Close call 

Two 125 cc motorcycles, both enabling the respective manufacturer to grab a bite of the premium commuter cake and while at it, present a strong case to the young motorcycle owner who wouldn’t mind a touch of sportiness in their everyday machine. On the one hand is the TVS Raider, a stylish offering from TVS, which is a feature-rich, good-looking machine, priced at ₹1.06 lakh, ex-showroom. On the other side of the metaphorical ring is the Hero Xtreme 125R. A part of the Xtreme line of motorcycles, the 125R has a tiny bit more power and a relatively softer suspension setup, but also a price advantage, at Rs 99,500, ex-showroom. We put these two head to head, to see which of these sporting commuters makes the most sense to buy. 

In terms of appearance, the TVS Raider, which seems to borrow design elements from its stablemates, never fails to garner attention, although the Hero Xtreme 125R is on a different level. The radically designed 125cc motorcycle can easily be mistaken for a higher-capacity machine, on its looks alone. There’s a fair bit of aggression in the design, which adds character to its looks and tips the appearance scale in the Xtreme 125R’s favour. 

Features-wise, it’s the TVS Raider which has more going for it. The switchgear feels better to operate, its TFT display comes with Bluetooth connectivity, there are riding modes, a stop-start system, silent engine start, USB charging port, among others. The Xtreme, while makes do with a relatively simpler LCD instrument unit, gets a single-channel ABS. Both come with LED headlights. 

While both are similarly powerful, the Xtreme 125R exhibits an edge in maintaining higher speeds. The Raider definitely feels quicker to accelerate and it’s set up to offer a mix of sharp handling and suppleness on bad roads. The Xtreme is relatively softly sprung, which means it’s slightly more comfort-focussed among the two. The Xtreme 125R also comes with wider tyres, which further aid its stability, and thanks to the onboard ABS, it feels more assured when dropping the anchor. The Raider is seemingly eager to react to inputs and thus is more playful. Adding to that behaviour is its bass-heavy noise. The Xtreme 125R isn’t too far behind with its raspy note, and it scores one extra point for the inclusion of a kickstart. The price difference of just ₹6,500 won’t help swing the decision, but the Hero has an advantage there. In terms of specs, while both are evenly matched, not just in power but also in bits like ground clearance, it must be noted that the Raider 125 is marginally lighter and has a shorter seat height.  

From where I see things, it’s hard to go wrong with either. Get the Hero Xtreme 125R for its commanding stance, bigger bike looks, wider tyres, and better braking. Or get the TVS Raider 125 for its fun demeanour and a longer list of useable features.