TVS Apache RTR 180

TVS Apache RTR 180

The Apache is one of the most successful motorcycle brands created by TVS Motors. One reason why this is significant is because this helped TVS push its own market positioning from one that targeted just the budget conscious customer to a brand that also has got style. The first Apache rolled out of the factory back in 2007 and today there are three variants of TVS Apache. We have already discussed the RTR 160. Today, we will check out the Apache RTR 180.

TVS Apache RTR 180

The 180cc variant of Apache was launched in 2009. The bike comes equipped with a 177.4cc 4 stroke single cylinder engine that can crank out a maximum power of close to 17PS at 8500RPM and torque maxing out at 15.5Nm at 6500RPM. The RTR 180 has a kerb weight of 139kg with a framework that allows a wheelbase of 1300mm and ground clearance of 165mm. You can hit a maximum speed of 124kmph with the RTR 180. You can buy an Apache RTR 180 at just a couple of thousands over the RTR 160. The ex-showroom price in Delhi is around Rs. 73365.

Manufacturer Mileage Claim
As I’ve often said in my earlier blog posts, if you are someone who is planning to buy a high power bike like RTR 180, you shouldn’t be concerned about the mileage at all. The selling point of most bikes in the category are the power that they offer and this is often at a compromise of the fuel economy. According to TVS Motors, the Apache RTR 180 would return close to 56 kmpl economy under standard testing conditions. As the general disclaimer often goes, these conditions are extremely different from what you are used to on city roads and so that actual mileage you could see on your bike could be pretty lower than this. Let us check out consumer and test ride reviews to see what one could expect from the RTR 180.

Customer Reviews

Let us start with our favourite review place – MaxAbout. The website calls the RTR 180 a “carbon copy” of the RTR 160 with very slight visible changes. However, one aspect where it stands out very visibly is in the ability to go from 0-60 km/hr in just 4.15 seconds. The reviewer pits the mileage of the bike at 38-40 kmpl on city roads and 42-46 kmpl on highways.

BikeAdvice in their comparison of the RTR 180 against Pulsar 180 note that there is little to choose between the two. However, their tests reveal the fuel consumption under city conditions to be in the range of 39-44 kmpl which can increase to 43-48 kmpl on highway roads.

BikeDekho calls the bike ‘unmatchable’ in its segment when it comes to performance. However the review reports a lower mileage as a direct result of this high performance. The average fuel consumption reported by the website is around 35-40 kmpl.

On Team-BHP, one of the largest Indianmotorcycle enthusiasts forum, a user reports that the RTR 180 could deliver around 2kmpl lower than the RTR 160 on city conditions. The user reports 40 kmpl on city roads that goes up to 46-47kmpl on highways.

There are close to 34 reviews of the RTR 180 on the user reviews site, MouthShut.com. These users have together rated the bike 4 out of 5 in terms of fuel consumption. The reviews have been pretty consistent on the mileage front. Most customers report a fuel efficiency of around 40-45 kmpl under city road conditions that reaches 48-53 kmpl on the highways.

Overall, this is how the bike fares on fuel according to the reviews from various sources.

Source City Roads (kmpl) Highways (kmpl)
Official 56
MaxAbout 38-40 42-46
BikeAdvice 39-44 43-48
BikeDekho 35-40
Team BHP 40 46-47
MouthShut 40-45 48-53

The reported numbers are pretty reasonable for a 180cc bike. As I said earlier, you shouldn’t be looking at this page if you are contemplating a high power machine like the RTR 180 which is expected to have a lower fuel efficiency. In any case, the RTR 180 is a win on the fuel front and definitely gets a thumbs-up from our side.

10 thoughts on “TVS Apache RTR 180”

  1. Hi. I want to buy this 180 apache bike, plz is it good on delhi road to drive as fuel consumptions I mean average in city,have any experience to drive in Delhi City ?

    1. no point if in Delhi, a lot of traffic by a 125 or 100 cc bike that will give you good mileage in city.. dont go for style or status.. I have a Rtr180 and I love my bike but because Im a student some times Its heavy on the pocket. My bike gives me 35-38kmpl these days but because its summer and the heat can cause petrol evaporation cause the tank gets heated up if not parked in shade… otherwise it gives above 40kmpl..

  2. Among your choices, it’s better if you pick RTR because of its power, pick-up and mileage which are amazingly brilliant when compared to FZ

  3. Can anyone tell me how we know that the fuel is low on this bike? The reserve indicator is blinking continuously but the fuel indicator is not burning. Please help.

    1. Both are reserve indicators in the left part of the console(speedometer). If it’s blinking at the bottom, it indicates that it’s in reserve which’s 2.5/2 litre.
      If it blinks on the right(bright orange) in the RPM indicator, the fuel’s around 1 litre, with which you can drive 40-50 kms

  4. Can an RTR non-ABS be converted to an ABS one? If yes, any guess how much that costs and does it actually work like a proper ABS one? Does it bring any drawbacks with it?

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