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Request to mods: I have started a new thread and didn't want to post this in the regular ownership thread because it will get lost and forgotten within a few days in those threads. Plus this review is like a round-up of my motorcycle experience, hence a new thread is more relevant. Thanks in advance.
This is my Long term ownership review of my Apache 150 after 2000 days and 80000 kms of riding it.
It has been a fantastic long journey so far where we have ridden to some extraordinary places and brought back some cherished lifetime memories. It all goes back to March 2006 when I (my dad) bought my Apache 150 while I was in my 1st year of College. A racing red Apache that made heads turn. I was little proud about the fact that I was the 1st one in my town to own this beautiful machine. Many Pulsar devotees of that time didn’t like the attention that this bike was getting already.
I slowly started to do some touring on my Apache to places around my town and it became an addiction very soon. The touring bug caught up with some of my close friends as well and we started doing group rides towards the end of our college days. I have ridden to a lot of places so far, to mention a few:
Chennai, ECR, Pondicherry, Elagiri hills, Gingee, Javadu hills, Yercaud, Hogenakkal falls, Vedanthangal
Bird sanctuary.
While working at Coimbatore I travelled to some exotic destinations like:
Kodaikanal, Munnar, Valparai, Kerala, Entire Nilgiris, Mudumalai, Bandipur & Siruvani.
Around my hometown, I have done some short/leisure rides. Some places worth mentioning are
Kancheepuram, Tirutanni, Chittor, Pernambut, Ponnai, Palamathi, Amirthi, Padavedu & Sathanur Dam.
Future plans:
Southern Andhra, Southern Karnataka, Wayanad.
Dream destination
Ladakh/Leh
Now let me give an owners take on the TVS Apache 150 classic based on the various parameters of the motorcycle which would include the Engine, Gearbox, Chassis and Dimensions, Performance, Ride & handling, Fuel efficiency & cost of ownership, Tyres and Oils used etc.
Engine
The Apache 150's engine is the same that was used on the Fiero. It’s a gem of an engine and can take a lot of abuse..The only difference here is that while the Fiero F2 felt smooth and refined, the Apache feels pretty harsh at high revs and the vibration spreads throughout the machine.
Some figures to quote:
I got a little excited when I heard that the Apache 180 Bore kit was a direct fit on my Apache
150 as they both have the same stroke length (just have to work on the cylinder head to match the bore dia), but then decided that just having a bigger bore alone is not going to make a big difference.
Gearbox
This was the first TVS 4 stroke motorcycle to come with a 5-speed gearbox. The 5th gear gives an edge for the Apache over the Fieros. The gear ratios are very closely placed, hence gear shifting is very rapid and we reach the top gear in no time. The bike feels vibe free only at the top gear, and revving the engine above 6k rpm causes harsh vibrations. So we tend to stay at top gear most of the time. False neutrals become a pain sometimes. Otherwise it is a perfectly mated gearbox where there is no compromise for performance as well as efficiency.
Chassis and Dimensions
The Apache 150’s chassis is called the Double Cradle Synchrostiff chassis which is used on the entire Apache range up to Apache 180 RTR, just goes to show how good this chassis really is.
The dimensions of the bike is pretty small compared to say.. a Pulsar. For an averagely grown up guy like me (5'10'' and 75 kgs), I do feel a little cramped, especially on long rides. The only good thing is that the bike does not have rear set foot pegs like the RTR, which would make me feel even more cramped. The ground clearance of 165mm is practical for Indian roads..
Short Wheelbase of 1260mm is good for City commutes and for taking quick turns.
Performance, Ride & Handling
The Apache 150 is not a rocket on the road, but will still give a good fight to most 150cc bikes. I have done a top speed of 120 km/hr on the digital speedo (110 km/hr true speed shown on the GPS tracking device). But this bike is not about the speed, this bike is not a mile muncher like the P220 or the ZMA. This bike owns the hills; it feels right at home in the Nilgiris. The handling is just fantastic!!.. Now that brings us to the ride and suspension setup..The ride is pretty harsh and the suspension is very hard even if it is adjusted to the softest setting. I have pretty much lost my backbone to this suspension.
Fuel Efficiency and Cost of Ownership
The bike has always returned decent figures both in the city as well as on the highways.
Adding to this, I don’t rev my motorcycle unnecessarily, so I get an overall Fuel efficiency of about 52-54 kmpl. Service cost for every 3000 kms will be around Rs.500-1000.
