[dsuman]

I have owned the first generation RR310 and recently sold it off. Loved everybit of it till I had it with me. The bike is built tight and with excellent quality materials. The fairing and panels do not flex easily. Have taken the bike on highways a lot of times and believe me it is a hoot to ride. Goes in a straight line with excellent stability. Major drawback was the vibrations onto the handlebar which was somewhat made better by changing the bar end weights to heavier ones.

As you mentioned it is indeed built well and can easily hide the TVS pedigree by slapping on another manufacturer stickers.

[sandeepmohan]

They need to market this bike beyond social media. I am not sure TVS are doing any. Put a giant poster in every major metro and metropolitan city, do road shows, display the bike at popular malls. I'd go to the extent of even presenting your competitor models right next to the RR310, so you can show the difference. Without doing so, this custom spec RR310 isn't going to get any attention and like most TVS performances machines, will be forgotten. The loyal fan base that makes the champs in this segment such as Yamaha and KTM, will keep going back to them. The former has the reputation for making fast and fuss free motorcycles too.

Thanks for sharing. Its been a long time I've heard (or read) of a well built TVS motorcycle.

[VW2010]

It is no surprise that RR310 struggles to sell in big numbers.

Disclaimer:
I am a rc390 fanatic and an owner of KTM from the time they came into market. I have also extensively ridden the RR310.

Things in favour of the RR310
- Looks and build
- Docile but potent engine
- Good balance and decent tyres
- Good instrument cluster, lights, seating and in general a great tourer
- The new options to adjustable suspension and more definitely is a huge plus at that price point
- It will be a good track machine for sure
- Brakes are sufficient
- Better Ownership smug as the bike just looks stunning, almost a mini ducati in the red cloth or a cb600rr in the black.
- The bike can be lugged around. 4th gear and 20kmph is not a problem with this bike
- Extremely useful tourer with not aggressive seating position.
- Weight distribution felt like a ktm390. More on the rear and it's a personal choice.

Things not going in favor of the RR310
- The RC390 is not priced too high if you compare total outflow per month on loan. For that difference the KTM makes the RR310 very luxurious 7 series while the RC390 feels like an M3.
- The bike is not an outright adrenaline rusher. It is not raw and feels more refined and lacks the power in those lower gears.
- My 390 with a longer tooth is still enormously peppy compared to the RR310
- Parts are cheap in RC390
- The engine needs a little oomph if they have to attract people
- The New RC is getting lighter with adjustable suspension and what not will only make me wait to upgrade to the new RC and not the RR 310
- In this segment the power and delivery and the madness one feels everytime they wrangle that throttle becomes important.
- only grapewine for me is the rear part of the bike. What is stunning at the front and sides get spoiled with the rear looks and puny tyres.

If it comes to looks the better and cheaper option is always the R15 yamaha. No other bike in the world looks pretty, beautiful, stunning, girl friend loving than the yamaha R15 atleast to me.

You summarized it well and I will have to say if you do not want the mad rush of the KTM, the rr310 is one of the best bikes to buy.

For 15k more just get the BTO option and enjoy touring, track, and everyday commute.

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

As a product, it is difficult to find real fault with the Apache RR 310. The numbers on paper have made this bike the underdog from day 1 and until it gets more firepower, that is likely to continue. Unlike its orange competition, the Apache RR 310 isnt an outright track bike that will kill your wrists or make you wonder if you should have spent more time in the gym. TVS has drawn a fine balance between offering a sports bike that can excel at the track and one that is comfortable enough for long distance riding.

