[tanbeamer]

I do understand that people have a tendency to nitpick once they have bought a vehicle but nitpicking to this extent does not really send out the right message. If the OP is so disappointed with his bike then maybe he should turn to some course of action that would be best for him.

Originally Posted by Naparajito

Let me clarify a few things :

Problems faced - Headlight alignment: Is this a problem?

[Naparajito]

Originally Posted by tanbeamer

I do understand that people have a tendency to nitpick once they have bought a vehicle but nitpicking to this extent does not really send out the right message. If the OP is so disappointed with his bike then maybe he should turn to some course of action that would be best for him.

This is more like opinions.

Mirrors buzz : Definitely.
Quality control not on point : not a fact. 310 can literally blow the competition away with the quality of parts, fit & finish. Check the bikes side by side and you'll know the truth.

Procured a few pics from my friend who owns the same bike. Pics taken during the day.

[tanbeamer]

As far as quality and reliability are concerned. I am fairly aware of a certain bike which competes with the RR310 and is known for having engine rebuilds very early into its ownership days.

Originally Posted by Naparajito

Mirrors buzz: Definitely.
Quality control not on point: not a fact. 310 can literally blow the competition away with the quality of parts, fit & finish. Check the bikes side by side and you'll know the truth.

Procured a few pics from my friend who owns the same bike. Pics taken during the day.

[akmaintu]

Originally Posted by Naparajito

Quality control not on point : not a fact. 310 can literally blow the competition away with the quality of parts, fit & finish. Check the bikes side by side and you'll know the truth.
Attachment 2081689
Attachment 2081688

Recently I got a chance to ride 02 TVS bikes i.e RR310(BSVI) and RTR 200 (BSVI) and I have to admit the quality of parts of these bikes is nothing short of amazing and best in the segment

[neil.jericho]

RPRIME95, that was an interesting ownership review. I've been a big fan of the Akula from the time it was showcased but I somehow feel that TVS has not fully capitalized on this platform. Some of the quality issues that you mentioned should not be happening on a TVS bike in 2020, please take it up with the SVC and get them to sort things out.

FURY_44's thread is also packed with a lot of information and I hope you will keep updating this one over time so we can track how the BS6 version performs over time.

Originally Posted by RPRIME95

Headlights - The weakest link in the chain. Now I know not everyone will agree but I feel the headlight performance in usual conditions is woefully inadequate. The performance in the rains is well, disturbingly bad
Following are my main grudges -
1. The beam spread is good enough for two lanes at best. You have no visibility outside of your field of vision.
2. Low beam is useless once you cross 45-50kmph. I almost ran into a stationary cow in the middle of the road. Thank god for the brakes.
3. The headlight alignment from the factory is rather bizarre. Low beam is too low and the high beam is just for pissing off oncoming drivers. It has no use during riding. It only points to the oncoming lane and hence even with them turned on, the visibility stays the same as with just Low beam
4. The focus point of the headlight is very very short. Beyond that point the beam just disperses so rapidly that it becomes unusable.

If that is your improved headlight alignment after adjustment by the SVC, I cant imagine how bad it must have been before you adjusted it! From the pictures, the low beam is set way too close to the bike, this explains why you almost ran into the cow in the middle of the road. Please ensure that it is set higher by the SVC to give you more visible area when riding. Maybe a headlight bulb upgrade might help? What bulb is being used?

Originally Posted by RPRIME95

Other puzzling costs were chain lubrication and consumables, costing Rs.400 and Rs.250 respectively. This is just plain ridiculous. Moreover, I asked other guys who were there for servicing and apparently this is standard practice.

Just buy a good quality chain cleaner and lubricant and do this yourself at home every 500 - 1000 kms. I usually tell the service centers not to put chain lubricant because the amounts charged by them are quite exorbitant.

[RPRIME95]

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

Congratulations for the bike and excellent review.

That's quite a bit of information they have packed in that console, wow. A bit overboard in my opinion but still that is lot of analytical data.

Service charges are high definitely, Rs. 400-500 for chain lubrication is superbike category. Drop a mail to TVS and see what they say.

I definitely wanted to. But the thing is, all the service centers near me are owned by Magnus. Do I want to piss them off ? Absolutely no. Many will say I am just encouraging thier behaviour by not speaking up. But the reality is my mail and subsequent actions will just snowball into me having a very bad service experience for years to come.

I do have a good relationship with the SA though. So I am thinking of going that way first

Originally Posted by FURY_44

Great review RPRIME95, your review is the first one for the BS6 RR310 on TBHP.

