Announcement

**prateek2210** · 09-05-2012, 11:50 PM

Originally posted by Garry_Menace View Post

What? 14th November? You bought it or adopted it?

Bought it

Originally posted by kantu View Post

Lol what a coincidence even I bought on same day and am planning to sell it as soon as I get my hands on Bullet which will be December 2012 again

Same pinch, and all the best for dug dug dug dug dug dug!!

Originally posted by kantu View Post

Waiting for 300 eh ? Hope they launch early and dont keep postponing launch dates.

If not then its good, I will get a 600 and get it accessorized the same month

**Krish1417** · 09-06-2012, 12:01 AM

Guys, my bike jerks when it has less amount of petrol say 500ml or so.It does not pull and feels like there is no petrol.But it runs fine after filling up.What might be the issue?
I have been riding very less for the last 10 days, only did about 100kms.

**shahbaz63** · 09-06-2012, 12:12 AM

TVS Apache RTR ABS "Devils Angel"

Hi fellow xBhpian’s…

After So many efforts & riding I am going to do a detail review about TVS Apache RTR 180 ABS (2012), this review is completely on my own experience with no bias or favoritism.

I’ve always been fan of performance then mileage; it was way back in January, 2011 when I first decided to get a bike for myself as soon as I got my job letter, first salary & plan was made to get a bike. 6 Month been passed & no response from parents no approval been waiting calmly & was collecting every money for same, though every month it used to disappear from my bank account (New Cell, PC & gadgets were the reason). But after so many struggles on some odd morning I decided to get a bike any how no matter, if someone agrees or not I will buy a bike that too not a Commuting but a one my heart loves to ride.

I am a fan of aggressive bike with good pick up & exhausts not, so asap in December 2011 I”ve made my mind to get a bike my search started. Lots of Bajaj on the street so never concern to get a Bajaj tag for myself, lots of opinion was towards the Mileage Commuting Bikes like Platina & Discover but my mind was already set for a Performance bike the bike with power, speed & should be light weight, all that Factors search ends towards one Company TVS that too RTR Series, lots of Options were there 160cc & 180cc with FI or without lots of colors so finally heart said go for RTR that too with “ABS” again a climax heard about New Facelift models so waited & booked the new facelifted model “Finally”. TVS Apache RTR 180 “ABS” 2012 Model On Road 95,000 at Mumbai.

Stock Specification -
Model – TVS Apache RTR 180
Color – Pearl White
Engine Type - 4Stroke Single Cylinder AirCooled
Max Power: 17.03 PS @ 8500 RPM
Torque: 15.5 Nm @ 6500 rpm

Power to Weight Ratio: 124.08 BHP/Ton
Electric Start
Max Speed: 124 KM/H
Front & Rear Disc brake with ABS System
Height: 1100mm
Length: 2085mm
Width: 730mm
Wheelbase: 1326mm
Ground Clearance: 180mm
Saddle Height: 790mm
Suspension Front: Telescopic Forks, 105mm Stroke
Rear: Mono Tube Inverted Gas filled SHOX with Spring Aid
Battery: 12 V, 90Ah
Headlamp: 35/35 Watt Osram
Fuel tank capacity: 16L, Reserve 2.5L
Tubeless Tires

Now Personal Motorcycle Experience:-
Bike Delivery Date – 13th June 2012
Registration 28th June 2012
ODO – 6700 Kilometers as of 15th September 2012
Top Speed Achieved – 132 kp/h
0-60 Lap Time - 4.3 seconds
Max Kilometers in a day – 467 km
Mileage While Ripping – 40-44km/l
Sane – 45+km/liter
Current Engine Oil – Motul 10w40
Servicing done – 3

Review:-

Engine Performance – First thing you will notice is the torque a wild torque, very good low & mid range torque, can zip up to 60kp/h in as less as 3.4 Seconds (Personal figures achieve by me is 4.3 seconds that itself is a great acceleration). Be it City or highway torque stands out, a complete Bull ready to kill. Comes with 5 Speed gear box but don’t expect a smooth & relax performance its roaring engine who will always ready to red line its engine in each cog, though first gear never feel comfortable & you will find true power of engine from 3rd Gear only. It stands out its name “Racing Throttle Response” twists the throttle & disappears. Little bit unsmooth gear box in the beginning to say first 2000km after good servicing it can be made smooth; sometime you will encounter false neutral too in running period. Vibration is there yes its there but only at 4k rpm range which is very much noticeable in first 4,000-5,000 km after that it almost becomes negligible though at higher speed post 100kp/h it suddenly appears again but again neglible can transform as a power of this little torque engine.

