4. From Big Bikes to Basics: My Riding Evolution
This is the story about my 2015 TVS Apache RTR 160. Before we continue I want to confess that just like some people my age I at one point in time wanted to own such a motorcycle during my school days but couldn't. Over time my interests evolved and life took its turns in such a way that I ended up riding some of the best motorcycles that I used to see in movies or on wall posters. Now that I consider myself to be wiser and more experienced about my choices of motorcycles, This motorcycle has made me a better rider than I was on those big bikes. Let me tell you how:
Why this and not anything else?
The first constraint was availability and that means both money and options available. I only had Rs. 50000 to spend and I was tired of riding My Hero Maestro.
I tried looking for an old Impulse but all were above 1 Lakh. I found a few Pulsars but they were either too old or had too many owners. I still did check those out considering the name and the legacy but all had issues as the photographs didn't match the vehicle, some had questionable paperwork and others were in bad condition.
Maybe you can call it destiny because when I was in school I aspired to own an Apache RTR 160 when all my schoolmates were drooling over Bajaj Pulsar. Now keep in mind this was the time Bajaj was continuously upgrading their Pulsar range in the past few years when the entire industry was focusing on scooters post the success of Honda Activa. Interestingly, Bajaj had only one scooter in their lineup at the time, Bajaj Wave and rest all were motorcycles from 100CC to 220CC engine options.
Now I may seem like a Bajaj fan boy but that time everyone was. That time there were plenty of good motorcycles available in the market in all the segments but 150cc was probably the hottest one amongst the youth and especially teenagers like me. There was Bajaj Pulsar, Honda Unicorn, TVS Apache which started as 150cc but was later upgraded to 160cc, Hero Honda had just launched CBZ XTreme, Yamaha and Suzuki were late to the party and Kawasaki decided not to participate. In all this battle of rising above the rest Yamaha was working on something that will not only create its own market but will dominate it not only for years but decades, the mighty R15.
Now R15 is a great motorcycle and all its generations have offered some improvement with each iteration but I never had a particular urge to buy it may be because coming from a Tier-3 which still doesn't have any sort organised motorcycle culture around it, I as a teenager wasn't very attracted to it due to its absence from the roads.
As a 35 Year old who understands motorcycles, and has ridden some that have great capabilities knows that despite being an amazing motorcycle isn't right for me because of 2 reasons: Firstly, I am not a big fan of the committed riding posture as needed by the super-sports or fully-faired motorcycles. Secondly, I have never ridden on a track and I am not sure if I will ever get a chance to either. Perhaps I lean more towards a naked sport rather than fully faired motorcycle.
Now you must have understood why the Apache RTR 160 but must wonder why this particular one! Read on and you shall know.
How did I end up purchasing it?
At one point I thought of putting this amount as Down Payment and picking a brand New Impulse but ended up not going with that which turned out to be a good thing which we will discuss later.
After months of saving money and weeks of searching, my dad told me that One of his close friends is selling their son's motorcycle as they don't use it anymore and are asking Rs 50000 for it. Like I said I was considering a new one, I wasn't very keen on it but I still decided to check it out since it was within my budget.
Now we need to understand that a hasty decision to purchase anything can be disastrous and on very few occasions will the vehicle be in showroom condition and it is always better to check the vehicle of a trustworthy owner.
The first thing I saw on the motorcycle was that it wasn't used in a long time for which my best guess was the entire Covid years as there was dust all over the motorcycle.
Next thing was tires of which rear seemed quite fresh but the front was worn out.
Moving up came the brakes and were the first thing that had to be replaced as they had started eating the disk.
Now came the time to turn the key which was able to come out even when the bike was running.
The self obviously wasn't working as the battery had gone flat so the kick start came to the rescue.
After the small test ride the price was negotiated down to Rs. 45000 and now came the fun bit, getting it to the proper usable condition which means spending more money.
The price in total came a little over the desired Rs. 50000 but it was all worth it so let me tell you how.
