[Crankpin]

It really looks a like balanced bike at least from the spy pics and I have no doubt that it will outshine the Bajaj motorbikes in every department...especially quality.

[vinukm]

I saw this test bike today when I was passing via TVS towards Denkanikotai. Also are we expecting any new scooter from TVS. I saw a camouflaged scooter as well.

[Vik0728]

TVS Akula is really starting to create ripples now, and if we are to go by the way the RTR 200 handles, this could be the TVS's Game Changer here

I just hope that the saddle height is not kept as low as the RTR, which can be a pain for tall riders.

Originally Posted by vinukm

Also are we expecting any new scooter from TVS. I saw a camouflaged scooter as well.

You may have spotted this:

https://www.motorbeam.com/2017/06/bi...th-fi-spotted/

[AtheK]

Spotted in city.





All credits to original post here: https://www.rushlane.com/tvs-apache-...-12201645.html

[AtheK]

Spied again, this time showing off it's narrow street handling capabilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ7W8S1nTo8

With so many leaks in last couple of months, i guess we are now finally very very close to the launch. Please TVS do not skip the matt red color.

[Self Driven]

One of my cousin's daughter is racing with Honda bikes, and she had a chance to test the bike in the race track at Chennai. As a racer who competes in Honda 150cc, she was mighty impressed by the handling. The bikes is flick able and felt great on the tracks was her comment blushing with pride having rode one.

I left jealous of the kid who has 70k worth of suit(which she wears to the track) and walks away skidding sometimes at 3 digit speeds. My parents are dead against buying a CBR 250 from my Apache RTR 160

Cheers

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by Self Driven

One of my cousin's daughter is racing with Honda bikes, and she had a chance to test the bike in the race track at Chennai. As a racer who competes in Honda 150cc, she was mighty impressed by the handling. The bikes is flick able and felt great on the tracks was her comment blushing with pride having rode one.

I left jealous of the kid who has 70k worth of suit(which she wears to the track) and walks away skidding sometimes at 3 digit speeds. My parents are dead against buying a CBR 250 from my Apache RTR 160

Cheers

Thanks for sharing, i have been searching on news of launch everyday. I just hope TVS will launch it soon, i have the cheque ready already :P

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by Self Driven

One of my cousin's daughter is racing with Honda bikes, and she had a chance to test the bike in the race track at Chennai. As a racer who competes in Honda 150cc, she was mighty impressed by the handling. The bikes is flick able and felt great on the tracks was her comment blushing with pride having rode one....

Thanks for sharing! I am not sure she is bound by some disclaimer, but if there's a way, could you get a little bit more structured feedback (high points & low points) and post it for us?

I am waiting for this and might want to jump as soon as it's launched. The only other bike I seriously considered / TDed is the CBR 250 ABS.

PS : She might have rode a CBR 250 as well, so it'd be great to have a comparo as well, though I understand she had only a track experience with Akula.

[Self Driven]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

I am not sure she is bound by some disclaimer. but if there's a way, could you get a little bit more structured feedback (high points & low points) and post it for us?

She is not bound by any, whatever she mentioned was a casual chat with me, to exactly replicate what she said - The akula is very agile and flickable. It felt like it will put R15 to shame. She rode the bike as a test rider( as requested by TVS) and also mentioned that she had to give feedback to the Engineers at the track

PS : She might have rode a CBR 250 as well, so it'd be great to have a comparo as well, though I understand she had only a track experience with Akula.

As much i spoke to her, she never rode a CBR 250, since 150 is more favoured in the tracks(may be due to higher rev range). All i could say is that her comments were more on the riding dynamics than on power or driving comfort etc.. Apologies if I was not able to satisfy your queries / expectations

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by Self Driven

She is not bound by any, whatever she mentioned was a casual chat with me, to exactly replicate what she said - The akula is very agile and flickable. It felt like it will put R15 to shame. She rode the bike as a test rider( as requested by TVS) and also mentioned that she had to give feedback to the Engineers at the track

As much i spoke to her, she never rode a CBR 250, since 150 is more favoured in the tracks(may be due to higher rev range). All i could say is that her comments were more on the riding dynamics than on power or driving comfort etc.. Apologies if I was not able to satisfy your queries / expectations

would you be kind enough to check with her if TVS dropped any hints about the release date.

