Mission Accomplished
After being quite impressed with the new Apache RTR 160 4V, it is now time to put the BS VI-compliant RTR 200 4V to the test
The previous story in this issue had me travelling to tvs’s hosur test-track to ride the Bs vicompliant rtr 160 4v and, while there, tvs also had the new Apache rtr 200 4v for us to try out. the looming Bs vi norms have been quite intimidating to us enthusiastic bikers, since getting these motorcycles to pollute less means adding weight to the exhaust system and stifling the induction system, resulting in less power. the fact that the 160 4v was able to retain its exciting nature in the face of this new legislation was a pleasant surprise and hopping on to the 200 4v, i expected no less.
As with its smaller sibling, the major visible difference on the new rtr 200 4v is that bold LeD headlamp. i can’t say i’m a fan of the new design, but the fact that the light weight of this new unit works to offset some of the added mass of the new Bs-vi hardware is good enough for me. Further weight-savings come from a new lightweight piston and reworked mounting points for the body-panels and the 2020 rtr 200 4v ends up weighing just two kilograms more than its predecessor.
With 20.5 hp on tap at 8,500 rpm, the outgoing rtr 200 4v was definitely a segment leader when it came to performance and the good news here is that tvs have found a way for the new bike to retain this peak power figure, although with 16.8 nm of twist on tap, peak torque output has dropped by 1.3 nm. this deficit cannot be felt when accelerating hard through the unchanged five-speed gearbox and the new motorcycle feels just as energetic as i remember the older 200 4v to be. Fuelling actually seems better than before, throttle response is crisp, acceleration is linear, and the exhaust note is smooth yet pleasing.
Blasting through the long, sweeping righthander at the test-track, the motorcycle felt extremely stable and planted, encouraging me to push harder and exit the corner with a handful of throttle. the new 200 4v runs on the same telescopic fork and KyB monoshock as the outgoing bike, but it has traded in the tvs remora cross-ply rear tyre for an even grippier radial hoop from tvs’s own eurogrip tyre lineup. the front is still shod with the older remora, though, and the tyres work well together to provide consistent feedback to the rider at high lean angles.
riding both the 160 and the 200 back-toback made it clear that while the smaller bike’s suspension set-up is a little softer, to keep the rider insulated from road undulations, both ends on the 200 feel noticeably firmer to keep the operator more in touch with the road’s surface, as this bike is aimed directly at performanceoriented riders.
Braking hardware remains unchanged, with petal discs at both ends and an ABs that works well to keep the wheels from locking up or the rear end from leaving the ground under hard braking.
the 200 4v also gets the Gtt feature that we have spoken about in detail in the 160 4v review. An acronym for Glide through technology, this system provides a bit of torque assist when at extremely low speeds to keep the bike moving forward even with the throttle closed, preventing stalls. exclusive to the 200, however, is the Bluetooth connectivity feature which connects to your mobile device via the tvs smartXonnect app, similar to the system on the ntorq scooter. the angular dash, although physically unchanged, now gets a small dot-matrix display within the LCD screen to alert the rider of an incoming call or provide navigational prompts, while the app logs everything from speed to maximum lean angle for you to keep track of your riding performance. the lean angle sensor, however, is dependent on your phone’s gyro and will throw up inconsistent readings if the phone is moving around in your pocket. We would advise mounting the phone on to the motorcycle for accurate figures.
the smartXonnect package also includes a handy crash alert system which notifies the rider’s emergency contacts in the event of a fall. Also, when low on fuel, the Apache 200 4v not only lights up the fuel light on the dash, it also has the option to provide turn by turn navigation to the nearest fuel pump; quite a useful feature when in another town or city.
Getting an existing motorcycle to adhere to the Bs-vi norms is going to result in a price hike as well. the old rtr 200 4v retails for rs 1.14 lakh (ex-showroom) and the new bike sees the price go up substantially by about rs 9,500. this is the price we must pay for a greener future and expect similar price hikes across the board as more and more manufacturers ready their Bs-vi machines in time for the April 2020 deadline.
A day spent with the new rtr 200 4v has me convinced that tvs have succeeded in adhering to next year’s legislation without diluting the experience of riding what has always been a very involving motorcycle. Mission accomplished.