[Hagaru]

Hello All! I’m Hagaru, and this would be my first post on the site. Thank you for having me here.

One thing I noticed was the lack of current gen BS6 RTR 200 posts, so I would like to start my Team-BHP life with the story of my first bike, The Apache RTR 200 4v.

I would also like to apologise in advance for the shortage of pictures, as I don’t take many of them.

Please Jump to ‘Considerations of the Bike’ to skip the life story and get straight to the motorcycle.

Background

As a child, I was never into motorcycles. I was always more inclined towards 4 wheels than 2. The only premium motorcycle I adored was the Ninja. I really loved the signature green colour on it. One of the first things I did, right after I turned 18, was to get a license, and even during the application phase, the only reason I applied for a Motorcycle with Gear license, is because my dad pushed for it. It made no difference to me, because once I was accepted into college, the plan was I would be allowed to take our then family car, a 2012 Ford Figo to college. In fact, I had put off practising the 2-wheeler until 3 days before the test! It was a genuine miracle I passed the test, since it was held on the test track and was harder than I thought.

This is where it all started changing. Rising fuel prices, and with the way they saw me ride, prompted my parents to consider buying a bike for college purpose. The conversation was very weird in my head. It was my mom who initiated the conversation.

Mom: ‘(Hagaru), have you considered taking a bike to college?’
Me: ‘Hmm? No, I’ll take the Figo. Bike Gear shifts are a pain’
Mom: ‘Could you get an automatic bike..?’
Me: ‘I don’t like Dad’s Jupiter much, but an automatic bike maybe..?’
(A quick google search later)
Mom: ‘No these are too expensive’
Me: ‘It’s okay, I’ll take the car’
(Dad Chips in)
Dad: ‘You only need to get used to it, you did pretty well’
Me: ‘Is that so? I may consider it if you let me buy a good sports bike (laugh)’
Mom: ‘Well… if it is in the budget…’

What was supposed to be a short joke between us, changed my life.

Considerations of the Bike

I decided to give it a go, and maybe find a bike I may like.
At this point, I wasn’t well-versed with many motorcycle considerations. The engine capacity and power didn’t matter to me. But there were somethings I was particular about, after my research.

• Dual Channel ABS
• Cheap Servicing
• Digital Stuff, Bluetooth Connectivity etc

This also helped me make a list of things I wanted to avoid -

• Not Something too heavy
• Something with a more linear acceleration
• Should’ve been in the market for a few months with popular reviews

With that, we have our options

Considered Vehicles

To be kept in mind
Fully Faired Vehicles weren’t considered as I liked the look of Naked Street bikes better.
ADVs (Himalayan Mainly) wasn’t considered because I’m a short guy (5’5-5’6) and I thought they would be too big. A mistake I made was not trying them at all.
I’ve listed down all the vehicles I went over, regardless of if it met my above requirements or not.

• KTM Duke 125/200/250/390

No. Everything about it screamed no. The throttle on the mid vehicles is too powerful. I didn’t want to see the grim reaper just yet. It also felt overpriced for my needs, especially when you compare the 125’s cost to its competitors.

• Yamaha MT-15, FZ-25

Good bikes. I really like the mean look of the MT-15. The throttle felt right, seating position was comfortable. Rejected on the grounds of service. The closest Yamaha Service centre doesn’t have the best reputation in the area, topped by the distrust of my parents towards’ Yamaha.

• Honda H’ness, CB350RS

Honda H’ness was a very comfortable motorcycle to ride. We rejected it because of the lack of servicing centres nearby, with the closest one being 15 KM from our home (Isn’t a lot, but my parents prefer to have everything next to them). The bike was also a fresh entry into the market at the time. Didn’t want to risk it with a new release.

• RE Bullet/Classic/Meteor/Interceptor

Weight. The Bikes felt very very heavy. I wasn’t confident I could handle city traffic with that. Another worry was with RE Maintenance. A friend’s Himalayan was in and out of service thrice over the span of a year due to mechanical issues.

• Bajaj NS200, Dominar 400

Dominar was instantly rejected over the power and the weight. It did feel like a very good VFM purchase. The NS200 was a very very hard bike to reject. Opposed to popular opinion, I was quite fond of the white rims. It felt more powerful. What pushed me away was the outdated tech, and it felt harder to change gears on that than on the bike we ended up selecting.

