TVS Apache RTR 220

With a range of motorcycles reaching Indian roads, every automaker is introducing new bikes in the Indian auto market to make the most of it. Then what makes you think that TVS Motors Co. will stay back. TVS Motors will launch its TVS Apache RTR 220 in 2010.

Apache RTR 220 From what's been heard about this motorcycle is that this upcoming model will be a powerful bike that would surely appeal to the motorcycle lovers in India. A 220cc motorcycle, this TVS model will produce 22bhp. Enhanced looks and outstanding road performance of TVS Apache RTR 220 will be the USP of this motorcycle. This upcoming TVS motorcycle is expected to be launched in April, 2010. Are you wondering about how much this TVS Apache RTR would cost? Though there is no announcement from the automaker, this motorcycle is expected to be cost around Rs. 95,000/-.

Mahindra launches THAR in India

Mahindra India just now launched the Thar in India. Here is the official site of Mahindra THAR.  Mahindra Thar is a reworked version of the Commander Jeep that was pulled off the roads in early 2000. The top model of Mahindra Thar is expected to be priced around Rs. 7,00,000 on-road which seems to be quite resonable considering the fact that it sports a 2.5 litre diesel engine and is a well built product. The Thar has captured the imagination of off-roading enthusiasts in India. Its looks and features have gone down well with the general public.

“It is the need for a retro-styled product that has forced M&M to launch the product in Indian markets,” a person said on condition of anonymity. “This is a niche, retro-styled product and there will be a lot of young buyers and Jeep fans for such a vehicle,” a Mumbai-based dealer said on condition of anonymity. The vehicle will be sold in soft top and hard top versions. A company spokesperson said, “As a matter of company policy, we do not comment on any of our future plans or products.”

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TVS Apache RTR 180 vs Bajaj Pulsar 180

Performance: Now comes the most exciting part of the comparo, because of the fact that both the bikes are targeted towards performance, primarily. First we talk about the Pulsar. Pulsar 180 was the bike which redefined ‘performance’ in 2001. Come 2009, the story hasn’t changed very much but sure has seen more competition. Pulsar 180 is very fast BUT put a Pulsar 180 on a weighing machine and you will come to know the reason of the bike losing out a bit to the competition. The bike now weighs a hefty 147 Kgs up from 142 kgs and these 5 Kilograms sure take its toll on the overall performance of the bike. Add to this, the fatter 120 section rear tyres which further aggravate the condition. Moreover, if we get a chance, we would love to ask Rahul Bajaj the reason of the bike shedding 1 Nm of that all important torque which further hampers the bikes performance. On the contrary, let me also tell you, despite all these factors acting against this bike’s performance, the bike manages to return one of the fastest performance times both from 0 – 60 and 0 – 100. The 0 to 60 dash comes in sub 4.5 seconds along with the 14 seconds it takes to touch 100 from standstill, which goes along with the 123 Kmph true top speed. After these figures, we were quite jubilant and surprised at the same time because we did not expect this Bajaj to do this much, this fast! Accolades to Bajaj engineering team!

Coming to the TVS stable: Being a full 10 kilogram lesser than the Pulsar (at 137 kgs), greater torque and relatively slimmer tyres, we tried to demystify the obvious and we got what was evident. The bike is a sheer performer and we must admit that TVS has beaten the Pulsar 180 in performance (although just), finally! The bike is an out and out scorcher. Does a zero to sixty sprint in less than 4.5 seconds with the zero to hundred dash coming in less than 14 seconds. Along with it, the bike goes all the way to a true 124 Kmph and revs all the way to 12000 rpm (with the absence of rev-limiter). Fast and furious might be the right word to describe this pint sized powerhouse as it just blasts away to glory when in full swing, full throttle.

Mileage & Braking: Not much to compare on the mileage front considering the segment of crowd these bikes are catering to, but then this is India and how can we underestimate this all-important factor. Both the bikes are extremely efficient engines fulfilling our insatiating appetite for power and very respectable mileage figures, at the same time. Apache RTR 180 would return a city mileage of something in the range of 39-44 kmpl with the highway mileage hovering all the way to 43-48 kmpl. Pulsar is more hesitant in drinking fuel. It returns a mileage of 41-46 kmpl on city driving with the highway figures close to 46-51 kmpl.

Apache comes loaded with discs both at the front and rear: 270 mm petal discs doing the duty at the front and 200 mm petals doing it at the rear. All this means lovely braking and the bike sure stops when and as ordered to. Had the tyres been Zappers, we probably would have seen an even better and precise braking.

260 mm discs do their job pretty well on the Pulsars front along with 130mm drum trying simultaneously to stop that 147 kilogram fiery beast. Not in the league of Apache, but they are good and work well under heavy braking aided by the MRF tyre set as well.

Instrumentation & Other Stuff: Both the bikes come loaded with the typical stuff they are known for – Digital fuel gauge, Digital Speedo meter which goes with an analogue tachometer and trip meters with the Pulsar coming in an all DC set-up to ensure you get regular and constant beam of light (or horn) at all rpms. It also sports a split seat and a clip-on which has been borrowed directly from the bigger Pulsar 220. The tank can guzzle down 15 liters of petrol at one time with the bike warning you when you have 3 liters of it left as reserve. The chain is also an O-ring which now comes naked to add to that oomph factor but needs more servicing than the regular covered ones majorly because of the Indian muddy conditions. The kick lever has been thrown away and the bike only has an electric start now. It also does away with the traditional toe-heal gear shifter and now comes with a toe-only shifter which has been moved back to enhance the sitting posture.

