TVS Apache RR 310 Road Test Review

Yes! We have ridden the TVS Apache RR 310 before! But that was at the Chennai racetrack. This time around, we got the keys to the bike and spent some time riding it in and around the national capital region. On the racetrack, the RR 310 proved to be a fun motorcycle. But regular city roads are a completely different ballgame. Needless to say, we found out much more about the motorcycle, about how practical the bike is and how does it fit in tougher environs. Here is our detailed road test review of the Apache RR 310.

Also Read: TVS Apache RR 310 Track Review

Engine and chassis

(The engine on the RR 310 is the same as the one on the BMW G 310 R)

Getting the numbers out of the way first, the RR 310 gets a 312 cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine that makes 33.5 bhp at 9,700 rpm while the peak torque is rated at 27.3 Nm at 7,700 rpm. Power to the rear wheel is transferred via a six-speed gearbox. The BMW-sourced cylinder is canted towards the rear in order to keep the mass centralised and the wheelbase short, keeping things nice and tight. The bike is built around a steel trellis frame, with a split chassis design. The suspension duties are taken care of by 41 mm upside down Kayaba forks done in golden colour at the front and a Kayaba monoshock at the rear. Up front is a 300 mm petal disc while the rear gets a 240 mm petal disc. Definitely top notch components and the gold USD forks certainly add to the premium look and feel of the bike.

How's the performance?

(The riding posture is more on the committed side, enough room to move around though)

Goes like stink! Drop a gear, twist the throttle and you will leave more or less every motorist on the road, in your wake. All thirty three and a half horses break into full gallop at 9,700 revs and a huge chunk of it comes between 5,000 and 8,000 rpm. There is this delicious pull that the bike churns out at the same revs, threatening to raise the front wheel skyward. The exhaust note is gruff, having an uncanny similarity to that of an L-twin engine and when revved hard, it gets even better. No pops and crackles though!

(The brakes on the RR 310 could have done with more bite)

But all of that hair-raising performance comes at a price. Vibrations! Oodles of it between 4,000 and 8,000 rpm! It gets even more prominent as you build up speed and the tachometer goes beyond the 8,000 rpm mark. There is this annoying buzz on the handlebars, footpegs and the fuel tank, which robs you of the perfect performance that a 300 cc supersport can offer. The brakes should have fared better in our opinion. The bite isn't as potent as we would have liked and the feel is wooden. It scrubs off high speeds nice and quick, but a little more feedback would have been better.

(The fins do a good job of deflecting engine heat away from the rider's legs)

The riding position is not back-breaking committed but for someone habituated to riding a naked bike daily, it does take time getting used to. The handlebar seat geometry is not tight and there is enough room to move around. Plus, the fins on the sides do a great job of deflecting the heat away from the rider's legs, which is a boost in a hot and traffic-heavy country such as ours.

What about ride and handling?

(At the rear is a Kayaba suspension, which is setup on the stiffer side)

Being a supersport, you expect a bike to handle well, change directions quickly and be stable when leaned over. We are happy to say that the RR 310 ticks all those boxes. Be it filtering through traffic or scraping pegs, the RR 310 does it all with nonchalant ease. The grip from the Michelin Pilot Street tyres too gives you confidence to lean further as you get more comfortable with the bike. The trellis frame, the suspension and the tyres come together beautifully to make a good handling motorcycle and it could overlook a few mistakes that you might make. It is a forgiving bike, and will certainly go a long way in improving your riding skills.

(The bike looks good, no matter which angle you see it from)

Should you ask about the ride quality, well it is on the stiffer side but definitely not as stiff as a supersport could have. Bumps and potholes are dispatched with ease but you do feel the remnants of the shock as you go. Not a deal breaker for sure. Plus a stiffer suspension helps with the handling bit as well.

What about features? Fit and finish?

(LED projector headlamps on the RR 310 have a good throw and illuminate well at night)

Fully loaded is what comes to the mind. TVS is one company which believes in offering value for money in each of its offerings and the RR 310 is no different. The cherry on the cake is the vertical instrumentation console, which is fully-digital and displays a tonne of information such as speed and revs, distance to empty, lap timer, 0-60 kmph time, two trip meters and other stuff such as average speed and fuel consumption, top speed touched and so on. The tell-tale lights sit atop the console and there is a side-stand indicator along with a gear indicator as well. Not skipping on the safety bit, there is dual-channel ABS offered as standard fitment as well. Then you have twin projector headlamps with LED daytime running lamps, which not only look good but have more than a decent throw and a strong beam, helping with night riding.

(The vertically stacked instrumentation console is very informative and easy to read)

In typical TVS fashion, the fit and finish is par excellence. The plastics, the welding are done neatly. The overall feel of the bike is that of perfection. No detail has been overlooked and nothing has been done half-heartedly. Full points there to TVS for fit and finish and build quality.

Our take

Wondering whether we forgot mentioning about the looks? Well, the pictures should be more than enough to tell you how sexy the bike looks, especially in that shade of red. Plus, we have already gone to town with the looks of the bike in our track review. There is this Ducati-like feel that you get looking at the RR 310, so kudos to TVS for doing a great job on engineering and design.

(The RR 310 gets step seats, adding to the sportiness of the bike)

At an asking price of Rs. 2.05 lakh (ex-showroom), it makes for a compelling buy and should you want to upgrade from a 150-200 cc bike and hone your riding skills, this is the motorcycle that you should be looking to buy!

Watch TVS Apache RR 310 vs RE Thunderbird 500 X Comparison