I bought a TVS Apache RTR 180 White in mid of December ’09. I have been very happy and satisfied with the purchase and I definitely believe that this bike is worth each and every paise of the three-quarters of a lakh that I spent on it. I wish to thank Prashant, my bikeadvice.in buddy whose advice greatly helped me decide on this purchase. Not to sound humble but I really a no bike expert. I am writing this only to share my views and also hoping that it may help someone like all the other articles have been doing till now. There are already a lot of articles in bikeadvice itself about the pros and cons of this bike but I believe that there are certain myths about this bike prevailing among public and I am attempting to disillusion people about whichever isn’t actually true. Also I am writing about whatever I think could have been better.
Apache is not for tall riders?: I have to award this as the biggest myth of them all.
I even read this in some magazine reviews of this bike that it is ergonomically uncomfortable for riders 5 feet 10 inches and over. I wonder what made them say so. I am 6 feet tall and I am 110 percent comfortable riding the Apache. I haven’t come across any one personally with that complaint. All such I read is on line.
I believe this is being a major set back for people who otherwise love this bike. Again I am making it loud and clear. This bike is very comfortable for tall riders.
Bad Tyres? : This is not very true with the 180 CC version. The tyres have increased in width in comparison with the 160 CC versions. The tyres may not be the best in comparison with the competition but it is not true that they are bad. They are the best among all of TVS bikes at least and in general have improved and are good.
Vibrations? : The bike does vibrate once you cross 50 kmph on the speedo. This doesn’t concern me much. It still handles well. The Hero Honda’s and the Unicorns are definitely very stable in comparison. However the Apache more than compensates with its awesome power, great pickup, awesome brakes to mention a few. In fact the nerve tingling excitement that you get when riding the Apache could not be matched by the Unicorn or the competition. Vibrations? Who cares anymore?
All these said it would be unfair if I fail to mention what I like about this bike and whats so good about it. I wouldn’t wish to be a sinner. So here it is, the 3 things that are really so impressive about this bike.
Smooth Gears: The gear shifts are real smooth that you don’t hear any clanks when shifting. I have trouble finding neutral though. At times it seems like finding extra terrestrial life forms. That was actually a pardonable exaggeration. I have trouble finding neutral but I assume that 90 percent of you riders must be better than me and this should not be an issue at all for any of you.
Awesome Brakes: The petal disc’s that this bike has got is the best. There are only 3 other bikes that have got dual discs, the Bajaj Pulsar 220, the Hero Honda Karizma ZMR and the Yamaha YZF R15. Downright this is the cheapest bike you get with dual discs and braking is just awesome. You think of braking and the bike immediately halts and you wonder if thats telepathy. They are very effective and has got awesome stopping ability.
Amazing Throttle Response: This bike has got great pickup and the throttle response is really great. A slight twist in the throttle and the bike speeds up considerably, instantly. The TVS Apache RTR 180 is the lightest bike in the above 150 CC category and thats a thing worth mentioning too. It is quite simple to move maneuver in city traffic as well as highway cruising.This bike has a toe shift gear lever. This means that you cannot be stamping down with your heel to shift upwards for gears 2 to 5. Instead you will be using your instep to lift the lever up. This is quite convenient but I have a problem with this. Not a real problem actually. On workdays that I wear formal shoes I wouldn’t ride my bike, alt east not with my shoes on. This is because using the instep leaves marks on the shoes which I don’t like. Summing it up all this bike is one masterpiece from TVS and I thank them for it. Also my sincere thanks to bikeadvice for the great opportunity they are offering to readers like me. If it wasn’t for bikeadvice I would still have been trying to narrow down on my list of bikes to consider. Also special thanks to Prashant for his advice. My intention throughout this article was never to argue if this bike was better than any other bike in the market. Each bike is best in some regard of its own. My soul intention was to convey to future buyers of this bike that their choice is worthy and wise. I saw several people hitting it out at the Apache in favor of other bikes. Its purely a matter of personal preference. I would stay away from anything like that. All comments are better being constructive and informational than hurting.
