SHARK BITE

The new Apache RR 310 is what TVS’s flagship should’ve been in the first place

- Janak Sorap

When TVS had revealed the now-familiar Apache RR 310 as a concept at Auto Expo 2016, it got motorcycle enthusiasts all excited. At the time, it was called the Akula which means ‘shark’ in Russian. Like others, I too was awestruck by the carbon-fibre fairing and contrasting red-painted chassis, and all that it promised. When the production model launched, unfortunately, it turned out to be a bit of a disappointment despite its capabilities. Why? Well, to begin the power delivery was snappy and irregular, while the front fairing would vibrate like no one’s business. Also, the tyres never really seemed to have your back; they’d rather put you in a tight spot every time a handful of brake was grabbed. Back then, I wondered if it was just me who felt this way.

Luckily, I guess the boffins at TVS also felt the same. And just like racing, where the pursuit of improvement is constant, the 2020 Apache RR 310 has improved. And how. To see how good it’s become, I headed to the Madras Motorsport Race Track near Chennai. Frankly, I wasn’t expecting much of a difference, the previous-generation RR 310 firmly lodged in my memories. But all of that changed as soon as I was out on track, my knees tucked tight into the 11-litre fuel tank, helmet’s chinbar resting on top of it, hitting upwards of 150 kph on the main straight. The tyres gripped hard, too, allowing my knee slider to scrape itself all the way around the big-D corner at the back end of the circuit, and that too without any real effort. It was nothing like the RR310 I’d previously known.