I am really disappointed with TVS's effort here, whatever cons you have mentioned is almost close to or similar to my bike which will be 3 years old Feb 2021, what did they improve in the BS6 bike then?. A fancy TFT, ride by wire and an app so that you don't concentrate much on the bike.

You are spot on about the quality issues, no one will notice it unless they live with the bike. Press the tank and you hear a creak, press the tail you hear a creak, move around the rider's seat you hear a creak.

Wish you had chose the Titanium Black instead of the Red though, happy riding, sorry for the rant, I have just given up.

I knew someone was going to tell me about getting the Black one !
Glad to hear from you FURY_44.

About the quality issues, I mean they really had designed the bike that way and since almost 90% of the bike remains unchanged, expectations were pretty low. Then again, Quality control is something they are forgetting to do thoroughly. Which is the worst aspect of this whole thing.

Originally Posted by ameyfire

Congratulations! That bike is quite a looker no doubt. Lola is a very cute name too. Your review is quite comprehensive and will serve as a guiding tool for prospective RR310 buyers. Good job mate!

On a side note, having owned the outgoing BS4 model, I can totally relate to the issues you've mentioned. But I'm used to them now and they're quite livable.
One issue about the bike that I was really upset about was that it used to stall suddenly while riding, especially while disengaging the clutch. Thankfully, during my latest service TVS pinpointed the issue to ECU; updated it and it's rectified.

This bike will fetch you a lot of attention from strangers on road, especially little kids. Get ready to bask in it! Safe riding!

Funny story - The bike still stalls actually but not due to fueling issues. The clutch actuation area is quite small. E.g. My old discover had about a cm of free play and an actuation area of about 1.5 cm. It sounds very long but trust me, in traffic, it is a blessing

For the RR, the free play is only 0.5cm and actuation area is less than a cm. Did not measure exactly. So that habit is catching me off guard sometimes

Originally Posted by Stribog

The Harrier in cars and the RR310 in bikes tell us that Indian companies too can come up with stunning, timeless, head turning designs.

Lovely review.

Do you plan on doing something with the headlights? The throw seems horrible from your pics.

Yes, a plan is in design as how to align the headlamps properly. Since both vertical and horizontal alignment is available, I have to think through a solution before doing anything.

Fun fact, this throw is after adjustment

Mod note: Please use Multi Quote [Quote +] instead of creating back to back replies, also please trim large quoted posts for replies. Helps with readability. Thanks.

[ast.ggn]

Originally Posted by RPRIME95

Do I want to piss them off ? Absolutely no. Many will say I am just encouraging thier behaviour by not speaking up. But the reality is my mail and subsequent actions will just snowball into me having a very bad service experience for years to come.

I do have a good relationship with the SA though. So I am thinking of going that way first

You are worrying too much. It works exactly opposite mostly. Once the service center knows that you are an informed customer and might escalate it to company, they tend to fall in line and put in extra effort for such customers. No one gave a damn about me at Hero dealership until I sent out a tweet to Hero Motors. Now most of the service center guys know me and their behaviour is completely different. Something similar happened with KTM in initial days, all it took was an email to KTM to set things straight.

I agree with you on second part though, if things are working well with SA then all the best.

[rkv_2401]

Originally Posted by Naparajito

Quality control not on point : not a fact. 310 can literally blow the competition away with the quality of parts, fit & finish. Check the bikes side by side and you'll know the truth.

I'm sorry, does the competition having supposedly worse quality control invalidate this owner's findings in anyway? I notice you have no response to the squeaky panels he spoke about. 'Quality control' in the context of this conversation is not a 'fact', it is a statistic determining how many finished products of a given total have issues - and in this case, it is an opinion as no one really has the exact numbers of QC issues amongst said vehicles.

I think needing to get your headlights adjusted is a problem. I think squeaky panels are a problem, regardless of how bad the competition has it. And I am surprised by your attempt to defend the brand and make it sound like spending ~3 lakhs on a 2-wheeler, and in return getting squeaky panels or poorly-aligned headlights, is the norm.

[RPRIME95]

Mod note: Please use Multi Quote [Quote +] instead of creating back to back replies, also please trim large quoted posts for replies. Helps with readability. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Naparajito

Let me clarify a few things :

Problems faced - Headlight alignment : Is this a problem?

Wow, that was quite an interesting reply !!
Would you please mind clarifying if you own the RR310 ? Doesnt matter if it is BS4 or BS6.