• BMW G310R

On the list only because I saw it on the road one day, and I really liked how it looked. Had to reject it mainly because of the price and maintainance cost. But if I were to upgrade, this bike would surely come back into consideration.

• Apache RTR 200/180/160

The first time I saw the RTR 200 in the showroom, I knew this was the vehicle to have. It screamed ‘Pick me.’ Dual Channel ABS came only with the 200 at the time, and it even had ride modes. To a first-timer like me, that felt like a cool thing to have. Not to mention all the gizmos with the speedometer and the mean headlamp and DRL look. Oh man, I loved this bike.
The closest service centre was right in front of our house, and we were familiar with some people working there, so we were able to trust them as well.

Booking, Delivery and Usage
Looking back, it wasn’t the best of experiences. For starters, we requested a KA 05 registration over KA 51 on the bike, which was rejected even though we offered to pay more. Other Showrooms offered us the option but we still went with this one considering how close it was to home. We wanted the delivery specifically on 3rd March (03/03) with the number plate. The SA advised to book 15 days in prior, as the bike and number plate may take that long to arrive. We booked the RTR 200 4v with ride modes, black in colour, in the timeline as per their recommendation. How many days did it take you may ask? Two. Two days, and the bike was ready in the warehouse. We tried delaying the delivery until the number plate came at least, to which the showroom didn’t oblige. Getting the bike early might’ve been a pleasant surprise for most, but I was particular on having the delivery on 03/03, which made me a bit disappointed.

On road, in Bangalore, when bought, the total cost came upto 187000, on which we got further discounts of 5000 on account of dad being familiar with the owner of the branch, and a free XPOD helmet.

And with that, on Febraury 20, 2021. ‘Her’ was brought home. I decided to call it her, because while I was being forced to keep a name by my friends, I couldn’t think of a decent one. Eventually I just kept referring to the bike as her.

Was Unfamiliar with the PDI checklist, so I couldn’t do much except for checking for scratches and checking to see if it rides properly. It was only 2 months after the delivery we realised, we weren’t given the first aid kit.

The Number plate came 3 days later, after which a basic pooja was done at the nearest temple.

A small explanation on the Ride Modes

• Rain - ABS is set to the highest, Top speed and power are limited to 115 and 17 BHP respectively
• Urban - ABS is set a little lower than Rain, but has the same restriction on Top Speed and Power
• Sport - Lowest ABS Setting, ABS is at its minimum and full 20.3 BHP at your disposal

The Bike comes with a free 1 year service from TVS and a 5 Year Engine Warrenty as standard. No options were given.

The seat height of 800 mm doesn’t let me completely plant my feet on the ground, but its still good enough to manage traffic. My dad, who is shorter than me voiced concerns of not being able to control properly in start-stop traffic. Pillion comfort is average. A friend told me she found the slightly raised sear height on the bike ‘Intimidating.’

Pros

• Cost, very reasonably priced
• Adjustable Levers for Clutch and Brake. Also comes with Adjustable Suspension
• Ride Modes make a great difference to ABS. Rain Mode really gives you better confidence in the rain.
• Service Costs have been cheap as compared to the market
• Bike is very easy to take sharp turns or U turns with, it allows even a beginner like me to lean.
• Stylish to look at. The rear lights look very sporty.
• TVS Connect, for the most part, is a good thing to have. Features like crash detection, SOS, ride tracking are helpful.

Cons

• Bad Brakes. The Bike needs better brakes for the power it has
• Build Quality. Cost cutting is evident.
• Lack of a 6th Gear can be felt on Highways
• Lack of room for modifications. Trying to install Flash X module shorted the module itself, and installing a windshield requires custom welded holders.
• The stock tyres, TVS Eurogrip, could be better. Feels very slippery on Sports mode when taking hairpin turns.

Modifications Made

• Universal Windshield Installed
• Number Plate Bracket
• Guardian Gear Mini Tank Bag Installed

The stock bike didn’t come with much, other than the usual. Windshield holder was later painted, which isn’t seen in the photos.

