When Bajaj launched the V15 for the first time in India, it was quite surprising, as the company had no official announcement that it will be adding one more 150cc commuter to the already over-crowded 150cc lineup of Bajaj Auto. However, things became pretty clear at the time of the launch, and the V15 appeared as a special commuter, which had the mixed stance of a café racer and a cruiser, but in the shape of a daily commuter. What made the V15 even more special, despite the fact that it lacked in terms of features, is the fact that it contains a portion of the invincible metal of the now defunct INS Vikrant warship, which played a huge role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, making it one soulful motorcycle with a touch of patriotism, something which wasn't seen before, and was accepted with open hands.
This unconventional move by Bajaj Auto has paid it quite well, for the fact that Bajaj has already sold 1.6 lakh units of the V15 till date, with the company expecting to take this figure to 2 lakh units by the end of 2016. Like its every other premium commuter, Bajaj did announce at the time of the launch of V15 that the motorcycle will spawn more variants in the upcoming times. Seems that the time has come for it, for Bajaj has finally announced its first derivative, the all new V12.
No, Bajaj is not going to launch any new V12 engine for a supercar, but as they have officially announced, it will be an all new 125cc motorcycle which will be positioned below the V15 and is based on it. Bajaj has already begun to feel the heat from its rivals in the 100-125cc segments, and has moved back to the segment after paying thorough attention to 150-200cc categories of entry level sportbikes. Recently, Bajaj organized a special screening event with the name ‘Invincible Indians', which showcased the stories of five different ordinary Indians, who have made the country proud. At this every event, Bajaj announced that it is going to expand its ‘V' lineup by adding a 125cc commuter to it, which will be based on the V15.
There are many things related to this motorcycle which will be unfolded very soon, when the bike will officially hit the showroom floors in the month of December, but as of now, the company has given a number of small indications revealing the details of the motorcycle. Following are the comprehensive details on all the points which Bajaj has disclosed for the V12, its all new premium 125cc motorcycle:-
Based on the V15 with INS Vikrant connection
As expected, the new Bajaj V12 will be completely based on the V15, as far as styling goes. This directly means that the V12 too will have the same INS Vikrant connection as the V15 has got. As we all know now that the V15 was marketed as the rebirth of the legendary INS Vikrant, for the fuel tank of the motorcycle contains the molten metal of the now-defunct INS Vikrant, which was sent to scrap yard by the Indian Government. This marketing masterstroke did wonders for the V15, and Bajaj hopes that the same trait of using a slight quantity of INS Vikrant's metal in the fuel tank of the motorcycle will help V12 to achieve an indigenous identity in the otherwise bread and butter 125cc category of commuters.
Changes to the design and styling
As mentioned, the new V12 will be based on the V15, and as we have known the previous products rolling out of Bajaj, the V12 will look exactly the same as the V15, save for some minor but key differences. Unlike the V15, the new V12 will miss out on the rear seat cowl, which is offered on the former as optional equipment, which gives the motorcycle a café racer stance. Some other slight changes to the badges and graphics will be there, however, the silhouette and design of body panels of the V15 will be kept intact for the V12.
Engine and powertrain
Compared to the all new four stroke, single cylinder, 150cc engine which Bajaj developed for the V15, Bajaj will debut an all 125cc engine for the V12 as well. Like the V15's engine which is different to that of its other 150cc stable mates, the 125cc engine of the V12 is touted to be different from that of the currently available 125cc Discover, and will be a bored out version of the 150cc engine of the V15. While the numbers and exact specifications of this engine are still kept under wraps and will be disclosed only at the time of the official product launch, we expect the V15 to pump out the best-in-class power and torque outputs. The 5-speed gearbox, however, is expected to be lifted off from the V15 directly.
Price
The currently available V15 has made a strong case for itself as one of the most affordable 150cc motorcycles in the country today. However, that's not going to be the case for the V12, for the fact that Bajaj has announced the official price point of the soon-to-be-launched V12, which is Rs. 56,200. With this pricing, the V12 now sits in between the Discover 125 and Discover 150S in terms of product positioning in Bajaj's lineup.
Other mechanicals from the V15
As for now, Bajaj has not disclosed a single detail related to the mechanical underpinnings under the skin of the V12. However, given the simple mechanicals of the V15, the V12 will be sharing the chassis, front and rear suspension and tyres from the V15. However, unlike the V15, the V12 will be offered with a front disc brake only as an option, like on the Discover 125. Also, there might be slight change to the design of the alloy wheels of the V12, to make it slightly more visually different from the V15.
Launch date
At the press event, Eric Vas has already stated that the production of the motorcycle has already commenced at Bajaj's production capacity in Chakan, Maharashtra, which signals that the motorcycle will be launched in the Indian market in the month of December. 2016 has been a not-so-loud year for Bajaj Auto, with the company launching only additional color options for its existing lineup of products. With the V12, Bajaj is hoping to sign off the year 2016 in style.
Competition
Given its pricing point, the V12 has surpassed all the entry level 125cc motorcycles and is positioned among the most premium range of 125cc motorcycles, such as Honda CB Shine SP and Hero Ignitor. With this, the V12 is going to be the most premium 125cc motorcycle Bajaj has ever made, as far as the pricing goes.