Engine Oil Used till now by me is TVS Tru4, Shell Advance, Motul15w50 & Motul 10w40. After so many research & personal experience what I feel is there is no Rocket science about Engine Oil there is nothing big you can expect from Engine Oil change apart from Engine Life which cannot be tested by user, but Vibrations & pick up cannot be change by Changing Engine Oil yeah gear shifting smoothness may be, but to avoid vibration one has to understand His/her bike after few thousand kilometer it can be avoided by proper gear shifting after engine becomes hot. Though the only reason for me to use Motul is gear shifting but no proof of its because of engine oil. So I will advice stick to TVS Tru4 Cheap & recommended.

Gear Shifting Pattern:
5th gear
4th gear
3rd gear
2nd gear
NEUTRAL
1st gear

I've followed Running Period till 1000km before using my beast at it max, never went over 65kp/h in first 500 km & next 500 72kp/h. Bike can touch 67kp/h on 5th Gear at 5000rpm, so if you follows running period you can ride till max of 67kp/h.

”Acceleration is real fun it’s the strongest feature in this RTR.”

Brakes: Second best aspects in Beast aka RTR very progressive disk brake, both rear & Front. I personally had stopped bike within 2 seconds in panic braking at speed of over 60kp/h. mine equipped with ABS “Anti-Lock Breaking System” which prevents the wheels from locking up and can avoid skidding too. Practically its more then useful then one imagine, yes it increases stop distance & braking comfort too. Easily one can brake late be in corner or straight line. But only problem is you cannot understand it until it comes in picture. ABS works with your regular braking system by automatically pumping them.

”Brakes of RTR can term best in its class with ABS it’s even more beautiful”

Handling: Going in order, Handling of Apache RTR series is simply awesome, very easy handler. Very light weights you can easily zip pass other four wheelers in traffic with ease & the wild torques backs you up there too. With Round Shape tyres of RTR cornering becomes a fun easy to bend on either side at any speed. It’s Bike for Beginners as well as for strunter. Though some time rear tyres can gives heart attack at wet & loose surface.

Well TVS Tyres are pathetic that’s what all say’s about bike, ahh but its very hype like TVS Tru4 Engine & Vibrtaion story I guess all of them just add Masala in that too make it hot, nothing worse about Tyres it’s cheaper & itne paise me itna hi milega, infact its light in weight too & a good trye for cornering. Yeah it may slip where as MRF can’t . Again don’t go by other words test your Bike tyres by yourself if you feel its pathethic you have got lots of option but I am still running with TVS Shrichakra Tyre & enjoying a lot.
Width of tyres is increased compare to 160cc.

”A Fun Loving bike, Over all a Brilliant Chassis all praise’s to TVS R&D team"

Console : Ahh Another eye catching feature of my Devils Angel. Very good integration of ODO meter & rpm mete, in other word a perfect view of Analog & Digital technology. The cool blue back light of the console is very attractive & gives comfort to eye’s in night times. Comes with Clock display’s current time and also The console shows digital speed in km/h, Odo, 2 Trip Meters which can be rested at any time, Top Speed, 0-60 timings & Fuel meter. On right side of meter in analog rpm meter there is 4 icons to show Petrol Level Warning, Service Interval Indicator, ABS Indicator & Low Battery Indicator. Also shows 5 Countdown after turning Ignition ON.

”Can say one of the best Digi Console in its segment”

Handle Bar Switches - Left Side Handle Bar contains 4 Switches Indicator Switch, Pass Switch, Horn Switch & Headlight Switch plus optional ABS Switch (Only in RTR 180 With ABS).

Right Side Handle Bar contains Engine Kill Switch, Electric/Self Start Switch & Light Control Switch.

The quality of switches is very bad, easy removable & brakes very easily.

