RAIN CHECK NEEDED

The rain couldn't stop the updated Apache RTR 310... but its price might

- By Manaal Mahatme Photographs Kaizad Adil Darukhanawala

There are few better ways to test electronic rider aids than riding flat out on a soaking-wet racetrack. And there are just a handful of motorcycles under ₹ 3 lakh that allow you to do just that without biting back. But there I was — at the CoASTT circuit in Coimbatore, the clouds having cracked open just as our group rolled out of the pits, and beneath us, the updated scalpel from Hosur — the Apache RTR 310.

TVS isn't in the habit of updating its motorcycles with just a new livery and calling it a day. Instead, it prefers to add something meaningful — more tech, better performance, or sometimes just less weight. This time, the flagship naked arrived with launch control, drag torque control, a keyless start system, subtle cosmetic tweaks and a jaw-dropping sticker price... with a small asterisk attached. But more on that later.