The Apache 160 is for Real..!! First pics of the New "Petal Shaped" Front Disc of the Apache 160..!!
TVS finally seems to have shed its conservative approach at producing 150 C.C bikes. Even while producing 150 C.C bikes, TVS always had a soft corner for the commuter.
The conservative approach made TVS produce 150 C.C bikes which had..
"TVS did not understand that the customer looking out for a 150 C.C bike wasn't exactly looking for a commuter.."
- 4 Gears instead of the 5 (which the competition provided). Why..?? Because according to TVS you don't need a 5'th gear in Indian traffic condition.
- A small wheelbase compared to the other 150 C.C's. Why..?? Because TVS felt that the bike must be easy to handle in traffic..!!
- TVS even introduced the Apache with two sizes for the rear wheel (a thin and a relatively broader one). Why..?? Because TVS felt that fuel economy was more important for the customer rather than a thicker tyre at the rear..!!
"The Pulsar was always ahead in terms of providing more features to the customers. This subsequently reflected positively in its sales figures.." Meanwhile Bajaj Auto understood the pulse of the Indian biker perfectly and accordingly dished out features in its Pulsar range which the Indian Biker lapped up eagerly. Right from the beginning it provided 5 Gears and Front Discs. It Constantly kept upgrading the Pulsar and went on to introduce many new features in the 150 C.C category ahead of its competitors.. like Alloy Wheels, Gas Shock Absorbers, Digital Speedometers etc.
And boy..!! TVS couldn't have been more wrong..
TVS did not understand that the customer looking out for a 150 C.C bike wasn't exactly looking for a commuter. He wanted a bike which would satisfy his desires of riding around the corner feeling like Rossi. Ok I agree that 13-15 BHP isn't exactly earth shattering. But for the Common Indian Biker who has had an overdose of 100 C.C "Economisers" till now, this was enough to make him feel like John Abraham (on his Hayabusa) in the Movie Dhoom..!!
The customer could always get 4 gears, a shorter wheel base, thin rear tyre in a 100 C.C commuter.
The Pulsar was always ahead in terms of providing more features to the customers. This subsequently reflected positively in its sales figures. The Pulsars has virtually dominated the 150 C.C category till date.
TVS seems to have taken a leaf out of Bajaj Auto and has decided to get aggressive. Instead of just following the Pulsar, TVS has decided to up the ante this time. The Apache is now going up from 150 to 160 C.C. Power is also up from 13.5 BHP to 15.5 BHP..!! Its also rumored to have a digital speedometer assembly like that of the current Pulsars. Its also going ahead to equip the Apache 160 with "Petal Shaped" Disc Brakes (The first for an Indian Bike)..!! I am not really sure if that improves the braking performance, but it certainly looks aggressive..!! The photo shown below is the "Petal Shaped" Front Disc of the New Apache 160..!!
The pic of the disc brake was taken from rearset's blog. Rearset also confirmed that the Apache 160 is a reality and will be launched around May 2007. Price of the new Apache 160 might not increase significantly, which is a good thing.
The only thing that will be missed is a Monoshock at the rear..!! Aahh.. Customers..!! Is there any end to their expectations..??
So ladies and gentleman, looks like the Pulsar 150 beater is finally on the Horizon..!!
Way to go TVS..!! Finally...
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This is to remind that the Views or Opinions in the blog are entirely mine unless explicitly stated. The Views and Opinions published in this blog should in no way be related to any other person or organization associated -- directly or indirectly -- with me.
4 Comments:
with such a displacement advantage it is obviously more powerful than the P-150.
but it i was looking for power at an affordable price the warhorse 180 is right at the corner.
who knows may be bajaj may come out with another bike 165cc 16 bhp
it can happen seeing the new discover 135.
Yep, it will be interesting to watch the reaction of Bajaj now..
In the end it is the customer who benefits.. Cheers..!!
I dont think an extra 10cc will be sufficient to entice customers away from the p150..they'd rather get the p180 for around the same price as the a160.
well, the petal discs look aggresive on a aggresive looking bike, should make things better for the apache.
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