[payeng]

Sales Trend over last 10 years in India has shown that full Faired "Dhoom Bikes" Flatter to deceive. No matter how good is the bike, I am not that bullish on the Faired Apache to smash big sales numbers.

Yamaha YZF R15 launched way back 10 years back in 2007, still sells for around 3K-4K monthly numbers max.

When it (R15) was launched it was among the first to break the mental barrier of a Rs. 1 Lakh plus "Commuter Bike" in India, but eventually it turned out that it had just made it easier for Royal Enfield with its Classic 350 to chart new records month on month hence (currently Classic 350 is touching around 40K numbers monthly).

My Take on Why Full Faired Bikes Doesn't do as well as Nakeds in India:

1. Practicality: Nakeds are more practical to commute. Even if a bike is full faired, the primary reason why a bike under 3 lakh is bought is to COMMUTE.

2. Leg Guards/Center Stands: Indians want Leg Guards/Center Stands on their bikes. The Full faired ones don't get it.

3. Young Boy's Toy: A sporty/full faired bike appears like a young (teen/early 20's) guys ride. Royal Enfield appears like Mature (not necessarily old) guys ride

[Self Driven]

Originally Posted by AtheK

would you be kind enough to check with her if TVS dropped any hints about the release date.

I really can feel your urge and enthusiasm. When i checked the same, she was more interested on the bike than its launch dates. so she had missed asking them specifically.

Sorry to say that your wait and suspense continues

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by payeng

My Take on Why Full Faired Bikes Doesn't do as well as Nakeds in India:

1. Practicality: Nakeds are more practical to commute. Even if a bike is full faired, the primary reason why a bike under 3 lakh is bought is to COMMUTE.

2. Leg Guards/Center Stands: Indians want Leg Guards/Center Stands on their bikes. The Full faired ones don't get it.

3. Young Boy's Toy: A sporty/full faired bike appears like a young (teen/early 20's) guys ride. Royal Enfield appears like Mature (not necessarily old) guys ride

It is way more simple than all of that:

1. We are a country where bikes are mostly not bought due to passion or the love of riding. They are bought because they are cheap and efficient and thus go well with our economic scenario. We are a country of Splendors and Unicorns and Activas. People are not at all interested in riding. Someone who is 50 and has been riding for 30 years also would not know how to counter steer or check his mirrors before turning, so why would they care about revised ergonomics and different geometry? They just want to sit upright and go. Bas!

[praful]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

PS : She might have rode a CBR 250 as well, so it'd be great to have a comparo as well, though I understand she had only a track experience with Akula.

Not sure what kind of a comparo would you be looking at? Because the Akula on paper makes a lot more power than the CBR, and going by whatever everyone is saying about the handling (some close friends rode the Akula on the track too) it clearly looks like it outperforms the CBR in the handling department as well.

I guess the only differentiator here would be the refinement which Honda's are definitely known for and possible the ergonomics on the Akula might be more race/forward biased.

Not saying one is better than the other, each has their strengths and will appeal to different target audience.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by praful

...the Akula on paper makes a lot more power than the CBR, and going by whatever everyone is saying about the handling (some close friends rode the Akula on the track too) it clearly looks like it outperforms the CBR in the handling department as well.

I guess the only differentiator here would be the refinement which Honda's are definitely known for and possible the ergonomics on the Akula might be more race/forward biased...

As you wrote, I want to see how Akula performs Vs CBR on all parameters. I am not someone who rides fast, so the power / acceleration figures don't make a lot of difference to me as long as a bike can hit 100 kmph with ease.

What matters to me is the refinement, comfort, brakes, ergonomics and reliability.