlike Cars, the keys need to be on the bike to have it working, if you are on a highway.
> There is a vehicle locator that comes with the Key, just seems inspired from Mahindra Centuro. Might be useful at crowded parking places. On pressing the button, the indicators are flashed for a while to help you locate.
> The other features are more or less found in other bikes.
> The drawback being the seat cannot be lifted by unlocking with the key. It needs usage of tools to detach the seat. So a very small storage space below the battery unit is provided & that doesn’t seem to help much. You have to purchase a Tank cover to hold the documents.
> The bike has optional front Disc break for better breaking.
> Overall build quality is best in class & even better than Honda Shine. The bike also feels light in terms of overall weight.
-Riding Experience & Mileage-
> The engine sound upon ignition is smooth but might not be negligible like Honda Shine. The sound is however pleasant. The pickup is good for Indian roads, Traffic & more practical, but feels like a 100-110cc bike’s pickup, which might frown few of you, being a 125cc bike. But thats sufficient enough to avoid hitting vehicles ahead of you when you put the 1st gear.
> The bike has a great riding experience & is on par with its competitors. The bike feels good on speeds between 40-70 Km/hr.
> There was one problem here, the gear ratio is badly set for 1st & 2nd gear. In a very slow moving traffic you cannot decide on wether to stay in 1st gear or 2nd gear. The 1st gear feels too stressed & the 2nd gear gets knocking if you tend to slow. So a bad gear ratio(TVS needs to address this).
> The higher the speeds, the better the ride. The bike feels stable & smooth otherwise.
> The bike is extremely confident on turnings even with some dangerous tilts. The 17" TVS tires to my surprise are awesome & doesn’t even skid to the slightest. This is best. I feel the tires are quite wider compared to Shine’s or Discover’s tires, which makes Phoenix avoid wobbling.
> The rear break does have good bite & the front disc too is awesome. Sudden breaking doesn’t wobble the bike. So thats another good point.
> The bike’s seat has a softer foam just like that of Jupiter’s. So a very long rides might not be comfortable, but its comfortable if your journey is under 30-40 Kms. You have to have a little harder seat covers to balance this out. In my case I have put a Netted-Seat Cover that makes up for the softer foam & I do not feel uncomfortable on long rides.
> The bike is not for people shorter than 5’5". If you get on with seat cover, it might be difficult to have both legs planted on ground.
> Mileage that I got so far was between 53-57 Kms/Ltr & that should be improved on subsequent services. It certainly differs on riding habits too.
-Opinion-
Overall, I will definitely recommend this bike for its VFM, given the fact it has a good riding experience & more features than most of the 125cc bike. The Bike is also Rs 5000 less expensive than Honda Shine on-road. I own TVS Jupiter & I must admit that the plastics/metals used are really of awesome quality. Among the Indian maker like TVS, Bajaj & Mahindra, TVS really uses quality materials to make their vehicles more reliable, compared to others.
Thanks,
Venky