Mar 08, 2013 03:17 PM
80650 Views
(Updated Mar 08, 2013 03:30 PM)
TVS Apache RTR 160(Single Disk)(Red & Black color)
Bought in Jan 2013. So far driven 1500Kms.
Fuel Efficiency - 52.72 Km/L
Pros
Awesome looks
Awesome breaks
Good handling & control
Good pickup & power
Broader rear tire - better grip
Good rear suspension
Good Mileage
Cons
Minor Vibrations can be felt in the handle bar when driving at(50~ 60 Kms/hr). Stops after 60 Kms/hr.
A bit less comfortable riding position(Have to bend my hip a bit to reach the handle bar, also knees have to be bent a bit more to reach the Gear & Break). Had hip pain & leg pain for first 3 days. Then got used to it(no more pain).
Front suspension not as good as the rear.
My experience
I love my ride in the new beast.
Before buying this bike I had lots of objections from my parents & relatives against buying this bike. I would like to highlight my experience with this bike as against the objections raised. Hope this would help prospective buyers!
The bike is very fast & dangerous - I am not sure about the previous versions of this bike but this bike is not as fast as perceived. It is similar to any other 150CC bike in the market. I heard that the previous version of the bike skids a lot. But the new version has broader tires. The tire pressure has to be front(25), rear(30). Usually petrol bunk persons keep rear tire pressure at 35. More tire pressure can reduce road grip. Insist on maintaining the rear tire pressure at 30 or at max 32 as prescribed in the Manual.
Reduced mileage - I get 52.72 Kms/L in Chennai city traffic conditions. This is decent as compared to other 150CC bikes available in the market.
Seating height is high - I am 5'6" the riding seat height suits me perfectly. So people who are more than 5'6" should have no issue. Also Unicorn & GS150R have higher rider seat position. Rear seat height is not too funky like in Fz series, it is pretty decent.
Resale value - I am not sure about this. I bought a Yamaha Libero in 2004 for about 46K and sold it for about 9.5K in 2011. My parents and relatives compelled me to take a Splendor in those days for the resale value. I hope if I had bought a splendor in 2004 and sold it in 2011 it would have fetched about 15K. The difference is about 5.5K and I can accept it to be a price paid for the pleasure I had in riding the machine that I like, rather than looking in envy at other riding my dream machine. Looking at another angle the value loss is 31K in the case of splendor & 36.5K in the case of Libero, its sure that your bike will lose value in 5 or more years but how much it matters to someone is always a matter of subjective preference.
