Apaches ride into battle
Norton parent company TVS ready to take on the UK market with a new range of 300s
TVS might not be a household name in the UK but they are huge in their home market and they’re launching a seven-model range of Euro5compliant bikes and scooters in the UK later this year, all built in India at their Hosur factory south of Bangalore. Oh, and they just so happen to own Norton.
Spearheading that line-up is a pair of Apache models sharing a tubular steel trellis frame platform; the faired, sporty RR310 and the RTR310 naked. These are equipped with the same 313cc single-cylinder DOHC motor that powers the BMW G310R and G310GS models, which TVS developed in collaboration with the German firm. Prices have yet to be confirmed, but the expectation is that both would come in at around £5000.
The chance to sample both its Apache models came on a recent visit to the TVS Hosur factory, on the short, twisty 0.76-mile Meco Kartopia go-kart track outside Bangalore. Still, it was sufficient to get a taster of what they’ll be like when they hit Britain this summer.
‘Spec worthy of the latest Italian offerings’
Top-spec naked
Surprisingly, it was the naked RTR310 which was the slightly more potent and by far the best-specc’d of the two models, with 35bhp at 9700rpm, compared to the 33.3bhp of the RR310. It features five riding modes, a six-axis IMU, Bosch 9.1 MP two-channel cornering ABS, cornering traction control, dynamic cruise control, dynamic lighting and a ‘temperature controlled seat’ which I didn’t really notice in my short stint in warm spring weather. That’s a pretty complete spec for a 313cc entry-level single, worthy of the latest and greatest from Borgo Panigale rather than a volume production Indian manufacturer which sold 3,039,436 motorcycles, scooters and three-wheelers in its Indian home market in 2023.
Riding it in the form that it’ll be sold in Europe, the RTR310 had a two-way quickshifter as standard which was ideally set up, permitting crisp, sharp changes which let me surf the wide spread of torque peaking at 7500 revs, just three-quarters of the way to the 10,500rpm limiter. Even in Track mode the 313cc twin-cam single pulled in top gear from as low as 3200rpm without any hesitation or transmission snatch, thanks to its good low-down fuelling.
Then there was an extra kick of acceleration around 7000rpm, and another one at nine grand, so it paid to rev the motor out.
Despite the pretty tight wheelbase, with its 810mm seat height the TVS naked was spacious enough for my 5ft 10in stature not to feel cramped. And the KYB suspension, fully adjustable at both ends, gave good ride quality, eating up bumps without any issues. The single 310mm front disc with its four-pot caliper was just enough brake to haul down a bike weighing 169kg (kerb).
Sporty but basic
The fully-faired Apache RR310 has just four riding modes and none of the electronic aids to be found on the RTR besides the required ABS, while the Kayaba suspension was non-adjustable except for rear preload. TVS expect the RTR to be the most popular model, hence the higher level of spec.
If the UK importer decides to bring in the RR310, they may well decide to bring it up to the RTR’s spec levels. It would be a cracking little sportsbike if it had the quickshifter and all the electronics.
It steered nicely into turns, with some noticeable but not excessive dive from the upside-down front fork on the standard settings. This actually helped it tip in nicely to a slow second gear turn, with good precision and no lack of stability. I didn’t much like the vertical dash, though – all a matter of taste.
The naked TVS should sell well if the price is right, while the Indian company need to sort the spec out on the sportier RR.
‘The TVS engine was developed with BMW’