The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V is the latest entrant into the premium 150cc commuter segment, which is now mostly a 160cc segment. There are different competitors already in the segment, and they all offer something unique to the prospective buyer. TVS itself has a couple of alternatives for the RTR 160 4V buyer, and we’ve already talked about those in another article. For the purposes of this article, we will consider products from other manufacturers.
The Yamaha FZ set the trend of the premium 150, and all these years later is still showing the upstarts how it is done. It is still the largest-selling in the segment by a margin. The Honda CB Hornet 160R isn’t too far behind, however, and it has now brought along the XBlade, hoping that its ‘X factor’ will give it a larger slice of the pie. The Suzuki Gixxer still remains the best all-around product in the segment but they can’t get enough customers to walk into their showrooms. Finally, Bajaj has taken the NS200 template and given the consumer the NS160, along with a dollop of technology and great serving of value for money. How do they compare, though?
The TVS Apache RTR 160 4V certainly has the most number of syllables in its name, but TVS also claims that a lot of the product’s development has come from its racing division. Of the other four manufacturers here, three also have racing programs but none of them claim any connection of their product to their racing programs. Let’s start with the segment leader, the Yamaha FZ-S. It is fuel injected, it displaces 149cc, it is air cooled and it generates 13bhp and 12.8Nm – one of the lowest figures here. It weighs 132kg, which is the lightest here. It was the first of the lot to offer an all-digital instrument cluster as well; something that all the products here except the Pulsar offer. The Yam also offers the option of a rear disc brake, but none here offer ABS even as an option – the Honda CB Hornet 160R offers a step up from plain-Jane brakes with its CBS system.
Speaking of which, the Hornet has the most muscular design here. It has almost no ‘neck’, a tank so wide it wouldn’t be out of place on a 600cc motorcycle, and a rear tyre that is 140mm wide, a feature that is usually more in line with 400cc motorcycles than 150cc ones. Only the Yamaha and Suzuki offer a rear tyre that is as wide. The power generated is 15bhp, however, and max torque is 14.8Nm from a 163cc engine. This is a significant step up from the FZ. The XBlade has the exact same engine but its figures stand at 13.9bhp and 13.9Nm. Its rear tyre width is at par for the segment, with its 130mm width. It is the only motorcycle other than Pulsar that doesn’t have a rear disc brake even as an option.
The NS160 has an analogue tachometer, which might appeal to the traditional buyer. It offers 15.3bhp and 14.6Nm from its 160cc engine. However, it is the only one besides the RTR to offer a 4-valve head and oil cooling. It is the only one here to offer a twin-spar frame, which is a type of frame seen only on the much more expensive Yamaha YZF-R15 in a similar displacement motorcycle. The RTR 160 4V offers 16.3 or 16.5bhp from its 160cc engine depending upon whether you opt for the carburetted or fuel injected version, which is the highest in the segment. Torque stands at 14.8Nm. It weighs 143kg, which is the heaviest in the segment. Its instrument cluster offers the most features: besides the standard odometer and twin tripmeters that all offer and the clock that some of the products here have, the RTR also has a top speed recorder, lap timer and 0-60kmph time recorder. All the motorcycles here drive themselves via a five-speed gearbox and a chain.
The most affordable of the bunch here is the Honda XBlade, at ₹80,200. However, remember that it doesn’t offer a rear disc brake or CBS, unlike the CB Unicorn 160 or CB Hornet 160R which offer either one or both features. Next is the Bajaj Pulsar NS160 at ₹81,500, which makes it the most value. Despite the fact that it has only a rear drum brake and an instrument cluster that isn’t all digital, you do get a 4-valve engine head, an oil cooler and a twin-spar frame, which is a whole lot of tech for the price. Next is our favourite, the Suzuki Gixxer with a rear disc brake, at ₹82,400. The Honda CB Hornet 160R with its rear disc and CBS braking system costs ₹87,700 but the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V FI leapfrogs them all with its fuel injection, oil cooling, 4-valve head and rear disc brake to be priced at ₹90,000.
All prices are ex-showroom, Mumbai.
