TVS Ntorq 125 Race Edition BS6 Long Term Review – Better Than The SR125?

When TVS launched the Ntorq 125 back in 2018, you could tell that it was aimed at a younger audience with its sharp and edgy styling. As a result, the scooter did very well and was an instant hit among 18 to 24-year-olds as it offered great practicality as well as sporty performance.

However, there were a few complaints, about the bike, particularly the design of the front headlamp unit, which was a little too plain compared to the rest of the bike and looked out of place. TVS also offered a couple of rather odd colours which included matte yellow and red finishes which did look rather funky but seemed dated after a while.

And so to answer all these minor niggles, TVS released this – the Race Edition. At a slight premium over the standard scooter, you get a few additions that improve the overall package.

But do the few minor additions justify the premium you pay, or does the standard Ntorq fit your needs? Did the BS6 upgrade take away the oomph?

I’ve been riding the all-new BS6 version of the scooter for the past 6 months, and I’ll cater to all these questions and more.

Design

So let’s talk about those looks then shall we? The Ntorq was always a good looking scooter in my opinion, and the Race Edition updates have taken the attractive quotient a notch higher.

From the side profile, is where it looks the hottest, with all those cuts, creases and angles. The rear tail lamps with its diffused T shape design, like the ones you see on BMWs, looks particularly spicy.

The fighter jet-like afterburner styled units might seem like overkill to a few people, but I think they look pretty good and fit in with the whole design language.

A welcome addition is that new KTM Duke like LED headlamp unit, also featuring a T-shaped DRL ( which only lights up at night, don’t ask me why) which makes this scooter look a lot more upmarket and modern.

The new glossy red paint scheme along with the “ Race Edition “ decals lend it a sporty look, however, I’m not a fan of the matte grey side panels.

All in all its one of the best-looking scooters, in this segment and, will appeal to a lot of young buyers, especially college students.

Performance

Now apart from the great looks, what truly made the Ntorq a truly great scooter, was the exciting performance. Here, in the BS6 guise, it still uses the same 124.79cc, 4 stroke, 3 valve engine, although this time around it employs the services of fuel injection.

Apart from that single addition, everything else is unchanged and it still produces identical power figures – 9.38PS at 7000rpm and 10.5Nm of torque at 5500rpm. Now a lot of people were concerned that the addition of a fuel injector would dim the performance of the Ntorq as well as that fantastic exhaust note.

While that is true to some extent, I don’t think it is all that different. Sure, the initial acceleration has been dialled down a bit, but the Ntorq still feels pretty quick and exciting to ride. That slow initial acceleration is largely down to the increased kerb weight which now stands at 118 kilograms.

Once your past 20kmph, the engine really gets into its own and produces a smooth nice wave of power that allows you to effortlessly accelerate up to 80kmph without a fuss. Hitting 90 plus speeds though does seem to take a considerable amount of effort, but it gets there eventually and I have managed to hit 100kmph on one occasion.

In my testing, the digital instrument cluster showed a time of 7.1 seconds to 60kmph which is pretty damn quick, and for every day commuting I have found the Ntorq’s performance to be more than adequate. The bike is great to throw around in traffic and overtakes require a simple twist of the wrist and you’re gone.

Ride Quality & Handling

The Ntorq features a telescopic suspension on the front, and a gas-charged mono-shock for the rear, allowing it soak in bumps quite handsomely.

The ride is a tad soft, but not too much and is just right for everyday use. However, you do feel the bumps while going over bad surfaces or potholes at slow speeds, but it is manageable and far better than the SR125.

The first quality of the Ntorq’s handling that caught my attention was the handlebar, which turns quite sharply and it is something you will have to get used to.

The seating position is fantastic, even for tall riders who won’t find themselves hitting their knees against the handles. It is also one of the reasons the Ntorq is effortless to manoeuver, and weaving in and out of traffic is a breeze.

If you’re coming from traditional scooters like the Access 125, or the Activa you will notice that you sit a little higher, partly due to the larger 12-inch rims. The higher ride height translates into great confidence while riding at higher speeds and the chunky rounded TVS Remora tires offer adequate grip.

Comfort & Practicality

One of the Ntorq’s strongest selling points was the fact that you get a lot of features for a much cheaper price than its rivals. The main one being that digital instrument cluster. Apart from the usual information the display also has an engine heat gauge, lap timer, 0-60 timer and much more.

The party piece though, is that it can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth, through the TVS Connect app and can display incoming calls, messages, as well as show you turn by turn navigations.

Now all though this sounds pretty feature-rich, there are a few issues I’ve experienced in my time using the app and the display. Firstly the app does not always connect to my phone instantly, and there have been times where I have to physically connect it again.

Then there’s the turn by turn navigation that the app offers which in my opinion isn’t entirely usable as the app makes use of the outdated MapMyIndia service. It definitely works, no doubt and the fact that you can see the directions right there on the screen is pretty cool and worth bragging about.

