If there ever has been an Indian manufacturer that is very passionate about the motorcycles they build, it has to be TVS. These guys are always in the thick of any sort of motorcycling shindig. It's no wonder then that they've been thrashing their bikes around circuits in the country and in the dirt, right from the glory days of the two-stroke haze. Similarly, it's no wonder either that their passion rubs off on their products as well.
I'm not saying that every motorcycle to roll off TVS production lines has been a gem - far from it. All that is to be inferred is that these guys have put in much sweat and blood into their motorcycles, and have always been eager to improve their products. It's in good measure too, since the segments that TVS is present in are the most fiercely competed - commuters and scooters, to name but two.
Implementation of trick technology to make riding in peak hour traffic easier is a great way to outdo the competition. Constant gear shifting and jabbing of the clutch takes its toll on both rider and machine. TVS has come up with an ingenious solution to counter this niggle - the Jive.
The Jive's specifications don't really make you break into a joyous dance. A 4-stroke, 110cc engine putting out 8.4 bhp with 0.8 kgm of torque is the heart of the machine. Conventional but smart styling adorns the machine and the quintessential commuter traits of an upright riding stance and skyscraper-high handlebars are part of the package. Where's that nifty techno garble we were referring to, then? Well, the missing clutch lever is the giveaway.
What TVS has done is so simple that it's ridiculous nobody has done it earlier. No, I'm not stealing their thunder. Not one bit. Simply put, they've combined two kinds of clutches, that everybody else uses, into one system, and christened it the TMATIC. The system provides you with a motorcycle foot-operated gear shifter coupled with the convenience of a twist-and-go automatic scoot and here's how.
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