TVS Apache 160
Like my friend at indian2wheels.blogspot.com is saying, TVS does have a 160cc Apache up their sleeves. The launch is expected by end-May 2007 and it will be a simultaenous, country wide launch. The rise in displacement comes because TVS wanted to raise the power output without really losing any of the torque of the Apache. I hear that the new Apache fixes all the 'flaws' of the old one and is really nice. Riding impression coming soon at this blog. I will post some pics of the bikes as soon as I can get the right permissions...
To summarise. It is, indeed, a 159.7cc, 15.5 bhp, 1.31 kgm machine. Body panels have not been changed, but the new colors (a superb yellow and a striking titanium/matte grey), loads of superb details (like aluminium pegs, well-designed peg subframes, the petal disc in the pic) make the bike look a lot more fashionable and attractive. The petal disc offers greater cooling (the surface area of the leading edge is greater in the irregular petal shape than in the circular rotor disc), but get this. That's a 270mm disc. Which should give you an ideal of the performance/stoppie potential of the bike.
TVS is expected to announce pricing soon and I, for one, am not expecting a major price rise. If you've heard a rumour that the 160 is a monoshock... that's wrong. It isn't. More soon.
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11 comments:
Dont you think that 'more the cooling edge surface, less is the contact patch with the calipers'?
Dont we have a 'cooler' and 'cool-looking' brake...that doesnt stop as fast?
-as visible in the pic
Actually no. For two reasons.
The non technical reason is that if that were the case, a lot of manufacturers wouldn't be moving towards these discs. A fair number of supermotos and the Kawasaki ZX10R use wave or petal discs as OEM fitment.
The technical reason, I think, is that the cooling edge surface gain is a lot more than the loss of metal for the calipers to bite into, so it becomes a good trade off. Also, I think this is marginal but the the petal discs is probably a tiny bit lighter than the regular circular rotor, which should also give you less gyroscopic precession and therefore marginally lighter steering.
Guess Bajaj missed out on this petal disc thing for the P220. Still, Apache 160 or not, I only want the P220. Where do I give you my deposit Mr Bajaj? :-)
gr8
I hall be posting the pics on my blog, and giving credits to you..
thanks
Keep waiting for the Pulsar 220. By the time Bajaj Fixes all the flaws it will take another year or more. In the mean time every other manufacturer will have come out with the bike. thats y u see more ZMAs still selling even after P200 is launched.
BTW wat abt the headlamp??...has it been changed??..wen will u show us the whole bike??...;)
FIRST CHANGE ITS BRAKE LAMP......AND ITS REAR MUDGUARD
NOW,I CAN SPELL APACHE WITH WIDE CHEST....I KNOW EVERYONE WHO HAS SEEN THE NEW APACHE FEEL PITY ON BAJAJ PULSAR...APACHE CAN DEFINITELY SINK PULSAR NOW...DEFINITELY...BUT ONLY OF ITS OWN RANGE....
I seriously intend to warn everyone out there from even thinking of buying TVS Apache RTR 160 FI,either brand new or second hand.Because I would'nt want even the worst of my enemies to be inflicted with the kind of suffering i currently find myself in.I posted all of my experiences with this perpetual trouble called RTR FI on "http://www.indiaon2wheels.com/tvs-apache-rtr-fi-160/".As of now i am just "copy pasting" all of my posts from there.I will keep this blog updated as & when I encounter a new tryst of destiny with this bike.
sandeepsingh on January 29th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Here comes the SHOCKER.TVS Apache RTR FI is said to be the best bike in its segment.I believed that & bought one.In less than a week I was disappointed.I took the advice of the dealer & self appointed experts that it will take time for the bike to become “FREE” & everything will be alright after FIRST & SECOND servicing.Two Services later,I am not disappointed but rather embarassed that I actually did buy this bike which is nothing but a gigantic piece of HORSE SHIT.Even HORSE SHIT is better,because it does not disguise itself as a bike.The Legendary Racing Trottle Response (RTR) is nothing but actually a Ridiculous Throttle Response.Riding this bike feels like riding a pregnant Camel which is undergoing severe labour pains.Riding a SPLENDOUR feels much more relaxing after riding this bike.To Cut a long story short-DO NOT BUY THIS BIKE!
sandeepsingh on February 7th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Here comes A SHOCKER again,but this time it will please the RTR FI fans.Pondering over what do I need to do of this bike after getting disappointed every bit by it’s rickety feel & response,I was also saddened by many who praised the performance of this bike.Either I had to be insane or everyone else was insane.Two servicings & Engine Oil replacement by authorized TVS Workshop & two additional servicings & Engine Oil replacement done by a local Castrol Bike Zone service centre did’nt help either.It appeared to me that maybe the Bike I have got is of poor build quality.Still,I had to do something about this mess.I was not going to play DEAD & ROLL-OVER.I decided to take ACTION.
