TVS motorcycles in the Philippines
TVS is an Indian brand of motorcycle from the TVS Motor Company, dubbed the third largest manufacturer of two-wheeled vehicles in India. The company specializes in producing a variety of mopeds, auto rickshaws, and scooters.
According to the company’s website, more than 24 million customers have bought their motor products since it first started doing business in 1978. TVS currently has four manufacturing plants- three in India and one in Indonesia.
Venture with Suzuki
TVS and Suzuki have a 19-year long joint venture which has seen Suzuki lend its technology to its Indian counterpart to enable design and production of two-wheelers specifically for the Indian market. Some of the Suzuki platforms that they share include the Suzuki Shogun and Suzuki Samurai.
Because of this partnership, TVS was able to boost its number of motorcycle models and reach important milestones such as the innovation of the first two-seater moped in India, the TVS 50cc. The company is considered India’s leader in the 100 cc moped division, after selling more than 7 million units.
TVS motorcycle models
TVS categorize their exported products in three groups- motorcycles, variomatic scooters, and mopeds. In 2013, the company and BMW Motorrad signed a cooperation agreement that will enable TVS to develop motorcycles in the under 500 cc segment. Some of the popular models under this Indian company are:
TVS Apache- a motorcycle which has an added RTR nameplate which stands for “Race Throttle Response”. It comes in three variants, which use a 150cc or an 180cc air cooled, four stroke, single-cylinder engine paired with a 5-gear constant mesh transmission.
TVS Neo- an underbone motorcycle that has 110 cc single cylinder, 4 stroke, air cooled engine which produces 8.5 horsepower and 8.5 Nm of torque. It runs on a 4-speed constant mesh gear box and has an automatic centrifugal clutch.
Local distributor
Granstar Motors and Industrial Corp. (GMIC) is the official importer and distributor of TVS motorcycle products in the local market. The brand markets its products on the island of Panay, particularly in Dumaguete City, Kabankalan City and Siquijor. GMIC also markets other brands like the Aprilia, Piaggio, Vespa, KTM and MV Agusta.