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-   -   TVS Apache RTR 310 - Quick review after 1500 km (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorbikes/273759-tvs-apache-rtr-310-quick-review-after-1500-km.html)

Although I'm a car guy, I still crave that weekend ride on a motorcycle very often. So, when I planned my car purchase, I purposefully chose a car from the compact-SUV segment even though I could afford an SUV so that I can purchase a motorcycle as well to feed the weekend ride hunger.

Selection -
Choosing a car was easier but choosing a motorcycle was a lot difficult than I expected. The market was filled with too many options and honestly every product had its own advantages and disadvantages. I just wanted a tourer for the weekends and also a bike that I could use for the long office commute sometimes. We also have a BMW G310GS in the family, even though I love that bike, it lacked the excitement in terms of feeling punchy when you open the throttle. I took a test ride of the Himalayan and the twin 650s, but for my physique (lean and tall build) they felt a bit too heavy for comfort. The hunter I felt was too boring to ride, so I decided against buying any of the REs. Next obvious option was the KTM. Was pretty excited about the new gen Duke 390. So, I took a test ride of the new KTM. The bike was definitely exciting in terms of power delivery, but it was too vibey in the low end and I did not like how it heated up in slow moving traffic of Bangalore. And because it's so powerful, I felt it was a bit tedious for me to control it in slow moving traffic (I'm no expert rider). And to add to this, I recently saw this video in Youtube of a guy complaining that his engine seized in a new bike. Considering all these, KTM was ruled out. Next up was TVS, I went to Global TVS to take a look at the RR310 because I had heard good things from my friends. Fate would have it that they had launched the RTR 310 just recently there and the bookings were open.

Test ride experience -
The RTR 310 right from the moment I sat on it, put a smile on my face. The riding posture was perfect. The test ride bike was well maintained. The feature explanation by the sales guys there was on point, he knew his stuff. The bike was amazing, the pickup, refinement and especially the heat management. I got stuck in traffic on the way back from the test ride to the showroom and purposefully kept the bike ON to check the heat management. No heat at all! I asked the service center guys there what they'd done newly in RTR 310 compared to the RR310 and turns out the air ducts from the radiator are channeled in such a way that the hot air from engine is deflected down to the road and not towards the rider's leg. Definitely works in my opinion. One will definitely feel some heat if they ride with a chappal or something especially near one's toes, but with shoes, no heat whatsoever. Well done TVS! The power delivery was just what I needed, not too aggressive but not too boring, just the right balance. And my family waiting at the showroom liked how the bike sounded and looked when I passed in front of them on the opposite side of the road, so family's seal of approval received. :Cheering:

Buying experience -
I was impressed with the sales pitch; they promptly explained all the variants and What a list of features!! It was just too many features to digest, so I took some time to choose which variant I wanted to go with. After much deliberation, I chose to go with the dynamic variant (mid variant) with the TVS Racing livery - Sepang blue color. The variant comes with Adjustable suspension and Tyre pressure monitoring system along with all other standard features like quick shifter, cruise control and traction control. The on-road price was quoted around 3.5 Lacs. I made the full payment upfront and was given a wait time of at least 15-20 days. There was a delay in delivery by 15 days but thumbs up to the dealer because the sales executive kept me updated throughout about the timeline, so I was at peace. As per him, there was some delay initially on the BTO orders, but they have started delivering BTO orders now, so the wait times should ideally start coming down going forward.

Delivery -
Delivery experience was straight forward. I did not want too much. Told them to have the bike ready for delivery by the time I reach - No unveil or cake cutting stuff. I just went to the showroom, did some basic PDI checks from my side, signed few papers and was ready to head home. PDI was a bit lousy, the bike was not as clean, clutch was a bit tight, and the chain was a bit dry. So took some time to get all these corrected and headed home.

Pros (Mentioning the top ones) -
1. The performance is top notch. The bike is extremely fun to ride around especially in city. I'm definitely not exaggerating this, everyone needs to experience the performance of this bike.
2. The traction control system - You will not notice it much. But the same bad patch of roads when you ride another motorcycle without traction control, you notice that you put more effort in controlling the bike. The traction control is beautiful.
3. Headlamp - 10/10, low speed, high speed, traffic, empty roads , bad roads - the light works everywhere.
4. Styling especially the Sepang blue variant - looks mean and elegant at the same time.
5. Quickshifter is top notch. No glitch or stuck up whatsoever. Works seamlessly and I think I cannot go back to using a motorcycle without quickshifter now lol:
6. Heat management - The vehicle heated up sometimes before the first service which got me worried. But after the first service as I build up more miles on the bike, the heat management is doing its job.

