The Perfect Beginner Adventure-Touring Motorcycle Americans Will Crave

We all know the American motorcycle market has a very selective lineup. Only a few companies bring their entire assortment here, leaving out some rather impressive two-wheelers that you can only dream of. The list of such bikes only becomes longer each year, and today, we bring to you another one of these. This is one of the newest beginner adventure-tourers on the market, armed with capable bits from head to toe. It’s also dirt cheap in its home country (under $2,500) while promising a full-size experience. I recently got to jump aboard and take it for a spin, and this is how it went.

A Head-Turning Design

With Brilliant Road Presence

TVS Motors/Punya Sharma

Take a look at the 300-400cc adventure-touring segment, and you won’t find much design innovation here. The BMW G 310 GS and Kawasaki Versys 300 have remained the same for years, while even the bigger Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 follows a simple neo-retro approach. The TVS RTX, though, is the exception. In typical TVS fashion, the design is bang on.

Up top, you get unique dual LED lights, which have hints of inspiration from bigger ADVs such as the Triumph Tiger and Aprilia Tuareg. Oh, and with just the DRLs on, it actually looks like an F 900 XR from afar. Then there’s the muscular fuel tank that blends into the long, single-piece saddle. Sporty tank shrouds and fairings sweeten the pot further.

Finally, at the rear is a sleek tail unit where the turn signals and tail lamp sit on the fender instead of the usual place. A special shoutout goes to the blacked-out twin-tip exhaust. What is it like in person? Well, it’s surprisingly large enough to boast excellent road presence. The fit and finish are brilliant as well, and there are no cheap plastics in or around you. Paint quality is excellent, too. Speaking of which, there are three colors on offer, namely:

• Pearl White
• Lightning Black
• Metallic Blue
• Tarn Bronze
• Viper Green (exclusive to BTO customers)

All The Features You’ll Ever Need For Your Adventure-Touring Needs

Headlined By A Crisp TFT Instrument Cluster

TVS Motors

Hop on board the RTX, and the premium experience remains intact. You’re greeted by a sharp TFT instrument cluster, which has loads of information. You can view all the basic bits like range, fuel efficiency, temperature, and fuel level, but the real party trick is the smartphone connectivity. Once connected, it lets you enjoy turn-by-turn navigation, and there’s an option to mirror the map from the phone screen, too.

Other than this, you get traction control, switchable ABS, ride modes (four with two different throttle maps), and a two-way quickshifter. All of these work quite well on the go, and the display is legible in all kinds of light (harsh sun included). I also love the fact that the motorcycle remembers the setting. For example, if you turn off traction control and redo the ignition cycle, it will still have the TC off when you restart the bike. Small thing, we know, but useful nevertheless.

TVS Apache RTX 300 Features

• Ride modes (Urban, Rain, Tour, Rally)
• Traction control
• Quickshifter and autoblipper
• Smartphone connectivity
• Turn-by-turn navigation (with screen mirroring)
• Backlit switches
• LED lights
• Adjustable levers
• Headlamp animations
• Cruise control

An All-New Engine Powers The TVS Apache RTX 300

Peak Power: 35 HP

TVS Motors/Punya Sharma

For the longest time, TVS has used the 313cc single-cylinder engine in its products. Yes, the same engine the Indian brand developed for BMW a decade ago, which we also see in the G 310 R and G 310 GS. But with the German giant ready to move on to bigger things, TVS has now taken matters into its own hands. What you get here is an all-new 299cc single-cylinder mill.

We’re told there are no carryover parts from the 310 platform, and this is a forward inclined mill, unlike the reverse inclined BMW unit. You also get a handful of innovations like dual jacket cooling, all of which help churn out 35 horsepower and 21 pound-feet. These are better figures than the G 310 platform and come in lower in the RPM. TVS also claims the focus was on a linear power curve more than anything else.

