Racing DNA Unleashed

Another look at the ag bearers of the menace ing Apache series

- Karan Singh Bansatta

Despite India being a country that relies on motorcycles as utility vehicles and cheaper means of transport, the demand for leisure motorcycling has been on the rise for over 2 decades now. And one of the major catalysts in this transformation has been the presence of motorcycles that can serve this purpose. And one of the few stalwarts of the rise of performance motorcycling in India has been the Apache series from TVS Motor Company.

The first Apache that came out from the stable of TVS was the 150 ESurge. It was a fantastic motorcycle and it built the foundation for the oncoming onslaught that the Apache series was going to be. The ESurge was just the beginning. The RTR series that followed defined for Indians what a performance motorcycle feels like. Responsive throttle, razor-sharp handling and performance-centric suspension tuning, all came from the direct involvement of TVS Racing.

There was not much that needed to be fixed in the Apache RTR series but being a racing-centric company, TVS saw a lot they could improve. The efforts from TVS Motor Company intensified, the involvement of TVS Racing in the development of the motorcycle increased, and the result? The Apache RTR 160 4V, 200 4V and the Apache RR 310, the three pillars which define all that Apache stands for today. So without further ado, let’s unleash the racing DNA!

LET’S start the proceedings with the youngest and the smallest… the Apache RTR 160 4V. The one minor niggle that people had with the Apache RTR 2Vs was the refinement. The motorcycles were slightly buzzier than the usual single-cylinders.