Modifications Planned

• Crash Gaurd (More on this later)
• X Flash Module (Attempted once, didn’t happen)
• LED Indicators
• Grippier Tires
• Brake Pads, maybe a Brake System Overhaul
• Levers

My initial intended usage was just for the city, a means to commute around the city and to and fro university, until the touring bug bit me.

Touring and Riding Gear
I was never into Touring as a whole, the concept of bike touring fascinated me, but I never imagined myself doing it. It changed when I saw a touring review of the Apache. The thought of - ‘I want to try that too’ came in.

After Speaking to a few seasoned tourers, I decided the most important thing is safety gear. I was always adamant about having my helmet even if I’m going for a haircut, now it was time for a better one, some gloves, a jacket, pants and shoes.

Jacket - Solace Air X V2
Pants - Solace Coolpro V3 (Currently Renting for tours, Plan to Buy)
Helmet - SMK Glide
Gloves - A Pair Picked up on sale from HTRZ Mods, with slide and knuckle protection. Plan to buy full gauntlet gloves.

Touring has been a very enjoyable activity. Visiting different places, with other bikers to see some nice views has been some of the best times of my life.

On Sports Mode, The Bike gives a mileage of 31-35 KM/L at an average cruising speed of 105-115 on Highways. In the City, it returns about 33, although haven’t done accurate Tank to Tank testing. The fuel tank has a 12 L capacity, which should do you well for a 350 KM round trip.

The Bike is an Absolute Joy to Ride in and outside the city. In the city, it has enough power to allow me to safely overtake. On the highway, it has enough power for me to comfortably cruise at 90-100. The most disappointing factor of the bike would be the brakes. Compared to the other bikes I’ve ridden for a short time, the Apache brakes just aren’t there. Not to mention the wobble play on the stock levers are very high, which the service centre downplays as being a ‘feature of the bike.’
With all that said, this isn’t a bike for a seasoned a tourer, but a very good choice for someone who just wants a break 100 KMs away once a month.


It has been about 5000 KM on her and as lady fate would have it, Her and I met with an accident the day my Team BHP application was accepted. On the way to fill petrol, another person hit me from the side while coming on the opposing lane. Three fractures on the foot. Ironically, this happened on the day I was supposed to go buy some Protective Boots.
She is currently in the service centre, being taken care of. This Instance also was the reason that led me to decide on installing a crash gaurd.

I won’t be able to drive for 2-3 months at most, but I can’t wait for the day I can take her out on a tour again

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle section. Thanks for sharing!

Going to our homepage today

[TheHelix0202]

Welcome to the forum, another young chap! Very nice read, enjoy your time with Her for many miles! The Apache series are lovely sounding bikes (barring the RR 310), though they totally didn't suit me as a taller person. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

P. S - Is that rust I see forming on the metal plates that hold the visor in place? Use WD40 to get rid of it.

[Rajjay]

Welcome on board Hagaru. Your bike that too in black looks adorable.

[nitinkbhaskar]

Congratulations Hagaru !!
That's a great choice for a first bike. Wishing you many miles on "Her" !!

Also, its great that you have picked the riding gears. I wish boots were the first thing you would have bought. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

[TROOPER]

Congratulations Hagaru!

Welcome to Team-BHP and the Apache clan.

The 200 is an awesome bike. My brother owns a BS4 version and it's the one on which I learnt riding. So it'll always have a soft corner in my heart.

A great bike for local riding, albeit a bit stiff. Not a fan of those TVS Eurogrips. Has TVS stopped the Pirelli upgrade from factory or you didn't opt for it?

Wishing you lots of happy and safe miles on "Her'.

Also hope you recover fast from your unfortunate incident ASAP and get back to riding and driving.

[VijayAnand1]

Hagaru gaaru, firstly a warm welcome to the board and congratulations on your acquisition. The RTR 200 is undoubtedly a jack of all trades, has just enough power for city and highways to keep one engaged and overall a great bike barring the stiffer suspension. You can try switching to better quality brake fluid, TVS IIRC, uses DOT 3 right from the factory. You can try switching to DOT 4, they do make a minor difference.

