A bike built for those long, rocky adventures

The Apache RTX 300 offers an appealing mix of balance and speed—enough to make passers-by slow down and admire it

- Rishad Saam Mehta

The first time I set eyes on the TVS Apache RTX 300, I stopped mid stride and stared in appreciation. Not surprising because the RTX has a captivating presence that made me momentarily wonder if it was truly powered by just a 299.1cc engine, rather than something closer to the 500cc mark.

Up close, my initial appreciation was reaffirmed. The fit and finish are excellent, from the switchgear and the paint, to the meticulous stitching on the seat and the detailing on the tank. At ₹2.29 lakh for the fully loaded Built to Order (BtO) version, it looks and feels like it is punching well above its weight. This is a motorcycle that will cause passersby to slow their walk and run a long, unhurried eye over it.

The stance helps. The RTX crouches forward like a predator waiting for permission. The LED headlamp has a sharp, slightly menacing look. The tank is sculpted with deep knee recesses, the white trellis frame is proudly visible, and the upswept exhaust adds to the sense of visual movement even when the bike is standing still. TVS has absolutely nailed the aesthetics.

Underneath all this theatre sits an engine that marks an important turning point for TVS. For years, some of the company's most visible performance motorcycles were built around the 312cc engine developed with BMW. The RTX 300 breaks away from that partnership. Its 299.1cc liquid cooled, single cylinder engine is a fully in house effort, developed by TVS Racing. It makes 36bhp and 28.5Nm and is designed with an oversquare architecture that favours mid-range usability over headline grabbing top end numbers.

With all these characteristics, it seems that a new pony has pranced into the ADV corral dominated by the KTMs and the Royal Enfield Himalayan. The question is, will it be picked upon and heckled, or will it stand its own ground? To find out, I used it as my everyday motorcycle.