TVS’s latest is a track-ready street fighter

The collaboration between BMW Motorrad and TVS Motor Company has already spawned three motorcycles. The platform sharing, tech co-development and contract manufacturing was always going to extend to multiple models. And many of us knew that a naked motorcycle version from TVS was overdue. The entry to mid-displacement performance motorcycling segment has seen a lot of action over the past couple of years. And even brands like Harley-Davidson and Triumph have joined the fray with motorcycles that are outside of their core focus categories. The naked motorcycle still rules and in the Indian context never lost its appeal given how that body style delivers design appeal, and, an easy riding and an easy ownership experience. 

TVS has been attempting to go premium and step into segments that are higher up in the price range. The RR310 and then the Ronin have managed to elevate the impact of its portfolio and in bringing in new customers into the brand’s purview. Earlier this month, TVS unveiled the new Apache RTR 310, a brand-new street fighter model built using the same engine as the RR310, but built from the ground up to offer a completely different riding experience.

TVS says that the classily finished, light-weight aluminium frame looks like an exo-skeleton and deliver more agility to the bike | Photo Credit: DivyamGoyal

Design

The new Apache RTR 310 was born on a clean sheet of paper. The design needed to deliver the impact of its lineage and yet offer a completely new profile and have the stamp of premiumness. The Apache RR 310 created that benchmark that must be met or bettered by this new sibling in the family. The RTR 310’s naked, ‘freestyler’ design seems to have been inspired by multiple other current and historical models. But even before I got up close to the motorcycle at its global debut in Bangkok, Thailand a couple of weeks ago, it is quite clear that the design captures the essence of an aggressive street fighter with a sporty, leaning forward front design, while offering a tucked-in, upright riding position. This will sit side by side with the RR 310 which TVS claims is the largest selling sports bike in the 210cc to 450cc class. And this is going to have a whole range of competitors to contend with including the brand-new Gen-3 KTM Duke 390, the Triumph 400 and the Harley-Davidson X440. So, it is good to see that TVS decided to go the whole hog and has loaded the RTR 310 with a lot of tech. 

The introduction to the Apache RTR 310 is its twin headlamps with what TVS designers call the twin mean signature LED lights. Along with the heat sinks, the shrouds on the side and the twin light bars for its DRLs, the entire front profile looks ready for action. The headlamp gets some tech inputs with what TVS claims is a segment-first intelligent assist dynamic lighting. The auto on/off headlamp’s light intensity increases based on the speed of the motorcycle. Mimicking the Ronin’s T-design signature, the RTR 310 too gets a connected panel above the headlamp which sports the stalked turn indicators on either side. 

Right behind the compact headlamp housing is the golden twin upside-down forks of the front suspension. TVS has an interesting range of contrasting body colour combinations; my test mule at the ride in Bangkok wore a metallic dark grey and yellow combo. The trellis frame of the RTR 310 sticks out from the sides of the motorcycle and merges and follows the stylised lines from the fuel tank. The tank itself is a curved unit with sharp angles and deep knee recesses offering an ergonomically ideal riding position. The RTR 310 gets a twin seat set up with the addition of an interesting innovation. Hidden beneath the rider’s seat is a tiny contraption that delivers both seat cooling and heating. The seat itself isn’t perforated, but there is a discernible amount of temperature differential that seeps through the upholstery. At the rear, the tail-lamp is positioned within a large composite plastic housing that is set above the new aluminium subframe. TVS says that the classily finished, light-weight aluminium frame looks like an exo-skeleton and deliver more agility to the bike. The rear turn indicators and the number plate have been integrated on to the rear hugger, which now gets a stiffer metal frame bolted on to the swing arm. There is a pair of sporty race cowls at the rear and the pillion grab handles look wicked in the way they’ve been constructed in cast aluminium. Tank cowls, radiator shrouds and the rear race cowls add more drama and symmetry to the design. The one design feature that is likely to divide opinions is the silencer which looks like it has been borrowed almost unchanged from the RR 310. Many are likely to feel that it should have been more compact and angular, rather than the large oval-cylindrical unit that it is. 

There are five riding modes to choose from including the high interference rain mode, but also the supermoto mode in which one can turn off the rear ABS for a more fun riding experience. 

Build and Features

The RTR 310 gets a lot of new tech that sets it apart from its sportier sibling. In fact, it gets a lot more electronic aids and intelligent assists than the RR 310. TVS officials tell me that some or all the missing ones could be offered in the RR 310 too soon. Some of these in the RTR 310 like cruise control, tyre-pressure monitoring, dynamic headlamp and tail-lamp, race-tuned dynamic stability control and the bidirectional quick shifter (gear selection without engaging the clutch) will certainly be useful. Of course, some of these features will be offered only in specific variants and you’ll also have the BTO (built to order) customisation packs to choose from; a programme that was first offered with the RR 310’s 2021 model year.

The race-tuned dynamic stability control is an IMU-based (inertial measurement unit) suite of features that offer traction control-related aids to help retain control of the bike better while it is being ridden dynamically. The bunch of DSC features include cornering ABS and traction control, cornering cruise control, front and rear lift-off control, and even slope (gradient) dependent interference. The bunch of these features, along with the bidirectional quick shifter can be chosen or switched off from the menu offered by the 5-inch digital cluster screen that sits on the handlebar. This screen can be connected to a trio of devices in addition to the tyre-pressure monitor, and can include a GoPro, a smartphone and also a headset. The screen behaves as the nerve centre of the RTR 310, offering quick access to controls. You can also pull up ride telemetry performance data and personalise the display with custom widgets. The switchgear is simple and clean with toggling and selection buttons positioned on the left side of the handlebar. They function satisfactorily, though there is room for improvement in quality. 

There are three colour combos to choose from for the RTR 310 and the most premium of these is the Sepang Blue which is priced at a ₹10,000 premium. In terms of trim, there is a base version offered without the quick shifter. But this one still gets ABS, basic traction control and cruise control. The more premium trim variants involve the addition of the dynamic kit and the dynamic pro kit, and the latter gets the full set of cornering traction control and related features. 

There is much that the buyer gets in terms of new and innovative tech features. 

Performance

The engine offered with the new RTR 310 is the same 312.12cc, single-cylinder, 4-valve, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled mill from the RR 310. The engine delivers a peak power of 35.6PS at 9,700rpm and a maximum torque of 28.7Nm from about 6,650rpm. Max speed is 150kmph, though, along a private road section, I clocked a wind-assisted 155kmph on the digital speedo. It is rated to do the 0-60kmph run in 2.81 seconds. The numbers are good and even the output is marginally higher than in the RR 310. The gearing has also been changed in keeping with the character of the RTR 310 and its potential rider profile. So, the gearing is shorter in the RTR 310 and this does lead to a lot of the usable power being available in the mid-rpm band. The engine tends to get loud, and vibrations too set in when you wring the throttle past city speeds. Some of the vibes at the seat level were possibly due to an extra-firm seat, though that seat quality should help during long rides. The vibrations reduce once the engine is revved past 7,500rpm. Most TVS motorcycles deliver a likeable exhaust note. The new RTR 310 also manages this and though the muffler looks similar to the RR 310, changes to the internal chamber design have helped. The bidirectional quick-shifter was excellent and offered quick, clean shifts both at low and high speeds. There are five riding modes to choose from including the high interference rain mode, but also the supermoto mode in which one can turn off the rear ABS for a more fun riding experience. 

For the suspension, the RTR 310 is being offered KYB front forks with adjustable compression and rebound damping and pre-load settings.  | Photo Credit: DivyamGoyal

For the suspension, the RTR 310 is being offered KYB front forks with adjustable compression and rebound damping and pre-load settings. The rear KYB monoshock also offers adjustment for rebound damping and pre-load. I test rode the RTR 310 on the smooth, black-top roads of Bangkok and on the city-side race track, so I can’t comment with certainty about the ride quality on bad roads. The feedback during my ride was good with the set-up feeling just a tad on the firmer side. But multiple adjustments for the front and rear means getting a personalised setting should be possible. 

The engine offered with the new RTR 310 is the same 312.12cc, single-cylinder, 4-valve, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled mill from the RR 310. The engine delivers a peak power of 35.6PS at 9,700rpm and a maximum torque of 28.7Nm from about 6,650rpm

Bottom Line

The new TVS Apache RTR 310 should be a strong contender in the naked entry performance segment. Some of the competitors will enjoy better brand positioning. But with the RR 310, TVS has managed to break into that mindset. There are a few areas where the RTR 310’s refinement could’ve been better and the pricing for the top trim variants seems like it is a bit of a stretch. But there is much that the buyer gets in terms of new and innovative tech features. And it can be a fun and engaging ride even on everyday tarmac. Prices start from ₹2.43 lakh for the base variant without the quick-shifter. The Fury Yellow RTR 310 with the dynamic pro kit you see in these pics will retail for about ₹2.86 lakh (ex-showroom).