2020 TVS Apache RR 310 BS VI - Wired For Performance

Though this bike always came with a slipper clutch which is an ideal feature for a performance bike, it lacked a few basic things and we did emphasise on it. Let’s check out what the new bike has to offer.

Features & Technology

Since on the face of it there seems to be no changes to this bike, this new 2020 TVS Apache RR 310 does get a new colour scheme. Earlier the bike was offered in Racing Red and Sinister Black colours, but now you continue to get the Racing Red colour with a white racing stripe, the other colour is Titanium Black. The dual-tone scheme has gloss black on the fairing and rear section along with matte grey on the tank and front fairing.

Earlier the windshield was one fixed piece but now it is detachable. The windshield can be detached with the help of an Allen key which is provided by the company. This means it is easier to clean it the windshield now.

The 2020 TVS Apache RR 310 gets Michelin Road 5 tyres which are supposed to be good even in wet conditions. The bike has, however, got heavier by 4.5 kg with a kerb weight of 174 kg.

The new 2020 TVS Apache RR 310 gets a few fresh technology changes that is more than welcome. It now gets a ride by wire technology. Earlier the accelerator was connected via a cable to the throttle body. In simple terms, the ride by wire refers to the absence of mechanical linkage between accelerator and throttle. Instead, various sensors and actuators (connected by wires) control the fuel-air supply going to the engine.

There is no cable connection between accelerator and throttle. In this system, when rider twists the accelerator, actuators in the electronic throttle body sense this movement and change the throttle opening accordingly.

In fuel injected engines, the throttle body is the part of the air intake system that controls the amount of air flowing into the engine, in response to accelerator. By allowing more air to go into the engine, you allow more fuel too which is done through fuel injectors controlled electronically. For gasoline fuel, the stoichiometric air–fuel mixture is about 14.7:1 i.e. for every one gram of fuel, 14.7 grams of air are required.

Another thing that is new in the 2020 TVS Apache RR 310 BS VI is the 5 inches TFT screen, which replaces the old vertical speedo-cum-tachometer. The brightness of this TFT screen is automatically adjusted and even the night mode can easily be switched into. You get three types of trip meters. The trip data is also exhaustive like you can get to know Distance Covered, Average Speed, Total Time Travelled, Top Speed, fuel consumed, Average Mileage, etc. Through this screen you can also set a plethora of functions that is given in the widget list. Objects that have been added to dashboards are called widgets. You can manage the widgets with these switches on the left side of the handlebar. Interestingly, you can start your lap time by tugging at the high beam low beam button.

And the good news is that now we get four riding modes. These are Rain, Urban, Sport and Track. One can toggle between the different modes on this screen with the help of switches. But one thing you need to remember, while toggling between the different modes, you need to minimise your throttle or the mode would simply not change. To give you a practical example, when you are riding in a particular mode, you cannot change to another ride mode unless you twist back your accelerator to the base level.

The TFT screen offers a different kind of display for each ride mode. These unique ride modes are segment first features. Depending on the mode you set the bike in, you can experience slow speed crawling (in traffic conditions), acceleration, fuel economy, braking, safety and stability.

Peak Power and torque too is controlled in these different riding modes. Though the peak power the engine produces is 34hp and peak torque is 27.3Nm, in the Rain and Urban modes the peak Power is 25.8hp while peak Torque is 25Nm. In sport and track mode, you unleash the beast in this machine.

Also remember, in the Track Mode while it unleashes the full power, it minimises the ABS response for late braking into corners with confidence and ease. In urban mode so as to maintain linear acceleration and deceleration, the ABS is optimised for a quick response with minimal lever pulsation in the Rain Mode,  the ABS deliver the maximum response with a strong lever pulsation feel.

The sport Mode allows sharp acceleration and optimised ABS response.

The Bluetooth enabled SmartXonnect system with mobile app offers multiple data points on post ride analysis, race telemetry including riding pattern, best lap time, turn-by-turn navigation, call functionality etc. For the gadget lovers, there is plenty to explore.

Performance & Verdict

 Since we rode the bike on normal roads, we tested it for the different riding modes. The full potential of a track mode can only be exploited on a track. I was able to experience the different riding modes on the long stretch of road that I rode on. While Urban and Rain modes give you a monitored kind of ride feel, where a small red light on the screen goads you to change to higher gears, the experience is smooth and linear. I really did not feel any disturbing vibration in any gear. Also keep in mind that in the urban mode you are not restricted on speed in anyway. There is enough power to see you well past the 100kmph mark in a jiffy.

In the track and sport mode, the red light comes on at very high rpms. I guess the system is tuned in such a way, it knows that in such modes the rider is bound to rev up the engine a lot more than in a normal kind of riding. Similarly, I could also feel the varying response of the ABS kicking in these different modes.