The weather reports weren’t promising. The India Meteorological Department had issued orange and red warnings for the western coastline. It was a concern somewhere in the back of my mind while I was driving through Chorla ghat in the pouring rain with our in-house lensman, with the hope to reach the venue in Goa for the launch and ride of TVS’ new motorcycle. With much luck, we made it just in time for the launch. TVS Ronin, everyone. It’s the newest motorcycle to join the portfolio. And according to the brand, it isn’t a bike that has been put together keeping a specific segment in mind. It is a mix between a cruiser and scrambler, going by its profile and the equipment it packs.

Now, TVS has been on the role of late, with machines like the NTorq 125, Radeon, Raider and the now much-improved Apache RR 310 rolling out of the production line, I was confident that the Ronin would also be a good bike to ride. However, what had me concerned and a little confused was the bike’s design. How good or bad a motorcycle looks and appeals to someone is a subjective matter, but a bit unsure about this one.

TVS has gone ahead with a minimalistic design with the Ronin. The bike has an exposed chassis that is prominent at the rear. It has a large 14-litre metal fuel tank, side panel, short fenders and faux air scoops to give it a muscular appeal. Other bits include 17-inch nine-spoke wheels that look attractive that come shod with block thread pattern rubber, a chunky engine guard, and a nice-looking megaphone exhaust. In my opinion, I like the first half of the bike, up to the fuel tank. But not so much beyond it. It feels as if the designers were in a rush to finish the tail section. The overall design is a combination of a retro-cruiser and a scrambler, from what I can see. It’s kind of an oddball, to be honest, something that only time will tell how it gets accepted once it starts to make its appearance on the street.

Don’t quite agree with the design? TVS has compensated for its different approach in design by packing the Ronin with a healthy dose of features and cycle parts. For starters, the bike features all-LED lighting with a signature T-shaped pilot lamp for the headlamp, a Bluetooth-enabled all-digital instrumentation console with turn-by-turn connectivity, top speed read-out, battery voltage, call/message alerts and some more. The pod is positioned on the bar at an offset, which looks nice. The unit stands a bit taller than what I would want, but TVS says it is so keeping easy viewing and clear visibility in check. Coming to the cycle parts, it sports a gold-finished USD fork setup at the front, which I like. The rear gets a monoshock with preload adjustment. Brakes are an all-disc affair with dual-channel ABS for the top-spec variant TD, the bike you see in these images, and single-channel ABS for the other two variants, SS and DS.

Underneath the Ronin has been built around a new tubular cradle frame that also holds the reworked 226cc mill that powers the bike. The engine is based on the RTR200 but has a longer stroke that is the same as the bore, making it a square-engined one. The RTR has a shorter stroke, with peak power available at the top of the rev band. Meanwhile, in the case of the Ronin, the power and torque curves are concentrated towards the mid section of the rev band. While the mill produces similar power as the RTR200, the torque figure is higher and is available much earlier at 3000 rpm. The five-speed gearbox, however, continues to be the same as seen on the Apache. Like all their recent lineup, TVS has been innovative about the technology that goes into these engines. The air and oil-cooling systems have been optimised for better heat dissipation, while the engine internals like the crank and camshaft bearings are optimised for maximum lubrication and consistent performance even under load.

On the go, TVS has managed to converge all of the above and delivered a motorcycle that is good fun to ride. With the torque available early, the need to shift down cogs becomes redundant. Apart from popping wheelies wherever the opportunity allowed me, the Ronin is a pleasure to ride in the city. Accelerating from the third gear after going over a speed breaker? No problem. Starting off from standstill in second gear with a pillion? Bring it on. Climbing an ascending gradient in the fourth gear? Piece of cake. And that is from a low of 30 kph. Exactly. While riding through the narrow lanes of Goa, navigating through traffic, I rode the bike around in the fourth and fifth cogs, most of the time. And to add to the motor’s tractable character is the throaty exhaust note that sounds nice as you start to gas it from the low end. The motor comes with Glide Through Technology (GTT), making it very easy to ride the bike in stop-and-go traffic without stalling.

The roads in Goa are nearly free of potholes, unlike Mumbai. So, most of the riding was on the smooth tarmac with limited chance to experience how the bike’s suspension dealt with bumps, dips and other undulations. Will be able to comment on that aspect once we receive the bike later for a road test. From what I could understand, the ride quality is plush and composed, and it gets better when riding two up. But, what surprised me more was how the Ronin corners. Despite the block pattern tyres and the long wheelbase, the bike tips into corners naturally. There is a factor of easy-going that is prevalent considering how the bike is designed, but that didn’t deprive me of carrying speed of leaning the bike even with the wet conditions. As for the brakes, I was content with the feel and progression offered at the controls. Even the Road and Rain modes of ABS intervention could be felt with the change in pulse at the controls, whenever it kicked in.

I think it is safe to say that all the above aspects of the Ronin are hard to go wrong with, considering the motorcycle is from a company like TVS. But what brings all the bits together is the saddle experience. The seating ergonomics have been designed, keeping comfort at top priority. The riding stance is upright, with arms slightly stretched out on the wide handlebar and neutrally positioned foot-pegs. It is exceptionally comfortable yet engaging, making the Ronin a credible motorcycle for long hauls. For the time spent on the seat, the cushioning felt to be correct for the city roads. The seat contour ensures a flat footing when stationary and decent under-thigh support when on the move.

To sum it up, the Ronin comes across as a disproportionate motorcycle at first. But, once seated and on the go, it’s the comfortable and engaging ride experience that makes you want to overlook the visual aspects of the motorcycle. It is also possible for the design to gain a liking with time, but it would be longer than usual. The bike has the premium touch and feel overall, but somewhere loses out giving out that aspirational value as to why one should buy one. Yes, TVS has priced the Ronin quite well, with the base model starting from Rs 1.49 lakh, going up to Rs 1.68 lakh for the top-spec variant. And that should draw the attention of buyers to take interest in the Ronin. That said, it’s now a question of wait and watch to see how well the Ronin gets accepted.

F/R: 300-mm disc / 240-mm disc

Rs 1.49-1.71 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)