Here is my reply -

1. The alignment is quite a problem. Safety at night is most important. If I cannot see, I cannot ride.
2. Please educate me on how a sintered pad is more susceptible to dust accumalation than a normal one. Always willing to learn something
3. Even a basic light sensor changes its output instantaenously. My issue is with the calibration. As a programmer, I know that some threshold needs to be set for a switch action. If they are far off, it will take a very low amount of light to switch and very high to switch back.
4. Washers shield the body panels from damage. A vehicle enthusiast must know this. Further they absorb some vibrations. If not there, there is a possibility of the screw coming loose over time.
5. I did not capture any photos. My apologies
6. If you are satisfied with having a two-finger gap on the R3, I have nothing more to say.
7. Radiator guard is necessary for a long life. Does not matter if you have a 150cc naked or 1000cc supersports. A simple mesh grill would suffice for most.
8. Let me clarify here. There is absolutely no heat from the engine or radiator. The exhaust head is not heat shielded. It is my observation. You can take that as a complaint/nitpick/any other description you like.
9. Not concerned about freeplay. Irritated by almost every single person telling me my brakes are engaged just because the switch is touchy.

Regards to your last statement, if you are investing Rs.3L into a bike, it better be the best in the segment. I do not care if more expensive bikes have same problems. TVS has demonstarted time and again that they can give bigger manufacturers a run for their money when it comes to build quality. Just take a look at the RTR2004V. No creaky plastics, no weird noises.

I expect the same in their flagship product.

Originally Posted by refaircargo

Congratulations for the excellent precis.
====
Hence the detailed attention to minor QC glitches is missing from the "factory". Best of luck for a safe and economical drive.

I do not know the specifics, but they do import quite some stuff from R.O.C. Otherwise I can confirm that most critical components are manufactured in India

Originally Posted by rkv_2401

I'm sorry, does the competition having supposedly worse quality control invalidate this owner's findings in anyway?
=====
and in return getting squeaky panels or poorly-aligned headlights, is the norm.

I already posted my reply, but now looks like I did not need to. A very very astute understanding of what I was trying to explain. Almost had a chuckle reading that first sentence

Appreciate for looking out for a fellow rider

Originally Posted by tanbeamer

I do understand that people have a tendency to nitpick once they have bought a vehicle but nitpicking to this extent does not really send out the right message. If the OP is so disappointed with his bike then maybe he should turn to some course of action that would be best for him.

I am taking my course of action. I am fixing problems. Reporting them here only means more awareness to potential buyers. If they know, they can be alert when they do eventually decide to buy one.

You have to accept a product as it is. Not what you think it is. That includes accepting all the faults and owning them. You should really read FURY_44's review fully. Then you might understand why I had to post my findings relative to his observations

Originally Posted by Naparajito

Right message?

You should really get the bike from your friend and go for a ride at night on some unlit roads. If you still think the lights are sufficient, Ill go and have an eye checkup done ASAP

Should not ride with ANY problems, right ?

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

RPRIME95, that was an interesting ownership review.
====
I usually tell the service centers not to put chain lubricant because the amounts charged by them are quite exorbitant.

Sadly no upgrade possible. The lights are completely sealed.
But I firmly believe some adjustment will do the trick. Replacement lights are expensive

I am planning to shun all cleaning and lubrication jobs from the next service. Have got cleaner and lubricant with me for the chain. As for the cleaning, a local shop can do a wonderful steam wash for Rs.100

[Naparajito]

Originally Posted by rkv_2401

I'm sorry, does the competition having supposedly worse quality control invalidate this owner's findings in anyway? I notice you have no response to the squeaky panels he spoke about. 'Quality control' in the context of this conversation is not a 'fact', it is a statistic determining how many finished products of a given total have issues - and in this case, it is an opinion as no one really has the exact numbers of QC issues amongst said vehicles.

I think needing to get your headlights adjusted is a problem. I think squeaky panels are a problem, regardless of how bad the competition has it. And I am surprised by your attempt to defend the brand and make it sound like spending ~3 lakhs on a 2-wheeler, and in return getting squeaky panels or poorly-aligned headlights, is the norm.

So basically you want to say that where there must be a gap to avoid rubbing, they should fill that gap up so the paint gets damaged after extensive use?

He mentioned QC is bad. How is the QC bad? Just because he didn't get the headlights adjusted according to his weight? The manufacturers set it according to the industry standard i.e. 65kgs. Looking at his pictures, he surely isn't 65kgs. Hence, he needs to set that up according to weight. How is that an issue per say?

Squeaky panels are a problem? Like for real? This is present on every single bike made of fiber! Be it a R1 or RR310. Kindly check before making such huge claims and supporting things which aren't a problem at all.