I went to the TVS Dealer-”SNEHA TVS” in Malakpet(Hyderabad) from where I booked this Bike & handed over to them a complaint letter detailing the issues with the bike.The points mentioned were:
1)Most of the time it felt like the Bike was begging for fuel,irrespective of the amount of Fuel in the Fuel Tank.It’s the kind of feel one gets when the Fuel has come to a point of near depletion.
2)There is something wrong with the Silencer.Sometimes when the bike performed normally,the sound from the Silencer was just like any other RTR FI’s.Like it was,when it was brand new.But most of the time the sound was a bit unusual & the moment it turned unusual,it reflected on the decreased rate of Pick-Up & Rideability.
3)The Mileage of the bike is 40 Km/pl,with the average speed not exceeding 50 Km/Hr which seems very low.
I mentioned it on the complaint letter that these issues need to be rectified by TVS,failing which I demanded a full Refund & warned of going to the Consumer Court if they don’t agree to a Repair Job or Refund.
I had 2 copies of the complaint letter.I asked the Manager at SNEHA TVS to accept the letter & rubber stamp a duplicate copy to be kept by me as a proof of having given the complaint letter to them.He first responded by Cock & Bull stories & later gave evasive replies.I had to shake him him out of his comfort zone & make him face Reality.
I insisted on having the contact details of TVS appointed Manager for Hyderabad Zone.He denied having knowledge of any such person or post,but later relented when I raised a Hue & Cry.He realized that I was not some ignorant customer,but someone who has done his Home Work well.
I spoke to the TVS appointed Manager over the Phone & explained the situation.The TVS Manager spoke to SNEHA TVS Manager & asked him to rubber stamp a copy of my complaint letter.
What happened next was simply surprising.I got a call from a TVS employee who later turned out to be an Automobile Engineer,who was specially sent by the TVS Company Higher-Ups to look into my complaints.Three days later I got my bike with every issues purged & the bike-for first time ever felt “AWESOME”.
I inquired about what the problem was,from the Engineer & he said there were 2 issues with my Bike:
1)Faulty Fuel Injection Pipe in the Fuel Tank.
2)A loose fitted component in the Silencer.
My “Why’s” & “How’s” were answered with Cock & Bull Stories.But still,I was Happy,but I did’nt allow myself to become Euphoric.The Engineer gave me a paper & asked me to sign on it,which stated between the lines that I was happy with my Bike’s performance now.I refused to sign it & told him that I will sign the paper only after a week’s trial.He had to agree to that & It’s been 4 days since & the Bike is still ROCKING.
Moral of The Story:
1)There is every reason to suspect a poor build quality by a manufacturer & you are within your rights to demand the BANG for your BUCK which is so often advertised.
2)Never trust your local Castrol Bike Zone outlet.You could simply end up losing your hard earned money on the services of a uniformed IDIOT posing with state of the art tools & machinery with an unbending conviction that Indian Oil “XTRAPremium” is bad for a bike.
sandeepsingh on February 10th, 2009 at 11:29 am
It’s been a week since the TVS guys fixed my bike which had issues relating to manufacturing defects.Just noticed that my rear disc brake plate was heating up when I sensed that there was a minor “kuch kuch” noise when I applied rear brakes.Garage mechanic said the rear brake pads have worn off & I had to shell out 400 bucks for a pair of new brake pads.I wonder if there is something sinister about this bike because of unusually increasing maintenance issues which keep on cropping up so often.I am dying to know whether I am a one-off case here or are there other guys out there facing the same kind of problems.
sandeepsingh on February 14th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Alright Guys!For me,The Verdict is out.TVS Apache RTR FI is the most DUD bike ever to appear in the Indian Market.I think it’s only a matter of time before this bike & it’s memory is confined to the dustbin of History.
