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To celebrate the success of TVS’ journey in the 125cc category, TVS Motor Company India organized a select media ride in Nepal astride the TVS Raider and TVS Ntorq 125 Race Edition. The 3-day ride event, which took place from 9-11th June, 2022 saw a total of nine publications from India including Nepal Drives (the only publication from Nepal) taking part in this event.
The ride was designed in such a way that riders would be divided into two distinct vehicles and would switch vehicles on the second day of the ride to ensure that all publications had the opportunity to ride both vehicles. The route was Kathmandu- Pokhara - Chitwan and back to Kathmandu.
Our ride kicked off from Jagdamba Motor’s exclusive showroom in Naxal, Kathmandu. The ride event was flagged off by Shahil Agrawal, Managing Director - Jagdamba Motors, and Varghese Thomas, Senior Vice President & Global Head - Corporate Communication, TVS Motor Company. After a quick safety brief and photo op, we set off towards Pokhara in a convoy of 5 Raiders and 4 Ntorqs.
Our ride for Day 1 was the Ntorq scooter, Nepal's highest-selling premium 125cc scooter. We were already impressed by the Ntorq’s performance from our earlier stints with it inside the city, and we were pretty eager on taking on the highways. Unfortunately, the monsoon was in full swing and the heavens inevitably opened up and started pouring down on us. However, the people at TVS Motor India were kind enough to provide us with a rain jacket to combat the deluge.
After riding down the winding 20km road towards Naubise, tackling the filthy downpour, we then regrouped at a roadside cafe for some refreshments. After a quick coffee break, we headed out on the highway again. With the roads opening up, our convoy ribboned smoothly along the Prithvi highway, freely and safely.
Luckily, the rain stopped after we reached Gajuri. Here, we took a short detour from the main highway for a quick photo op. Because of the heat and humidity, most of us were sweating like pigs under our protective gear, the photography break came as a breather in the oppressive heat.
The game plan was to finish our photo stop and make a hasty run for our lunch stop: Siddhartha Riverside Resort at Chumlingtar. However, just 4-5kms away from Mugling, at Ghopte Bhir, nearby Kurintar, a recurring landslide on a rocky slope blocked a section of the road completely, obstructing the two-way traffic.
This resulted in a long queue of vehicles stranded for 25-30 km. To make matters worse, the continuous rainfall since last night made it challenging to remove the landslide debris. We now had two choices: either wait for the traffic to open or battle the single-lane traffic and reach Siddhartha. We chose the latter. Ahead of us, and all around us, was the news about the landslide. We had about 100-odd kilometers to cover before we reached Pokhara.
With no signs of the situation improving, the only way to move forward was to slalom in and out of the stalled vehicles at whatever speeds we could manage. Even the support crew ditched their backup vehicles and hopped onto the Raiders and Ntorqs.
With pillions on board, it was important to maximize comfort and safety for both occupants. The Ntorq’s tall handlebar and a low seat height of 770mm allowed us to keep our feet planted on the ground while we were battling muddy roads, traffic jams, and landside debris. It was an incredibly arduous 2.5 hours and we breathed a well-deserved collective sigh of relief after reaching Mugling.
As our luck, or lack thereof, would have it, the traffic along the Mugling-Pokhara section was also in gridlock due to the landslide at Kurintar. Hence, we wasted no time to be on our way again. Plus, the sky was full of dark clouds and was beginning to lose some of its fury.
As adventurous as our ride was up till Mugling, it was now time to push the Ntorq to its extreme. Once we crossed Dumre, it started raining cats and dogs. Screaming thunderstorms accompanied by violent rainfall harkened the most formidable part of the whole ride. The 66km distance between Dumre and Pokhara saw some of the worst conditions in which we’ve ever ridden a two-wheeler. At the start of the ride itself, we had prepared ourselves to embrace the conditions and endure whatever the unforgiving monsoon would bring. The 22-litre spacious under-seat storage bin of the Ntorq came in handy to keep our belongings safe from the torrential rains.
Crater-ridden roads, unforgiving potholes and unattended construction materials on the roadside made our adventure a nightmare. Surprisingly, the Ntorq overcame everything thrown at it. The 1285mm wheelbase of the Ntorq made for a stable ride, while its 12-inch wheels coupled with the disc/drum braking setup offered high-speed stability and inspired confidence during consistent braking.
The thrilling first-day ride finally ended upon our arrival at Hotel Pokhara Grande. Because it took us around 12 hours to complete the 208 km distance, we were dead tired and exhausted. We had our dinner and went to sleep.
The next day, we woke up to a piece of terrible news about a section of road along the Prithvi Highway caving in following the heavy rain, burying moving vehicles along the highway. Our plans to Chitwan were shelved because of this obstruction. We decided to stay back and explore the city.
The destination for today was the newly expanded Pokhara-Hemja six-lane road section of the Pokhara-Baglung highway to enjoy the view of the mountains. We had the Raider 125 at our disposal for Day 2. The Raider felt happy to cruise along the six-lane highway. The lively motor, the low and wide handlebar and the sportier intent of the motorcycle made it relatively easy to steer the motorcycle through the highway stretches. A few hours on the saddle is all it takes to be impressed by the Raider 125. The moment you twist the throttle, you can tell the Raider means business. Blip the throttle and you can feel the engine eagerly propelling you forward. And because you have plenty of torque at lower revs, maneuvering the motorcycle through the highway is a breeze.
After the brief highway excursion, we returned to the city, rode towards Pame and stopped for lunch at Calm Pokhara. What followed after lunch was a quick shoot at a spot nearby the Fewa Lake from where we could enjoy a majestic view of the mountains. However, dark clouds spoiled our watch party. Nevertheless, we rode towards the end of the lake to unwind and call it a day.
Although our trip was cut short due to factors beyond our control, we had an enjoyable and memorable trip. If you have the right mindset and the right gear for the job, you end up having a lot of fun. The ride, the accommodations, and the company were all great. On top of that, the safety features, comfort niceties, and riding dynamics of the Ntorq and Raider made the trip accomplishable.
The TVS Ntorq 125 has made quite an impact in the 125cc scooter segment in the Nepalese market. As an offering targeted toward youngsters, the Ntorq 125 scooter ticked all the right boxes in terms of style, comfort, performance, and safety. The scooter made a blockbuster impact in the 125cc scooter segment with sales numbers exceeding more than 50,000 units in just over three years of its launch. On the other hand, the Raider 125, TVS’s distinctively young and premium 125cc offering, packs plenty of punch into the mundane 125cc segment. The Raider provides excellent value for what it offers in terms of styling, features and riding dynamics.
In line with the Ntorq’s immensely successful journey in Nepal, TVS is now trying to replicate similar success in the competitive 125cc motorcycles segment with the Raider 125. Both the Ntorq and Raider 125 are TVS’constant endeavour to keep providing an aspirational product to the ever-evolving customer base. And, the popularity of these products is a testimony to the trust the Nepalese consumers have shown towards the brand.
