The credit for all that progress must go to our homegrown companies like TVS who responded to the demands of the market and invested heavily in their R&D setup and brought out products that customers not only bought but also aspired and felt proud to own. The made-in-India motorcycles are consistently getting better and better and closing the gap between them and what the other big manufacturers have to offer, especially keeping in mind the price-sensitive nature of the Indian market.

HIstory

They launched their flagship, the TVS RR 310 about 4 years ago. It was the culmination of their partnership with the BMW Motorrad and has proved itself to be a fantastic all-rounder machine, be it cruising on the highways or racing on the race tracks.

And ever since its launch, the RR 310 has been subjected to constant upgrades at regular intervals by TVS and these upgrades have been really meaningful upgrades; be it the introduction of a slipper clutch with multiple riding modes and throttle-by-wire and the connected TFT screen. The BTO platform gives you an option to customize and personalise your Apache RR 310 while you are purchasing it. You can use their web configurator to choose from a number of customization options and your bike will be customized at the TVS assembly line itself before being delivered to you.

Specifications

First of all, the new Apache RR 310 is  more expensive than the outgoing model.

Under the BTO platform, there are two performance kits available for the RR 310 – the Dynamic kit and the  Race kit. You get a fully adjustable front and rear suspension with multi-level preload adjustment and rebound and compression damping with the dynamic kit, while the Race kit offers more aggressive ergonomics with a ‘more aggressive and tucked in’ clip-on handlebar, rearset raised footrest, and knurled footpegs, allowing the riders a racier riding stance and higher lean angles on the corners. This kit also has an anti-rust brass coated drive chain.

Exterior

The new Apache RR 310 also has a re-tuned and re-designed exhaust that has changed the exhaust note a little bit. It feels gruntier and crispier in the high revs and the metallic noise has been reduced considerably. You also get the wave-bite key with the new Apache to enhance the security of the bike.

The overall design of the  Apache RR310 remains unchanged, although now you have the option to go for the TVS ‘Race Replica’ graphics inspired by the TVS One Make Championship race bikes. This graphic set uses a copious mix of red and white along with a bit of the racing purple from TVS OMC race bikes. And that alone gives the bike a new identity as this colour scheme looks sporty and very hard to miss on the road. Then you have the option to put your own race number on the windshield of the bike along with an option to choose the colour of the alloy wheels. So, now you can go for standard red colour Apache RR 310 along with your race number on the windshield or buy a dual-tone (black-grey) one with optional red alloy wheels and an optional race number. The Race Replica graphic set comes mandatorily with red alloy wheels.

Features

The  Apache RR 310 also retains its 5.0 inch TFT Bluetooth enabled display that now comes with a new ‘Digi locker like  feature that lets you save and display your important documents like your bike RC, DL, etc. on your bike’s display screen. Additionally, you now get a dynamic engine rev limit indicator, day trip meter, and over-speed alert along with a host of other features.

You have the option of selecting all or some of these enhancements as per your pocket or taste while buying the bike. Notably, most of these enhancements are available for the existing Apache RR 310 customers as well for retrofitting

If you want to give the new TVS Apache RR 310 BTO a try, you can use www.tvsmotor.com/builttoorder

Now, let’s talk about how it really feels to ride the TVS Apache RR 310 BTO. If we’ve not mentioned it earlier, there are no changes on the performance side in the new Apache RR 310 and it uses the same 312.2 cc engine that gives you 34 Ps of power and 27.3 Nm of torque. However, the biggest difference that you now have is the ability to tweak the bike’s behaviour with the help of a fully adjustable suspension setup. A few rotations with the screwdriver on the screws located on top of the suspension is all you need to go from a mama’s boy to a complete baddy on this bike. The stock setup of the bike is finely balanced between sporty and comfort; however, if you wish to hit the track, you can adjust the suspension to give you more control over how the bike behaves to your inputs. Whenever we’ve had a chance to ride the RR310 on the track, we’ve come back with a big smile on our face and the  RR 310 carries on that legacy. To conclude, let us say that the TVS Apache has always been a great all-rounder and worthy of being the flagship. And with the new upgrades, the entire package has become even more potent especially for bikers who do not want to settle with whatever is available in the market today and they want to go out and explore the limits and push the envelope. Of course, you always had the option of getting after-market kits to enhance the performance, but the reliability factor will be much higher if you get these ‘metal steroids’ from the factory itself. And that is a big confidence booster