[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by Sportztourer

The Slipper clutch is direct fit on the version 1 RTR 200 and I have documented the whole installation process along with the slipper clutch in action which you should not miss in this video:

Kudos on the mod, this would also be helpful for anyone who runs off a Fiero, RTR160, RTR180 other motorcycles based on the Fiero motor.

[Motard_Blr]

Originally Posted by Sportztourer

APACHE RTR 200 MODIFICATION: SLIPPER CLUTCH INSTALLED

...

Congratulations on the upgrade! Your video is very nice and informative.

Just one question: did you soak the new clutch friction plates in engine oil as is usual practice to avoid sticking and early burnout? I didn't see you mention in in the video.

[gautamkhadse]

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Congratulations on the upgrade! Your video is very nice and informative.

Just one question: did you soak the new clutch friction plates in engine oil as is usual practice to avoid sticking and early burnout? I didn't see you mention in in the video.

In the video, he says, there is no need to soak in oil as its pre-lubricated.

What I am more interested in, is whether we can really do this on the RTR 160, I have a 160 with me that is used as occasionally as the word occasionally itself. However, the bike is very close to my heart as it was my first bike and hence have retained it for the last 13 years. Would like to run this mod on the 160 and see if it makes the car better.

[Sportztourer]

Originally Posted by vprao

Thanks a lot Sportztourer for the awesome review. My encounter with RTR200 has been rather dramatic.
Now eagerly waiting for the day I'll own one

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience, I really love reading such buying stories. All the best with the purchase ��

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Kudos on the mod, this would also be helpful for anyone who runs off a Fiero, RTR160, RTR180 other motorcycles based on the Fiero motor.

Thanks @ashwinprakas, you are right it should fit as they share a lot of parts in common. Only doubt I have here is the clutch housing and the number of clutch plates as the 200 has 6 clutch plates and 5 pressure plates.

Originally Posted by Motard_Blr

Congratulations on the upgrade! Your video is very nice and informative.

Just one question: did you soak the new clutch friction plates in engine oil as is usual practice to avoid sticking and early burnout? I didn't see you mention in in the video.

Thanks @Motard_Blr Glad to know that you liked the video.

Originally Posted by gautamkhadse

In the video, he says, there is no need to soak in oil as its pre-lubricated.
What I am more interested in, is whether we can really do this on the RTR 160

Thanks @gautamkhadse for clearing the pre-lubricated part. 160 is a sweet motorcycle, as mentioned in the previous reply we need to check the clutch housing and whether the 6 plate clutch will fit in the 160/180.

[ramji_or]

Originally Posted by gautamkhadse

What I am more interested in, is whether we can really do this on the RTR 160, I have a 160 with me that is used as occasionally as the word occasionally itself. However, the bike is very close to my heart as it was my first bike and hence have retained it for the last 13 years. Would like to run this mod on the 160 and see if it makes the car better.

@gautamkhadse, RTR 160 is definitely a gem. Mine is 10 years and 1,30,000 kms old and is still a pocket rocket. Just like you, I am planning to keep it forever.

Originally Posted by Sportztourer

Thanks @gautamkhadse for clearing the pre-lubricated part. 160 is a sweet motorcycle, as mentioned in the previous reply we need to check the clutch housing and whether the 6 plate clutch will fit in the 160/180.

@Sportztourer, Can you please help in finding out the compatibility of RTR 160?

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by Sportztourer

Thanks @ashwinprakas, you are right it should fit as they share a lot of parts in common. Only doubt I have here is the clutch housing and the number of clutch plates as the 200 has 6 clutch plates and 5 pressure plates.

I guess you'd be a better judge of that, here's a picture of the RTR160's clutch, it has 5 friction plates and 4 pressure plates.

[classic86]

Hi! Been following this thread for a few days since I got a new RTR 200 2.0 edition with ABS and I got to appreciate your well detailed upgrades and attention to minor points. Just wanted to check if we can upgrade the carburetor to fuel injection because that’s the only thing missing on this bike. Also, my bike clocked 150 kms so far and I feel gear shifts from 1st gear to 2nd gear are hard. It’s been like that since delivery and I wanted to know from your experience if it would get better over time.