That’s precisely how it feels on the go. The mill builds speed right from the low end till its redline without any surprises that new riders would find difficult to deal with. It’s also tractable, and I found the third gear to be the sweet spot. In third, you can easily chug along at speeds as low as 15 miles per hour without the engine dying out or struggling. The throttle feel is quite nice, too, and ‘Urban’ mode has TVS’ Glide Through Technology.

TVS Motors/Punya Sharma

This means the bike won’t die out even if you’re being lazy with the gear shifts. I plonked sixth at merely 10 miles per hour, and the bike still kept going. That should help with extracting great fuel efficiency numbers, too. As a reference, the display showed around 68 miles per gallon when ridden in mixed conditions. It means a theoretical tank-to-tank range of 225 miles with the 3.3-gallon tank full to the brim.

But Things Get A Bit Flat And Buzzy

TVS Motors/Punya Sharma

Nothing can be perfect, and this engine isn’t, either. The biggest issue here is the lack of low-end punch. You barely have any oomph under 4,500 RPM, so you’ll have to do a fair bit of shifting for overtakes or slow-speed stuff. That’s when you’ll also realize the quickshifter and blipper are a bit clunky. This is a bit surprising, considering TVS usually nails the QS calibration, as we’ve seen on the RR 310 sports bike.

Finally, this isn’t an uber-smooth powerhouse. Get closer to the redline, and vibrations start to creep in from the fuel tank and footpegs. While you might not feel them with thick adventure boots, these are certainly prevalent with regular motorcycle boots. TVS has done a good job of limiting them on the handlebars, though, as there are rubber mounts on the triple-tree.

TVS Apache RTX 300 Engine Specifications

Pliant Suspension And Comfortable Ergonomics Round Off The Package

Chassis: Steel Trellis

TVS Motors/Punya Sharma

Like the engine, TVS has carved up a new chassis for the RTX. This is a steel trellis setup with a trellis subframe and an aluminum dual-sided swingarm. Suspension duties are via 41 mm USD forks and a monoshock, built by Endurance (the same brand that makes WP suspension for KTM in India). Travel lies at 7 inches, and in top trim, you get full adjustability. As for wheels, it’s an adventure-tourer, so you get a 19/17-inch alloy wheel combination.

Each of these has a single disc brake for stopping power (320 mm at the front and 240 mm at the rear). How is all this on the go? In short, pliant. The suspension soaks up whatever you throw at it well, and you’re not bumped out of the saddle on large potholes. That eliminates the need to stand up, although the ergonomics support stand-up riding.

However, TVS claims this is 85 percent tarmac biased, so the road is where it primarily belongs. The RTX performs well in that aspect, as you can throw it in corners with confidence. Yes, you’ll need a bit of effort initially, but it remains planted once tipped into the corner. Also commendable are the brakes. Both the front and rear units offer great bite, with plenty of modulation. The new TVS Eurogrip tires deserve some credit as well.

Some Things Leave You Scratching Your Head, Though

TVS Motors/Punya Sharma

What I didn’t personally like is the front-heavy feel, both on and off the road. It makes life particularly hard on slow-speed off-road stuff and takes away the confidence. That’s probably down to its curb weight (396 pounds), which is 10 more than the G 310 GS. I also encountered some inconsistency with the rear brake. While it performed well with the ABS on, the rear locked surprisingly quickly in ‘Rally’ mode. And when it did, the bike stalled thrice at slow speeds, which takes us back to the lack of low-end punch.

Finally, the saddle height feels okay on paper. But with the seat being wide, the motorcycle feels quite tall from the saddle (I’m almost 5’9). Likewise, the saddle is well-padded when you look at it. But the cushioning isn’t as soft as I’d like it to be. My tushy felt a bit numb after riding the motorcycle for just 80 miles (in mixed terrain). TVS hasn’t announced an accessory touring seat, either.

TVS Apache RTX 300 Underpinnings And Dimensions