TVS Apache RTR 200 Review

TVS have made us wait for a long time to give us their best and we could say it is worth the wait. We have seen TVS giving us their best with the 160 and the 180 which really held up to their discipline. Here we have their all new baby, TVS Apache RTR 200. Lets find out if it holds TVS’s head high.

Design and Features

The RTR with its design lets you know you are looking at a proper street fighter. It has got a very aggressive look to it which is taken straight from the Draken concept showcased to us at the Auto Expo 2016. The RTR 200 looks like the face lifted version of the other good looking RTRs and no doubt its the best looking RTR yet. The fuel tank is well sculpted and shows some muscle in it. The double barrel exhaust is not the most pleasing thing to look at but it sounds better than it looks.  The Apache RTR 200 is available in 7 color variants, we picked the Matte Yellow color variant.

The RTR’s instrument cluster has got a lot to offer. The bike’s instrument cluster features a tachometer, speedometer, odometer, two trip meters and clock. It also includes top speed indicator, gear position indicator, lap timer and an acceleration timer. The console is fully digital and offers good readability to the rider even in bright conditions.

The overall fit and finish is excellent and we honestly do not have any complaints regarding the styling of the bike.

Ride and Handling

TVS has done a great job on the suspension which takes on all the bumps and bad patches with ease. The suspension is soft and the ride quality is brilliant. You can hardly feel the small bumps on the road when you ride the RTR 200 over it. Thanks to the 37mm kayaba fork up front and the preload adjustable monoshock at the rear. When you dip the bike into corners and try to make the bike turn heads, the bike feels a little not too hard to work on. Because of the soft suspension setup, it makes you work a little more on getting the bike back on where it needs to go. This does not compromise on the handling of the bike. The all new chassis do not make it difficult in the handling department.

We got to ride the bike with the Pirelli 90/90 section front tyres and the 130/70 rear. The tyres just wouldn’t make a mistake no matter how hard you go at it.  The brakes are a 270mm disc upfront and 240mm at the rear.

Engine and performance

The RTR 200 has an oil cooled single cylinder engine displacing 197.75cc using a 4 valve head which uses a single over head cam. The FI version churns out 21 PS @ 8500 RPM and the carb version generates 20.05 PS of power @8500 RPM and a max torque of 18.1 NM @7000 RPM. We could manage a top speed of 123km/hr and the RTR didn’t struggle much doing it.

The power delivery is linear as found to be in the FI version ridden by us and the engine refinement was on the top of everything on this bike. TVS has done a great job on doing it and needs appreciation for the same. Riding on the highway is easy and the bike feels happy at about 6000-7000 RPM. The vibes are minimum and starts to juggle a bit when you hit the red line but that’s not where the RTR 200 wants you to keep it. It does not have the punch of the KTM duke 200 but its definitely not a loser. Overtaking is easy on this bike and many will be happy with the way it does it.

Rider and Pillion Comfort

As said earlier, the RTR has a great suspension and has no problems taking the bike over obstacles on the road. The handle is higher set and the rider feels comfortable at all times. The foot pegs are not rear set as on the KTM Duke. The riding position is comfortable and long rides will not be a problem on this bike. If you are a person spending most of the time on the highway then we recommend an after market windshield.

The pillion seat is not to small, nor is it too wide to sit on. The split seat setup looks fantastic and the pillion rider seat feels like its on a higher platform. This helps the pillion to look at the road ahead and enjoy the view rather than looking side ways and being uncomfortable at times.

The seats feel cushion-y and will not leave you with a sore bottom as in case of the Duke.

Verdict

TVS has given their everything in getting the RTR 200 to life. It surely has made justice to all the RTR fans out there looking for a powerful and a mean looking machine. The bike is a very good package and TVS gives you a variety of options to choose from. Having said all that, the bike is a great package altogether and we think its worth the buy when it comes at a price ranging from INR 88,990 – 1,07,000 (Ex-showroom Delhi). Now for a bike that looks this good and rides so comfortably, it sure is a good, good bet.

Check out the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V walk around and the exhaust note by GaadiKey