The first thing I wanted to do was to get it serviced with oil change and it turned out the chain set needs to be replaced as well so below is the list of things that got replaced with their prices:
Servicing + Oil Change = Rs. 850(200+650)
Chain set = Rs. 1500
Battery = Rs. 2500
Front Brake Pads = Rs 450
Fuel Switch = Rs 300 (was replaced twice with piping)
Air filter = Rs. 300
Front Tire = Rs. 1500
Registration transfer = Rs. 2500
Total = Rs. 9900 or Rs. 10000
Total Price of the Motorcycle = 45000 + 10000 = Rs 55000
You remember I told you it was worth it, that is because every used vehicle must go through at least Servicing and Oil Change immediately after the purchase and you will have to get registration transfer done Which if we use my calculation will cost at least Rs. 3000
Most importantly the motorcycle came from a trustworthy source with valid First-Party insurance which would have been a big investment as well.
Perhaps the biggest advantage was that I didn't have to pay the full amount. Since the previous owner is a family friend he generously agreed to take the payment in 3 EMIs of Rs. 15000 each.
Now let's get to the point of how I was able to finance the whole thing:
The first thing I did was to decide my basic requirements that this motorcycle was supposed to fulfil, like comfort for daily commute to the city, should not feel stressed when 2 heavy people sit on it, and should allow me to do an occasional spirited riding on the highway.
For the above requirements 150cc to 200cc motorcycles are good so just go online and check the options that are best suited for you as this will give a rough estimate of how much you need to spend.
Next step is to check for the cost of maintenance because some premium motorcycles may be available at not so premium price in the used market but their spare parts are always going to cost a premium.
Once you have these important numbers with you, do a small calculation for the amount that you can save for your upcoming expenditure which in my case was 10% and this will also tell you when you will be finally able to purchase it. For example:
Salary = Rs. 30000
Saving/Month = 10% of 30000 = 3000
Budget = Rs. 50000(cost of motorcycle online) + 10%(Servicing and Repair cost post purchase) = Rs. 55000.
No. of months to save = 55000/3000 = 18.3 or 19 Months.
If you want to purchase only the new motorcycle which is expensive, you can use the saved money for the down-payment.
Please note that the above example is merely for understanding learnt from my personal experiences and this or your purchase of any vehicle should not adversely affect your life in any way, shape or form. Any decision you make is yours and yours only.
Now let's move on to my experience so far in the past few months. Read on.
What has my experience been so far?
Before moving to my experience you must know that the last motorcycle I owned was in 2007 and 2008 was a 1984 TVS-Suzuki AX100 R which was previously owned by my uncle. Maybe there is a connection that my second motorcycle happens to be a TVS as well.
Since I hadn't owned a motorcycle for more than a decade, there were a lot of things I am re-learning like maintenance and how to save money for it.
I worked at a Triumph motorcycles showroom in 2019 where my job Involved riding everyday which not only polished my riding as they are powerful motorcycles but also gave me loads of confidence which I think is the best take away for me.
I honestly feel like I have become a better rider in 9 Months on this Apache compared to how I was when I left the motorcycle showroom due to following reasons:
No electric riding aids like ABS and Traction Control makes me more attentive on the road.
Things happen slowly allowing me to observe and improve upon my riding mistakes.
It allows me to try new riding techniques and work on them if I am unable to use them properly.
It is not too expensive which allows me to maintain it to its best which makes me happy.
Most importantly it has become a tool for my personal expression which not only allows me to not only to think creatively but also allows me to plan my rides and ways.
I can cruise comfortably at 60-80 KMPH which makes it the perfect getaway motorcycle.
Has a comfortable rear seat which means I can persuade my wife for a ride even though she does not like it.
Here are some of the roundtrips I have done on it:
Ajmer to Buddha International Circuit.
Ajmer to Jaipur many times.
Ajmer to Bikaner twice
Bikaner to Sri Ganganagar
As of 2025 I don’t get time to ride more as I am not home 20 to 25 days in a month. But just like everything else I am sure I will be able to figure it out too.
I hope you all enjoyed it. TAKE CARE EVERYONE.
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