The console is blue back lit in Apache which makes it a charm to look at especially during the nights and sure looks better than the orange colored Pulsars console. Apache comes loaded with a clip-on and a 16 liter fuel tank and despite a very sporty seating position the bike still retains the kick lever (which is finding a dismissal from every bike these days, despite no fault of its) along with the electric starter. Both the bikes come loaded with a 12 volt 9 Ah maintenance free battery and 35 Watt front headlights. Apache has a distinct looking bull horn type split grab rails which sure are better than Bajajs as they also does the job of letting the pillion ‘grab’ them! Pulsar comes in 4 colors viz Red, Black, Blue and silver. Apache is also available in 4 colors with the always underestimated white color finally making way into the Indian bikes along with the sparkling yellow, matt gray and the ‘Black’.

BikeAdvice Verdict: With not much to differentiate between these two very evenly poised bikes, we were caught in a dilemma as to which bike to crown a winner here. Let us put it this way, in cities like Pune where the difference in prices of both these bikes is close to Rs. 3500 – 4000, we would recommend you the Pulsar 180 for its almost brilliant ‘everything’. This is the bike which does everything in the right quantity and probably would be the best value for money in its price range. It looks huge and superb, handles well, performs with aplomb and doesn’t just guzzle down fuel at its will.

And in places, where the price difference between these two bikes is very much negligible, we would advice you the bigger, evolved version of the tried and loved Apache RTR 160, the Apache RTR 180. We felt TVS made this bike with a lot of heart and it shows in almost every bit of the bike. Just that the vibrations are a letdown still, but can be neglected considering its innumerable pros. In the end, we would just put it this way. You end up buying any of these machines, one thing is for sure, and you would end up ‘enjoying’. So, what are you waiting for, hit the showrooms and book your favorite one.

TVS Apache RTR 180: 8.5 /10 ; Bajaj Pulsar 180 2009: 8 /10

TVS Apache RTR 160 Review

TVS has seriously re-branded itself with the latest racing bike, the Apache RTR Fi 160 cc. This bike is the flagship model of TVS. I am basically not a fan of TVS, but this bike has definitely got my attention.
How does it look?

TVS Engineers have worked hard in designing the Apache RTR to make sure that it can compete with Pulsar and CBZ. But however the design is ‘good’ but not head turning in my opinion. The lines along the length of the bike is good and the tank is sculpted well to accomodate the knees. The new Apace RTR 160cc has racing stripes along the length of the bike to make it look more sporty. The front flaring and the side panels look aggressive and shouts the message “Hey look, Pulsar is not the only male bike! I am manly too.”

The tail lights are not as good as in other bikes of the same category. The grip bars for the pillion rider is adopted from CBZ. But however Apache beats its competitors in the design of the handle bar. No other bike has given importance to the meeting point of the left and right handle bars where the key is being inserted and is in front of our eyes during most of the time we spend time riding the bike. The sporty heart shaped RTR 160 logo is really a thing of beauty.

2011 Yamaha R15 spy pics!!

This spy shot is now spreading online like wildfire. It first appeared in orkut and the credit goes to Vaibhav Saigal. From the pic, we can observe raised rear seat, split seats, bigger rear tyre, new alloy wheel rims and rear wheel hugger. Changes in front are not visible yet. It resembles like R125. Don't no what Yamaha is gonnna release. Let us wait for the official news.

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Yamaha SZ-R exclusive pics!!

Pics from bikedekho & Zigwheels

Yamaha unveiled SZ-R & FZ1

India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. today unveiled two new bikes- 998cc FZ1 and 153cc SZ-R. Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Hiroyuki Suzuki, CEO & Managing Director, India Yamaha Motor said, “India is one of the key markets for Yamaha and we have been constantly shifting gears to transform the market from utility to pleasure & lifestyle. Yamaha offers innovative designs, sporty looks and premium features across models as part of its strategy to give consumers a new thrill in biking.”

The 153cc SZ-R is a modern & sporty version of SZ-X which is a powerful, comfortable and stylish commuter. The muscular SZ-R is targeted at commuter customers with their sports-oriented interests and is designed to create the sensation of “High Speed”. The bike comes with front disc brake, tachometer and has tank protector added to the fuel tank to make it appear even larger. Furthermore, the shroud of the standard SZ-X model is replaced by an aerodynamic spoiler that extends out boldly and is given the same silver coloring as the side covers. The bike also has clear lens flasher, colored handle grip end bar, painted muffler end caps along with special graphics. SZ-R is priced at Rs. 55,500/- (Ex-showroom price – Delhi) and will be available in 3 color options – Quality Black, Quality Red and Quality Blue. Click here for more SZ-X pics.

The FZ1 comes with a compact design and 998cc DOHC 20-valve engine. The closed-deck cylinder block provides great strength while allowing a narrow engine in spite of big 77mm bores. The dual 12V 60/55 watt multi-reflector headlight features a sleek profile for superb aerodynamics and visibility. The FZ1 is available in 2 colour options - Black and White at an ex-showroom price (Delhi) of Rs. 8,70,000/-.

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