The stock tires perform okay, but for a decent performance out of them, they need to be warmed up real well, on a dry day over twisties, the stock Remora tires perform great. The Pirellis just begged to scrape the pegs once warmed up, though they aren't great on mild to loose tarmac where the Remora holds well.

Regarding brakes, allow the brakes to bed-in, once the honeymoon period is over, the braking should be good.

Good luck.

Cheers!
VJ

[condor]

Welcome, Haguru ! Nice detailed review there.

Have you TD'ed the Xpulse 4v ? Would like to know how the two compare

[sathasb]

Congratulations Hagaru, Welcome to the Apache Clan
It's a great choice for a first bike. Wishing you many miles on the bike.

I own one from the first batch of BS3, have done few modifications on the bike ,like you planned to do. Attaching a picture for your reference.

1. Get a Hazard Flasher from Simtac its a plug & Play and DIY type.
2. LED indicators - iam using a Dominor one, rear ones direct fit, front ones need little DIY
3. For the windshield get a kit from LLuvia, its a quality product and works well.

[Hagaru]

Thank you all for you welcomes and wishes! Feels great to be part of Team-BHP

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

The Apache series are lovely sounding bikes (barring the RR 310), though they totally didn't suit me as a taller person.

P. S - Is that rust I see forming on the metal plates that hold the visor in place? Use WD40 to get rid of it.

Yes! Quite like the exhaust note of the bike.
And yes, it is rust. I had it removed and repainted with a spray can and installed back. Unfortunately, it happened very recently and now the windshield in itself has come off. Will definitely upload pics once its up and running again.

Originally Posted by nitinkbhaskar

Also, its great that you have picked the riding gears. I wish boots were the first thing you would have bought.

I shall take this as a lesson learnt the hard way
Well, boots were something I had put off, underestimating its importance. Have already shortlisted a few, but one of the first purchases I would make is a good pair of shoes.

Originally Posted by TROOPER

A great bike for local riding, albeit a bit stiff. Not a fan of those TVS Eurogrips. Has TVS stopped the Pirelli upgrade from factory or you didn't opt for it?

Thank you!
I’m not sure if the upgrade exists for the RTR 200, even if it did, we weren’t offered one. I couldn’t find a good set of Pirelli ones nearby, but, I did find a pair of Michelins at a store a littler further away. Once the vehicle is back, definitely looking to get one. I also feel the tires slipping under heavy braking now.

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

You can try switching to better quality brake fluid, TVS IIRC, uses DOT 3 right from the factory. You can try switching to DOT 4, they do make a minor difference.

The stock tires perform okay, but for a decent performance out of them, they need to be warmed up real well, on a dry day over twisties, the stock Remora tires perform great. The Pirellis just begged to scrape the pegs once warmed up, though they aren't great on mild to loose tarmac where the Remora holds well.

Regarding brakes, allow the brakes to bed-in, once the honeymoon period is over, the braking should be good.

Thank you VJ!
The Brake fluid upgrade was recommended by another friend, who said that may help with the braking situation, as of now I don’t know how to go about it, but I shall look for a good place nearby and enquire there.

Interesting, thanks for the input on the Pirellis. I’m mainly worried about the tire performance in slightly damp conditions. Not to mention, I could feel slightly slip around when it shouldn’t. Regardless, next time, I’ll try warming it up properly and doing a small run on it. Thank you.

How long would you say it would take for the brakes to bed-in? I was told it should’ve become fine already.

Originally Posted by condor

Have you TD'ed the Xpulse 4v ? Would like to know how the two compare

Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to try the Xpulse. Xpulse is one bike that I only got to know better after I bought the Apache. I shall definitely update once I get a chance to ride on one.

Originally Posted by sathasb

1. Get a Hazard Flasher from Simtac its a plug & Play and DIY type.
2. LED indicators - iam using a Dominor one, rear ones direct fit, front ones need little DIY
3. For the windshield get a kit from LLuvia, its a quality product and works well.

