Spec Comparison: TVS Radeon vs Hero Splendor iSmart 110 vs Bajaj Discover 110 vs Honda CD 110 Dream DX vs Yamaha Saluto-RX

TVS has launched the Radeon in an already competitive commuter market. Let’s see how it stacks up against its competition on paper

In the past couple of years, scooters have become the preferred mode of transport for daily commutes. With the introduction of more powerful scooters of even up to 125cc, they’ve also eaten into the 110-125cc motorcycle segment. However, manufacturers have also seen a spike in demand for stylish commuter bikes with practical features, especially in tier II and tier III cities. And TVS Motor, the Hosur-based manufacturer, has decided to tap into this very market with the introduction of the Radeon. Let’s see how the bike fares against its competition on paper.

Engine -

As per TVS, the Radeon’s Dura-Life engine, borrowed from the TVS Star City, receives a different state of tune to deliver better pick up and acceleration while ironing out vibrations. In essence, what you get is a pretty even power and torque delivery. That said, that bike still feels underpowered on paper compared to the Hero Splendor iSmart which produces 1.1PS power and 0.3Nm of torque more than the Radeon. The Bajaj Discover 110 also manages to deliver better power and torque figures compared to TVS’ newcomer. While the Honda CD 110 Dream DX has the best torque output of 9.09Nm among its competition, the Saluto RX is the least powerful bike here.

Underpinnings -

All the bikes in this comparison are pretty much the same in terms of dimensions; however, the TVS Radeon has the highest ground clearance, specifically designed to tackle undulations. Adding to the overall ride experience is the twin shock absorber setup at the rear which can be adjusted in five steps to suit the rider’s requirement. While all the bikes in this segment sport a single seat the one on the Radeon is supposedly the longest in its segment, according to its manufacturer.

TVS has also gone a step further to ensure safety by equipping the Radeon with synchronized braking technology (SBT), the first in its segment. It’s essentially the same as Honda’s CBS technology, which applies an equal amount of brake force on both ends while pulling on the rear lever. With a kerb weight of just 112kg, the Radeon is rather light, which should help while manoeuvring through city traffic.

The Hero Splendor iSmart also features an adjustable rear suspension and front telescopic forks, which along with its double cradle frame perform decently well if you enjoy going fast around corners. That said, it’s also the heaviest bike of the lot, while the Saluto RX sits at a puny 98kg, making it the lightest.

Design and features -

In terms of design the Radeon does look a lot like the Splendor Plus from Hero, with a few revisions here and there. Apparently, for the Radeon, function takes precedence over form. On a similar note, the bike comes with a pretty basic looking twin-pod analogue instrument cluster. While the instrument console might look dull, the bike's headlight with its integrated LED DRL’s surely lighten up the day. TVS has also made sure the bike gets some feature-firsts, just like its elder siblings. Features include a USB charging port, tank thigh pads and the most important of them all, synchronized braking technology (SBT) for added safety.

The Hero Splendor iSmart isn’t far behind in terms of equipment and also looks the part in terms of design. In contrast to the Radeon ’s instrument console, the one on the iSmart is neatly designed, which, although mostly analogue, looks pretty pleasing to the eyes. Backlit in aquamarine blue, the speedometer sits bang in between the fuel gauge on the left and the digital odo and trip meter to the right. The bike may not have SBT, a charging socket or LED DRL’s, but much like the Radeon it also gets some feature firsts, which include Hero’s patented i3s technology. i3s stands for idle start-stop system, which cuts power supply to the engine if the bike is running at idle for some time, to save fuel. It then switches the engine on when you simply press the clutch.

The Bajaj Discover also gets LED DRL’s up front and a semi-digital instrument console backlit in orange. Compared to the Splendor, the Discover’s console reads out a lot more information digitally. For example, the speedometer, odo plus trip meter and fuel gauge, all come under one roof which makes it easier for the rider to read at a glance. The Honda and Yamaha come with pretty standard equipment. Surprisingly none of these bikes get a disc brake up front, which is disappointing in an age where even automatic scooters get the option.

Price and verdict -

While the TVS Radeon does offer some feature firsts in its segment at an affordable price, the Hero Splendor iSmart 110 seems to offer a lot more bike for the extra cash. Plus, it doesn’t look all that bad either. The Bajaj Discover too feels like a decent proposition for the extra dough, so we’d suggest you also look at these options before considering the TVS Radeon.