TVS has not had any significant motorcycle launch for quite some time and has lost significant market share because of this. Thankfully, things seem to be changing now at the Chennai based company. The alliance with BMW is a hot new topic of interest these days. Draken Concept is also creating quite a buzz but what we have for you today are the first uncamouflaged spyshots of upcoming Phoenix 125.
TVS launched Phoenix with a lot of fanfare as a premium 125cc bike and promoted it with some snazzy ads. The bike, though is decent, failed to make a significant mark in the segment which is dominated by Honda’s Shine and Bajaj’s Discovers.
TVS is working on a significant upgrade for Phoenix and here is how the motorcycle will l0ok like. Now there have been a few instances earlier when masked up mules of Phoenix had been spotted, but this is the first time that an uncamouflaged test mule has been clicked.
The motorcycles (yes more than one Phoenix) were being tested in East Coast Road Chennai according to our readers Giridhar Radhakrishnan, Shakthi and Ganesh who shared these pics with us.
New 2014 Phoenix 125 Changes:
Here is a list of changes which we can notice…
- New front bikini with visor
- New stylish fuel tank
- Reworked side and rear panels
- New upswept exhaust
- New seat
- Bigger grabrail
- New graphics
The front bikini fairing appears to be a lot more aggressive and has more edges than the current one which is more rounded. The visor also has some contours to spice things up.
The most significant design enhancement is the new fuel tank which is more sculpted and has a more pronounced knee recess. It should translate into a more comfortable seating posture. This feature alone takes the most brownie points! The conventional fuel tank cap has been carried forward.Seating posture, as you can see, is pretty upright.
The re-worked side panel is more of a continuous unit as compared to the present model. This also makes the motorcycle look streamlined and more attractive. The second most significant change is the new exhaust which is smaller, appears broader and is upswept to add to that sporty feeling.
The seats also follow a more designer approach and are not flat like the current Phoenix. The grab rail is also a bigger unit with a little kink for unknown reasons. The rear cowls are more elongated and house the tail-lamp.
Apart from that the clear-lens side blinkers, tyres, alloy wheels, suspensions etc appear to have been carried over. The 240mm roto petal discs upfront are also visible while the rear are regular drums.
Mechanically the engine is expected to remain the same albeit with minor changes to extract better efficiency. The 124.5cc engine currently produces 11PS of power and 10.8Nm of peak torque. The Phoenix is anyways a lighter motorcycle and hence any improvement in the power specs will also help the not-so-good-selling motorcycle’s cause.
*Current Phoenix 125 for comparison
Since the motorcycle has shed all its camouflage and appears to be production ready, we believe TVS may launch it in our markets within a few months.
Related: SURPRISE! TVS CEO Confirms BMW’s First 300cc Bike Launch This Year
