Brakes India to supply disc brake to TVS’s Fiero Classic

Venkatachari Jagannathan
17 October 2002

Chennai: The city-based automobile brake system manufacturer Brakes India will supply its disc brake system to TVS Motor Company’s new premium variant, the Fiero Classic. It is learnt that Brakes India will be supplying 300 kits every month to TVS Motor. The order augurs well for Brakes India as it would give the company the much-required volumes.

Last year the Rs 567-crore turnover company started selling disc brake kits under the brand Ez Diskit, targeting the retrofit market of the Fiero and Samurai bikes. A Brakes India official says the company has sold around 720 kits till date.

With increasing competition, bike manufacturers are now throwing in disc brakes as an additional feature to attract buyers. Compared to the traditional mechanical drum brakes, disc brakes are said to offer more stability while riding high powered — over 125cc — bikes.

During any brake application, the weight transfer is skewed towards the front. The use of the front disc brake provides much greater stability and control. Simultaneous application of front and rear brakes may provide the best results for stable braking, says the official.

Kalyani Brakes is the other automobile brake system major catering to original equipment manufacturers like Bajaj Auto, while the Coimbatore-based Premier Instruments and Controls primarily caters to the retrofit market.

But price is one factor that actually puts a brake on mass conversion of drum brakes to disc brakes. The disc brake kits nearly cost 10 per cent of the original vehicle price. As a result, Brakes India has reduced the price of its Ez Diskit by Rs 200 to retail at Rs 5,700.