I have calculated my entire cost of ownership which includes
1. Cost of the motorcycle
2. Fuel consumed
3. Spares changed
4. Service costs
and the final figure for the cost of ownership is Rs.85/day.(for 2000 days) approx.
Tyres Used
TVS STOCK FRONT TYRE 90/90-17 TT used for 30K
TVS STOCK REAR TYRE 100/80-18 TT used for 27K
MRF METEOR 110/90-18 TT used for 33K
MRF ZAPPER Q 100/90-18 TT still using after 20K
MRF ZAPPER FS 90/90-17 TT still using after 50K !!
As far as tyres are concerned I have come to the conclusion that MRF is real VFM.
The tyres last long and have good dry/wet grip..TVS tyres are the worst and can be used strictly on tarmac only. Though my Apache had a fantastic handling set-up, it was let down by bad TVS tyres. I read somewhere recently that they are now working on a new compound for better grip.
I have not yet tried Michelin, but have heard that they are the best in the market, planning to try the
Michelin Sirac Street the next time I go for tyre change.
Engine Oils Used
I have tried Mineral oil/semi synthetic/fully synthetic oils. After a lot of experimenting,
I can say that Mineral Oils are more than sufficient for our 150cc Indian bikes, though the oil change interval would be pretty frequent (2.5-3K). I used fully synthetic oil for more than 6-7k kms. Also synthetic oil is good for long distance touring as it keeps the engine cooler than a mineral oil would. But the deal breaker was the price. Synthetic oils cost between Rs 750-850 whereas a mineral oils cost about Rs 200-300 only. AGIP racing fully synthetic 5w40 costs about Rs.550 and is real VFM. So my recommendations for the best Oils in the market would be as follows
Mineral Oil- Motul 3000T 20W40
Semi-synthetic- Castrol Power1 15W40 (have not used any other, so can't recommend anything else)
Fully sythetic- AGIP Racing 5W40 (choosing this over Motul 300V just for the price factor.)
Final Words
Hope I didn’t bore you guys with my Apache story. Just felt like sharing my views.
My small advice to budding bikers is- ‘It doesn’t matter what motorcycle you have, just treat it well and the bike will take care of you when you need it the most’.
This is my Long term ownership review of my Apache 150 after 2000 days and 80000 kms of riding it.
It has been a fantastic long journey so far where we have ridden to some extraordinary places and brought back some cherished lifetime memories. It all goes back to March 2006 when I (my dad) bought my Apache 150 while I was in my 1st year of College. A racing red Apache that made heads turn. I was little proud about the fact that I was the 1st one in my town to own this beautiful machine. Many Pulsar devotees of that time didn’t like the attention that this bike was getting already.
I slowly started to do some touring on my Apache to places around my town and it became an addiction very soon. The touring bug caught up with some of my close friends as well and we started doing group rides towards the end of our college days. I have ridden to a lot of places so far, to mention a few:
Chennai, ECR, Pondicherry, Elagiri hills, Gingee, Javadu hills, Yercaud, Hogenakkal falls, Vedanthangal
Bird sanctuary.
While working at Coimbatore I travelled to some exotic destinations like:
Kodaikanal, Munnar, Valparai, Kerala, Entire Nilgiris, Mudumalai, Bandipur & Siruvani.
Around my hometown, I have done some short/leisure rides. Some places worth mentioning are
Kancheepuram, Tirutanni, Chittor, Pernambut, Ponnai, Palamathi, Amirthi, Padavedu & Sathanur Dam.
Future plans:
Southern Andhra, Southern Karnataka, Wayanad.
Dream destination
Ladakh/Leh
Now let me give an owners take on the TVS Apache 150 classic based on the various parameters of the motorcycle which would include the Engine, Gearbox, Chassis and Dimensions, Performance, Ride & handling, Fuel efficiency & cost of ownership, Tyres and Oils used etc.
Engine
The Apache 150's engine is the same that was used on the Fiero. It’s a gem of an engine and can take a lot of abuse..The only difference here is that while the Fiero F2 felt smooth and refined, the Apache feels pretty harsh at high revs and the vibration spreads throughout the machine.
Some figures to quote:
Bore x Stroke: (57 mm x 57.8 mm)
Max Power : 13.5 Bhp @ 8500 RPM
Max Torque: 12.3 N-m @ 6000 RPM
Max Power : 13.5 Bhp @ 8500 RPM
Max Torque: 12.3 N-m @ 6000 RPM
I got a little excited when I heard that the Apache 180 Bore kit was a direct fit on my Apache
150 as they both have the same stroke length (just have to work on the cylinder head to match the bore dia), but then decided that just having a bigger bore alone is not going to make a big difference.