But, I wish they had employed Google Maps instead since it is updated with the newest places much more frequently and is a much better map service overall.

You also get a “last parked” feature, where the app shows you your last parked location, handy for those large parking lots. The buttons and switches feel really great to use, as well as the grippy handlebars.

Being a BS6 spec scooter, the bike has an always-on headlamp, and so TVS replaced the headlamp switch with a hazard light, a first on scooters. Some might feel that addition is not realistically useful, but I think it’s a smart replacement of the headlamp switch, and will come in handy on rainy foggy days.

Other minor but significant creature comforts include the USB charger and the boot light which I find pretty helpful at night. However, I would’ve preferred a glove compartment to stow my phone away while it’s charging, because if there’s nothing else in the boot, the phone thrashes about inside.

Speaking of the boot, the Ntorq has quite a large one at 22 litres. You can fit almost everything you’d probably need, except for your full-face helmet. Yeah, that’s a bummer, and lugging my helmet every day to class isn’t a task I enjoy, but I can live with it.

The scooter also features an external fuel filler cap, and while I understand that it’s located externally to provide convenience, the way you unlock it in the Ntorq defeats the purpose entirely. Most scooters allow you to open the fuel filler cap right from the ignition switch itself, but this is not the case with the Ntorq.

You have to shove the key into the outer key slot, that also opens the boot, and that requires you to get off. But I guess it’s still better than having to unlock the seat, and then unscrewing the fuel lid, so yeah.

Exclusive to the Race Edition alone is that LED headlamp, something I feel TVS should’ve included with the standard Ntorq as well, when it received the BS6 upgrade.

But I guess its included only in the Race edition to differentiate it and justify the slightly premium price tag. The headlamp gets quite bright and looks great from the outside, but it doesn’t have the widest throw, something the Activa 125 does better. Still again not much of an issue there, and I’d take the LED over a halogen unit any day

Other last minor bits include the carbon fibre seat cover, with contrasting red stitching, the thin strip of the Indian flag placed next to the visor, (great attention to detail) and the red and black paint scheme along with Race Edition plastered all over, so you never forget

Fuel Efficiency

Now while the previous Ntorq had a great engine with loads of performance on tap, it didn’t offer the best mileage, which most college students don’t mind until they start paying the bills.

The addition of fuel injection does help alleviate that a bit, and the bike gave me around 45-50kmpl, compared to the previous scooter’s 40-45. The increase in fuel tank capacity from 5.0 litre to 5.8 also helps.

All in all, I wasn’t really disappointed with the mileage figures, which by the way are much better then what you’d get from the Aprilia models, and due to the increased fuel tank capacity, you can actually go further than an Activa 125 or even the peppy Access.

Final Verdict

Now having used the Ntorq for the past 6 months, I can’t say anything except that I truly hold the scooter in high regard, although TVS I wish you guys came up with something better than the tacky ‘Ntorq’ moniker.

I’ve had only one major issue with the bike – the tachometer would suddenly display zero at high speeds – which the company only recently fixed after repeated requests. That aside I wasn’t disappointed with the after-sales service at my showroom although their inability to diagnose what was a wiring problem, was a little annoying.

Other than that I truly am impressed with the scooter, and it has delivered and surprised me on most occasions. The performance is simply phenomenal, and the exhaust note is sure to turn a few heads. It’s great to ride, and I love throwing it about in city traffic and it’s got great looks.

Sure, there are things I wish were slightly better implemented, but then again those issues are easy to live with and the overall package is as good as it can get.

TVS has been slowly and steadily increasing the price, and the final on-road figure I paid was roughly around 85,000 rupees. A new Ntorq Race Edition model will set you back by around 90,000 rupees (on-road) which is pretty expensive.

Then again if you compare it to the Aprilia SR models, bot of which are priced at over a lakh the Ntorq makes much more sense. The Aprilia’s are definitely sportier and offer sharper handling, but all of that comes at a much more expensive cost, and in the end, you’re really just paying for the Aprilia brand.

The Ntorq offers a much more wholesome package, without compromising on everyday usability and practicality. If the handling, performance, and styling of the Aprilias, appeal to you better then go for the Italian scooters. However, at that price you might as well buy a fully-fledged KTM 125 Duke or a TVS Apache.

Now when it comes to deciding whether you want the Race Edition or the standard Ntorq, well it all just comes down personal preference and how thrifty you are. If you want slightly more sporty looks, an LED headlamp(the sole reason I purchased the RE), and a larger fuel tank then the Race Edition is the one to go for.

Apart from those minor additions, the standard Ntorq is identical, and the rational human inside you would choose the standard version. Then again better looks, a much better designed LED headlamp, and a larger fuel tank all at just 2500 rupees more seems like an offer that’s hard to pass.