Dear Friends,
This is my first review on the TVS Apache, so as to express my serious views on this bike...
Having ridden this bike around quite a bit, I feel its time to highlight some advantages and disadvantages of this albeit nice vehicle released by TVS.
After an extensive ad campaign to promote this bike with all sorts of gimmicks including roping in Mahendra Singh Dhoni to bank in on the Dhoni craze, the first question that should logically come to one’s mind is, "Does this bike really live up to its name?"
Well, I shall discuss it point wise to simplify life...
Starting with the positives :
Looks - ??! - Well... The looks are ok by most people’s standard though the back of the bike leaves much to be desired... The headlight looks quirky to be honest but one must consider the fact that TVS have the most powerful headlights amongst all bikes... So thats ok... In general the looks are decent... And rather "female" as some people put it... That’s a TVS trend...
Noise factor - Well.. What shall I say??? Noise levels from the exhaust can be a bit irritating since it is neither as noisy as the Pulsar nor so little as the unicorn/cbz..... What I can say is that the exhaust noise exudes a certain unique feel to this bike and the masked silence.noise leads to a really good effect
Handling - In this department, the Apache has an obvious advantage... Being of a smaller build as compared to the other 150s, this bike moves nimbly through city traffic... The disc brake in front is responsive enough considering its easier to control...
Engine - Sporting the legendary Fiero engine, this leaves little space for any complaint... Smooth and efficient as expected...
Mileage - So far, the mileage of the Apache has been good for a 150.... Though the Induction Exhaust Resonator used has not been too effective as the mileage is comparable to a 150 cc std mileage...
And then there are the negatives :
Gearbox : A pronounced stiffness while changing gears can cause a ankle pains to the user... The heel and toe mechanism used is good though the foot pads can me a made a bit wider.... Apart from this, the gearbox tends to be very noisy and changes with a major clatter, which indicates long term problems...
Ride comfort : For a bike with a 150cc engine, the space provided is far too small for two people to comfortably be seated unless they’re fashion models... For a tall person, the riding position can be awkward considering that he has to spread his arms out a little wider than other 150s.... Overall the comfort of riding is bad...
Suspension/Shock absorbers - The suspension of the Apache is pretty stiff with a single person on it... It does soften marginally with two people sitting but not enough to justify it... Even with the shock absorber adjustment raised to its highest(which changes the CG) the ride can be daunting....
Brakes : The discs up front are good but the overall package is not responsive enough... The rear brakes lock up pretty easily so it can go into dangerous skids... The tyres are thick at the back but lack the grip or a CBZ/Pulsar... Overall a poor braking performance....
Electricals : The only strong point of the electricals is the good headlamp... Otherwise, in general, there is always some problem or the other with the electricals... The worst being the electric start not working properly....
After Sales Service : The cost of spares of TVS machines is generally good, but the service quality leaves much to be desired... Yet to be completely trained in servicing the Apache, dealers do little more than a basic bike overhaul as instructed and are generally unable to accurately rectify the customer’s complaints...
Overall, the Apache is a very good bike, even though it falls a bit short of expectations... Currently there is a craze to buy the "Dhoni" bike, but one has to see how long that will last.... With a reasonable number of them on roads, I must say TVS has put in a decent effort to find out the customers needs and build the bike
TO all people considering buying the Apache, I’d say, please take a close look at the CBZ Xtreme, Unicorn, Achiever before going in for it.. Apache is a good bikebut does give some problems...
After reading thus far please do me favour and spare a moment to rate my review....