Apollo Alpha H1 Radial Tyres: Gear Review

I’ve been riding the KTM 390 Duke for four and a half years now, and one constant recurring expense on the motorcycle, when you use the bike on a daily basis and put a tonne of kilometres each year, is tyres. After trying a few different options, the W-rated Metzeler Sportec M5 tyres that came standard on my 2013 model year bike have been my absolute favourite. But Apollo’s new Alpha-H1 radials, available in KTM sizes (Front: 110/70 ZR17, Rear: 150/60 ZR17), seem like an interesting option, especially since they’re W-rated (that means a maximum speed of 270kmph). So after having spent a few weeks and over a thousand kilometres testing these on my Duke, here’s what we think:

Handling

I had the chance to sample these tyres at one of our favourite twisties near Pune, Lavasa, and the grip levels at both front and rear actually feel very good. Even ham-fisted throttle openings when leaned over on the 390 Duke don’t overwhelm the rear tyre, and unlike the MRF REVZ there isn’t any squishing or squirming from the rear either. Out here, these Alpha H1s also felt better than the H-rated Metzeler M5s - rubber that has been the cause of many a woe for new 390 owners. At places where those Metzelers want to move around a bit, the Apollos feel extremely planted. In fact, in terms of grip, these feel better than the Michelin Pilot Sport or even the Pirelli Diablo Rossi II for that matter.

But there is a slight grouse we have to pick with the Apollo Alpha, especially the front tyre. It needs quite some effort to turn in, and the amount of effort was equivalent to my old 12-15k kilometre worn W-spec Metzeler M5, at least on my 2013 Duke. Changes of direction felt especially heavy, especially when flicking the bike from one side to the other, but once turned in, there was no issue at all. We also tried these tyres out on the 2017 KTM 390 Duke, where this effect isn't as pronounced. But the steering feels much heavier as compared to running on even the stock H-spec Metzelers from that bike.

That said, at least for the new 390 Duke, this isn’t a big problem. The steering on this Duke is known to be a little too quick to respond - something that catches out a lot of new or inexperienced riders. With this Alpha H1 at the front, the extra effort required to get the bike to steer adds a margin of safety.

Comfort

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The one big issue that I’ve faced with the stock tyres on my 2013 KTM 390 Duke (the W-spec Metzeler M5s) has been a fairly hard ride. The side walls on these M5s are excessively rigid, and that means very little give on bumps and bad roads. On that front, the Apollo Alphas have more give and feel distinctly more pliant when riding on broken surfaces. And with that, they offer a good balance between outright grip and a comfortable ride. Since most of my time with these tyres has been spent on my daily commute to office, I can say with full confidence that they work really well for daily urban use.

Highway use

The most kilometres I’ve clocked at a stretch with these Apollo tyres has been around 200-250km on the highway. In terms of high-speed stability, they feel just as good as the W-spec Metzelers, even at triple digit speeds, and that’s high praise indeed. Of course, the amount of effort required to change lanes at speed is higher, but this isn’t too much of an issue. While these Apollos feel quite soft, we have a sneaking suspicion that they will offer better life over the W-spec Metzelers, which are notorious for wearing out rather rapidly. So tourers should be happy too.

Braking

One area where the W-spec Metzelers are really flawless, at least on my 2013 KTM 390 Duke, is braking. And compared to those, these Apollos have slight shortcomings. Jam the front brake really hard, and there’s a noticeable squish from the front tyre. While it’s not enough to upset the bike, or create a potentially unsafe situation, you do get a short squeal from the tyre before the ABS kicks in.

Wet-weather performance

Of course, we only got a chance to test these tyres in dry conditions. With the monsoon ready to hit in full force, we’ll have a story with wet weather impressions out soon.

Final thoughts

For the KTM 390 Duke, whether you’re using the older model or the latest 2017 one, these Apollo Alpha-H1s offer a great balance between the super grippy but rather rigid W-rated Metzeler Sportec M5s and the more pliant but lacklustre H-rated ones. Priced at Rs Rs 6499 for the front (110/70 ZR17) and Rs 8499 for the rear (150/60 ZR17), they even sit between the W- and H-rated Metzelers in terms of pricing (though they veer more towards the W here). For someone looking for a set of replacement tyres for the KTM, these make for a better choice over the H-rated Metzelers, and a significantly better one over other options you get in India for similar high-performance motorcycles.

Photography: Vikrant Date