Overview
TVS does a fine job of making sporty motorcycles, scooters, commuters, and even mopeds. But this is their first attempt at a relaxed, leisure riding, modern retro sort of motorcycle. The new motorcycle is called Ronin. 2022 TVS Ronin is based on the concept bike TVS Zeppelin.
Ronin is the Japanese word for a samurai without a master. That name definitely makes sense to this retro bike. Because it does not fit into any category or genre of motorbikes. Instead, it is able to do a bit of every genre.
TVS Ronin Design
The 2022 TVS Ronin has been built from the ground up. It surely doesn’t seem to fit into any known category of motorcycles. But it looks more like a neo-retro roadster with some scrambler elements and the ergonomics of a relaxed cruiser. The overall result is a motorcycle that is comfortable and has a good presence.
The highlights include a round LED headlamp unit with a distinct T-shaped DRL. The upside-down Showa front forks flaunt a golden finish on the mid and top spec variants.
The front half of the motorcycle is quite nice but the rear section is definitely more polarizing. The fender looks a little awkward and the grab handle seems quite utilitarian. But the latter is at least removable if you don’t mind living without it.
The most obvious cruiser cues are visible in the raked-out angle and the front upside-down fork and the tall swept-back handlebar. In fact, the footpegs are positioned a bit more forward than a regular roadster. So the result is an extremely relaxing upright riding posture.
Riding comfort
The seat is comfortable as well. The overall quality and construction are probably the best that you will find for its price point. The TVS Ronin gets a new chassis. It has a double cradle frame that hangs off Showa 41mm big piston upside-down forks up front and a gas-charged rear mono-shock.
The lazy 27-degree rake angle of the suspension fork is quite a cruiser. It brings in a lot of stability but at the expense of agility. TVS has designed a fork offset at the bottom to bring more agility to the bike. It is something you see normally on dirt bikes.
The fork offset on a dirt bike moves the wheel forward to increase the trail. TVS has done the opposite. It has brought the wheel back in. This helps to reintroduce some agility and makes for a light and easy bike to ride.
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It runs on newly developed TVS remora dual-purpose tires. These are coupled with181 millimeters of ground clearance. The rear ABS can’t be turned off. The suspension can bottom out quite easily if you start doing silly things. The tires however offered a reasonable grip even in wet conditions.
TVS Ronin Key dimensions and specs
TVS Ronin has an overall length of 2040mm with a wheelbase of 1357mm. It has a height of 1170mm with a seat height of 795mm and a ground clearance of 181mm.
The fuel tank of the retro bike has a capacity of 14l. However, its fuel efficiency figures are not out yet.
TVS is offering first-in-segment 9-spoke machined alloy wheels with a rim size of 17-inches. Both front and rear tyres are tubeless and have a size of 110/70 and 130/70 respectively.
All three variants of Ronin come with disc brakes both at the front and rear. The front has a 300mm disc while the rear wheel has 240mm disc brakes. The disc brakes are coupled with single channel ABS in lower and mid-spec variants. The top-spec variant has a dual-channel ABS.
TVS Ronin Engine, Transmission, and performance
Engine Specs
TVS Ronin draws its power from a single-cylinder, four-stroke, four-valve SOHC 225cc engine. The engine churns out a maximum power of 15.01kW (20.4PS) @ 7750rpm and a peak torque of 19.93Nm @ 3750rpm.
The powerhouse comes mated to a 5-speed gearbox like the one in TVS Apache RTR 200. Ronin is the first bike in this price range to come with an assist and slipper clutch.
The engine has an extremely flat top curve spread richly across the low-end mid-range of the power band. Even the numbers show that this is not a highly strong engine and is tuned to offer easily accessible performance.
Performance of the TVS Ronin
On the performance front, Ronin does a fine job. It is designed to run at high speeds on the freeway with comfortable seating. It also provides a hassle-free ride in city traffic. The power delivery is extremely tractable. You can ride the Ronin at speeds as low as 30 kilometers per hour in fifth gear. Even in higher gears, it pulls steadily and cleanly to build faster speeds.
For a quick overtake, you will need to downshift. The slipper and assist clutch will help you out with a hustle-free downshift at any speed. Whether you are shifting up or down, every gear slots in very slickly and smoothly. It enhances the comfort level a bit more.
This bike can easily cruise at 85 kilometers per hour. It holds 100 kilometers per hour without any signs of stress. But after 100kmph, the acceleration becomes quite slow. The bike will feel quite stressed out.
TVS Ronin Features
The Ronin also has two riding modes urban and rain. But they only affect the sensitivity of the ABS. Speaking of which you get a single channel setup on their lower and middle variance but shifting to the top-spec variant brings in a dual channel ABS as well as adjustable levers and plenty of connected features via a dedicated TVS app.
Ronin is also equipped with a feature called Glide Through Traffic (GTT) which provides low-speed riding in traffic in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear without the need of accelerating.
Some people may not find the offset instrument cluster appealing but again, the design is an individual’s taste. Overall, this bike looks good and gives a vibe of being a different motorcycle.
The onboard trip meter looks quite similar to Ducati Scrambler’s offset instrument console. It displays plenty of information and is also quite clear and easy to read.
The offset instrument cluster looks analogous in design but it is a fully digital instrument cluster. It shows information for speed, rpm, trips, gear position, side stand alarm, Bluetooth connectivity, driving modes, fuel, and much more.
Connected features
The top-variant Ronin TD also comes with some connected features through smartphone integration. So you get features like turn-by-turn navigation, getting information and responding to calls, vehicle health status, and much more.
TVS Ronin variants
2022 TVS Ronin comes in three variants – Ronin SS, Ronin DS, and Ronin TD. There is not much difference among the variants in terms of features and specifications.
TVS Ronin SS and DS come with single channel ABS while the top variant TD comes with Dual channel ABS.
The second difference is in colors. There are in total of 6 colors available. All three variants have two color options only.
The third and final difference between the three variants is the adjustable lever. The top-spec variant Ronin TD comes with 3-step adjustable levers for the front brake and clutch.
TVS Ronin colors
2022 TVS Ronin 6 color schemes. Two colors for each variant.
The base variant Ronin SS comes in a mono-tone color scheme in lightning black and magma red.
The second variant Ronin DS has a dual-tone decal scheme with Stargaze Black and Delta Blue.
The top-spec variant Ronin TD is designed with a triple-tone decal scheme. It comes in Galactic Grey and Dawn Orange as the main colors.
TVS Ronin Price
The devious Ronin has a price bracket of 1.49 to 1.69 lakh Indian rupees. It should be appreciated that TVS has brought in such a high grade of equipment for this kind of money.
TVS Ronin Rivals and competition
Overall the 2022 TVS Ronin is an interesting bike that doesn’t have any direct rivals at this price range. For the retro body style, it can give competition to some expensive retro bikes. It can be an affordable alternative to the likes of the Honda CB350RS, Honda Hness CB350, Jawa 42, and Royal Enfield Hunter 350.
This is a solid package that does a bit of everything to some extent. It does one job exceptionally well and that is of delivering a joyful and relaxed riding experience on the tarmac.
