Major change and it all works, superbly!

In this crucial area the TVS engineers have done a remarkable job. While the flaws of the original Fiero centred around weight distribution and a very light front end which endowed the bike with wishy washy handling in certain conditions, other entrants in the marketplace had upped the ante and so the TVS team went ahead and did up an all new chassis. Again it is a unit which one has to see in the flesh, stripped of all bodywork and appendages to know that it is different.

Only the engine mounting points remain the same as on the earlier chassis but all angles, bends and other geometry of the frame have been changed. The format is yet a robust double cradle type with new steel tubing which has seen it gain tremendously in torsional stiffness. The swingarm has been extended by 30mm which has transferred more of the weight to the front end and also helped lower the centre of gravity.

So paranoid were the TVS engineers, that they ran an accelerated programme using their racing team to perfect a chassis which they say is 150 per cent stiffer compared to the best the competition has to offer while the swingarm is 4.1 times stiffer than that on any other machine with the stiffness to weight ratio being 3.4 times better. There is no denying the fact that a stiffer swingarm provides great handling characteristics by cutting down on wobble and weave and much work was perfected by the TVS R&D plus the racing team to perfect the chassis but in the laboratory as well as on under actual running conditions. Along with the stiffer swing arm the individual suspension units at the rear were tuned to afford a good ride characteristic without in any way compromising the handling traits of the motorcycle.

The earlier Fiero suffered from handlebar oscillations thanks to its steering geometry plus also the certain lack of chassis rigidity. All that has now been eradicated courtesy the new frame and the stiffer swingarm and these along with the telescopic front forks (which now sport minor revisions to their damping rates) help make for very positive directional ability.

The sheer amount of work in areas of chassis and cycle parts has also seen the adoption of a 240mm dia front disc brake (developed exclusively by Brakes India to a design from noted Japanese brake maker Tokico) which is an optional extra as of the moment. TVS however intends to offer this from launch to all those who are willing to pay the slight premium for a vital piece of kit. If on a budget, the standard retardation agents yet remain 130mm dia drums at both ends.

Another area which saw the original Fiero lack in was in the crucial area of tyres. Both TVS Suzuki (as the company was known then) and TVS Srichakra realised the problem. The latter has made tremendous strides in motorcycle tyre technology. The two companies collaborated to devise specially new tyres for the Fiero F2 with an all new tread pattern. The front tyre retains a 2.75 x 18 size while at the rear there is now a proper 90/90 x 18 tyre.