Originally Posted by RPRIME95

Mod note: Please use Multi Quote [Quote +] instead of creating back to back replies, also please trim large quoted posts for replies. Helps with readability. Thanks.


Wow, that was quite an interesting reply !!
Would you please mind clarifying if you own the RR310 ? Doesnt matter if it is BS4 or BS6.

Here is my reply -

1. The alignment is quite a problem. Safety at night is most important. If I cannot see, I cannot ride.
2. Please educate me on how a sintered pad is more susceptible to dust accumalation than a normal one. Always willing to learn something
3. Even a basic light sensor changes its output instantaenously. My issue is with the calibration. As a programmer, I know that some threshold needs to be set for a switch action. If they are far off, it will take a very low amount of light to switch and very high to switch back.
4. Washers shield the body panels from damage. A vehicle enthusiast must know this. Further they absorb some vibrations. If not there, there is a possibility of the screw coming loose over time.
5. I did not capture any photos. My apologies
6. If you are satisfied with having a two-finger gap on the R3, I have nothing more to say.
7. Radiator guard is necessary for a long life. Does not matter if you have a 150cc naked or 1000cc supersports. A simple mesh grill would suffice for most.
8. Let me clarify here. There is absolutely no heat from the engine or radiator. The exhaust head is not heat shielded. It is my observation. You can take that as a complaint/nitpick/any other description you like.
9. Not concerned about freeplay. Irritated by almost every single person telling me my brakes are engaged just because the switch is touchy.

Regards to your last statement, if you are investing Rs.3L into a bike, it better be the best in the segment. I do not care if more expensive bikes have same problems. TVS has demonstarted time and again that they can give bigger manufacturers a run for their money when it comes to build quality. Just take a look at the RTR2004V. No creaky plastics, no weird noises.

I expect the same in their flagship product.

1. You cannot see, you cannot ride. It's your responsibility to setup the headlights according to your own weight. If no, are you exactly 65kgs (which is the Industry standard)?
2. The sound is not because of dust. You must trying researching more. Ask the members of Teambhp or Google it.
3. This is just a nitpick. Nothing else. This isn't even an issue, never heard anyone complain ever for any bike.
4. Thanks for the info. But no, large washers aren't needed. The vehicle already gets small washers below every allen bolt.
5. Nevermind.
6. Satisfied? That is the gap they required so that the seat doesn't rub against the paint of the bodywork. .
7. Again, pay and get it done.
8. Exactly, this is a common logic. Not an issue.
9. Manual clearly says keep your feet away from the brake lever/pedal while riding.

I have a RTR200, the panels squeak on this too. I have other motorcycles from other manufacturers which have the same characteristics. I cannot say QC is bad for all, can I?

[Rocketscience]

Congratulations on the bike! It looks stunning! Really like the review too, the smaller details can only be observed after living with the vehicle for a few months and no review can actually pin point those things.

The Pros and Cons seem very similar to my own r15v3, with the exception of the gearbox and riding position which are flipped in my case, r15 has the best gearbox of any vehicle i have driven which includes cars, it is super fast, super smooth and ultra precise so it is definitely a pro, the riding position is too aggressive in my bike and anything over 45mins - 1 hour of driving results in minor pain in the lower back, neck and sometimes wrists, so definitely a con.

I really envy the way your bike looks though, including the smashing red paint scheme.

The refinement issue is more to do with the engine being single cylinder than anything else, most of the reviews mention my bike's engine being refined but i observe the exact same behaviour as your bike post 4000 rpm, i guess trying to extract the maximum power from one cylinder by increasing the compression ratio results in this.

Even i made a similar observation that once i revv the engine higher the lower rpm feel much smoother, i think this has got something to do with placebo effect, the engine remains as harsh as before its just once we revv it, it gets harsher and so in comparison the lower rpms feel much smoother, not much of a big deal though, you have got one hell of a bike for the money and for our riding conditions, wishing you many happy kilometers with your bike.

P.S i don't have any squeaks or rattles from my r15, so having fibre panels or saying all of them squeak is no excuse at all, the QC definitely needs to be improved.

[Naparajito]

As I cannot edit my last post, let me attach the link to the squeaking and panel misalignment issue I had faced on my R15.

