[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Shonith

Fully adjustable KYB will cost about 10k. I have set the preload at 10 on both my bikes I like the stiff set up.

Do wait for the new 390 duke suspension to come to the market. It has rebound + preload at the back and compression + rebound at the front. I think the ktm rear suspension will be priced less than 10k.

How much do you weigh? Duke 390 and? Huskie?

Not really interested in all the added adjustability. Just a stiffer rear spring rate that does not max out on pre load just for solo rider to maintain recommended sag, if not level with the front sag. But more in the middle of the setting range. Not maxed out. So that we have some leeway to crank up the pre load a bit more for touring luggage and/or a pillion. The stock spring is inadequate for bigger riders.

Poona based Zedling is offering rear shocker units for a whopping 30k ...

Cheers, Doc

[Shonith]

Originally Posted by ebonho

How much do you weigh? Duke 390 and? Huskie?

Poona based Zedling is offering rear shocker units for a whopping 30k ...

Cheers, Doc

I weigh 70kg, but I ride with my wife as pillion most of the time. Both husky and duke have been set to 10. I did gradually increase the preload, I felt I was more in control of the bike with the preload set at 10.

I have heard of Zedling, but I don't know about their reliability, 30k is expensive I feel for a suspension.

[katchkamalesh]

My friend and I went to a TVS dealer nearby (Brilliant Motor Agency, Sembakkam, Chennai) for the second time after the launch of RTR 310. The first time I went, they did not even have a display bike but today they had a test drive bike in the display (I could make out that it was a TD bike by the dirty tyres and a sticker that said test ride experience or something).

The bike does feel like a proper big bike, strong road presence, a good TFT screen, beautiful headlamps, and the ergonomics were good. On the negative side, we felt that the handlebars and TFT were a bit too high, and the switchgear touch and feel were not that great (especially after seeing what KTM 390 has to offer).

The biggest drawback that I see is the sales team. Right from the moment we stepped into the showroom, we got a vibe that no one was interested in us. The sales guy had no interest in us and did not even bother explaining the features or the product. He did not have answers to simple queries like service intervals or if they had a TD bike.

As expected, they didn't offer a test drive. When I asked for the reason, the executive mentioned that there was some sensor issue with the bike. I am not sure if they were lying or not but clearly they were not interested. They did not even ask for my phone number.

P.S. On another note, If in case he was not lying and there was genuinely a sensor issue, I am wondering how reliable can this bike be. This bike has not even done 1000km and already has issues.

[vinbex]

A bit late to the party, but I decided to checkout the RTR 310 just to see how good it was. Have been riding twin cylinder bikes since 2011, so my comparisons maybe a bit biased.
The TVS showroom staff was extremely friendly and explained each and every detail. I knew most of it, but allwoed him to go on about the bike. First look and it looks drop dead gorgeous!. Absolutely stunning in black from the front. I fell for it then and there. Loaded with tech as we all know, took the test ride.
I came away pretty disappointed to be honest.

First the Pros:
1. The seating is comfortable with nice wide handlebars.
2. Good view of the console.
3. I am 6' tall and did not feel cramped at all.
4. Very nimple and agile moving through traffic. It did not get heated up
5. Quickshifter is fabulous, just WOW!
6. Good fit and finish, compared to the first gen RR310's
7. Good short gearbox
8. A great looking bike of course.

Now the cons,
1. Felt out of breath at around 80- 90kmph. It would definitely go beyond that, but the ease was missing.
2. A bit vibey
3. Engine and exhaust character is on the rougher side.
4. At almost 3.5 lakhs on road. it has all the bells and whistles, but lacks the smoothness and nvh levels when compared to the Triumph speed/scrambler.
5. It could be a great second bike, but I wouldn't have it as the only bike.

