RTR 180 - Ride it and you will be in love with it. Review on TVS Apache RTR 180

RTR 180 has been truly defined as'The Menace'. I bought the bike after doing a thorough RnD on the bikes available between 150 CC to 200CC, in the market. I drilled down finally to 2 bikes. New unicorn or RTR 180. After having a look at the WHITE RTR 180 in the showroom, I selected RTR 180. Let me note down here the PROS and CONS of the bike.

PROS

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1. Excellent pick-up: Pick up of this bike is too good. Every time I start my bike and ride it I just love the first pick up. It sends a thrill down your whole body. The bike can reach 0-60kmph in an avg 4.3 secs.

   
   




2. Excellent Design: TVS guys have put in a lot of effort in the design of the bike and that shows in the bike. It has a true racing bike design. The riding position of the bike is very comfortable(not for long drives) and stylish. Rear mudguard can be removed to provide the bike a more sporty look.

   
   




3. Both Disc brakes: Both front and rear wheel have disc brakes. This provides excellent braking to the bike. Use it sensibly and you get the best braking in comparison to all other bikes in the market.

   
   




4. Both tube less tyres: Both front and rear tyres are tubeless. This provides a smooth drive and better grip on the road.

   
   




5. Clip-on Handle: The handle of RTR 180 is clip-on ones. It can be adjusted to the riders comfort and it is practically much more comfortable than the conventional handles

   
   




6. Digital Console: RTR 180 has a digital console. The blue backlight adds to the beauty of the bike. It has a lot of settings on the console. It stores your max speed attended till date. It also, stores min time taken for reaching 0-60 kmph. Bike also has Service indicator and battery indicator. The tachometer is analog.

   
   




7. Control: This is the bike that lets the user control the bike. You can zigzag through the traffic with much ease. Cornering with this bike is superb. You can fill the excitement in you while turning in the corners.

   
   

CONS

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1. Avg Mileage: It gives~45kmpl depending on your riding condition.

   
   




2. TVS Tyres: Tyres would have been better if it would have been MRF tyres. During rain, it seems some riders face skidding. Personally I have not faced it yet, though I have already been through rain drenched road. May be, if you drive sensibly, then you can avoid this.(Even four wheelers do skid on water:D)

   
   




3. Vibration: Though the vibrations are greatly reduced in RTR 180, but still there is a little vibration while driving in 4.5k to 5k RPM. It is not zero till date.

   
   




4. Riding Position: The riding position is same as racing bikes. So, you cannot ride the bike continuously for longer hours.(I ride every day for avg 25kms without any issue). Some might initially get some wrist pain as whole body weight will be on the wrist.

   
   




5. Height: Some people might face problem with the bike due to its low height. May be if you are 6 ft+, then you should better take a test ride to make sure it is comfortable for you.

   
   

Over all, the bike is really very good. I love the sound it makes when I put the heat on the accelerator. Vrrmmm. The control I have on the bike is also awesome. I love to ride this bike.

RTR 180 has own MOTORCYCLE OF THE YEAR award in bikes upto 200CC category at NDTV - car & bike Awards.

PRICE: Rs 74, 600/-(On Road, With all extra accessories, Bangalore)

Recent Price(Aug.2010): Around Rs 79, 000/-(On Road, With all extra accessories, Bangalore)

Hope this helps you in deciding your next dream bike. Happy biking.:)

-04.Feb.2010-

Friends, some update on RTR 180. After my first servicing also, I used to get the thad sound from the front suspension. So, I took it to the servicing center and they did some modification and it is fine now. But they said that it is only temporary solution. As the problem is with all the RTR 180 bikes, TVS is going to replace the fluid pump inside the front suspension with a larger size. It might take 3-4 months more to manufacture and send that part from TVS to all TVS centers. Once received, the service center will replace the new part in every RTR 180, free of cost. Till that day, enjoy the temporary fix;).

-11.Aug.2010-

After 3rd servicing, I am getting around 40kmpl in Bangalore traffic. As suggested by the service center, I just take the bike to service center after every 1000km ride(apart from free servicing) for tightening up things a bit like gear, clutch etc. That keeps my bike in a good shape to give a pleasant ride every time I race it. So, till now, the thrill is still on.:)