Thank you for that wonderful pic @sathasb! That really looks stunning, especially in that colour.
1) The Flash X Hazard for the BS6 Apache was released pretty recently, and the mod place also said the installation has never went wrong, so it probably is something wrong with the module. They have already gotten back to the head office and arranged for a new piece to be installed, so one final go there. If it doesn’t go well, I might have to install the Simtac one.
2) Currently the bike is still under wiring warranty, and I’m waiting for that to finish before I install aftermarket ones. But! I did have a chat with the local TVS service centre, and he told me he could install the RR310 indicators on mine, and even showed me to his RTR 200, where he has done the same. This would be a good way to keep the warranty too. The cost is on the higher side, so still haven’t decided for it.
3) Yes, LLuvia Windshield has been on my mind now, but I personally feel like the cost is on the higher side. Regardless, if I don’t find a better fit, LLuvia is probably my go-to.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by Hagaru

Thank you all for you welcomes and wishes! Feels great to be part of Team-BHP

Thank you VJ!
The Brake fluid upgrade was recommended by another friend, who said that may help with the braking situation, as of now I don’t know how to go about it, but I shall look for a good place nearby and enquire there.

Interesting, thanks for the input on the Pirellis. I’m mainly worried about the tire performance in slightly damp conditions. Not to mention, I could feel slightly slip around when it shouldn’t. Regardless, next time, I’ll try warming it up properly and doing a small run on it. Thank you.

How long would you say it would take for the brakes to bed-in? I was told it should’ve become fine already.

Don't bother about the brake fluid upgrade at the moment, you can get the brake fluid switched to DOT 4 at your SVC during your first or your progressive services schedule. You have to get used to the bike, for now enjoy the ride. Secondly, the brake pad bedding in process doesn't have a hard and fast rule, it just takes a couple of hundred kms of hard braking periodically to make them wear faster. For some sooner, for some later, it just depends on how one uses their brakes, but eventually they get better over time.

The same process is true for the tires, tires being brand new need to scrape off a sacrificial layer before they offer their full potential. Again there is no hard and fast rule as to when they will, it all depends a given individual's riding preference and style.

Hope it helps!

Cheers!
VJ

[Hagaru]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Don't bother about the brake fluid upgrade at the moment, you can get the brake fluid switched to DOT 4 at your SVC during your first or your progressive services schedule. You have to get used to the bike, for now enjoy the ride. Secondly, the brake pad bedding in process doesn't have a hard and fast rule, it just takes a couple of hundred kms of hard braking periodically to make them wear faster. For some sooner, for some later, it just depends on how one uses their brakes, but eventually they get better over time.

The same process is true for the tires, tires being brand new need to scrape off a sacrificial layer before they offer their full potential. Again there is no hard and fast rule as to when they will, it all depends a given individual's riding preference and style.

Hope it helps!

Cheers!
VJ

Thanks for the reply.
It’s been over a year, with 5 services done. The 6th, and first paid service is due for May, would you recommend changing the brake fluid then?
Also, I think I tend to go harder on my brakes, and its been 5000 KM already. Tires and brakes should’ve settled in by now right?

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by Hagaru

Thanks for the reply.
It’s been over a year, with 5 services done. The 6th, and first paid service is due for May, would you recommend changing the brake fluid then?
Also, I think I tend to go harder on my brakes, and its been 5000 KM already. Tires and brakes should’ve settled in by now right?

Of course they should have scrapped off well considering the KMs clocked. Yes, perhaps the brake fluid can be swapped to a DOT 4, bleed the system well and then see how it fares for you, it should definitely help a bit.

But again as I've mentioned, tires are the way they are, stock tires for the most part are a compromise of grip and life, so with the plethora of options available, you can pick your poison, once they're deemed enough for a replacement in the future.

Good luck.

Cheers!
VJ

[FURY_44]

Welcome to the clan Hagaru, the 200 4v is a hoot to ride, my first experience with the bike was during the Level 1 certification program conducted by TVS at MMRT. I was blown away by the bikes handling and capabilities.

Wishing you a speedy recovery and a happy ownership with "Her"

[shady]

Originally Posted by Hagaru

Hello All! I’m Hagaru, and this would be my first post on the site. Thank you for having me here.

Welcome to Team BHP Hagaru. TVS offers a lot of features on the RTR 200 and the exhaust note is the best among the 200s. Wishing you a speedy recovery and more miles on your machine.