Jan 18, 2011 12:55 PM
9024 Views
(Updated Jan 19, 2011 07:39 AM)
Apache was a bike I have never liked in the past because I feel it is very small as I had owned the Pulsar for 5 years and started biking with a yezdi 250 classic. I sold my pulsar after using it for 5 years with over 50k on the odo and I sold it just because I was leaving the country for a year.
After coming back to India I was really not interested in investing in a new bike and all the decent bikes came above the 70k mark. I definitely was not interested in spending that amount of money on a bike. So I decided to settle on a used bike instaed and started searching the internet for them. I cam across many bikes including P220s and R15s.
One of them was a yellow apache RTR FI 160 with the rear disc and around 13-14k on its odo. Frankly I have never liked the apache because of its shorter frame and the rear end looks but then I thought what is the harm in taking a test drive. I had lot of free time over the weekend and taking test drives was something I used to do to kill my time. So I took the keys from the owner and started it.
First Impression- The console was very impressive with colourful lights lighting up your face. I pushed the self start button and the bike roared to life. The firing was good to hear, much different from the Hondas and the Bajajs (I had just taken the TD of an Xtreme before I came here and so I could feel the difference).
I engaged the first gear and took off. The bike leaped into motion and I was thoroughly impressed by its pickup. The throttle was very very responsive and everytime I twisted it, I could feel the power the bike had. The riding position was also very sporty and the bike felt ground even when I was driving at 110kmhp.
The top speed the bike has clocked was 126 kmph which is pretty good number for a 160cc bike. My impression about the apache completely changed after the ride.
Other Factors- After taking this test drive I went to test drive a red P220 which had around 8200 kms on its odometer. I thought this would completely wash off the impression created by apache as it had 60 more cubic centimeters to support but I was proved wrong. Even after opening the full throttle, it was just not leaping into speed as you would expect from such a powerful bike.
The digital meter malfunctioned a lot and the rpm meter showed 12000 rpm at a speed of 40kmph. I tried to take it to 100kmph but the speedo stuck at 80kmph. After riding it for a few kilometers, the gearbox became very hard to shift. I have had problems with the gearbox on my P150 and had hear that the gearbox problem is patented to all pulsars but I thought that the 220 would be an exception.
How wrong was I? I returned the bike to the owner after being completely disappointed with the 220. I took the test drives of a few more 220s but they all had similar issues. However 2 things I did like with the 220 were its headlight and the riding position.
Both are better than the apache to a certain extent. The seating position in 220 gets you in a mood to be all sporty and just zoom past the traffic but all you can do is get in the mood as the engine and gearbox fail to help your mood.
My Experience - So after being disappointed with the Pulsars I had my mind set on the apache as the Xtreme felt too laid back and the hunk was a hunk just for the name. I was not interested in the R15 as it demanded a higher investment and the Karizma was also the same. I took the test drive of a new apache in one showroom and I came back even more impressed.
Finally after a lot of contemplation I finally brought the RTR FI 160. I have since then been driving this bike and I absolutely love it. It is the first one to leave the signal even when all Karizmas, Pulsars, Unicorns and CBZs are lined up. The fuel efficeincy is also excellent (around 45 kmpl) for a 160cc bike.
So you get a sports bike with the FE of a 180cc commuter bike and that is a very rare combination to find. You could speed up whenever you wanted and easily beat the pulsars/cbzs yet not worry about the FE which is a big deal in times when petrol cost is getting multiplied every year.
You do not lose out on performance or FE with this bike and this was something I really liked.
Some Minor Niggles- The only downsides are 1. vibrations 2. head light 3. Seating position for the rider and pillion. This bike is not that refined and has some vibrations compared to other bikes but then it gives you the rugged and powerful feeling.
The engine power surely makes you forget about the vibrations. The high beam and low beam focus on the road hardly 10 cms apart from each other - not very helpful on dark highways if you are travelling in speed. The seating position for the rider is like a sportz bike and can be a bit heavy on the lower back.
Even for the pillion the foot pegs are very high which can give them a leg pain. The seats could have been a bit 'cushion'y but nevertheless I still love it and would 100% recommend it as these are minor issues which can be easily neglected.
Continuation post- Do read "RTR 160 FI - had the best after sales experience" as well in the "TVS Apache" section. I could not post it in continuation to this one here because of the word limit and the website would not allow me to create another review on the same bike in the same section.
So had to put it in a different section. It is a review on the after sales service provided by TVS which is more important than the bike as buying a bike is a one time investment but the servicing is something you have to get done very frequently.
So do read it.