Tips & Some Notes:-

Change to Engine oil for relatively better performance, not a big difference but yes a good improvement.
Proper Gear Shifting is must to enjoy the RTR.
Check/ monitor ABS system after every 5,000km at least or 10,000km available at some TVS SVC costs 200rs only.
Change Engine Oil filter every time you change Engine Oil specially when you are moving to different brand & grade.
Fully synthetic or Semi synthetic makes no difference its 180cc no 500cc motorcycle.
If you are very extreme user & use's bike for track & racing in extreme condition then going for Fully Synthetic makes a sense.
After running few kilometer hot & steady (correct shifting) you will love RTR at top speed.

Conclusion:-

A Very powerful engine with wild torque.
Vibration’s are there!! but very less can be negligible people hyped it very much though.
Brakes when you want and with ABS it Brakes safely.
Sitting position do trouble for some time it gets better & better as you ride on, but I always had problem if I am carrying bag with Luggage on my back.
Proper gear shifting when engine working at optimum temperature can surely vanishes vibration at lower rpm’s. (till 7,000).
Accelaration stands out in its class, Quicky & Torquie
Easy handler for all types of rider.
Gives a Adreline Rush type of feelings.
It has got Short Gear Ratio you have to shift early compare to other higher ratio bikes.
Suspension is of good quality but can be made better.
Poor stock yellow Headlight which didn’t suit Day Running Pilot White light’s on beast. I’ve installed Osram Cool blue headlight just for look purpose nothing else.
Not the best gear shifting need improvements.
A Loud Exhaust which gives a fair idea about its power & torque.
NO issue riding up-hills.
Very Good Mileage over 40 kp/l which can go as high as 47-50 at highways.
Very good mid end torque but don’t expect same top end performance.

I have 2 Long tours on this bike over 300+km & bike gives very reliable company, 16 liter fuel tank makes you happy & worry free it can last till 600kilometers atleast.

If you are fan of Smooth & less noisy engine you will feel uncomfortable with this bike, it has made to accelerate brake & again accelerate & yes you can use it for tours too.

To Sum up its bike for Restless people who are always ready to Roar, 5-4-3-2-1-Go…

**prateek2210** · 09-06-2012, 12:14 AM

Originally posted by Krish1417 View Post

Guys, my bike jerks when it has less amount of petrol say 500ml or so.It does not pull and feels like there is no petrol.But it runs fine after filling up.What might be the issue?
I have been riding very less for the last 10 days, only did about 100kms.

Obviously if you ride with just 500ml petrol , air enters into the petrol pipe which causes the jerks, try to fill petrol before the yellow light starts blinking

**hemnath** · 09-06-2012, 01:22 AM

Originally posted by Rtrlover83 View Post

Check the video below and try watching till the end. You can use TVS TruSpray instead of Motul chain lube. Try to use a pair of disposable gloves. The kerosene smell is hard to go off if bare hands are used and that's just my opinion. Please ask if you have doubt at any part of the video.

P.S. Make sure the bike is turned off while doing chain maintenance.
How To Clean and Lubricate Your Motorcycle Drive Chain - YouTube

Thanks for this video. This will help for me.

**vishnu.leo** · 09-06-2012, 03:16 AM

Originally posted by shahbaz63 View Post

@Shahbaz bro brilliant piece of ownership review...quite the exact things in my mind as well.

I think i could add this if i may.

1. The headlight brightness may seem a bit low if riding on highways. But you can always opt for a different bulb at the cost of electrical warranty.(Please leave as it is, because there wont be much difference unless an HID(voids warranty) is used i guess). I personally think its better to leave the electrical sys alone as ABS itself is partly electronic as well

2. The riding posture has changed considerably from the old model. I think its because now the handles are using the second hole(handle adjustment) This as far as i feel reduces back ache during long rides. So the new posture is stress free.

3. If taking the pearl white color, care should be taken that not to leave the bike dirty after a ride (dried up dirt sometimes become hard to remove and may leave stains on the colored parts)

**Rtrlover83** · 09-06-2012, 08:06 AM

Originally posted by prateek2210 View Post

Obviously if you ride with just 500ml petrol , air enters into the petrol pipe which causes the jerks, try to fill petrol before the yellow light starts blinking

Add to that, dirt settled at the bottom of the fuel tank will enter the carb which will cause trouble. So avoid even running on reserve.

**shahbaz63** · 09-06-2012, 10:16 AM

Originally posted by vishnu.leo View Post

@Shahbaz bro brilliant piece of ownership review...quite the exact things in my mind as well.