After ridding the bike of it’s manufacturing defects (please read my previous posts),within ten days the rear disk brake pads had to be changed which cost 400 bucks.The issue of rear disk plate’s unusually high friction against the wheel,still remained unresolved.I went to SNEHA TVS workshop in Dilsukhnagar(Hyderabad) to get this issue resolved & was shocked by what i heard from one of the mechanics.He said,the rear disk plate has worn off due to
usage,because there was no oil in the rear disk oil can.He had no answer to my question that “Is’nt it their responsibility to check something as simple as oil level in the oil can,when the bike is with them for servicing & fault correction just ten days ago?.There was another shocker.The Mech said the cost could go upto 2,500 bucks to get the disk plate replaced.I had to again use the same old tactic of consumer court threat to coax them to doing the required thing for free,because it’s been just 4 months since I bought my bike & the rising maintenance costs have begun to defy logic.
I left my bike with them today in the morning to get it fixed yet another time.My Father fetched the bike from them at 5 in the evening.I returned home at 6 & was disgusted by what i saw.The rear disk plate has been changed,but the friction of the plate with the wheel has only increased,not decreased.I went for a trial ride & the pick-up has become more sluggish & it feels something is pulling the bike behind when one is riding it.The reason given for this appears to be just a CHOORAN.The mech said it will take a couple of days for the rear wheel to become “FREE”.
Considering the fact that bikes are churned out of assembly lines & not hand made by a single person,I draw only one conclusion-I AM NOT AN ISOLATED CASE HERE.There are many out there who are stuck with this dead wood & maybe they are in a state of denial,which is a natural human response against anything which crops up unexpected.My suggestion to guys who have already been conned into owning this PIECE OF SHIT is-ETERNAL VIGILANCE.Be alert & be aware of your rights as a consumer & don’t hesitate to use it when the time comes.
For those of you guys who are lucky enough not to own this bike,but still can’t help drooling over it on the roads,I have a rocking advice.Just let it be known to any RTR FI owner how much you like his bike & I bet,he would be happy to hand it over to you for less than half the price he paid for the same bike.
I envy all the LUNAS,SPLENDORS,STAR CITIES,BOXERS,PULSARS,UNICORNS on the roads since the day I started riding RTR FI.
sandeepsingh on February 23rd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I hope somebody would come to my rescue with a Troubled Asset Relief Programme(TARP),like they have it in the USA,to get rid of this Toxic Asset called TVS Apache RTR FI.I think I could write a book regarding my experiences with this bike which would help commoners to stay away from TVS products,to save themselves the time & effort which they would have to waste later.
To a rational mind,the probability of a customer getting a bike which props up so many defects in such a short span of time is really scary.It could mean a failed product,decreased credibility & a shrunk market share.Because,contrary to what the TOP GUYS may think,people don’t buy something,like a bike or car,without evaluating its worthiness by asking questions to the present owners wherever they encounter them.They don’t buy something of this sort by watching glossy advertisements.
As far as intellect & foresight of top corporations is concerned,the present Global Recession(or Depression,which is more scary),has clearly shown us that there are idiots at high places.The head honchos of top corporations no longer live & work in real economy.They are more interested in spineless stock prices which are more prone to falling flat rather than steadily standing their ground.
It’s for this precise reason that i pray to GOD that the name & memory of all such unscrupulous corporations like “TVS” get completely obliterated.Sooner the Better….Hooo…!
Now coming back to the real issue of perpetual conflict(RTR FI) i bought for myself,here are the updates:
1)Handed over the bike to TVS Sneha in Dilsukhnagar(Hyderabad) on 19 feb 2009,because contrary to what the mech said,there was still no free play in the rear tyre because the rear disc still brushed against the tyre making the disc plate hot,which in turn meant reduced life of break pads,disc plate which have recently been replaced.Reduced mileage.Clumsy pick up.Scary vibrations.
2)Went to fetch my bike on 23 feb with minimal expectations & guess what?.Still the same problem.
3)The guy at the customer counter,in charge of customer interaction simply lied to me that the whole set of rear disc brake has been replaced.Just one cursory glance & i knew the b@#$%!@# was lying.
4)It did’nt take much time to realize that nothing has been done.They simply parked my bike in the corner all these days.
