2018 Bajaj Discover 110 Review, First Ride – A Conservative Bajaj!

2018 Bajaj Discover 110 Review will focus more on how the company has stepped away from experimenting to a large extent and will keep it simple and strike back the right cord with its customers

Enchanting –

• Conservative and modern styling
• Superlative chassis, brakes, engine
• Best in class real life fuel efficieny
• Sheer value for money and feature loaded

Unsatisfying –

• Switcgear quality can be better

Clearly, at the launch and the drive event, the air was different this time. The manufacturer shy-ed away from the usual flair of explaining what is the thought process but said where did they go wrong and now how they intend to correct it. All Discovers have been ahead of time according to various market surveys. Sometimes the styling was bold and futuristic sometimes the technology on offer was way too much to soak in.

Bajaj says they found a sweet spot and probably all that experimenting paid off. They have made some serious and un-noticeable changes to the bike to make it appealing while offering a lot of value to its customers as always. Commuter is the first to get many segments first but in a way that will help the customers every time they thumb start the bike. We had a short spin in the bike and it communicated a lot of changes. Allow us to explain that.

Design

When it comes to styling, a conservative approach. Clearly, this is a statement that hasn’t been associated with Bajaj for a quite a long time. The headlamp unit, the fuel tank have virtually 10% change to them to refine the idea. The way the side panels meets the tail-piece is clearly ‘attention to detail’ job done right. All black lower half is on offer for both 110 and 125cc models which makes it look to complete.

The exhaust continues to be the same and the finish levels and fit for all parts is excellent. Very smooth and almost rubberised feel for the grab handle feels like a great addition to the package. Premium mirrors from the Pulsar 135 is also a great fit to the package. Led DRL at the front and faux LED tail-lamps at the rear make things better in their respect regard,

Switches and Speedo

Switches continue to be the same as before. However, we think switchgear quality could improve though. You have AHO and there is no engine kill on offer. We think it could do with a Hazard light switch in the future. The speedo has a digital fuel gauge, odometer, trip meter and tell-tale lights which includes battery warning light. The tachometer is the highlight of the package and is a great addition to this 110 package.

Performance

The 115cc (not a typo) motor is a long stroke unit which makes 8.6 PS of power and 9.4 Nm of torque from its 2-valve head. The engine is extremely smooth, 99% vibration free and rev friendly as well. The torque in the mid and lower power band makes it extremely easy to ride and stay in top gear. Slightly tall fourth gear allows for more top-end power. The speedo shows 107 km/hr as well if pushed hard.

However, the genuine top speed is just around the 90 km/hr. The rest of the three gears are spot on and the driveability in the city along with decent performance on offer. Bajaj is improving its engine in every regard and this is clearly a sign of it getting very close to its Japanse rivals. Bajaj claims a real-life mileage of 65 km/l and 70 km/l plus which has been given by ARAI when ridden in certain conditions.

Ride and Handling

Dynamically, Discover 110 has seen a weight reduction as the dual cradle heavy frame has paved way for a single downtube frame. Also the biggest change is to the suspension. The travel has been raised from 130 mm to 140 mm on both sides and it has changed the way the bike behaves. Bajaj says the improvement is 18%. The 10 mm on both ends give it a good amount of agility than the previous version.

The seat height is also kept low which is a great feat for the company. The nimble-ness in the city, thes stability on the highway and the way it tips into corners is a right balance for all types of audiences. Ride quality is the highlight as with suspension balance is spot-on in terms of ride and handling that the enthusiasts are getting here. Brakes are really well calibrated this time as they do not feel over the top and not to underpowered either. Bajaj says disc is ready if there is demand.

2018 Bajaj Discover 110 Review, Verdict

Bajaj already has 31% market share in the executive space with the Discover despite not doing much with the brand over the last 1.5 years. However, the segment has seen a bit of decline and Bajaj has seen a big drop as well. It wants to get that and get ahead of Hero which is exactly sharing space at 31% in this segment. Discover 110cc aims to do just that. It has a high chance of succeeding because the product is near spot on.

Like we said earlier, experimenting did cost Bajaj, but now its time, it pays back. Discover 110cc with its refined motor, extremely well-sorted rideability and ease of use along with a set of features and also being ready to meet all demands in the present and future, 110cc Discover has what it takes to climb the tough mountain and gets all the apples waiting for it there.