Not only it squeaks, it comes out completely as shown in the video below.

https://youtu.be/oSYBm9b2XK8

[sodapop]

Originally Posted by Naparajito

Right message? This is more like opinions, far from the truth. Half the time manufacturers tend to miss the real things which need to be improved because of reviews like these

As said, the OP needs to read a lot before posting such reviews

Something better would be you practicing discretion instead of getting outraged here. I expect an old member like you to actually add something substantial in your posts

Quality control not on point : not a fact. 310 can literally blow the competition away with the quality of parts, fit & finish. Check the bikes side by side and you'll know the truth.

Let's give the OP the benefit of doubt here and it's very much possible that only this particular bike has the issue.

Originally Posted by Naparajito

Squeaky panels are a problem? Like for real? This is present on every single bike made of fiber! Be it a R1 or RR310. Kindly check before making such huge claims and supporting things which aren't a problem at all.

You must be joking here sir. I own a Honda Dio since the last three years. It's at best a commuter scooter which is way cheaper as well and also has a fibre body. Absolutely zero squeaks or rattles till date. I don't know what's with your bikes but squeaking and rattling isn't something that should be expected at such a price point.

3. This is just a nitpick. Nothing else. This isn't even an issue, never heard anyone complain ever for any bike. Next time you will come up complaining that fonts aren't nice. That is an issue now.

Ofcourse it is an issue. It is prudent that the calibration be done properly so as to reduce distractions during riding and again, it would be alright in a 125cc commuter but definitely not expected in a bike supposedly jointly"engineered" by BMW with such a high sticker price

I have other motorcycles from other manufacturers which have the same characteristics. I cannot say QC is bad for all, can I?

I don't know about your bikes sir, but these issues shouldn't be there in this class of bikes for sure. Maybe there is some defect?

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by ast.ggn

You are worrying too much. It works exactly opposite mostly. Once the service center knows that you are an informed customer and might escalate it to company, they tend to fall in line and put in extra effort for such customers. No one gave a damn about me at Hero dealership until I sent out a tweet to Hero Motors. Now most of the service center guys know me and their behaviour is completely different. Something similar happened with KTM in initial days, all it took was an email to KTM to set things straight.

Agree with you ast.ggn. An escalation does not always mean that things are going to be end up in a negative manner immediately. It shows the sometimes careless and often overworked service center folks, that this customer is not your usual bakra.

RPRIME95, do take this very sensible advice from ast.ggn and use the available channels to your advantage in a proper, meaningful way and you will see how things improve

Originally Posted by Naparajito

As I cannot edit my last post, let me attach the link to the squeaking and panel misalignment issue I had faced on my R15.

Not only it squeaks, it comes out completely as shown in the video below.

I owned a first gen Yamaha R15 for around 7 years. I never had any squeaks from the motorcycle over 36,000 kms of usage across different parts of south India. I understand that your bike may be having such issues but that doesnt mean that everyone should accept such quality problems in their own bikes.

[Naparajito]

Originally Posted by sodapop

Something better would be you practicing discretion instead of getting outraged here. I expect an old member like you to actually add something substantial in your posts

Let's give the OP the benefit of doubt here and it's very much possible that only this particular bike has the issue.

You must be joking here sir. I own a Honda Dio since the last three years. It's at best a commuter scooter which is way cheaper as well and also has a fibre body. Absolutely zero squeaks or rattles till date. I don't know what's with your bikes but squeaking and rattling isn't something that should be expected at such a price point.

Ofcourse it is an issue. It is prudent that the calibration be done properly so as to reduce distractions during riding and again, it would be alright in a 125cc commuter but definitely not expected in a bike supposedly jointly"engineered" by BMW with such a high sticker price

I don't know about your bikes sir, but these issues shouldn't be there in this class of bikes for sure. Maybe there is some defect?

Talk about Honda Dio? I have the 2008 model in red and black. The front panels broke thrice with the slightest of pressure. The scooter ran for around 22000kms in 1 year and the engine decided to have an mind of it's own. It is very widely known that Dio had such issues and hence many went for the Activa which had a metal body.

And calibration not done properly? 1st of all, can he make a video of it. Because Sir, he's not the only owner of that motorcycle. Have seen the motorcycle in person, ridden it extensively and friends own it too. Next time, if someone cannot flat foot, please don't say it's an issue related to the bike.

The gap is as wide as the gap between the Yamaha R3's seat and the body.

I know about myself sir, i don't need any such validation. Been in the industry from a very long time now.

Also, R15 was officially recalled for plastic misalignment issues. Now, people cannot claim they never had that on their bike, unfortunately. And it was not batch related, FYI. It was for all the bikes produced.

Edit : When did I say RR310 doesn't squeak?

Mod Note: Please be civil and respectful towards fellow members, even in debate.