For the hoopla and market share that Bajaj Pulsars and KTM Dukes of the world manage to pull off, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that there are other companies making some excellent motorcycles in this segment.
One of these is TVS, which makes the Apache series. The Hosur-based firm has long been involved in two-wheeler motorsport activities in India, and it carries over a lot of its learning and technology from the track to the street, giving its road-going motorcycles plenty of top-of-the-line features.
The Apache was first launched in 2005, to combat the all-conquering Bajaj Pulsar; it used a retuned version of the excellent engine from the TVS Fiero, and had the best power-to-weight ratio in its class, along with a racing-derived synchronised stiff chassis.
The RTR (racing throttle response) badge first appeared on the Apache 160, which also featured the first petal-type disc brake on an Indian bike; later versions of the RTR 160 and the subsequent RTR 180 introduced fuel injection and dual-channel ABS as firsts on Indian motorcycles.
TVS has continued this trend through the years, making the Apache a bike that has more than held its own in the performance and sales figures departments. I have to also put my hand up and declare that it’s my favourite bike in the 200cc segment.
Good Looks
Last year, TVS launched a BS6-compliant RTR 200, which was a hoot to ride, like all the RTRs before it.
What you see here is the RTR 200 4V, which adds a bunch of tweaks and features which I’ll get to one by one. In terms of its design, it’s still tack sharp and is – in my opinion – the best-looking bike in its segment.
It’s muscular, aggressive and looks fast standing still, which is an important characteristic for a bike with sporting aspirations. There’s a slick new blue paint scheme available, which is derived from TVS’ race bikes and looks very attractive, as do the split seat, sharp fuel tank and dual-barrel exhaust.
The engine is the same – a 197.75cc, single-cylinder, four-valve, oil-cooled unit with Race Tuned-Fuel Injection (RT-Fi) tech – but it’s been tuned to eke out just that bit more power and torque; it now makes 20.2 bhp and 1.75 kgm respectively.
What’s significant is that you now get three riding modes to cycle through, which is unprecedented in this category. There’s a dedicated button under the starter switch, which lets you choose between ‘Rain’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Road’, and each mode changes the way in which power delivery, throttle response and ABS intervention work (the top speeds in each mode are also different).
The gearbox is a five-speed unit with a slipper clutch, and you get a feature that’s unique in this segment called GTT (glide through traffic), which is similar to the creep function in an automatic gearbox and helps you handle slow moving traffic better. Further, the brake and clutch levers are three-step adjustable, and the Showa-sourced suspension is preload adjustable, which is fantastic at this price point.
The ‘Rain’ and ‘Urban’ modes on this bike are useful in that in the aforementioned conditions, the power and torque outputs are restricted, which helps make the riding experience a little calmer. However, the bike will still rev to 8,000 rpm, which you’re highly unlikely to hit in city conditions (unless you’re riding in the dead of night). In commuting conditions, some deft gearbox work is all it takes to make smooth progress.
Out on a highway and in ‘Sport’ mode, you can feel the RTR’s character change. It’ll now rev all the way to 9,000 rpm if you so wish, although I wouldn't quite recommend it because even though you make very rapid and entertaining progress, the lack of a 6th gear makes the ride rather buzzy upwards of 120 kph. Still, all told this is a bike that delivers in all conditions.
Hill Roads, Take Me Home
For best results (and the widest grins), you need to find yourself a set of twisting hill roads, because that’s where this machine really comes into its own. Apaches have always been great handlers, thanks to their racing heritage, and the RTR 200 is no exception. It’s easy to throw around corners with the utmost confidence, and it just begs to be pushed harder.
This you can do quite easily, because the adjustable suspension means you can find a sweet spot for yourself, and the superb brakes and alert ABS system combine to keep you right side up.
This is a bike whose hunting ground is primarily a sporting one. So, long distance touring (although perfectly possible) can be a tad uncomfortable, mainly because the seat is on the stiff side and built so that your knees can grip the fuel tank during hard riding. On the other hand, it’s so entertaining to ride that a little discomfort might well be only a minor irritant on a long ride; you can always stop for quick breaks and then get back to having some fun on it.
The features list on this bike is rather long, as you would have gathered by now. Other than the mechanical aspects, you also get a Bluetooth enabled digital instrument cluster with TVS’ SmartXConnect app. This piece of tech lets you push navigation from your phone to the instrument cluster and will also give you service reminders and log your rides.
If you’re riding on a racetrack, it records telemetry data that you can sit and sift through post your session, and in the unfortunate event of a crash (on the track or street), you can set the app to alert emergency contacts.
For Rs 1.31 lakh for the dual-channel ABS version (ex-showroom, Mumbai), you will be hard pressed to find another bike in this price range that offers the combination of looks, performance, handling and top-notch features that the 2021 RTR 200 4V does. I have no hesitation in recommending it highly to anyone looking for an affordable, entertaining street bike that’s a great all-rounder.
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