Is Apache RTR 310 the perfect motorcycle upgrade: 5 key observations

Yes, the additional power on the KTM 390 Duke is more exciting but the TVS is a genuinely good motorcycle that won’t fail to put a big smile on your face.

BHPian neil.jericho recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time with a brand new TVS Apache RTR 310 BTO motorcycle and I’ve been grinning ever since then.

Over a few days, I rode the motorcycle for a couple of hundred kilometers, which included substantial commuting in the city and a short weekend morning ride. This has given me a fair picture of what TVS has done to fine-tune the 310 platform.

Back in 2021, when I had the chance to test ride the TVS Apache RR 310 BTO in the Nilgiris, I came away very impressed by the motorcycle.

At that time, I had mentioned the following:

A few years ago, TVS and BMW tied up to jointly develop a 312.2 cc platform for motorcycles. To ensure that there was no direct competition between the two partnering companies, they split the offerings based on styling and positioning. BMW got the adventure (GS310) and naked (G310R) variants, while TVS got the faired version. In my books, TVS should have got the naked variant of the 310 platform as it would have built on their successful RTR pedigree. A naked RTR 310 would have been a logical upgrade for the scores of RTR 150, 160, 180 and 200 owners. But history was scripted differently.

Now that the long-awaited RTR 310 is finally starting to trickle into the hands of owners (in its confusing combination of paint schemes and BTO avatars), is this the perfect motorcycle upgrade that existing TVS enthusiasts have been yearning for? In my books, it is a resounding yes!

To summarize my time with the TVS Apache RTR 310 BTO

1. This is an attractively styled, loaded to the gills, thoroughly enjoy spanking it on weekdays, plus twice on Sundays and / or public holidays, type of motorcycle. I can’t remember the last time that I had this combination of playful and explosive fun while riding a motorcycle in our mixed real-world, Indian riding conditions.
2. The number of conversations that this motorcycle started, with an unimaginably wide section of enthusiasts and regular bikers, was mind-boggling. I’ve never had this many people come up to me and talk about the motorcycle that I was riding. Ever.
3. Based on the 310 platform’s reputation and TVS’ focus on the Freestyler concept for the RTR 310, I fully expected the motorcycle to be really nice to ride in the city, with the trade-off being the lack of highway performance. Oh boy, was I wrong? The motorcycle is an absolute riot in the city and the highway performance is impressive. The best part is that this is a motorcycle which you can enjoy while riding calmly if that is the sort of rider that you are or the mood that you are in. It certainly isn’t a motorcycle that is always looking to race (ahem), while punishing you for not keeping it on the boil at all times.
4. I’m a fairly sedate rider, often to the chagrin of the motorcyclists who I ride with. Whatever motorcycle I am riding, I’ve always been Mr Calm and Composed on our roads. However, the Apache RTR 310 has done the unthinkable and unlocked the dormant hooligan in me. Thanks to the motorcycle’s cat-like agility, I’ve been darting in and out of Bangalore’s infamous traffic like the squid that I am (not?). Even on the highways, I found myself comfortably carrying speeds that were 10 to 15 kmph higher than my usual speeds. There are so many factors which contributed to this, including the excellent chassis, grippy tires, weight centralization and so on.
5. While there is so much that I enjoyed about the motorcycle, what is not to like, you ask? Honestly, I really had to scratch my head on this one. The initial feel is that the front brake isn’t the best, though the bite is good. The feel from the rear brake was noticeably vague. Besides that, I believe TVS has erred by offering too many options for the Apache RTR 310. That’s it. Out of the box, this is a genuinely good motorcycle.

In the past, I’ve posted on the forum that in the minds of Indian motorcycle enthusiasts, the 310 platform was always half a step behind the other exciting motorcycles because of the lack of horsepower and torque. In the real world, the Apache RTR 310 does an unbelievable job of masking this deficiency, while doing what it does best – be a fun all rounded motorcycle which won’t fail to put a big smile on your face.

Yes, the additional horses on the KTM Duke 390 will make it more exciting than the Apache RTR 310 on weekend rides and for most buyers, the value-for-money comparisons between the two are inevitable. I haven’t ridden the latest Duke 390, so I cannot offer an honest opinion at this point in time, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Apache RTR 310 is actually the better do-it-all motorcycle for the majority of unbiased Indian enthusiasts who can only have one motorcycle in their garage.

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