TVS APACHE RR310
Three years and multiple updates later, has TVS finally managed to crack the code?
ALRIGHT, I AM GOING TO SAY this right at the onset – this is what the Apache RR 310 should have been at the start. A bike that is easygoing for the everyday hustle and an absolute cracker on the track. Three years on, TVS has found the perfect recipe. Surprisingly, there are no major changes. The RR continues to use the same engine but now gets ride-by-wire, four riding modes (Track, Sport, Urban and Rain), a new 5-inch TFT display with Smart Xonnect and Glide Through Traffic Plus. The performance figures stand at 33bhp and 27.3Nm in Track and Sport mode while the Urban and Rain mode dials it down to 25bhp and 25Nm. Fancy stuff, eh? And that’s not it. Even the ABS and engine braking gets calibrated according to the riding mode.
Out on the track, with Track mode selected, the RR felt at home, ready to attack corners and urging you to go faster. The biggest contributor is the new Michelin Road 5 rubber. The grip levels are superior compared to the Pilot Sport. We ended up scraping the pegs and the shifter at almost every corner at the MMRT.
In Urban or Rain mode, the difference can be easily felt. The throttle feels a bit lazy, engine braking too is a tad mellow and the ABS kicks in much sooner. Even the top speed is limited at 125kmph. We also tested the ABS in wet conditions. In fact, we even slammed the brakes in the wet in Sport mode at 90kmph, and the RR 310 stopped without any drama whatsoever.
Though the track isn’t the ideal place to test the tractability of the engine, the RR feels very comfortable riding at low speeds at higher gears. GTT allows the bike to crawl at 9kmph in the first cog and 11kmph in the second in Track and Sport modes. But the brilliance of the system can actually be felt in the Urban mode, where the bike can putter around at 11kmph in the first cog right up to 35kmph in the sixth cog, with zero clutch or throttle input.
With comfortable ergonomics, a friendly engine, good quality and stunning looks, the RR 310 has always been a tempting proposition. Now, at `2.40 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), TVS has sweetened the deal by adding a plethora of features, including a five-year warranty, a first from TVS. After all, with 38 years of racing experience, it’s hard to go wrong. ⌧
WE ENDED UP SCRAPING THE PEGS AND SHIFTER AT ALMOST EVERY CORNER AT THE MMRT