You sir, have a way with words. Very informative read and you only validated why most trackside trainers speak highly of this bike. Sigh if only if it had 10-15 more horses would have taken the fight to the orange camp. Now to wait and see if the orange brigand brings the international spec or a watered down version to our shores. It's supposed to be tuned a bit more for the road with the option to adjust it into a trackday tool.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

there haven't been major improvements since 90s in these Japan based Indian engines

Not just bike engines as far as Indian manufacturers went, but even the type of bikes themselves. For what seemed like a very long time, all you had were commuter road bikes and more commuter road bikes. (Of course, this is all in retrospect because I was a bit too young back then to discern between sport bike performance and commuter bike performance)

I mean, India's #1 sport bike was just a commuter specced bike with very average handling chracteristics. The fastest Indian was just a bigger version of the same thing. TVS did better in that aspect. But it took a Japanese company, Yamaha and its R15, to give the call to not half-ass things. That probably woke Bajaj up, and then came the KTM revolution.

But even now, we don't have a lot of variety in our market compared to other SE Asian countries like Thailand and Indonesia which have a much smaller market than ours, but get some of the most amazing small capacity models.

even Royal Enfield with their newfound super success and resultant high R&D budget and despite acquiring an engineering firm were able to create only technologically average new engines, 19 hp and 47 hp from 350 and 650cc engines is hardly anything to boast about and were possible even 50 years ago...

Yeah, no doubt, RE is still dealing in dinosaur tech even after their foreign acquisitions. But the leap for RE was in addressing their achilles hell by making relatively much more reliable machines.

Even though I've enjoyed riding various REs (for what they can offer), I've stayed away from even considering owning them for their notoriety of being fussy bikes. In comparison, I have to find ways to hurt my Suzuki 150, and even then, it just keeps on going like a cockroach (not that it's not without its niggles though).

But I don't think I can hold the same amount of contempt towards the 650s and the new 350s. They seem a lot better put together than earlier.

Engine building is indeed a huge deal, bikes still don't get as much love as cars, maybe because of less overall profit/sales or lack of customer demand for change/improvement.

I don't know. The R15 and the KTMs have been a great success here. But the Dominar and the RR haven't been received the same way. This is one of the reasons manufacturers put out multiple products based on the same engine-chassis platform, to offset the risks of failure or sub-par performance.

Since the basic underpinnings on the RR310 are shared between the BMW bikes as well, the weight of overall cost of development and manufacturing is not entirely hanging over TVS. The BMWs have seem to be doing well in foreign markets since launch, and have picked up here too, ever since the price cuts on the BS6 models.

Hero also went the same route with their 200cc platform, making 4 bikes out of it.

[RPRIME95]

This post brought back so many memories of riding my RR310 in the nearby ghats. If only I could afford a GoPro :|

Truth be told, I was skeptical before getting the bike and even after, whether the RR would suit daily riding needs and the occasional weekend ride. Never have I been so proud of being proved wrong. The bike is so lively in the city and the highway. And honestly, having ridden a friend's RC390 as well, I really did not notice a huge difference when it comes to on-road performance. Yes the 390 is faster but not in "woah that so fast" way but in a "yeah it feels faster" kind of way.

TVS really needs to pick up the slack on marketing of this bike as word of mouth is already good but new riders need to be made aware of this bike. Lets hope they do so.

[amvj]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Would I strongly recommend the Apache RR 310 BTO to anyone looking for a sub Rs 3 L faired motorcycle? Yes. Get the Dynamic kit with the adjustable suspension, even if you think that you will never want to adjust any setting. Trust me, the output is worth every rupee that you spend on the Dynamic kit….

The more I read, the more I get confused. Which one would you recommend - Honda CB300R or TVS Apache RR310?

I am confused between these two. I am a short guy and hence not comfortable with KTM’s tall seat height. Somehow I am not interested in RE’s 650s unless they have the 650 bobber.

I am in my mid thirties and not sure whether it is okay to ride a sporty looking motorcycle. I usually find these are ridden by young people.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by amvj

I am in my mid thirties and not sure whether it is okay to ride a sporty looking motorcycle. I usually find these are ridden by young people.

If people live their lives by such arbitrary social norms as this, it's gonna be a unsatisfactory life when they look back at it later on.

