Power To The AAM AADMI

Every time I review an exotic car or bike which is much much away from a common man's reach. This time I break the norm.

This time I've gone for the much accessible TVS Apache RTR 180. Well at rs 90k on road it still is not so cheap but for an enthusiast on a budget this makes a very tempting buy.

The bike has a very controversial design with the devil's eyes headlamps. I, personally like the design very much and think those headlamps are pretty cool. Except those headlamps the bike looks pretty neat with very few cuts and flares. You might as well call it conservative. The bike is available in 3 very conservative colours: black, white and grey.

The bike comes with a lot of equipment for its range and even bikes which are much costlier don't have it!
The instrument panel is very neat with a digital speedometer which also couples up with 2 trip meters, a 0-60kmph timer and a top speed recorder. There is also an analog tachometer. The backlight colour is blue which gives proper visibility in the night. The buttons and switches are of top quality and don't leave you with anything to complain about. The instrument cluster is very neatly surrounded by high quality plastic which has a texture like that of carbon fibre. The fit and finish is very well and build quality is top notch and of levels you don't expect in this price range.

So even before starting it you are already impressed by it. Score 1 for TVS.

Now as soon as you sit on it you you that your legs are very close up to your body. TVS calls it mass centralisation, I call it cramped riding position. The bike is very compact and that further helps your driving abilities in traffic. 

The Engine

So as soon as you thumb the starter a very throaty and deep voice welcomes you and the same voice stays with you till the better part of 9000 RPMs with larger intensity and more frequency added. Then you slot it into first gear with a neat gearshift pedal and you realise the gearshifts are very precise and butter smooth. Then as soon you start riding it in traffic at speeds of 30-40 you realise what a phenomenal engine it is! The engine is a 180 cc single cylinder which produces 17 ps of power but that power is the peak power which you get at 8500 RPM and top speed of 126 kmph  upto which most of the people wont even take it!
But the sweet thing about its engine is its mid range torque which gives you almost instantaneous change of speed and then you realise what a missile this bike is. Most of the bikes deliver their peak torque very close to their peak  power but in apache you get peak torque at just 6500 RPM. Once you get past 3000-3500 RPM you drown in an enormous wave of torque and before you realise you are in speeds in excess of 80kmph. One of the biggest reason to love this bike is the midrange. It is so phenomenal that you get addicted to it and you deliberately ride it below 3000 RPM to experience the midrange.

 But once you get to speed you don't have to worry about it because the you have another big reason to love it: BRAKES

I was wrong above because midrange torque is not the only thing you'll get addicted to. Braking in this bike is another big thing you'll love about it. The brakes are very precise and have very gradual bite. But once you pull the lever as hard as you can then you realise their awesomeness. There is no drama at all! The bike comes to a very rapid halt. The only damage done is to your face which is teared off during the braking. YES the bike stops that quickly. The bite that these brakes offer is tremendous and so addictive that you might find your face teared off more often than you imagined.These are the most confidence inspiring brakes you can get in this price range. Also you have to get used to it because initially you tend to stop much earlier than you thought. The bike also comes with an ABS option which is 5k more than the standard. 

The Ride

The bike rides very well with the suspension setup more inclined towards sportiness than comfort. But it doesn't mean that it is uncomfortable in any way. This is where its cramped riding position comes into play and gives you proper control of bike while taking corners. The bike remains planted all through the corner.The suspension setup hence is very driver friendly and confidence inspiring.

The Cons

The only con that this bike has is the vibration and like the midrange torque the vibration also comes in lumps and spoils the experience. The vibes start just around 4500-5000 RPM and stay with you till the redline. The vibration is very prominent and after a long time it starts killing the machine with the front headlight cluster and all the footrests getting loose and start making noise.But mostly the this bike is used for commuting and so it doesn't affect most of the people.

I don't see a reason for someone having budget of around 80-90k buying any other motorcycle than this!
It is practical, reliable and mostly gives you adrenaline rush at a price that wont burn a hole in your pocket. I am still awestruck by its braking and its midrange grunt. It sounds nice too. It disappoints me that despite all these qualities the bike is mildly successful and though much ahead of the competition it hasn't caught on. But if you give me Rs. 90k I'd get myself one without waiting for a minute and without thinking about any other bike. And my love is not new found for this bike, I've loved it since it was launched and it would be delight if i owned one.