I was on the lookout for a good first bike after I got a job in bangalore. I had initially decided on a 125cc machine but decided to invest on a 150cc. I did a lot of riding on a pulsar 150 and I liked the unicorn even though I had only a few short rides on it. I had also test ridden the apache. My first impression of the bike was on its size and seating posture in contrast to the pulsar. but the test ride was short and I couldnt make much of a decision after it. I spent a good 4 to 5 months trying in vain to decide which bike to take. A lot of peer pressure too. But quite frankly, it was the looks and the desire to have something’not so common’ that led to my decision to take the apache. My decision was also shaped majorly by mouthshut.com reviews.
*The Purchase
*I purchased the bike from Meghdoot TVS, trinity circle, bangalore. There was an autocop unit fitted for free on the full payment purchase. I practically drove off with the vehicle as soon as they handed over the keys, but I wouldnt recommend anyone to do that. It was only later that I noticed there were deep scratches in the paint over the tank and tail assembly.
*The First Few Days
*As soon as I drove of from the showroom, I noticed that the bikes was idling at an unusually high rpm(around 3k). A quick visit to a nearby service centre fixed that( I didnt know about the throttle stop screw at the time). After a lot of riding on the first and second days I was a little worried about the running of the bike. I sounded and felt very unrefined. The bike vibrated uncomfortably while riding. This disappointed me greatly, even though I had heard of the problem before.
*Upto 1st Service
*After riding about 300km. We(me and my friends) noticed that the bike had become noticeably smoother in operation. Vibration had decreased and was annoying only in and around the 4k rpm range. I maintained the 4k rpm limit until 700km first service. I gave first service at Meghdoot Ulsoor. I made a list of problems I felt with the bike including the major ones.
*A bad experience
*As I went to take my bike after the first service. I mounted the bike and started it. As I moved a little bit and was about to shift to second, I noticed that my foot couldnt reach the gearshift lever. I look down and to my horror I found the gear shift lever had fallen to the ground! I promptly walked up to the service person and gave him a piece of my mind. They had forgotten to place the bolts for the lever. I lost complete trust in meghdoot service since that incident. The fact that they were very unapologetic about that happening, angered me even more.
A few rides on the bike confirmed to me that there was no improvement in the vibration and gearshift quality. The bike performed impeccably though and the acceleration was exhilarating as I pushed the bike for the first time after first service.
*Upto 2nd Service
*All through upto 2nd service I had consulted several tvs service centres about the vibration and gearshift problems. Most assured me that it would subside after the 2nd service. During this time my impression of the bike can be summarised as following
- Bike control and manoeuverability: excellent
I found the bike extrememly enjoyable to ride. even more than the pulsar. the apache gave u a sense of confidence even in high-lean corners. This fact was the driving force for my love of this bike.
Braking is adequate, but lacks a precise feel that I found on the pulsar(front disc). The rear tends to skid easily sometimes but this can be attributed to the short wheelbase of the bike(and maybe the tvs tyres too). proper braking technique requires you to rely on the front brake.
the bike vibrates(handlebar and footpegs) uncomfortably at around 4-4.5k rpm. Due to this vibration a noise used to emanate from of the heat guard on the exhaust. No amount of tightening of the nuts would eliminate that noise.
I took the bike a second time to meghdoot service(what was I thinking!) after being referred by the showroom people when I expressed my unhappiness about the refinement of the bike. I spent a good 5 hours there. All those five hours I was faced by hostile service people and mechinics who wouldnt let me explain to them the problems I felt with the bike. Above all that, towards the end they actually began to deny the fact that the problems exist and began speaking harshly when I insisted they try to fix it. All this led me to give my second service to tristar tvs on inner ring road domlur.
*2nd Service
*My 2nd service experience thankfully was more pleasant. I gave my bike there on a weekday so that they would have sufficient time to work on it. I received the bike. A ride along the inner ring road revealed that the vibration levels had dropped significantly(not disappeard though) and the gearshift quality had improved. the service person acknowledged the fact that the problem wasnt eliminated(unlike the meghdoot people) and told me it would improve more on the third service. But all in all the bike is much more rideable now. The vibrations are not annoying and are easy to get used to. The noise from the heat guard has been reduced significantly. Pickup is as good as ever and the bike is a joy to ride. I find myself taking the long route to anywhere just to stay longer riding.
*Summary
Advice:
*- I would suggest examining the bike closely before taking delivery. you could be getting a bike that might have problems like mine. **I have ridden other apaches that had none of the problems I mentioned above.
Pros
*- Short wheelbase gives it a crotch rocket look
Acceleration is excellent with a wide power band all the way upto the redline
HIghly flickable and thus a joy to ride in traffic
Confident even in high lean cornering
Im 5’6" and its size is just perfect. Smaller than others but just perfect
good lights
stable at high speed(i found that initially, because of my tight grip on the hadlebars during high speed, caused the bike to be shaky at high speed. thats because of the short wheelbase)
a slightly commuter type seating posture eases pressure from the wrist(unlike pulsar). also making the handle lighter and easy to work on.
*Cons
*- Vibrations at about 4k rpm. significantly reduced by 2nd service. hoping to be eliminated by 3rd. watch this space
Brake lacks precision and feel but strong nonetheless
hard rear suspension. Do you have a strong back?
relatively small and uncomfortable pillion seat.(i prefer to ride alone)
seating posture takes a little getting used to.
gearshifts on the hard side. false neutrals(very infrequent after 2nd service)
*All in All
*Look before u buy. A fun machine for those who love to ride. Lack of refinement.