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This bike can easily get tagged as the best-styled bike in it segment and is a large machine with exquisite details and well thought-out design. The finish, fit and paint are also brilliant and the superiors style factor is carried forward to every part of the bike including the Flame’s smart side panels, footrest mounts and really nice tail fairing, which ends in a fantastic divided tail-light and neat grab handle. Though the instruments on this bike can be made to read out real-time mileage (Instant Mileage Indicator), this is unfortunately calibrated to provide wildly optimistic figures that show mileage constantly over 80kpl, habitually even in excess of 100kpl. The bike looks modern from every angle and enjoys a unique front fairing that is home to a really bright halogen-equipped clear-lens headlight.

The new TVS possesses a digital instrument control that has a speedometer, tripmeter, odometer, fuel gauge, clock and economy riding mode indicator. The black colour theme is followed on the most of the new TVS products and even the bike’s perfectly sculpted five-spoke alloy rims, front forks, engine, chain-shroud and tail-fairing are in this colour.

The new TVS is packed with technology and nice-looking engine cases surround the TVS CCVTi (Controlled Combustion Variable Timing ignition) engine. This engine displaces 124.8cc and produces 1.02kgm torque at 6250rpm, while optimum power is 10.3bhp at 8250rpm.

The Flame’s controversial two-too-many-spark plugs are situated in a combustion chamber that deploys three valves — two inlet and one exhaust. Ignition is multi-mapped to provide the best spark for changing conditions, while the Flame does not stint on friction-slaying elements like roller bearings for its rocker arm contact points. The technology used in the Flame was developed jointly by TVS’ in-house R&D team and engine experts AVL of Austria. The idea is to achieve optimal engine efficiency, incorporating good tumble and swirl within a single cylinder — easier said than done for a single inlet port providing good tumble tends to lack good swirl, and vice-versa. The Flame does achieve this, however, dedicating only one swirl-promoting port at low-throttle operation conditions, while a second inlet (located above the first) is engineered to open only at higher engine speeds and facilitate good tumble.

The gearbox on the Flame is an all-four-up shifting gearbox that shifts smoothly at all times. The Flame can reach a top speed of 98kph and get from 0-60kph in 6.24seconds. And though it does deliver good performance for its class it lacks as much low end torque as we would have liked to have felt.

The Flame delivered 52.9kpl in crowded city conditions and 57kpl on the highway.

Given that the Flame is stylish, has more than enough features and is even packed with technology, one would expect that the bike is perfect. However, this isn’t so and very basic flaws including a rough engine and poor riding position take away from its appeal. And, all that technology didn’t even manage to get fuel efficiency to highly impressive levels. Additionally, TVS has priced it a startling premium above its competitors. All factors considered, the Flame might just manage to create a tepid stir in the biking world.

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