Apache – The Indian. 

No not him
TVS Started the racing heritage with the XL 50. 

Yes that moped. This was during the time Suzuki was with TVS to develop motorcycles. Hope you guys remember

The Shogun

The Samurai

 The Shaolin

And another well known bike of this coupling was The Fiero. 

Well known, not well sold. I still see some even today. Well they did make good bikes that lasted that long.The 4 stroke era for them started with the Victor

and the 150 cc Fiero F2. That set the base for the Apache. But like every good couple, after 15 years TVS and Suzuki said good bye to each other

The 1st apache 150 came from the reworked Fiero engine and man, they did a fantastic job this is somewhere in 2005.

With the Indian market hounded by the CBZ and the Males(Pulsars). Apache was a much needed refreshment. I clearly recollect going to college in my car because #Banbikes from my home. And a close friend , she used to zoom past on the Apache.  Hope to have a role reversal some day. 

In 2007 TVS launched the RTR 160. Well 159.7 cc, yes hitting 120 kmph. All this still with 136 kgs and 180 mm GC. That’s adv spec GC there. Analogue digital cluster for the 1st time for Apache. And in 2008 to make things even tougher for the competition, TVS replaced the 160 RTR with the FI. Boom Roasted. and a Step up the next Year in 2009 with the RTR 180. Boom Roasted again. 

And like always this was not just more power but with the same TVS Handling. Which claimed 0-60 times of 4.1 sec and getting tank cowls and belly pans. This bike was quite appealing and in demand. 

But towards the end of 2009 the apache 150 was discontinued, as its siblings were taking all the glory and sales. 

Finally in 2010 they announced that the Apache will be getting ABS. It was great that for the 1st time A MADE IN INDIA  bike was getting a Made in India ABS System.  But this would take a whole year as the ABS system finally came in 2011 but it was a dual channel ABS system . Some brands are still not providing that even today, that is 10 years down the line. 

In 2013 the big news was that TVS had reached the 10 lac mark with the Apache line. That was quite a milestone for TVS. in the 2014 Auto expo.

I was lucky to be there. Got to see the Draken Concept. That was very very interesting. And on 20th Jan 2016, they launched their 1st 200 cc street bike, the Apache 200. 

Man that was a looker. The performance, handling(DUH), ground clearance and even weight. All were spec to perfection. Pulsars had to finally fear. The very next month TVS showcased the Akula Concept. 

In just under 2 years. Dec 2017 TVS launched the Akula concept as a real bike that was the Apache RR310. Eyes where glued and people went crazy. 

Now Unlike Bajaj who went away from the Pulsar name for their bigger bikes. TVS Stuck to its heritage. Also it was special as this was after the tie-up with BMW and the engine and Chassis would remain the same for the BMW G310. 

Now that is top notch quality and specs. This was also the only 6 speed Gearbox bike from TVS. Since they were done with new launches, in 2018 they finally gave the 200 abs. Yes Dual channel ABS. and in March 2018 TVS gave us the Race Edition Apache 200. And this also had a Slipper Clutch. And there were so many models of the Apache that when I went to buy the Apache I got so confused that I picked the Ntorq instead. 😛

This was the year where TVS Also launched the 160 with the 4 valve motor. And design based on the Draken concept like the 200.

The 2018 Apache had so many models and variants 

that the Time keepers 

would be confused as to which is the actual one. In 2019 The entire line up of Apache had single or dual channel abs. Towards the end of 2019 Apache got THE SMART connect like the N-torq. That was a very handy feature. In 2020 The RR310 got new colours, a screen that put some smart phones to shame and riding modes. 

towards the end of 2020 the 200 got updated to such an extent that this seemed like a blessing after the corona blues. From riding modes , to adjustable front suspension to adjustable levers and also a bump in power and Torque.

bump in power to 17 bhp. Now that was toooo good. So you get efficiency and performance. 

This year has been dry with only a facelift like the headlamps and an update in the connectivity that works a bit more seamlessly now. TVS has added new models this year but the focus has remained on the 125 cc segment. 

The RR310 has a very special Built to order platform where you can factory customize the bike; this may be a first from an Indian Brand in this category. 

Lets see what the future holds but going by the chain reaction Apache would only get better.
Again a big shout out and thank you to Dhanil Vira.