Mid 30s is still on the younger side of life if you've been looking after yourself well. Mid 30s here as well, and I see absolutely nothing wrong with thirsting after sport bikes. If you ask me, the criminal thing is not understanding what you actually want.

If you enjoy the sporty side of riding, go for a sport bike. If you're not really sure about the kind of riding experience you want, rent some bikes out and see what kind of experience you prefer, and whether you even want to ride a bike or not.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by amvj

The more I read, the more I get confused. Which one would you recommend - Honda CB300R or TVS Apache RR310?

I am confused between these two. I am a short guy and hence not comfortable with KTM’s tall seat height. Somehow I am not interested in RE’s 650s unless they have the 650 bobber.

I am in my mid thirties and not sure whether it is okay to ride a sporty looking motorcycle. I usually find these are ridden by young people.

amvj, since I havent checked out the CB300R yet, I will refrain from commenting on which one I would recommend today.

Outside of the motorcycle enthusiasts bubble that we live in, there is some social stigma associated with riding a fully faired sporty motorcycles. Especially ones that are painted in orange. Thats just the society that we live in.

But despite its sporty design, the execution of the Apache RR310 does not scream boy racer or Help! Im having a mid life crisis. So, dont worry too much about the looks of the bike. As always, I suggest that you keep an open mind and check out both bikes and see which you connect with the most. Both these bikes seem to be excellent options and you really cant go wrong with either one.

[TROOPER]

Originally Posted by TROOPER

My first post on the Motorbike forum, and would like to inform I’ve zeroed in on the RR310 as my first bike.

My RR 310 BTO, aka Nimbus, is here. Got the delivery yesterday. Will detail things in the ownership review. Brother got it home. So I did a proper ride today. Posting some pics.

Special thanks to BHPians FURY_44 and neil.jericho for nudging me to get the BTO. Cause otherwise I had no patience to wait for a month.

In the last pic, note the sweet welcome deletion by TVS. That ugly incorporated saree guard within the tire hugger is gone! Saves me time and effort in getting it done by a mechanic.

[nitinkbhaskar]

Originally Posted by TROOPER

My RR 310 BTO, aka Nimbus, is here.

Congratulations on getting this beauty. That's my favorite color there.
Wishing you miles of fun on your Nimbus !!

[FURY_44]

Originally Posted by TROOPER

My RR 310 BTO, aka Nimbus, is here.

Welcome to the clan Nimbus, congratulations TROOPER, wishing you a happy ownership with the bike.

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by Rocketscience

Regarding the vibrations, i might be wrong as i have not driven the bike but is this just bad luck on TVS's part that some people mentioned it and then it became "in" to bash the bike based on that?

Because even my r15v3 is not something i would call smooth at all, it vibrates from the lower midrange and progressively increases as revvs climb, i don't see many people even pointing it out leave aside considering it as a con, some reviews casually mention it and that's it.

I think it is inevitable for single cylinders to vibrate but since the larger KTM 390 doesn't vibrate that much (i find it to be smoother than my r15) maybe TVS could have engineered a better engine themselves

You’re right. Even the 150cc faired Japanese bikes vibrate quite a lot, but it’s mostly restricted to the handlebar and pegs (case in point: my Gixxer SF 155). But they definitely don’t vibrate in the fairing. I took a test ride of the RR 310 after much ado yesterday, and the vibes coming from where my thighs were supposed to go to were what put me off a little.

I couldn't even place the balls of my feet on the foot pegs, because my right foot fouled with the exhaust cover - something that I didn’t even an issue with on my Gixxer. But I enjoyed the torquey and tractable nature of the 310’s engine. Gotta give it to TVS for that. They did a much better job than the BMW counterparts. Though those didn’t vibrate as much.

[TheHelix0202]

Now that the KTM RC 390's prices are out - about a lakh more expensive - the TVS makes for excellent VFM. It looks way better too!