Racing DNA... now in your hands!!. Review on TVS Apache RTR Menace

Hey guys this review is based on a few hardcore riding sessions on the RTR 180 belonging to my friend and as of now I do not own one ( keeping my fingers crossed though). Frankly if it wasnt for the line in the ad ' Why do I race?...' ( coz I frequently ask myself this heh heh) and the breathtaking beauty of the RTR in pearl white, I wouldnt have bothered with a testing test ride at all.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: (my first visit to the tvs showroom)

The bike looks almost like its sibling the RTR 160 except for the minor stickering changes and golden suspension forks, to the trained eye the slightly longer wheelbase and clipons are instantly visible. In my personal opinion the word to describe the bike is neat. It looks clean, simple and elegant.

Sitting astride one you immediately notice the agressive seating position which makes you wonder about the possible back and wrist pains but the moment you wring the throttle all the doubts gets as quickly left behind as this bike's competitors!! With a smile inducing meaty growl of the engine you are off to a spectacular start. The way the bike pulls away with confident power in any given gear is a treat for the speed lovers and you will slowly realise this is the way u want to be seated on this road scorcher.

I was concentrating more into pickup power in each gear rather than its top speed and I was genuinely satisfied. The viberations are rarely felt and the bike feels solid and planted. Trust me the ride was indeed addicting and had I any substantial cash with me I would have booked the bike on the spot.

I left for home that day feeling both elated and depressed...on one hand the performance of the bike moved me, on the other hand I am not likely to get one imediately, so it was indeed an evening of mixed emotions. I recommended the bike over the pulsar 180 to my friends and one of them picked it up too. Then after leaving for a few weeks to kerala I started to doubt about its performnce, wondering if I wasnt unduly influenced by the sudden increase in power from riding a 150cc unicorn to the showroom that day. Then one ride on my friends demon black RTR when I was back to bangalore and I was a converted fan once again. The bike never fails to impress me on its performance and solid built quality and the exclusivity factor too and if you are in the market for a 180cc bike, look no further.

The only thorn in the menace's way is the pulsar 220dtsi. In kerala the onroad price of the pulsar 220dtsi is just Rs.5000 more than the onroad price of the menace and that is indeed worrying. Honestly I was never a fan of the pulsar ( mostly due to the common as salt situaton) and I have not yet got a chance to test ride the 220 (though I will in the next week) but I feel the apache looks more solid. But 21ps of power and 220cc engine for an extra 5 grand is hard to ignore and infact it seems more logical too. This is my current dilemma. As if now its the menace thats having my favour as it has a fighter's soul but I am indeed scared my friends if one ride on the 220 will change that. If Anyof you have any opinion on the matter please do not hesitate to voice them.

Penned on the 20th of sept- I have spent considerable time testriding and power riding the 220 dtsi and so far its + points are the amazing headlamp unit, the comfortable seating position and the deal clincher- 21ps of power on a 220cc engine at Rs81000 ( in blr). rest everything is on the negative side, the built quality and its inability to zig zag in traffic.

Now considering that everyone will ignore the negatives in favor of more power and pricing. Then let me make 2 things clear - TVS is coming out with racing kits which will take the rtr 180's total power to 30bhp and considering the facts that the rtr is almost 10 grand less than the 220 and the astronomical pricing of any future bike in the 30 bhp range, the rtr will be the cheapest and fastest unrivalled street performer for sure. The 2nd fact is the simple fact that the rtr can match with the 0 to 60 and 0 to 100 timings of the 220 and only falls short at the top end. Not a bad bargain if u ask me:-) SO finally today my rtr10 vs P220 dtsi quest has come to an end!

P.S - yes I am fully aware a lot of pulsar fans will be at my throat for the very comparison of these 2 bikes but I have to stand for what I believe and what I see as facts in reality and not on paper.