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One of the most impressive motorcycles I have ever stood next to is the Aprilia RS125, a learner-legal bottom of the barrel motorcycle. Admittedly the barrel is Italian, but still. What impressed me, performance aside, was the styling. Every little nook and cranny has been designed, and not just in terms of shapes. The RS125 is a lovely thing to run your finger along.
There are textures, colours and decals... the RS didn't get dismissed as a tiny bike for newbies. Why am I going on and on about this? Because when they first unwrapped the new TVS Apache RTR 160, I was busy taking in all the details. The designers have crafted all of the ignored, functional bits into consciously designed articles. It's no Aprilia RS125, granted, but I can't think of any Indian bike that comes closer. The unchanged tank and tail piece will come in a superb yellow, red, matte grey, silver and black. Notice the new, nifty engine cowl. A neat racing stripe runs all the way from the top of the tail lamp to the tip of the front fender and also appears on the tacho. Everything - levers, pedals, grips, bar-end dampers, lights, dash - has received conscious design upgrades. The effect is one of effortless style. The Apache still looks compact and focussed, and now it has pizzaz. There will even be wheel pinstriping.
But, as I said, these are only part of the story. The other parts are RTR and 160. RTR stands for Racing Throttle Response. The engine has grown to 159.7cc and it's more than an overbore. The motor's stroke was cut down to 52.9 mm and then the bore grew to 62 mm. TVS says the extra displacement allowed them to raise the torque while boosting power on top as well. By how much? The RTR is rated at 15.2 bhp (at 8500 rpm) and 1.31 kgm (at 6000 rpm). That's a two kg heavier bike (still seven kg less than either the Bajaj Pulsar 150 or the Hero Honda CBZ X-Treme) making a little more power and same torque than the first-gen Pulsar 180.
On the track, the RTR proves to be a crisp flyer. Throttle response is immediate and the Apache loves revs. With useable power almost off idle, the 160 will blow through 60 kph in 4.8 seconds, 100 kph in 17.69 seconds (all-figures claimed) and reach a top speed of 118 kph.
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Comments
Took a trial of the RTR. she's really something. i would have gone for it had i been in market for a new bike. A big thumbs up for the tvs r&d team