Hi Pals,
Iam Vijayanand from Bangalore. I had a very reliable and most economical TVS SUZUKI AX100R since 1994 till I brought a brand new TVS Apache (Justifies its name). I was in a dilemma which 150CC I should go for? I took test drive of both Bajaj Pulsar 150 and Apache. Both look amazing, But Apache tookaway the decision in addition to the reliability and low maintenance cost which most of the TVS products offer. My Brother in law posses a Pulsar 150. Few times I rode his bike but soon I started developing pain in the wrists and fists after riding the Pulsar for few kilometers. May be this is because of the sitting position where whole of the upper body weight exerts load on the arms and the fists. Also handling pulsar in the traffic of Bangalore’s hectic roads is quite painful. Because of the stretched wheelbase the total weight of both raider and pillion falls in to the centre of the bike, which makes the maneuverability quite difficult. Where as Apache with its short wheelbase, half the waight is distributed along the tail frame which makes the handling easy even at low speeds. Also Apache has got a very good sitting posture which eliminated the problem with pain in the wrists and fists.
The styling of Apache is as good as Pulsar and even surpassed Pulsar in few departments. The attractive wind fairing, tropezoidal high focus clear lens headlamp, compact engine bay, light and attractive alloy wheels, sexy front mudguard and ribbed fuel tank are quite a few to mention. All these features have placed Apache more definitely male than the pulsar.
Apache cruises smoothly without much vibs even at a steady speed of 80+, Pick-up is great, It gives a very judicious mileage of around 55kpl in the city riding. Braking is fantastic and sure. Riding Apache in the night is much more easy because of the wide beam headlight. Asthetics and ergonomics are of top notch.
There are few drawbacks as well, which can be considered negligible compared to the overall performance. Like it definitely requires a more wider seat, a side stand engage indicator, more firmer handle grips. The speedometer console lighting (Parking light) should be directly from the battery as it was in the early models. Beacuse just to see the fuel guage in the night you need to start the engine and etc.
Those who are looking for a 150CC bike expecting good performance, greater mileage and style should definitely go for TVS Apache. Indeed a great bike for a great price. You have to believe the reality and not rumors.