Gearbox
This was the first TVS 4 stroke motorcycle to come with a 5-speed gearbox. The 5th gear gives an edge for the Apache over the Fieros. The gear ratios are very closely placed, hence gear shifting is very rapid and we reach the top gear in no time. The bike feels vibe free only at the top gear, and revving the engine above 6k rpm causes harsh vibrations. So we tend to stay at top gear most of the time. False neutrals become a pain sometimes. Otherwise it is a perfectly mated gearbox where there is no compromise for performance as well as efficiency.
Chassis and Dimensions
The Apache 150’s chassis is called the Double Cradle Synchrostiff chassis which is used on the entire Apache range up to Apache 180 RTR, just goes to show how good this chassis really is.
The dimensions of the bike is pretty small compared to say.. a Pulsar. For an averagely grown up guy like me (5'10'' and 75 kgs), I do feel a little cramped, especially on long rides. The only good thing is that the bike does not have rear set foot pegs like the RTR, which would make me feel even more cramped. The ground clearance of 165mm is practical for Indian roads..
Short Wheelbase of 1260mm is good for City commutes and for taking quick turns.
Performance, Ride & Handling
The Apache 150 is not a rocket on the road, but will still give a good fight to most 150cc bikes. I have done a top speed of 120 km/hr on the digital speedo (110 km/hr true speed shown on the GPS tracking device). But this bike is not about the speed, this bike is not a mile muncher like the P220 or the ZMA. This bike owns the hills; it feels right at home in the Nilgiris. The handling is just fantastic!!.. Now that brings us to the ride and suspension setup..The ride is pretty harsh and the suspension is very hard even if it is adjusted to the softest setting. I have pretty much lost my backbone to this suspension.
Fuel Efficiency and Cost of Ownership
The bike has always returned decent figures both in the city as well as on the highways.
Adding to this, I don’t rev my motorcycle unnecessarily, so I get an overall Fuel efficiency of about 52-54 kmpl. Service cost for every 3000 kms will be around Rs.500-1000.
I have calculated my entire cost of ownership which includes
1. Cost of the motorcycle
2. Fuel consumed
3. Spares changed
4. Service costs
and the final figure for the cost of ownership is Rs.85/day.(for 2000 days) approx.
TVS STOCK FRONT TYRE 90/90-17 TT used for 30K
TVS STOCK REAR TYRE 100/80-18 TT used for 27K
MRF METEOR 110/90-18 TT used for 33K
MRF ZAPPER Q 100/90-18 TT still using after 20K
MRF ZAPPER FS 90/90-17 TT still using after 50K !!
As far as tyres are concerned I have come to the conclusion that MRF is real VFM.
The tyres last long and have good dry/wet grip..TVS tyres are the worst and can be used strictly on tarmac only. Though my Apache had a fantastic handling set-up, it was let down by bad TVS tyres. I read somewhere recently that they are now working on a new compound for better grip.
I have not yet tried Michelin, but have heard that they are the best in the market, planning to try the
Michelin Sirac Street the next time I go for tyre change.
I have tried Mineral oil/semi synthetic/fully synthetic oils. After a lot of experimenting,
I can say that Mineral Oils are more than sufficient for our 150cc Indian bikes, though the oil change interval would be pretty frequent (2.5-3K). I used fully synthetic oil for more than 6-7k kms. Also synthetic oil is good for long distance touring as it keeps the engine cooler than a mineral oil would. But the deal breaker was the price. Synthetic oils cost between Rs 750-850 whereas a mineral oils cost about Rs 200-300 only. AGIP racing fully synthetic 5w40 costs about Rs.550 and is real VFM. So my recommendations for the best Oils in the market would be as follows
Mineral Oil- Motul 3000T 20W40
Semi-synthetic- Castrol Power1 15W40 (have not used any other, so can't recommend anything else)
Fully sythetic- AGIP Racing 5W40 (choosing this over Motul 300V just for the price factor.)
Final Words
Hope I didn’t bore you guys with my Apache story. Just felt like sharing my views.
My small advice to budding bikers is- ‘It doesn’t matter what motorcycle you have, just treat it well and the bike will take care of you when you need it the most’.
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