– Vikram Mahadev
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{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow man that was a good review after a long time and of course yeah for 74k this bike is really worth a buy and you didnt mention about the service of tvs how is it buddy
I love the service my dealer and my mileage has increased by 10 kmpl after my first service. I bought this masterpiece in Jan2011 and rode 5000kms till now. I loved each and every kms in this bike. All the best for future buyers too
Any Company spokesman can write a similar review. Where is the proof of authenticity?
Should I write about the reviews of my Harley Nightrod, 2010 Yamaha R1, 2010 Hayabusa and my other Ducati 1198 as well?
No seriously, I am ready to write.
Good review, I have heard that apache 180 is the best after R15 for cornering, is that true? What is the top speed that you have achieved on your bike and you have felt confident and in control at that speed? As per all the reviews done by various magazines and programmes, this is a potent machine, but all of them point to the issue of vibration and refinement levels, which is better than earlier apaches but still has a lot to be desired, I own a tvs sport and a honda unicorn and tvs sport really annoys me with the vibration where as the unicorn is stress free, I understand there is no comparison between these segments, but refinement induces a level a comfort for city rides. Apaches are fast though!! Enjoy riding!!
This bike looks wicked. I think the only bike which carries white so well.
What’s the guarantee that the above “REVIEW” hasn’t been written by a TVS employee?
Or should I write about the ownership experience about my Ducati 1198, Yamaha R1, Suzuki Hayabusa, Harley Night Rod. I ready to write about it.
Just don’t ask for proof
Review regarding the Vibration is i felt a completely personal one !!! Many people do have concern regarding the vibration coming from the bike coz sometimes it’s directly linked with the comfortability of riding and sometimes even safety too !!! Who would love riding continuously with a vibration coming from the bike at all?
It’s good u’ve got no concern regarding the vibration and try to overlook it compensating with the nerve chilling speedy power of the bike ! But it might not be a case with all people !!!
Every bike’s got cons and pros,So, I felt it’s completely just the personal review appreciating own bike!!!!
This can’t be called as a review because a review should showcase both +ve and -ve and shoud provide a complete coverage of the bike or whatsoever
I don’t like to say that but I have no other words “yes in this article author put his best effort to justify the cons (-ve) of apache”
Just read the part that says bad tyres it shows even the author is unsure and not able to justify properly
Moreover Apache seating position is sporty (not commuter type) so how come its been called as comfortable
Apache mileage is not mentioned
First time I heard of a lightweight bike with awesome breaks do mention the breaking power ( 0 to 60 or breaking distance)
Please consider my comments as constructive and don’t take it too personally
If you wrote a article on pulsar or hyabusa in this way, I would say the same
@rearset, why do you find it so hard to like a good product?? I hope you’re not from Bajaj… Im a reviewer myself and comments like this are disheartening….
@ Rearset
Yea I also think so.. there is no personal feeling in this review..
@ Vikram Mahadev
Aare yar kuch to pros & cons likh(of course personal opinions).. :p
When it comes to cruising in an Highway for about 50-100kms in a Apache @ 90-100 Kmph , Its really annoying to absorb these vibrations continuously. It completely messes up the Riding Pleasure. One the Other Hand take a R15 or ZMR You will feel as though you are gliding in Air without any sign of Engine running below even at speeds over 100kmph.
I did 600 kms in 10 hours on my rtr 160. I didn’t feel any vibrations @ 100 kmph. May be at that speed, we concentrate more on riding than observing vibrations. But one thing I can say for sure, there are two sets of people, one of them likes their machine to be smooth and the others want some harshness. Always select the right type of machine, else u will repent later. In case of mine, smooth machines bore me right away. Even though I like karizma, due to calm nature, I couldn’t enjoy the ride to peak. Honestly, ride an activa @ 70 kmph and other smooth bikes right back, u cannot feel any difference. For me, the smooth machines may seem comfortable to some extent, but seriously take away the fun factor.
can hardly wait its presence in Indonesian market….