Cons -
1. Vibration at the fuel tank above 6k rpm. In long rides observed vibration coming in at around 80kph and then it dilutes down after you cross 100kph. Its not annoying to an extent that you feel your bones tingling, its just there and you notice it sometimes. The 310 GS at home is way more vibey than this, so this has not been a deal breaker for me.
2. Went riding with a pillion on a short 50km ride. Pillion felt that the pillion footrest was a bit vibey above 6k rpm. She did not feel that it was that strong, just a mild one that's bearable. She did not ask for any breaks in the middle, so I'd say its bearable.
3. The pillion seat fitment is something you will have to get used to. Its quite tricky and make sure you ask the showroom guys to teach you how to fit it. I did not do this and ended up struggling with it.
4. The cruise control has minimum speed limit and rpm limit for each gear. This again was mentioned in the user manual. I did not know this and kept on trying to activate cruise at random speeds and panicking that it was not getting activated. So yeah, good idea to read the manual thoroughly, the manual is loaded with information.
5. Still getting used to the TVS Connect app. It has loads of useful information but a lot of stuff in it. Sometimes crashes and I'd rather use google maps than the mapmyindia navigation that's available in TVS Connect.

*

Service experience -
The service experience was straight forward. Took an appointment at dealer 2 days in advance. Showed up and the servicing was done within 2 hours. Just to be sure about the technician, I met the technician servicing my bike, he was trained recently and taught me about the cruise control and traction control conditions that I mentioned earlier. I could not figure out the TVS Connect app and they surprisingly knew about it and taught me. Even the vibration has reduced compared to before after my first service, so I was quite pleased considering I did not complain about vibration to the service centre and they proactively did something to reduce it. I was charged around Rs.2100 (Rs.1850 for the engine oil and the remaining for chain lube and stuff), was pretty happy with the service cost. The 310GS had set me back by around Rs.8500 and they had charged me Rs.2800 for just "BMW ECU Reset or something" in its first service, so I'm very happy with the service cost.


Overall, I love the bike. I have covered close to 1500km till date and the bike surprises me every day. It's a perfect balance of everything and does not overdo stuff in any aspects. It can be whatever you want it to be - a tourer, city streetfighter or a cruiser as well. I have started to use the bike more than my car. Too happy with my choice!! Will keep the thread updated as I build up more miles. Here are some pictures in the meanwhile.

The bike looks mean and the TVS Racing livery is worth paying extra for !



I just love the way the cluster looks especially in night mode. The font and the color scheme are crisp and even in broad daylight everything in the cluster in visible.

Hows the "AC SEAT"??

I have been asking everyone this question, but no one has answered it yet!!!

It's quite good :D . I did not use the cool option much even though it does work well, I leave office early and I return very late usually to avoid traffic and the weather is very cold. So the hot seat is a blessing for me. :Cheering: .

I have realized that most of the features in this bike even though intially it seemed like I wouldnt use them much, now I cant imagine not having them on the bike.

TVS fanboy here. Although I've just got the first gen Ntorq. But so glad to read positive about them. Always feels good when TVS does something really cool to challenge the competition

Welcome to the Apache family, fellow Apachian! Congratulations on the new bike :Cheering:

I myself own an Apache RTR 160 4V and was eagerly waiting for the RTR310 to launch. Honestly for me too, power is not everything. I chose the RTR 160 for it's looks and mostly the sound. I love how bassy and grunty it sounds for a 160CC bike. It just happened to be also the most powerful in its segment :D
TVS really does wonders in the exhaust segment. The RTR310 felt like the perfect upgrade for me, but I was really let down by the exhaust. Instead of using the signature double barrel exhaust from RTR series, they went with the RR exhaust!!

Don't get me wrong, but I really don't like that big exhaust pipe which does not produce the bassy and grunty note of the RTR family and looks really out of place on that sleek machine (imagine a black, double barrel instead of that!!). Obviously it does get pretty aggressive sounding in higher rev range, but so does every exhaust. It lacks the bass at lower ranges which the RTRs have had for years.

That single thing is holding me back from upgrading. I really liked the grunty fell and sound from my RTR and that 310 just does not have it..

How's it for you? What are your thoughts?

Congratulations on the wonderful choice. I love how it looks and feels. Wish you many happy miles with it :thumbs up

It took them so long to get the G310 counterpart but am sure it was mostly due to non-compete limitation & glad it’s not just a lazy copy-paste job like what BMW did with their 310RR. RTR310 looks and feels fresh from every aspect. How’s the suspension behaving on Bangalore roads?

I am waiting for 310GS counterpart and that will mostly be my next upgrade :)

Honestly speaking, it sounds a lot different than the RR310 so for me personally, no complaints on the way it sounds. They have engineered it well even if it does looks a bit out of proportion. Speaking from an engineering perspective, I think both TVS and BMWs because of the reverse inclined engine setup, they could not really go with a sleek exhaust design because they have no space to accommodate the catalytic converters. If they went for a sleeker design like the RTR, they would have to accommodate it near the underbelly or near the engine and that would end up compromising on ground clearance and mess up the handling as well. If I had to choose between a good-looking exhaust and a good handling bike, I would any day choose a good handling one :loveit and trust me, there is no other bike that handles like this bike.