5)There was one more RTR FI owner i encountered in the workshop with the same rear disc problem.It was his first time.I could make that out because he bought the CHOORAN from the workshop guys that the disc plate is heating because of dust particles.They blew high pressured air on his rear disc set & gave the same CHOORAN to him which they gave me during my first time.
6)I watched them work on the rear disc assembly all day,which has supposedly been replaced with a brand new set.
7)Nothing came out of it & i was told to come back on 25 feb.
8)I am seriously considering the option of suing these guys.
CONCLUSION 1):Don’t you ever think of buying a TVS product,especially RTR FI.Because if you do,it will be at your own peril.
CONCLUSION 2):I am not screaming from deep inside the DITCH so that someone could come & save me.I’ts too late for that.I am screaming because i don’t want any of you to come even close to that bloody DITCH called “TVS”.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
A week wasted.
I went back to fetch my bike on 25th feb 2009 & the CHOORAN the workshop guys gave me was as expected,but this time they went one step further.The guy in charge of customer complaints said that this rear disc issue i am facing is not unique because there have been many such complaints from many RTR FI owners & hence the TVS company has taken a serious note of this.He further said that the TVS guys will come calling to the workshop within the first week of March 2009 to look into this issue & rectify it.He asked me to take my bike away for the time being & he promised to give me a call as soon as possible.
There was another interesting interaction i had there with a mech who seemed to pity my condition.He said that there seems to be some serious issue with the quality of the rear disc brakes provided with RTR FI's & praised the rear disc brakes of Yamaha,without mentioning the model & advised me to sell off this bike to any unsuspecting person.
He also said RTR FI's demand "Tappet Setting" once every month,failing which the pick up & mileage of the bike drops dramatically & silencer dishes out unusual "howls" instead of the usual "vroom".His second piece of advice seemed closer to the truth.
All said & done,I know I can't get rid of this bike easily.It feels disgusting that i am stuck with this bike which has a malfunctioning rear disc brake which is eating away recently installed brake pads & disc plate,reducing pick up,mileage & increasing vibrations.And to top it all the workshop guys seem helpless.
End of the Nightmare?...Naa...
Everything about my Apache RTR FI 160 in as few words as possible:
4 months of patience & 2 "legal notice" type letters asking for a refund or repair of my dud bike result in a spectacular reaction on part of TVS-They figure out that their "Everything is Normal" kind of response is no longer working.Guess what they did?.They discovered that the Fuel Injection Pipe in the fuel tank is defective & replaced it.They also discover that there is a loose fitting component in the silencer which they rectified.
End of a nightmare?.Naa...
Next it was the turn of the rear disk brake to take command of maintaining the offensive.
I noticed that the rear disk plate is getting very hot because there is unwanted friction with the brake pads all the time,irrespective of me applying the rear brakes.I noticed it because of the screeching noise which you hear when one applies disk brake because the brake pad is at it's fag end of life & needs to be replaced.I replaced the brake pad on my expense,but the friction was still there.TVS service centre people said that the rear disk set has to be changed.Still,they changed the disk plate but not the entire disk brake set.Result?...The friction is still there.The rear disk plate is getting incredibly hot in the distance of just 4-5 KMS.It's eating away the brake pad & 2 months later after getting the brake pad & disk plate changed,the brake pad is again at it's fag end of life.
It's been 6 months since i purchased this bike & it's been in the service centre for at least 15 days,including 1 week in TVS service centre for the rear disk brake issue,when absolutely nothing was done about the issue.
With such a long list of terrible experiences,i know for sure that expecting your TVS bike to get repaired under warranty which a customer is entitled to is next to impossible.
I tried getting service support online at "http://www.tvsmotor.in/contactus.asp".And the response i got from them was just this-"Thank You,we'll get back to you shortly".It's been 10 days & i am still waiting.
I decided to try my luck again.This time i encountered a sugar bag whose job brief appears to be-deny,deny & deny.No matter what i said he just denied it by saying everything is normal.The free play of my rear tyre is disgustingly tight.He still thinks it's normal.
He goes by the name of Surinder Babu & is a TVS company appointed Engineer for Hyderabad Circle.He is like a rock-unmoved & unaffected.Here is his mobile number-09440611584.Try contacting him if you reside in or around Hyderabad.Maybe you can make him squeal.
Hi Guys,
You can know much more about why it’s not wise to buy TVS Apache 160 RTR FI by going through my website-”http://www.tvsapachertrfi160.blogspot.com/”
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