2018 Bajaj Discover 110 – Road Test Review

Bajaj Auto introduced the Discover series first in 2004, with the launch of its 125cc Discover. Since then, Bajaj has experimented with different engine & design aspects of the Discover, and made attempts to move Hero’s market leadership. Speaking of market shares, 77% of Indian Motorcycle sector sales comprise of the 125cc and below class of motorcycles. This vast chunk of market has been dominated by Hero Motocorp, this segment being their Forte, where the passion and splendour have been leading the race.  The passion and splendour still wear the cap, when it comes to number of bikes sold till date, not far behind them is the Discover. Latest sales report show that, Hero Motocorp and Bajaj Auto are neck to neck with 31% market share each in the Entry + Premium motorcycles segment, but Hero takes the lead when it comes to the executive class, the 125cc segment, where 52% of Indian market lies.

Bajaj Auto have identified this opportunity and have launched the New Discover 110 to lead them to round up better market share here. Learning from their past experiences, Bajaj has been conservative when it has come to updating the Discover. Keeping the core DNA of Discover intact, Discover now stands as a strong competition to Hero’s 110cc siblings. Why conservative you may ask??

Bajaj had been continuously experimenting with the Discover’s engine and design features, and launched various other bikes in the Discover family, namely the D100 4g, D125 ST, D100T, D125T,D100M, D125M, D150S, D150F, D125 which actually failed to woo the market, while Hero’s sales held their ground firm. The learning here was loss of identity. Bajaj Auto was actually confusing the customer, rather the customer was spoilt with choices. Learning from their mistakes, Bajaj has brought back the Original Discover DNA, which once had a sales of 1 lakh+ per month.

Styling & Design

The moment you look at this motorcycle, I am sure you’ll feel nostalgic. The new Discover110 shares its looks with the original Discover, which was launched more than a decade back. In terms of styling, the Discover now gets Signature dual DRLs inside the headlight, representing 2 horns from a distance, the blinker lights are now sharper than before, the Dual Textured wide profile seat somehow speaks of the rider comfort it offers. The Side panels are now muscular and come painted in a contrasting colour, the tail panel too is now muscular, and compliments the overall look of the bike. The headlight cover too, is inspired from the original design, adding to the familiar look of the Discover.

The new LED tail lamp now has a bezel texture, which actually looks rich. The Rear-view mirrors too have been styled to match the overall look of the Bike. The exhaust now comes installed with a New Chrome Safety Shield, rims have been upgraded from the conventional alloy wheels to Web Design mag wheels. The instrument cluster is now Analogue + Digital and looks smart. Overall, the new Discover certainly will appeal to the executive customer, who is looking for a No-nonsense motorcycle.

Is that all what makes the New Discover 110 special? Certainly No…

Engine

Bajaj has developed a completely new 110cc Long Stroke engine for this one, so no, it’s not the same old Engine platform. The new Long Stroke engine helps achieve Best in Class Torque figures. The new 2 Valve engine now produces 9.81Nm of Torque @5000rpm and 8.6PS of Power @7000rpm. This mill is mated to a slick-4speed gearbox. Gear shifts are smoother than ever, thanks to the New Paper element clutch plates.  Fueling is managed by a butterfly carburettor, and the engine manages to deliver a mileage of 68-72kmpl easily. The engine runs refined, and power delivery is smooth.

Low end torque becomes extremely useful to ride in traffic, or even over a speed breaker or flyover without the need to drop a gear. The engine provides enough torque to pull 2 heavy riders, without any load, and manages to touch a top speed of 95kmph. The engine is refined, and very few vibrations are felt, if we compare the Discover with the Hero 110cc siblings. We got an opportunity to ride them right after the launch in December. The all down gear pattern of the Discover certainly makes life easy for the rider.

With a Service interval of 10,000kms, we just have to say, Petrol Bharo and Chalte Raho!

Chassis, Suspension, Brakes and Tyres

The Discover 110 comes equipped with the BEST IN CLASS SUSPENSION TRAVEL in both FRONT and REAR ends. This ensures your ride is always comfortable, no matter how bumpy or broken the roads are. On the front, it comes equipped with 23mm forks with a travel of 140mm, while the Rear is managed by Nitrox filled Twin shock absorbers with a travel of 120mm. The Discover 110 is the only motorcycle in this segment, to flaunt Gas-filled shocks, which undoubtedly delivers best in class Rider and Pillion comfort. The new Discover110 shares the same chassis from its elder siblings, a tried and tested platform over a decade.

In terms of braking, the Discover110 comes with Dual Drum brake option only, though Bajaj has promised to offer Disk brake option at a additional cost to customers. The Drum brakes perform pretty linearly, and offer good braking power, but the maintenance interval for the same will be smaller when compared to Disk brake. The motorcycle comes equipped with TVS’s EuroGrip type tyres, with a 2.75×17 Tyre on the front, and a 3.00×17 on the Rear, which offer decent grip on tarmac, as well as off-road.

Another comparison, when we rode the Hero Twins, they weren’t as agile and stable at speeds above 70kmph. Also, on corners, the transition wasn’t as smooth as we experienced on the Discover. This is all thanks to the longer wheelbase of the Discover. Discover has the longest wheelbase in its class, and thus the most comfortable, and most stable bike in its class. Also, Discover is the longest vehicle in its class, which means a longer seat and better pillion comfort.

Features

In terms of features, DRLs have come in now. The instrument cluster is semi Analogue, semi digital.  The Digital console houses the Digital Speedometer, Fuel gauge, the Odometer and a Trip meter. Discover is one of the few motorcycle in this segment, to house a Tachometer. Other than that, it has a Neutral Gear indicator, a Low Battery indicator, Signal lights indicator and a Pass light indicator.

The swtich gear is not backlit, but the feel is rich. The D110 comes with a Electric start, and comes fitted with a 6Ah battery. We did miss a Digital clock on the cluster though. The New Discover is now available in Red, Blue and Black colour options.

Verdict

Priced at Rs.50176, Bajaj has all guns out on Hero’s Forte.  The Discover is undoubtedly the most comfortable, stable, refined, torquiest and fastest production bike in its segment. It’s a Bajaj, how couldn’t it have Top End?!

Review – Suraj Sawant
Photography – Smruti Gaimukhe