TVS Apache RTR 180

One of the most awarded bikes in India and a bang for the buck standard bike, this is the TVS Apache RTR 180cc. And it's gonna be my weapon of choice for the coming KRCP Road Rally.

I wanted the white one so I could decal my bike like this. But the black did not disappoint! Woooh!

Now is the time of the backbones and the TVS is a contender to watch out for. It's sleak, it's fast and powerful and mostly it's become more affordable in the market to compete price-wise with the others.

There are a lot of reasons to buy this bike, one of them is the amped up features compared to the others. The rear tire is equipped with rear disc brake unlike the drum brake for most. The rear suspension is gas-assisted, the instrumentation panel is LCD.

Cool gel-type emblem on the cockpit.

The headlight is ok. The park light is made of of LEDs designed to look like brows. Best appreciated at nights.

The tires are 17inchers and buying new skids for it is not a problem. Also, the wheels are aluminum cast alloy and the tires are tubeless, meaning there's a little less to worry about going deflated if the tires are punctured.

A provision for sliders, for those who want to test the tracks.

The fuel tank is capable of a having 16 liters fuel load. And with the fuel efficiency of 45 kilometers to a liter, a full tank can get you a total of 720 kilometers. That far! You can go to Ilocos and back on a single fuel load. A large capacity topbox, maybe side boxes, and a tank bag, yes this could be one of the best touring motorcycle.

Uniquely shaped side mirrors.

The headlight is demonically cool. At night, turn on the park lights to see what I mean. Anyway, the stock headlight's luminousity is ok, nothing too bright, but not bad for night riding. Turn signals and brakelights are ok.

Rear grab bar for 2 up riding.

Braking, ah, Any 180cc bike, with a 17 bhp, would require an aqually powerful braking. The front brake is a powerful and very responsive big petal disc brake. The rear is also disc brakes, for that additional stopping power when you need it. I have all but praises in the stopping power and smoothness of combining the front and rear brakes.

Big petal disc brake on the front, ensuring superior braking performance.

Aesthetically speaking, this bike is cool. A bit big and intimidating for a supposedly entry-level standard bike. Speaking of standard, the riding position is somewhat a combination of standard and sport. The bike will force you to lean a little forward to get to control it better. By doing so, you'll know that racing is taken into account designing it. Yes, I love leaning forward and cornering in this bike, feels natural, couple with great acceleration, you want to test this on a race track to see how well it performs.

The strong engine can produce up to 17 brake horsepower. Yummy.

Is it a good buy? Firstly, it's P98,000. Truthfully, it's not as cheap as we want it to be. Remember, quality comes at a price. And at that price of still being in the 5 figure range, yes it is a good deal. You get superb gas-filled suspension, rear disc brake, powerful engine and a cool bike, not bad for that moolah you'll be parting with. If I have to rate this bike, i'm giving this 9 out of 10 turbans!

Specs:
Engine Type: 4-Stroke, Single Cylinder, 2-Valves, Single Overhead Cam
Displacement: 177cc
Power: 12.52 kW (17.03 bhp) @ 8500 RPM
Torque: 15.5 N-m @ 6500 RPM
Bore x Stroke: 62.5 mm x 57.8 mm
Compression Ratio: 9.5 : 1
Transmission: 5 speed
Fuel Efficiency: 45 kml
Brake Type: Disc Front and Rear
Front Suspension: Telescopic Forks, 105 mm Stroke
Rear Suspension: Monotube Inverted Gas-filled Shox (MIG) with Spring Aid
Wheels: Cast Alloy
Kerb Weight: 139kg
Chassis Type: Double cradle synchroSTIFF
Top Speed: 124 kmph
Tires: Tubeless
Kerb Weight: 139 Kg
Length: 2085 mm
width: 730 mm
Height: 1105 mm
Wheelbase: 1326 mm
Ground Clearance: 165 mm
SRP: P98,000.00

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More photos of this awesomeness

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Ready To Rock! Well, the RTR means Racing Throttle Response, rightly so, as each squeeze of the throttle grip, it gives you that sensation of torque and speed.

Slightly modified shifte set. Pulled a bit backward and a little higher, this configuration allows bike angle for racing.

This is a wow. Monotube Inverted Gas-filled suspension with spring aid. True enough, the TVS Apache RTR 180 has one of the best suspensions in the numberous bikes that I tested. At least on the tarmac.