The TVS Apache RR310 really wants you to stick it on a track. It's built for that, and it'll be most happy if you take it there. Of course, if you're a lunatic, you can also do all those track things while dodging slower traffic. Or you can click it into a more sensible riding mode and have more fun on your way home from the office than you have in years. As an added bonus, you also get to give petrol prices the (rapidly accelerating) finger.
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Design
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Performance
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Versatility
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Features
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Value
Believe it or not, playing with smartphones and tablets all the time can get tedious. Our time with the TVS Apache RR310 motorcycle, on the other hand, was anything but. This bike is billed as a track-ready vehicle, for folks who want to go fast somewhere there are paramedics on station. It’s also, as it turns out, a decent option for drivers looking to dodge the current fuel price. And traffic. You’ll have to be willing to dodge traffic.
R90,000 brand-new isn’t much for putting rubber on a race track. Given how new the Apache RR310 is in South Africa, they’re all brand new, too. Well, unless someone’s spouse has started yelling loud enough to put one back into the market in a hurry. If you’re looking to snag a pure commuter, you can probably do better on price. Whether it’ll be as fun to ride, though…?
Sport optics
The first thing that struck us when we saw this bike in person was the size. You don’t think of a 300cc as being especially large, but this one’s got presence. Some of that is the fairing, sure, and there’s actually less weight than you’d expect by looking at it. The TVS Apache RR310 comes across as aggressively quick from whichever angle you look at it. Of course, there’s only one that really matters. We’ll get to that.
The sporty presentation continues to the handlebar placement and digital speedometer. Everything is neatly tucked away below the small windshield and looks robust enough to handle wet weather. The majority of the bike’s controls are situated a thumb-press away on the left-hand side. Switching modes (yes, it has modes) can be done while stationary. If you want to swap to something speedier in motion, you’ll have to slam the throttle closed for a moment before the switch happens.
The fairing is built to cut the wind effectively, while also just… looking cool. There’s an interesting detail next to the engine on the right — a red object inside a clear partition that rotates when the engine is running. It looks a little like you have a fidget spinner slapped on the side, but we were kind of fond of it. The only real design complaint? Two stubby wings over the forward indicators. They’re probably useful on the track, but they do look a little goofy when you’re at rest.
Road worrier
It doesn’t matter how cool it looks if it’s not fun to drive, right? We took the Apache RR310 around Johannesburg for a week, putting most of the available drive modes to the test. From the start, it’s a fantastically stable bike. A word of caution, though. If you’re not also keen on riding for fun, this might not be the best bike for your commute — 26km/l fuel efficiency or not.
TVS is adamant that you’re supposed to put this one on the track, and the whole layout and rider posture reflect that. Riders are supposed to be sitting chest-to-tank most of the time. It’s comfortable that way, sure, but not when navigating a back road at 40km/h. Okay, fine, at 70km/h. The rear brakes, mirror placement, and even your view of the clocks depend heavily on this lowered posture. Even then, if you tend to ride elbows out, you’re likely to obscure the mirrors somewhat.
There are other signs that road performance was less important. This was most obvious with the indicator switch, which didn’t auto-centre during our review. You’ll form the habit of resetting it, but it seems like an odd omission for a R90k bike.
Sense and sensibility
But if you’re willing to crouch and wind the throttle open at every opportunity, the Apache RR310 will reward you with a face-splitting grin more often than not. It’s rated for a nought to 60km/h at 3.3 seconds, and we grabbed that more than once. That’s excellent for urban speeding, providing you’re watching driveways and cross-traffic. We also found it to be more commuter-friendly in motion. The six-speed gearbox transitions upward quickly in the standard road setting. The RR310 maintains well at 60/km in fifth gear. The same is true of 80km/h in sixth.
You’re not always going to be that sensible, of course. The bike pulls a fair amount on uphills in fifth from a 60km/h start, with enough acceleration to zip you past slower-moving traffic if needed. At lower gears, anything that’s not an EV might as well be standing still. It’s quick off the mark from an intersection, to the point where car drivers will underestimate just how fast you’re moving towards them. Our only complaint? The clutch in our review bike was set a little soft for urban warfare, calling for either high revs or a quick stall. Once moving, though, it’s all fun, all the time.
Clock watcher
The Apache RR310 includes four different modes that redirect power from this four-stroke 312cc single cylinder in various ways. Urban and Rain are roughly similar and are best suited for your drive to your workplace. The bike remains agile, even as it feels as though it’s holding back a little. It is. Urban mode is still good for the occasional deeper lean into a sharp corner, but it’s ideal for blowing by slower traffic.
Switching to Sport mode ups performance, delivering more torque to the back wheel. Not much — a mere 2.5Nm, if TVS is accurate. But it’ll also take off faster and respond just a tiny bit quicker. If you’re simply out riding on a Sunday, this is the option you should select. You’re not going to bother too many 900s on the way to breakfast, but you’ll also handle yourself well for a 300.
Track mode pairs with the TVS app that captures telemetry from your ride around extremely well-maintained environments. We threw it up on Jozi’s roads and it’s… actually dangerous. Terrain zips by faster, the Apache’s available assists change up, and the usual poor road maintenance in the city becomes suddenly hazardous. This is where TVS wants the Apache RR310 to do its showing off. Sticking it on the road is fine for experienced riders, who will probably rock this one all day. Those with a learner’s permit should wait till there’s a crash barrier and a fire crew handy.
TVS Apache RR310 verdict
Anyone with a bit of riding experience will find the TVS Apache RR310 acts well on multiple roads (commuter, fun times, serious track racer), even if the road experience isn’t optimal for those venturing to the office. It’s packed with data for folks who like that sort of thing. It’s also agile and sporty, for everyone else who wants nothing more than two wheels and an open road in front of them. This little 300’s looks match its ambitions. It wants to go fast, and you’ll want to oblige it, if only for the adrenaline dump.
Is it worth R90k as a pure commuter? Perhaps not, since it calls for at least some aggression on the rider’s part by its very design. But if you’re also looking to throw some high-speed fun (and you own the riding gear to offset that), it’ll justify its new price before you get it home from the dealership. We assume you’d want to ride it out and not have someone drop it off using a trailer. You wouldn’t do that, would you? Not when the RR310 wants to tip over and rocket you through direction changes sharp enough to send your stomach into your boots.