I think i could add this if i may.

1. The headlight brightness may seem a bit low if riding on highways. But you can always opt for a different bulb at the cost of electrical warranty.(Please leave as it is, because there wont be much difference unless an HID(voids warranty) is used i guess). I personally think its better to leave the electrical sys alone as ABS itself is partly electronic as well

2. The riding posture has changed considerably from the old model. I think its because now the handles are using the second hole(handle adjustment) This as far as i feel reduces back ache during long rides. So the new posture is stress free.

3. If taking the pearl white color, care should be taken that not to leave the bike dirty after a ride (dried up dirt sometimes become hard to remove and may leave stains on the colored parts)

Thanks... True I will be adding lots of Things in future .... Do's & Don'ts & likewise .........

**vishnu.leo** · 09-06-2012, 11:50 PM

guys one question...what happens if we put on a 100/90 bulb in 180 ABS ???

i mean would that cause any damage to the headlight dome???

**hemnath** · 09-07-2012, 10:04 AM

Hemnath

My RTR 160 has complete 1300 Kms. The bike is 1 month old.
I do feel the bike Engine is stressed when riding b/w 4000-5000 RPM. I don't worry about the vibration but i do feel the bike does lags in Torque or pickup and it doesn't feel comfortable like how i ride when the RPM is below 4000 or or above 5500.

**shahbaz63** · 09-07-2012, 10:14 AM

Originally posted by vishnu.leo View Post

guys one question...what happens if we put on a 100/90 bulb in 180 ABS ???

i mean would that cause any damage to the headlight dome???

Brother, surely it should work but don't know till how much time, seems like you have decided to do whatever max possible with headlight.... :P

Soon you will be into RTR R&D Team in Light department leading them :P

Originally posted by hemnath View Post

My RTR 160 has complete 1300 Kms. The bike is 1 month old.
I do feel the bike Engine is stressed when riding b/w 4000-5000 RPM. I don't worry about the vibration but i do feel the bike does lags in Torque or pickup and it doesn't feel comfortable like how i ride when the RPM is below 4000 or or above 5500.

Don't know if I've faced exact same issue or not but somewhat same but mine was simple that I was running on reserve despite of having more then 7 liter in tank asap I came off from Reserve it went don't know how much its true though...

**prateek2210** · 09-07-2012, 10:23 AM

Originally posted by vishnu.leo View Post

guys one question...what happens if we put on a 100/90 bulb in 180 ABS ???

i mean would that cause any damage to the headlight dome???

I doubt that battery could sustain that. And the fiitting would be another headache

Originally posted by hemnath View Post

My RTR 160 has complete 1300 Kms. The bike is 1 month old.
I do feel the bike Engine is stressed when riding b/w 4000-5000 RPM. I don't worry about the vibration but i do feel the bike does lags in Torque or pickup and it doesn't feel comfortable like how i ride when the RPM is below 4000 or or above 5500.

I hope you are not confusing with the vibration as the stress. Can you please let me know how you are judging the stress?

BTW this is RTR180 thread

**shahbaz63** · 09-07-2012, 10:27 AM

@PRateek- See Can you confirm to my querry about Reserve & Full petrol.. em confused

**hemnath** · 09-07-2012, 10:36 AM

Hemnath

Originally posted by prateek2210 View Post

I doubt that battery could sustain that. And the fitting would be another headache

I hope you are not confusing with the vibration as the stress. Can you please let me know how you are judging the stress?

BTW this is RTR180 thread

**shahbaz63** · 09-07-2012, 10:40 AM

Originally posted by hemnath View Post

I am not speaking about vibrations here as this is very common in RTR's, I do feel vibrations at handlebar and foot rest apart from that, the bike is lags and underpowered when it is in 4000-5000 RPM range.
The problem is there since I purchased the bike, I felt since this is a new bike the problem will solve when you ride around 1k km but it’s still there.

I don't have any separate threads for RTR 160, I have been posting all my queries here for my RTR 160 and people are very grateful in helping me out. We are all of same breed be it 160 or 180.

There is Apache RTR 160 thread anyways...

What I Feel is you need to look into your Carb now.. Keeping Bike on reserve most of the time might be the culprit here ...

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TVS Apache RTR 180

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