Hey Vikram,
Everything is fine & good abt ur review except one.
im 185cms high & i don’t agree with one point,
“Apache is not for tall riders?” for this question i’ll say “YES”……it has&hav hard seating posture for the tall riders, i myself tried it with my cousin’s bike(RTR 180) but even then my friends forced me to go for it. so i made my way to the nearby TVS Showroom with half heart, but i wondered when the TVS dealer himself suggested me to go for a Star City Sport coz of my height then iam damn sure to avoid it. Now i own a YAMAHA-FZS jst becoz of that one reason.
Im a fan of Apache, but when it comes to taller dudes like me, its hard to own one…
@Vijay Iyer
Trust me buddy. I don’t work for TVS. As a matter of fact I am not a fan of TVS. I am a fan of the Apache. Specifically the Apache RTR 180. I don’t even know what are the other TVS bikes available on the market. I have advised many of my friends to go for the Pulsar in the past. If there was no Apache 180 CC option I would not have bought an Apache at all. I am not a fan of the other versions of the Apache. But the 180 CC really got me drool at.
Even a month before I bought the Apache I was thinking about going for the Karizma ZMR as there is nothing as reliable as the Hero Honda. If I was working for TVS, this is it and I would be fired. Ain’t it? If you check out the review of the Apache 180 by Sharath I would have posted comments asking for help to choose between the ZMR and the Apache 180. I wanted dual discs and tubeless tyres and so Karizma R was never an option. Only the ZMR was. Finally I made up my mind to go for the Apache and its a decision I cherish.
@Karthik
I am 183 cms. I seriously never had an issue with the bike’s comfort offering. I have done close to 50 kms in one stretch too and even then no issues. That doesn’t mean that I am denying that it may be uncomfortable to you. It probably is. So the best thing for riders is to test ride the bike before going for it. Its a painful miss if one believes it will be uncomfortable and overlooks it and later finds out that it isn’t. Its good that you brought this thing out. I finally directly know one person that feels discomfort. But you also please trust me when I say I don’t feel even one bit uncomfortable.
@Madhu
Thanks for your views. I will not take it personal and ofcourse its constructive. When I said that the seating position is comfortable I didn’t mean to sound its cruiser like. Its slightly sporty, not as much as R15 which is a little painful when one rides it in city traffic. Apache is very comfortable in city traffic too. I mean jam packed roads where you can’t go even 10 metres in one stretch.
Tyres are not the best. If you have been riding a Hero Honda or even a Pulsar before, you may feel the tyres are not up to the mark. What I was trying to say in my article is that this is not something so pricking that one can ignore this bike for this reason. It definitely isn’t.
Let me put it this way. The Miss Universe is not the only beautiful woman. The contestants too are not the only other beautiful women. If a woman becomes Miss Universe it doesn’t mean every man alive should fall only for that woman. Your taste might differ. You might prefer one a little shorter, a shade more/less fairer etc. I was only highlighting what are the things about the Apache RTR 180 that make me a proud owner and what other things that make me think “why didn’t they make this thing a little better?”.
Appreciate the way you love your bike
No one intentionally manufacture a bad bike our selection depends on our need and its life depends on how we maintain her
in other word always ride the vehicle in optimum speed recommended by company don’t test her nerves to the extreme (such as doing stunts, rev hard…)
My wishes to you for long term relationship with your apache.
@Madhu
That was very nice of you. The advise very valuable. I am a little too old for stunts. You can be assured that I won’t even try anything like that. Thanks for you comments.
@Arun
The after sales service, is a very important thing that one has to consider before buying a bike. I live in Chennai. I bought my bike in a TVS showroom very near where I live. So far the bike has gotten serviced twice and both experiences were satisfactory. These people are doing a good job here. In my article I didn’t mention about the after sales service because it is unfair to judge the quality of it by just knowing one center myself. If you are planning to buy an Apache kindly enquire about the service centers in your locality to get a better idea.
@Captain Obvious
True. The bike does vibrate. I experience it only between 40kmph to ~55kmph. After that its not so. I agree with you on that the R15 is rock solid in a similar scenario. But the Apache is a nimbler traffic carver.
@Vikram
Im sure that i wont be the one…….may be one among 1000s.
hi vikram mahadev,
thanks for the honest review,
at present i own 1998 RX 135 which has tired after giving 12 years of exemplary service for my mobility.