[Nitish.arnold]

Originally Posted by Sportztourer

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience, I really love reading such buying stories. All the best with the purchase ��



Thanks @ashwinprakas, you are right it should fit as they share a lot of parts in common. Only doubt I have here is the clutch housing and the number of clutch plates as the 200 has 6 clutch plates and 5 pressure plates.



Thanks @Motard_Blr Glad to know that you liked the video.



Thanks @gautamkhadse for clearing the pre-lubricated part. 160 is a sweet motorcycle, as mentioned in the previous reply we need to check the clutch housing and whether the 6 plate clutch will fit in the 160/180.

Can this mod be done on a Yamaha R3? (noob alert)

I am loving the new aggressive approach tvs is now following,
my frnd had the apache 200, and I was surprised to see optional ABS system. I mean, who provides these functionalities, must be an enthusiast sitting in the High chair.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by Nitish.arnold

Can this mod be done on a Yamaha R3? (noob alert)

This can be done on any motorcycle as long as you have a clutch basket that sits well on the input shaft and meshes well with the primary drive.

Originally Posted by classic86

Hi! Been following this thread for a few days since I got a new RTR 200 2.0 edition with ABS and I got to appreciate your well detailed upgrades and attention to minor points. Just wanted to check if we can upgrade the carburetor to fuel injection because that’s the only thing missing on this bike. Also, my bike clocked 150 kms so far and I feel gear shifts from 1st gear to 2nd gear are hard. It’s been like that since delivery and I wanted to know from your experience if it would get better over time.

1. Anything is possible, you can "Upgrade" from a carburetor to a FI unit, but that is as pointless as it gets because spending roughly 15~20k on comparatively unreliable(all things considered) technology doesn't make sense.

2. A mass produced motorcycle can take anywhere from 500 to 10,000 km's for all components to properly bed in and at 150 km's I'd say that you're just being paranoid, ensure that all consumables are changed in a timely manner and the motorcycle would feel better as the odo count keeps climbing, and just because the shifter is reluctant to shift don't go about muscling it, a little persuasion of the clutch would do.

[jomson13]

Came across this thread while I was doing my research on the Apache 200 and I must say that it has been very well detailed out by @Sportztourer. Thank you for taking the time out and sharing your experience with us. Looking forward to seeing more updates from you as time passes on.

I took a test drive of the 200 (carb, no ABS) earlier this week and was genuinely surprised by the refinement level of the engine; I'm guessing that this will only get better once the engine is fully run in and all the components have settled down.
I was also very content with the eagerness of the bike to spring forward when you open the throttle. The brakes were pretty impressive too.

All in all I was sold on the bike and the only thing that I am contemplating now is whether I should go in for the ABS or not. The difference in the OTR price is almost 14k and the grey color bike does not come with an ABS option (I don't know why TVS had to use color as a differentiator here!)

Being a big yamaha fan (My previous bike was a Yamaha SZ-R and I currently have my uncles RXG), I had to go and test drive the FZ25!
The TD vehicle was very jerky under hard acceleration. When I inquired about this I was told that the FI system needs to have a minimum of 2 liters of fuel in the tank to function effectively. Under low fuel conditions you have to keep short shifting to ensure a jerk free ride. He also told me that the injectors need cleaning every 6 months to keep them in proper working condition.
This further strengthened my case for the 200 carb version.

[emkay.india]

Don't think twice when it comes to ABS. Always choose the model with ABS even when you have to sacrifice your choice of color. It may mean that you won't lose some of your red color

[jomson13]

Originally Posted by emkay.india

Don't think twice when it comes to ABS. Always choose the model with ABS even when you have to sacrifice your choice of color. It may mean that you won't lose some of your red color

I agree with your reasoning emkay, but I decided to go for the non ABS option. Booked my bike yesterday and will be taking delivery on 10th.

Reasons for choosing the non-ABS:
1. Have been driving around without ABS for many years and I feel that I will be able to manage with the new bike too.
2. Budget constraints
3. Waiting period of a month for the ABS option.

