Like the headline suggests, you can do your nice little jigging and jiving, albeit clutchless, with the new TVS Jive.
Like the headline suggests, you can do your nice little jigging and jiving, albeit clutchless, with the new TVS Jive. The latest entrant to the Indian commuter motorcycle market has a unique feature which was last seen on the erstwhile Hero Honda Street 100 step-thru. The feature we are talking about is the absence of a manual clutch which TVS Motors has been harping about and for which it has even applied a patent. So, where exactly does this leave the man on the street? It simply means that you can shift gears without having to use a manual clutch, because there isn’t any. Thus, you can happily motor through the crazy Indian, urban traffic maelstrom without having to clutch the clutch, pun very intended.
The best part about this design is that it allows almost anybody with a basic grasp of balance to ride the TVS Jive. the TVS Jive comes with a rotary gearbox which will allow a rider to shift directly to the 1st gear from the 4th gear. This will make the TVS Jivean extremely comfortable motorcycle, to ride in the crowded traffic conditions. Thus, TVS is looking at the not so insignificant market of people who abhor motorcycles simply because they can’t seem to get the hang of a manual clutch. While Hero Honda failed to tug at the Indian public’s purse with it’s rotary geared, auto clutch Street 100, TVS Motors will be hoping for better results with their Jive.
Coming to the TVS Jive, it isn’t very differently styled from it’s stablemate, the TVS Star City. Except for the headlight cowl, there is very little to distinguish between the two motorcycles. Of course, the clutch lever is a glaring omission(if you can call it that) on the TVS Jive. All in all, the TVS Jiveis a smart looking motorcycle that is styled a wee bit conservatively keeping in mind the sensibilities of it’s buying demographies. Power to the rear wheel comes via a 110cc engine which delivers 8.1 BHP at 7500 rpm and a torque figure of 8.1Nm at 5500 rpm. Gearing is via a 4 speed rotary gearbox. Dry weight is a light 110 kilos. A feature on the TVS Jive which will prove very handy is the presence of a capacious underseat storage that can swallow a bottle, an umbrella and some documents. Meanwhile, Alloys wheels and electric start are options included in the fully loaded variant.
We hope TVS plonks in a front disc brake, at least as an option. The TVS Jive is priced at a very competitive INR 41,000, Ex-showroom, Chennai. Given it’s sensible pricing, finding willing buyers shouldn’t be too much of a hassle for TVS Motors. That said, the Industry leaders Hero Honda and Bajaj will be keenly eyeing the TVS Jive’s response at the hustings. Here’s wishing them all the very best for their bold new attempt at upping the ante in the ultra-competitive, Indian commuter motorcycle segment.