As I write, our lucky colleague Brian Cheyne is in Thailand, attending the launch of the new TVS Apache RTR 310 motorcycle. Now, the name TVS will be familiar to any motorcycling enthusiast, even if they have never even seen one.
TVS is the third-largest motorcycle manufacturer in India, with annual sales of three million units, which it exports to over 60 countries. TVS also has manufacturing tie-ins with BMW, for whom it builds the G310 series of motorcycles and recently invested 100 million pounds sterling in Norton in the UK. In short, TVS knows what it’s talking about when it comes to motorcycles.
Not wanting to steal my colleague’s thunder – he will, of course, write a full appraisal of the Apache RTR 310 when he returns – this new model is well worth talking about extensively because it is quite incredibly well-equipped for what it is and what it is likely to cost.
Just look at this list of features: fully adjustable suspension, five riding modes, including a Supermoto mode which will disable ABS at the rear, a six-axis IMU giving access to cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, cornering cruise control, wheelie control slope dependant control, rear lift control; bi-directional quick-shifter, tyre pressure monitoring, TFT dashboard, with GoPro control and Bluetooth connectivity and heated/cooled seat.
There is even something called Glide Through Technology (GTT), a first-in-segment feature that aids ease of riding during slow movements while in traffic or otherwise (my colleague will be able to expand on this further).
I mean, come on, there are many much larger and more expensive motorcycles on the market that can’t boast that amount of technology. And this is on a 312cc naked bike, a bike that is really going to shake up the sub-500cc segment enormously when it arrives here in SA.
All the above is available via two customisation kits, available on the TVS Built-To-Order platform – the Dynamic kit and the Dynamic Pro kit.
The engine, one suspects, will be as found in the BMW G310 range but it will be interesting to see how it feels in the TVS Apache.
Keep an eye on www.zabikers.co.za for the full launch report.