[jomson13]

I got my bike's first service done today. Have a few observations

1. Bike now starts while in gear
The mechanic did some tinkering with the wires near the left side of the fuel tank (He did seek my permission before doing this) and now I am able to start my bike when it is in gear. Earlier this was not possible and the bike needed to be in neutral to be started.
Is there any downside to doing this? The TVS guys would have had some logic behind not providing this as a standard feature straight out of the factory. What do you guys think?

2. Clutch lever pushing out
When I let go of the accelerator (like while changing gears or when I am about to slow down) I can feel the clutch lever push outwards. Is this normal? Does it have something to do with the slipper clutch? I have never felt this on any other bike.
I noticed this well before the first service and thought that it had something to do with the clutch free play - so I got it set properly, but the condition still persists.

3. Chain lubed with oil
The mechanic who serviced my bike did not use the usual chain spray. He just lubed the chain with some semi black oil (it looked like used engine oil)
I know that the manual recommends the use of chain spray, but I did not stop him since he seemed to be an experienced guy and seemed to know his stuff well.
What are the downsides to this? Will it attract more dust as compared to a chain lubed with chain spray?

4. Condition of the engine oil
The bike had done 730 kms when it came in for the service. The bike has been manufactured on September 26 (so I'm guessing that is the day when oil has been filled in the bike for the first time)
Inspite of this, the oil that was drained out from the crankcase was very dark in color. I was quite surprised by this.
Is this normal? How do you explain oil changing color so quickly? The only explanation that I can come up with is that since the parts are new, the crankcase is running much hotter than usual and this has caused the oil to burn slightly. I faced this situation once when I took my previous bike (yamaha SZ-R) on a 350 kms trip over a period of 2 days. The oil had changed color and had become quite thin by the time I got back.

[Rohit_Quad]

Used to ab a biker in another life. And i am used to fully mechanical bikes, like yours (P220 was mine). I cannot comment on 1 and 2 of you observations. But this is whta I feel about 3 and 4.

3. Chain lubed with oil
The mechanic who serviced my bike did not use the usual chain spray. He just lubed the chain with some semi black oil (it looked like used engine oil)

Mostly W100 gear oil. It is thick oil which was suggested to me by my Bajaj mechs back in the day, as a weekly chain lube, after cleaning.

What are the downsides to this? Will it attract more dust as compared to a chain lubed with chain spray?

Will not have cleaning/ dissolving properties as a chain lube/ spray. And also will miss on a small bit of penetrating when compared to a chain lube. I have used the same W100 oil extensively back in the day, when the sprays were very expensive. Dust is more or less the same, as long as you properly lube the chain with the W100 oil - main stand -> 1st gear -> adding drops at various locations on a clean chain, so that you can physically see the entire chain wet and less noisy. I used to do this before bed, so that if any additional oil is present, it will drip down by morning.

4. Condition of the engine oil
The bike had done 730 kms when it came in for the service. The bike has been manufactured on September 26 (so I'm guessing that is the day when oil has been filled in the bike for the first time)
Inspite of this, the oil that was drained out from the crankcase was very dark in color. I was quite surprised by this.
Is this normal? How do you explain oil changing color so quickly?

The oil when getting drained and after draining, in the draining pan will look black. What i do is, i take few drops and put them on my thumb's nail upright (room temperature oil). If the oil just slips off (very quickly) like water, without leaving a film/ trail behind, it is not a very good oil or has passed its usable stage. But if flows a bit slowly, leaving a small trail behind,
u can be assured it has some life left in it. All this i used to follow when i drain my oil before the 2K kms manufacturer suggested oil change interval.
I wouldn't worry about the color, depends on the brand and the type of oil used. Also, hot oil will look and feel thin when compared to a new oil being poured into the engine. Just stick to the manufacturers grade and reputed manufacturers. BTW, do you know what oil TVS uses in your bike?

[jomson13]

Originally Posted by Rohit_Quad

BTW, do you know what oil TVS uses in your bike? [/i]

Thanks for the reply Rohit. Interesting way to check the condition of the oil; will keep the points you mentioned in mind.
The TVS branded oil (TVS TRU4 Synthetic) is made by BPCL and is a 10W30 oil. It costs around 650 for 1.2 litres. The recommended oil change interval is 6000 kms which I feel is low for a synthetic oil.
Will see how long it lasts in the bike.