Love all is more than a cry of equality in tennis. In a more metaphysical context, love all means being attached to all manner of things, without any distinctions. Should you subscribe to that motto, you should be able to love all kinds of motorcycles. Even plodding, economy-minded ones.
But, as I discovered, love all isn’t for me. To like a motorcycle, I must be able to have fun on it. And it must be able to laugh with me. It must be able to do something so well, that you cannot help but appreciate it. And do that something over and over and over again.
As a direct consequence, I didn’t have great expectations from this particular comparison test. 100 kpl TVS Centra? Versus what? A 100cc Hero Honda? Bah.
Picking the model to pit against the Centra proved a bit tricky though. We had the whole bunch from the CD-Dawn to the Passion+ to choose from. We eventually settled on a CD100 SS for three reasons. First, it comes closest to the TVS in price, second it is also the nearest to the original CD100. And it competes in the entry-level segment.
The biggest reason to choose a competing Hero Honda, as opposed to any other brand, was the powertrain. The SS and the Centra share remarkably similar powertrains. At least, visually. The TVS actually is a bigger motor, 99.68 to 97.2cc. It also makes a bit more torque. You could say the SS isn’t at par from the start. Which is true, but you’d do a double take at just how little the difference is.
On the refinement parameter, for instance, the Centra is quite the picture of slick, smooth engineering and liquid power delivery. Sort of like Dido. But the SS is no Ozzy Osbourne either. It too, is a refined unit, and has a likeable, uncomplaining nature. The Honda mill will put up with anything you throw at it with a game face. Trundle at 45 kph? Fine. Thrash at 85? Well, okay.
The Centra’s slick tune quavers past 70 kph, which costs it refinement points. Past 70, it transmogrifies into a toddler going to pre-school for the first time. It will get to its 87 kph top speed, but must be dragged there kicking, crying and screaming. Once past 80, in fact, it is hard to keep your feet on the pegs. Thankfully, I am not ticklish.
To add to the Centra’s negative scores, our SS actually shifted better! The wretched metal plate in the place of a toe-shifter on the SS is just silly, but the shifts are slick and positive. The Centra manages positive but notchy shifts going up, but it’s a moody supermodel on the way down the ‘box. Shift quality has improved since we got the almost-new test bike, but the SS was shifting better right out of the crate. As you can see, the powertrain scores would’ve been very close.
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