The suspension was a bit hard for me in rough roads as I'm a bit underweight. I reduced the pre-load by 1 notch on the rear suspension and fiddled around with the compression damping. I do not know what setting they are in now, after 3-4 trials of playing around with it, I have hit a sweet spot and the suspension is just right for my comfort. clap:

Congrats on your bike and wish you many many more happy miles on it. TVS makes unbelievable tech possible in their commuter segment and still keep a vfm pricing. I really wish their service centers steps up to keep the game going. Constant unavailability of parts, pathetic service experience and lethargic approach of service centers will always keep me away from TVS until these are corrected.

My RTR 200 is waiting for chain guide (a small rubber pad below the chain and behind rider left foot peg) and unbelievably its out of sight for a long long time. I made peace with it and ride it without one now. Also every time I leave bike for service, it returns with a problem or the other. I always have to make a call to Area manager, complain and then get it corrected. A rather great bike with terrible ownership experience.

That's unfortunate:disappointed. Luckily, I have always had good service experience with TVS in Bangalore, for my Ntorq and now with the RTR 310. Have got my Ntorq serviced in Neo TVS and now Global TVS for my RTR310. The key for me has always been to find that guy in service center who knows stuff and stick to him. There is this guy named Govind in Neo TVS and I always make a point to call him when I face an issue, he's always been transparent and has not ripped me off or given fake commitments. Most likely, I'll even take my 310 to Neo TVS next. in But I do definitely agree there are bad dealers out there.

About the parts, I got told by the AOG admin here about one parts helpline whatsapp number. You message this number (+91-73971 61112) in whatsapp, and you can search for dealers where the stock of your part is available. I have not used it yet but heard AOG members in the group talking about it. So, I hope it helps you with your chain guide buddy! :Cheering:

I have been a TVS hater ever since I started riding a two-wheeler. Star City was my first bike.

However, TVS has improved leaps and bounds. First thing is the exhaust note. Right from Excel, Radeon to NTorq to now RTR they have quite good exhaust note unlike any other mass market OEMs. Even REs have toned down their thumping notes. New Classics, Himalayan and Hunters are too bad to call themselves REs.

I checked the latest RTR 310 even though it is not on my list and that exhaust is too good. Different than regular RTRs and also RR. Try again, you may like it.

Congrats on your bike. This is one of the best from TVS. They have reinvented themselves recently and are doing exceedingly well. Giving quality products at all levels. Their Radeon is very good and characteristic. So is their new 125 Jupiter. Convenience at every level with front fuel lid. Ntorq improving the sporty quotient in scooters. Ronin has been good, but dull compared to their other products.

But they made a blast with RTR 310. I am not a fan of first-floor pillion seats. If this had a flat seat or something like the Original Karizma, I would have booked straight away.

Enjoy your biking.

Congratulations on the motorcycle. My friend got his BTO delivered on 27th too. I rode the bike for a while and it's quite different from the RR310, which I thought it would not be.

1. Intake bark and exhaust are very different. Feels like a different motorcycle at idle and when ridden slow/hard.
2. Quick shifter works every single time, both up and down. It will take me a while to get my head around this. PS: I am not used to this technology yet. I still blip and revv match.
3. Looks incredible.
4. Quality being above the segment, specially fit and finish and materials used.
5. Watched various reviews complaining that it was vibey and how their hands tingled, fortunately that is not the case. The bike feels good to ride and not disconnected/muted like the BS6 RTR160.
6. Workshop manual shows that the engine parts used are different than that of RR310. Majority (70-75%) parts are new including the piston, head, valves, air box/ intake, cooling system and many more.
7. Cluster looks superb. But I would have liked no gap between the screen and the glass.
8. The motorcycle feels & is aggressive to ride. RR310 being the much calmer motorcycle and smoother (power delivery wise) of the two.
9. BTO suspension (on his) still running on stock setting.
10. We could feel the heated/cooled seat mechanism by hand but it did not cause any hindrance while riding tbh. This would need more time to judge.
11. Sprocketing is 17-46T vs 17-42T on RR310.
12. Top speed on speedo for RTR - 161kmph - 156-157kmph on GPS.


Things to note : Tvs service is still a downer (I feel all brands are same in this regard, same people switch the jobs from one brand to the other. Moreover, in India we hardly pay any labour cost for the service we expect)

Congratulations on the new bike :Cheering:. Even I recently got the base variant with Quickshifter just a month ago (I am also planning to write an ownership review too). The first service of the bike has already been completed, and I have already covered 2300 kms with the bike. I undertook a road trip from Indore to Bengaluru, which are around 1350 kms apart. I really think that along with cooled seats (which is a great feature, but I still couldn't try out that feature yet), they should have advertised the cruise control, which is a standard feature. I really loved using cruise control during my trip and it helped reduce fatigue a lot. Bike is a complete attention magnet, as I have lost the count of people enquiring about the bike. This bike is really aggressive and has a different character from other bikes from the TVS-BMW partnership. It is a blast to ride, and I love riding it whether in city or highway. Although I think vibrations could have been better controlled as I remember Duke 250 to be smoother in comparison.
Happy Riding mate!
I am attaching some pics of my bike from my Indore to Bengaluru ride.