TVS Radeon Long Term Report 2 - The Highway Run

Long Term Report 2 - The Highway Run

We have had the TVS Radeon in our long-term fleet for quite a while now; 3200kms to be specific. Majority of these miles came from riding where the Radeon feels the most at home; the infamous traffic of Mumbai.  And since a highway report was due and my lungs craved for fresher air, I decided to go on a 400km round intercity ride to Pune that involved well-paved open stretches, bad patches, twisty mountain roads and without doubt, a bit of traffic. 

One of the most important aspects of a comfortable long-distance ride is the seat and the one on the Radeon is just about perfect. It is long and wide and has the right amount of cushioning to keep your derriere comfortable even after four hours of uninterrupted riding.

The tank-grips support the thighs well and further add to the seating comfort of the Radeon. And while the Radeon’s suspension is decent on good roads, it is commendable on the bad patches, adding brownie points to its overall ride quality. Now, the Radeon might not offer a cubbyhole or a whole lot of underseat storage but the bike does get a luggage rack at the rear which is good enough for a duffle bag. There also is a hook on one side to hang a smaller one. And if that seems insufficient, the tank is made of metal so a magnetic tank bag like the Rynox Optimus-M is the way to go!

On the Go

The Radeon’s 110cc engine is incredibly tractable, so climbing up the ghats was as effortless as shifting through the bike’s four-speed gearbox. On straight stretches, the bike manages to hit 95kmph, however, it does feel strained. So overtaking requires a bit of calculation and even a downshift to complete.

At that speed, the brakes also lose the feel and progression they otherwise offer. However, since I wasn’t in any hurry, the Radeon awarded me with negligible vibrations cruising at the 80-85kmph mark. It also returned roughly 52kms to the litre which means a commendable range of 520kms on a single full tank. 

While it would surely be tiresome if I’d ridden for longer and gone further south to Goa, the TVS Radeon truly impressed me on this 400 odd kilometre highway run. I returned home with no sore body parts and more than a quarter tank of fuel left for another week of city commute. 

Bike stats

Odometer: 3270km

Kilometres ridden this month: 1400km

Fuel Efficiency: 52.2kmpl (Highway)

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi