2018 TVS Apache RTR 160 4V long term review, first report

Conservative as it may seem, I really do prefer motorcycles with conventional handlebars. Clip-ons, even the best of them, are ultimately best left to the race track. My quest for such a motorcycle ended with TVS calling to say that it had yet another long-term test machine ready for us. This time, it was the Apache RTR 160 4V’s turn to join the fleet.

Ours came in a delectable red (TVS really does get its reds right) and almost straight off the production line, leaving me to complete the run-in. I had come away quite impressed in a previous encounter with the 160 4V, particularly owing to its refinement, agility and comfort. And so, this was something I was looking forward to over my commutes, especially since I clock roughly 80km a day.

The RTR 160 4V blended into my weekdays effortlessly. Thanks to the borrowed 200 4V platform, it is now a larger, roomier motorcycle and decently accommodating of a pillion, too – these are aspects I hold quite dearly, of late. On another note, TVS seems to be taking its visual quality (paint, fit and finish) levels up a notch with every new product it launches; and the RTR 160 4V is quite a sight, especially right after a detailed wash.

So far, I’ve ridden the 160 4V purely in the city, although I do predict a few inter-city runs coming its way, soon enough. Confined to Mumbai’s torturous traffic conditions, the 160 4V has given me no reason to be disappointed. It is, in fact, a rather comfortable way of moving around town, with neither the dynamic limitations of a scooter nor the commitment-heavy nature of a faired/larger motorcycle. It may not be the fastest motorcycle in the Autocar India garage, but it is certainly most capable of jumping over speed-breakers, for one.

To me, the highlight of living with the RTR 160 4V is its balance between being pliant, reasonably quick, efficient and comfortable. That’s a lot of roles to play and it performs each of these with appreciable finesse. The only thing I’d change is the handlebar – I’d like a taller one, for the sake of more leverage and a more stress-free riding position. If my virtual shopping cart is to be believed, a replacement bar (from a rival motorcycle – heh!) should be at my doorstep by the time you read this.