Dear Friends,
Thanks for reading my previous reviews and commenting on it.
Here is another one about the hot cake from TVS. Its Apache!
I was riding my 6 month old Unicorn to the TVS showroom and the receptionist offered me for a test ride. But before that I thought I would look around the bike first.
At the first glimpse the bike looks like a mix of Pulsar, Unicorn, Fiero and Star city!!??
Build and Style
Looking at the Head Light & Cowl, it looks like the Apache Chopper, the great warrior machine of the US Air Force.
The 3 pod cluster has merging style like the unicorn, although doesn’t look so neat
in finish or better in quality.
The Fuel Tank is purely a new concept and so does the lower seat height which gives a very good comfort and confidence for an average indian rider.
Rear Cowl and lamp aren’t aggressive as they flash Star City in my mind.
Engine & Gearbox
The Engine is built around the same Suzuki Fiero (What did TVS do with that 15 crores. Only a reworked Fiero Engine ?). Self Start looks similar to a Pulsar
It breathes through a Mikuni CV Carburettor, (Why not Keihin?)
Exhaust looks like Pulsar 180 black.
Clutch feels better than a Pulsar, and the Gear Box is a 1 down 4 up type and it had a very good Low End Torque. I tried accelerating it from 20 kmph at 5th gear and it did not knock, hence ensuring very less or no gear shift at heavy traffic. (Resembles the Unicorn)
Smoothness of ride is no par than Unicorn which was introduced 1.5 years before this Apache.
Handling & Brakes
Since the Bike has Mag Alloy wheels, the handling is swift and nimble, better than Pulsar and Unicorn. Cornering was a breeze which made the pillion rider scare. Breaking was good enough for our traffic tight roads.
Suspension
I want to mention about the suspension since it is one of the most important but least cared (by the manufacturer so far) component of the bike aiding handling and comfort in your ride and hence it takes a separate section.
Guys who ride on a splendor or passion will feel very less difference on this new MIG Suspension with gas canisters. Why is this advanced shocks having so less difference than its low end competitors ?
Even Bajaj incorporated their Pulsars with Canister equipped Shocks only after Unicorn was launched. Before that what did they offer ? Remember ? A poor quality shocks from Endurance! Why ?
Guys Try riding on a CD 100 SS old model or an IND Suzuki which has that Showa Shocks and you will realize why I expand this section a lot !
If you could see the road map of TVS or Bajaj, see how many times or models they would have switched their shocks invariably on all their models whereas HH stayed tight with Showa in all their models.
Enough about shocks. This might be wrenching these companies too hard on their quality.
Any way, its ok on Apache. At last!
Conclusion
TVS Claims 55-60 on road mileage per litre and only time has to tell the truth. On road price in chennai is 57, xxx comparatively less than Honda or Bajaj, for which the rider has to sacrifice on the finishing and build quality to some extent, atleast in my opinion.
Thanks for your time and have a great riding !!!
Lots of Love
Chris