Hi Guys,
Are you all wondering how Apache behaves at 10,000 kms?
Well, the review is more for the people who want to buy Apache or want to maintain their Apache. I am not against any bike, and I like all bikes in 150 cc segment, but Apache is simply great.
My red Apache is 10,100+ kms and 7.5 months old...and she is simply behaving like a rock star. So all those guys who think that it vibrates at 60 kmph, has gear problem, hard seat, bad shockers, high NHV , you are right, but read ahead, this one is especially for you.
Well answer to most of issues/problems in Apache is -
- Use Castrol Power T engine oil. It will make your bike very smooth, increase its pick-up, give a little extra mileage, improve sound quality and silencer note of bike. These TVS service guys put same engine oil in their 100 cc bikes and same in Apache. I feel that’s just not good. Castrol just changes your bike.
And I am a software engineer, I don't work for castrol.So don't think that I am writing for Castrol people.
- Ask your mechanic to set your idling r.p.m to 1100 . Sure, it will take a little bit to warm you bike's engine but the sound and NHV will reduce by this. Infact, service guys will set it to this r.p.m . However, company specified r.p.m is 1450 and your new bike is set on 1450, that’s why it makes more noise.
Warning: It may happen that your electric start may misfire or engine will shut off if you remove your hands from throttle grip. But this will happen for first 5 minutes only , i.e till the time your engine is cold. However, my personal experience is setting bike to 1100 rpm proves quite beneficial.
Now lets go into details of the bike:
Most Important One - Vibrations: Initially you will feel a bit of them at 60 kmph , but that is just a tinge in footrest and they will disappear after some use.(vanish by 3000 kms on your odo). NHV will become better with use and currently, my bike does not vibrate even a bit at 110kmph and is very smooth .I agree, in a new bike NHV is lot, but after using Castrol and as your bike will get older, NHV will come down and will have a better silencer note than pulsar and unicorn.
Looks : I just love them, though its a personal choice. You can use a car fash and car shine. Mine still looks like a new one, except I got to re-paint some scratches that occurred due to accident.
Engine: No matter how long you ride, how fast you ride, how badly you behave with your bike, how fast you zoom, how much you race.....it will always make you feel a proud owner of bike. Simply, the best. No signs of fatigue, whatsoever.
Pick -up : Awesome. Between 1500 kms to 400 kms on your odo, bike will make an impression that its fastest among 150 cc segment in 0-60 kmph range. After wards, pick up will improve like anything and real throttle will open at 7000-8000 kms where shooting to 90 kmph would be like anything, fastest in 150 cc segment. Riding on 80 kmph is very easy and it gives a very normal feeling.Fun starts at 90+.
A cool tip to beat all pulsurians : (make sure your bike is atleast 5000-6000 kms old and you can handle fast speeds) : Put fourth gear on 70 and by the time you reach 80 -85 you would be neck to neck with a pulsurian, at this speed put 5th gear and your bike will now zoom like a rocket leaving pulsar far behind. Currently, while racing on roads, I put fifth gear on 100kmph. Bike is that good.
Brakes : They are very good. I hope you know that you have to use them simultaneously. Best thing about Apache is the way it breaks down. Brake bite is fast on higher speeds and road grip is amazing even if you press your discs brakes hard. But make sure, while heavy braking, you use both brakes.
Gear : Well this is a bit of problem . There are times when you put on 2nd gear and it lies somewhere between neutral and first. Gear shifting is not slick. However, gear problem can be reduced by oiling/servicing. Initially, it use to make some clutter noise while downshifting gears and it was irritating a bit, but that problem started reducing itself as bike grew older and I don't even remember when was the last I faced this problem.
Handling & Tires : Apache weight is 136 kg, and pusar weighs 137 kg. But handing is lot easy here, especially flicking because the handle is very light. Tires have a very good grip on dry roads. Wet road grip is fine. But you got to be careful on broken roads with red sand(badarpur) and white sand, and on surface with mix of gravel ,small loose stones and sand. These Tires have a poor grip on red or white sand.
Mileage : Well, I think all those people who are thinking of buying a 125cc bike, why not consider an Apache. It gives 55+ mileage easily. My bike gives me 50+ as my driving style is very much mileage unfriendly. I drive really very fast and race a lot. use lot of gear shifting and brakes, still its return is 50+.Initially it even gave me 60+ when my bike was in set-up period. However, don't expect much mileage in first 300 kms.
Seat and Shockers - Initially I felt seat was not comfortable and shockers really poor. So I got them adjusted to Level-2. Seat eased out itself in few weeks and is very comfortable now. However, I won't say that these are best in class. I travel 37*2 kms daily(both ways) from Delhi to Noida to my office, but there is no problem of any kind of backache, so they are good.
Build Quality : Its good . I met with accident twice, thank god escaped with minor injuries. My Apache suffered on collision with a truck and after feeling on a ground and she got a hit by a car again. The total loss was scratches on front and crack in tail light mirror. On earlier accident, its indicator cracked and I got to align the front shocks and it was bad accident after being hit by car from sides, it fell in dig of round-about.
Electric Start: Well, whenever you go to service station, ask them to check battery water as they themselves don't do that. Otherwise, when engine is warm, it does not misfire. You can start it at any gear.
Oil meter: Its not perfect. But you will get used to it as it behaves consistently.
Some people feel that it is shorter in size. For them I would say don't buy black or silver colored one as they look short. You can buy the red or blue one. Well, that a personal comment. No hard feelings.
Well, all of you who are apprehensive about small problems, just don't worry about them. Ride at <4000 rpm until your bike is 1000kms old and then gradually start opening the throttle.
After 10000 kms, I can say that I am really happy that I purchased this bike . Best thing about Apache apart from it's looks is its pick-up and the way it decelerates once you loose the throttle at 100kmph..it makes you feel in a heaven. APACHE really ROCKS.