Just my perspectives after a test ride. Attaching a few pics from my side

[neil.jericho]

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time with a brand new TVS Apache RTR 310 BTO motorcycle and I’ve been grinning ever since then. Over a few days, I rode the motorcycle for a couple of hundred kilometers, which included substantial commuting in the city and a short weekend morning ride. This has given me a fair picture of what TVS has done to fine tune the 310 platform. Back in 2021, when I had the chance to test ride the TVS Apache RR 310 BTO (TVS Apache RR 310 Build To Order (BTO) : A Closer Look) in the Nilgiris, I came away very impressed by the motorcycle.

At that time, I had mentioned the following

A few years ago, TVS and BMW tied up to jointly develop a 312.2 cc platform for motorcycles. To ensure that there was no direct competition between the two partnering companies, they split the offerings based on styling and positioning. BMW got the adventure (GS310) and naked (G310R) variants, while TVS got the faired version. In my books, TVS should have got the naked variant of the 310 platform as it would have built on their successful RTR pedigree. A naked RTR 310 would have been a logical upgrade for the scores of RTR 150, 160, 180 and 200 owners. But history was scripted differently.

Now that the long awaited RTR 310 is finally starting to trickle into the hands of owners (in its confusing combination of paint schemes and BTO avatars), is this the perfect motorcycle upgrade that existing TVS enthusiasts have been yearning for? In my books, it is a resounding yes!

To summarize my time with the TVS Apache RTR 310 BTO
1. This is an attractively styled, loaded to the gills, thoroughly enjoy spanking it on weekdays, plus twice on Sundays and / or public holidays, type of motorcycle. I can’t remember the last time that I had this combination of playful and explosive fun while riding a motorcycle in our mixed real world, Indian riding conditions.
2. The number of conversations that this motorcycle started, with an unimaginably wide section of enthusiast and regular bikers, was mind-boggling. I’ve never had this many people come up to me and talk about the motorcycle that I was riding. Ever.
3. Based on the 310 platform’s reputation and TVS’s focus on the Freestyler concept for the RTR 310, I fully expected the motorcycle to be really nice to ride in the city, with the trade-off being the lack of highway performance. Oh boy, was I wrong. The motorcycle is an absolute riot in the city and the highway performance is impressive. The best part is that this is a motorcycle which you can enjoy while riding it calmly, if that is the sort of rider that you are or the mood that you are in. It certainly isn’t a motorcycle that is always looking to race (ahem), while punishing you for not keeping it on the boil at all times.
4. I’m a fairly sedate rider, often to the chagrin of the motorcyclists who I ride with. Whatever motorcycle I am riding, I’ve always been Mr Calm and Composed on our roads. However, the Apache RTR 310 has done the unthinkable and unlocked the dormant hooligan in me. Thanks to the motorcycle’s cat like agility, I’ve been darting in and out of Bangalore’s infamous traffic like the squid that I am (not?). Even on the highways, I found myself comfortably carrying speeds that were 10 to 15 kmph higher than my usual speeds. There are so many factors which contributed to this, including the excellent chassis, grippy tires, weight centralization and so on.
5. While there is so much that I enjoyed about the motorcycle, what is not to like, you ask? Honestly, I really had to scratch my head on this one. The initial feel at the front brake isn’t the best, though the bite is good. The feel from the rear brake was noticeably vague. Besides that, I believe TVS has erred by offering too many options of the Apache RTR 310. That’s it. Out of the box, this is genuinely good motorcycle.

In the past, I’ve posted on the forum that that in the minds of Indian motorcycle enthusiasts, the 310 platform was always half a step behind the other exciting motorcycles because of the lack of horsepower and torque. In the real world, the Apache RTR 310 does an unbelievable job of masking this deficiency, while doing what it does best – be a fun all rounded motorcycle which won’t fail to put a big smile on your face. Yes, the additional horses on the KTM Duke 390 will make it more exciting than the Apache RTR 310 on weekend rides and for most buyers, the value for money comparisons between the two are inevitable. I haven’t ridden the latest Duke 390, so I cannot offer an honest opinion at this point of time, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Apache RTR 310 is actually the better do it all motorcycle for the majority of unbiased Indian enthusiasts who can only have one motorcycle in their garage.