Is A TVS Apache RTR 310 Coming Soon?

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There was a lot of excitement when TVS and BMW announced their tie-up back in 2013. For all the hype, though, there haven’t been too many tangible results: just 3 bikes in 7 years, only 1 of which carries the TVS tag.

That’s all set to change next year, however, with TVS President and CEO, K.N. Radhakrishnan, confirming that a second TVS-BMW motorcycle will launch in 2021.

His words are rather interesting -- when speaking of the fully faired Apache RR310 that was recently updated to BS6 standards, he says that TVS will launch one more variant of the same motorcycle, possibly next year. This indicates to us that the bike will be a naked streetfighter version of the RR310, most likely called the Apache RTR 310.

We can expect the motor and basic underpinnings to be carried over from the RR, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Yes, the engine started off in life as a vibey unit, but as we found out during our recent ride of the updated BS6 bike, these vibes are a thing of the past. And the motor has even retained its 34PS, 27.3Nm output despite complying with BS6 emission norms now. Not only that, the addition of ride-by-wire has resulted in 4 ride modes now being offered, with varying engine outputs and ABS maps. It’s quite likely that these features will be transferred to the RTR 310.

The RR is also a very sweet handling motorcycle, even more so with its new Michelin Road 5 rubber, so we have no qualms with the frame and suspension being carried over as well. But while the RR, being a sportsbike, features a slightly leaned-forward riding position, expect a more upright affair on the upcoming RTR. Taller handlebars and more forward-set footpegs should make the naked more comfortable in urban conditions, though the lack of wind protection could pose a problem on the highway.

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Another welcome addition on the RR310 BS6 was the TFT colour screen with Bluetooth connectivity and smart functions. We found it to be crisp, clear and very premium looking, and we hope the RTR gets similar treatment.

Of course, one area where the two 310s will be very different is design. The smaller RTRs feature butch muscular design language and we expect this theme to be taken even further on the 310. Don’t be surprised to see long, sharp tank extensions and a ready-to-do-battle streetfighter stance.

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And so we arrive at the most important bit (for most people, at least) - the price. Well, using the RR310 BS6 and its Rs 2.40* lakh price tag as a benchmark, we’re expecting the upcoming RTR to set you back by around Rs 2.10 lakh to 2.15 lakh*. Considering that its competition will come from the likes of the BMW G 310 R, KTM 390 Duke BS6, Honda CB300R and Benelli TNT 300, the new RTR should comfortably undercut all the other offerings and make itself the best value-for-money proposition in its class. Now we sit and wait for a test mule sighting...

*all prices ex-showroom Delhi