Review by Arnab Chakrabarti on TVS Fiero F2
Recently I bought the TVS Fiero F2 , a powerful 150cc executive.
Like most of the other reviewers I too was in a dilemma to chose.
I had a clear mind that I would go for a 150cc bike that left me with a rather limited
Option.
TVS Fiero F2, Bajaj Pulsar 150, Hero Honda CBZ and Kinetic Laser 170.
Also in hindsight I thought of waiting for the Honda Unicorn, which is about to be launched shortly with a mono rear suspension and about 13.2 BHP.
CBZ: I drove the CBZ but frankly speaking I did not find anything to write home about except the looks. Yeah, The looks still KILL!!
The cost of maintenance and a low fuel efficiency are a major constraint to buy this product.
Bajaj Pulsar 150: This is a good buy but then I found that every second person owns a Pulsar. What I think is if you are spending Rs 50000 plus you should have a character and not just the other boy with a ? Pulsar?.
On terms of engine specification the Pulsar has a 143cc heart. The ground clearance is good and the meters are sporty.
What I didn?t like is the bulky fuel tank (though many Pulsar owners swear by it).
The electrical circuit is a suspect too. Also people have complained of costly spare parts and rusted disc brakes, especially after the rains.
However this is a good bike.
Fiero F2: If you are looking for a bike that gives you everything?Value for Money, Power, Fuel Efficiency, Pick up and Thrill then this is the bike.
The looks are far better than the out going Fiero.
The meters are complete with the Speedo, Tacho and the Fuel Gauge. The trip meter the vertically placed on the center console near the Speedo. The electricals are great and the switches are of good quality.
The bikini fairing of the bike gives a sporty look.
Only the tyres are skinny. They should have gone for the Dunlop Geo Cruiser tyres rather than the TVS ones, but then TVS will have to support its sister no matter what. Also the rear seems to be a bit stiff on long rides but then you will get used to it!!
As in terms of fuel efficiency the bike returns around 55 kmpl but then this should increase after the first service.
Avoid pillion riders in the first 1000 kms.
At 147.5 cc and 12 BHP @7500 rpm this certainly is good stats.
The engine is a gem from the Suzuki Motors and the gears are slick though the lack of a 5th cog is felt sometimes.
However if you consider the fact that Fiero F2 is faster than the Pulsar by over 1.5kmph (top speed is 109.5 kmph) is good enough to know that the bike can do without he 5th gear!!
The headlight is the best in the country. Overall if you see this is the very best the Indian Market has to offer in the premium bike segment sector.
Kinetic Laser 170: No brand name so the lack of spares was something to ponder over.
Also the looks did not appeal much.
The last of Kinetic bikes-Challenger and Boss were highly criticized though the Velocity did get some decent sales figures.
Honda Unicorn: Not yet launched but what I could gather from the Business Standard review was that this is going to be the first Indian bike with a mono rear shock absorber like the race bikes.
The looks are similar to the CBZ. This is around a 150 cc engine that churns out around 13.2 BHP.
The company plan to price it between the Fiero F2 and the Pulsar at around Rs. 54000/-.
However the bike needs to be proved in the demanding Indian Market.
But then the engine should not let us down as the other Honda products-Eterno, Activa and Dio have done really well in the market.
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Feedback after 4000kms of the Bike as on 16th March, 2005
It was a real happy experience with this bike so far.
Apart from niggling minor problems that I will evaluate as follows, there was practically no complaints.
Also I , as a customer is more than satisfied with the services that were extended to me by Loyal TVS, Bandra Service Centre and special mention to Amish, who is now not only my bike maintenance supervisor but also a good friend.
The small problems that I faced were:
1) Slight vibrations from the front fairing.
Remedy: The workshop readjusted the fairing and it did not cost me more than
10 minutes.
2) Slight noise from the rear left side from the bike.
Cause : The tail light was touching the tail light cover fairing.
Remedy : The people at TVS put a packing on the part that eliminated the noise.
3) The services were done on time and they addressed all thesmall requests like
tightening the clutch cable as per my needs and the brakes were tightened.
4) There was a small pebble that got stuck to the front brake.
That too was addressed to my satisfaction.
Thus friends, as you see these are no major problems.
Am getting a consistent city mileage of around 53 kmpl in the city and around 58-62 kmpl on the highways.
Have taken the bike on three long drives and no problem was encountered.
These drives were :
Mumbai to Anand(in Gujarat) : A return Journey of 1000kms
Mumbai to Pune : A return Journey of 425 kms(including the distance
covered in Pune)
Mumbai to Ratnagiri/Alibagh : A return Journey of 815 kms.
Have written a review on the ratnagiri trip on MS.
Friends, you can check out that review as well.
All your comments are welcome.