2018 TVS Apache RTR 160 4V long term review, final report

The RTR 160 4V passed through a lot of hands since it entered our long-term fleet in July 2018. In the 12 months we’ve spent with it, the 160 has been asked to do everything it was built to do;  and maybe even a little more. It has gone on long highway stints, crawled for hours in city traffic and has even been ridden off-road. In the last couple of months though, I have been putting it through a little more than that, with the Apache slogan being a good hint of what it is.

The 160cc motor is delightfully quick and free to rev, and it does so without getting hot.

‘Racing DNA unleashed’. Before you assume I’ve been racing on the streets, being a menace to society, let me tell you that it’s not the case. I have, however, been racing at TVS’ Young Media Racer Programme on their race-spec RTR 200s. Now, what has that got to do with our long-term 160? Well, for starters, the bikes share a lot of similarities, in dimensions, hardware, ergonomics and character. This meant that I sort of had my race machine at home to get familiarised with, and so I did.

There is no speed breaker too high or pothole too deep with 180mm of ground clearance.

Every gear shift has been race-quick in the past two months, braking has been as aggressive as safely possible and unused roads around my locality all have tyre marks from practice race starts. However, that’s not all I have been doing with the 160, and the ease with which it transforms into a daily commuter is as effortless as Superman putting on his glasses and shirt to turn into Clark Kent.

Paper-thin seat cover results in even a small tear spreading over time.

I feel the 160 4V is as sporty as a commuter should get. If the ergonomics got any sportier, the seat firmer and the suspension more aggressive, the bike would cross that fine line. The motor also makes segment-leading figures that are more than enough in the city, but the fuel gauge does drop a little quicker than I would have liked, even when riding sedately.

Upward-swept exhaust’s ports have begun rusting due to water accumulation.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing with the 160 4V and it has visited the service centre twice in the past couple of months. The first time was when it refused to start and required a spark-plug replacement, and the second was when it began leaking oil from where the shifter linkage meets the gearbox casing. TVS told us that oil seal had moved out from its place and its fix was supposedly as simple as repositioning it. Aside from these two issues, the 160 4V has been niggle-free, but after a year, it leaves me craving for something a little more exciting.