I am 33years old with a height of 5 feet 6 inches and i have been looking for new bike which suits me.I feel iam bit old for funky college goer bikes.
At last i zeroed on apache 180 to buy, but there are so many doubts created in the media,print as well as well as in the web regarding engine quality and the apathy of tvs people to settle those problems makes me worry sometimes and another question regarding tyres, should i change over to MRF Zappers at the time of delivery?
lastly regarding the is the saddle height of apache for my height comfortable since i live bangalore with bumper to bumper traffik.
whats the milage u getting my friend?
@chandra sekhar HR,
The Apache engine is based on the Fiero and if you may know, it is one of the most reliable four stroke engines in India.. for tuning purposes, there is simply no better four stroke engine that you can have in this country… at teambhp.com you could meet a tuner named joel, he has created the record for the fastest 160cc bike with his modified RTR 160, it beat the RD350 in a straight line drag with all the modifications in place.. the bike has clocked over 22000 kms without any problems and still returns 40 kmpl average… if you are looking for a superbly reliable engine, theres no better bike than the RTR, this is a little less known fact about the RTR and is overlooked by almost everyone… TVS is the most successful racing company in India and they use a modified version of the RTR engine on each of their bikes… please take my word for it as I am an Apache owner myself and have clocked over 50,000 km without even replacing a single part within the engine… IT is literally bullet proof!!! i give u my word….
@Arun
That is the best thing I have ever read about Apache ever and its very heartening to hear as well. It only goes on to add to my joy about opting to buy Apache. Thanks a lot buddy for posting this information. I take your word.
@Athul
I haven’t started eyeing mileage yet. I will let you know once I measure it more precisely. But it definitely gives in excess of 40 kmpl.
@Karthik
I only have to consider myself lucky for not experiencing any discomfort with driving the apache despite being 6 feet tall as otherwise I would have had to discard this bike. Lucky me.
@ arun…..
still returns 40 kmpl average…
did you getting this mileage by riding 70-90kmph?
40kmpl in which riding condition my friend.? 40-60kmph or 60-80kmph?
Hi Guys !!
I have been owning Apache RTR 160 for the last 2.5 years. I’m really happy with my machine performance and mileage (50 KMPl). But when I talk about service centers servicing Quality, I can say it is really worst. They use to wash your vehicle rather rectifying or servicing the vehicle. In every service I use to fight with them. In my last service, I got my bike to bike zone (Castrol) for the service, they charged me bit extra. But my bike is really smooth. I have not rode my machine with that much smooth, since I bought !! Ramkay TVS Service centers Sucks guys !!
@Athul
Driving 45 to 55 kmph.
i can bet a 1000 bucks tat dis guy mr. vikram mahadev is a company’s spokesperson…. tvs wil never rise wid such cheap policies…
Hi apache150cc unlucky owner, I also own a Apache 150+ Vibrations. But I wouldnt blame TVS for this as the they say that its their 1st attempt.But the same amount of Vibes is found throughout the Family 150,160&180. We have to have Brains to invest our hard earned money in the right way. My Apache has done 30K Kms and Still running not less than 60Kmpl, But regarding the Engine and Vibes, I am sure if you and me have purchased a Unicorn 3 years back we wouldnt have declared ourselves as Unlucky.
hey,
i am 6’3. i am a fan of apache rtr 180 what do you say will it suit me
yes, man. u are just 2 inches taller than me. i own one and its absoulutely comfortable. I dive it for approx 100 kms daily. No issues as per hight. i think those wh complain abt height are either giants (6ft 6in or above)or just make perception on just looking this bike in comparision to bulky ones like pulsar 180 or 220 cc
hey frends.,.,me also usig RTR 180., i bought it 1 month before..,after 1st service ma milg in city.,44..,in highways..,its 48,,bw 70- 85kmph.,.,and sometime,,.,100kmph.,.and above..,.,
hi frends… I have readed many reviews of apache rtr 180 but almost al of reviews are a year or two year older. I wanted to know is it still the best bike in that price segment?? In today’s competition.
pulsar 220 is the best bike among all bikes dats it……