As soon as I saw the TVS Apache RTR 2012 in pictures, just couldn’t control myself and went to the nearest TVS showroom
First impression - It doesn’t look very aggressive due to the curved head light. The tank shrouds sometimes look too big. The engine cowl is more prominent. You might feel that the original Apache was more symmetric. The sculpted rear panels look better now. The carbon fiber looking black plastic parts are welcome. Little carbon fiber sits on top of the tank which is not very neatly finished. The digital meter looks all new. Of course, how could I forget the head light? That’s what all the hype about. The LED parking lights look like a beast’s eyes with eyebrows. But the over all head light reminds you of the Pulsar and more of the Suzuki GS 150R. And the tank panels remind you of the Dazzler and sometimes CBZ Extreme and sometimes the old TVS Flame. Over all, the bike is a little jazzy and takes time for the eye to absorb.
But park it next to the old Apache, and you would of course prefer the new one. It is fresh. If you still like the old one, get your one soon as that model will be out of the showrooms soon..
Ride - swing a leg over it and you’re welcomed by the familiar riding posture. The seat looks better - the front seat has been blunted, resembling the Yamaha Fazer, but the rear seat has been retained which is quite comfortable. But somehow, the new bike felt better than the old one. The foot pegs are higher than the old one. The handle felt lighter and did not vibrate as much as the old one at low speeds. The engine did not go through any change and so feels as punchy as the old one. But the new bike felt easier to maneuver and was less threatening than the older model.
and yes, the bike gets an all new switch gear which looks very up-market and neat. The green bike was the worst looking one. The white one was good. Black also was equally good. The grey one was average, but the best one was red.
At Rs.79K+ on-raod Bangalore, it is a good buy.