The Gixxer is stylish, fun and feature-rich and the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V is looking at eating into its market share.
The Gixxer is the older of the two, which is evident from when you first see the bike. The fuel tank has a pronounced hunch, which helps you lock onto the bike with your thighs. It’s upswept tail-end also shows its sporty intent. The mix of a glossy two-tone paint job with irrelevant decals and a large dollop of chrome on the exhaust is a downer. But, overall, this is a good-looking bike. However, the RTR 160 4V is nicer to look at. The bike looks racy, it’s visibly larger and is inspired by its older sibling. Both bikes have digital meters, the Gixxer has a gear-position indicator.
In this segment, fuel economy and real-world rideability are more important than speed. The Gixxer’s 154.9cc motor has never been famed for segment leading performance, but it's a lovable thing nonetheless. It makes 14.8hp and 14Nm and is tuned delightfully for low-end torque, which is vital in the city for quick overtaking. The engine is peppy and responsive in the city. On the highway, beyond 90kph, the vibrations and strained engine notes start to set in. The RTR’s 159.7cc, four-valve motor makes more power. It puts out 16.5hp and 14.8Nm and is a well-mannered engine. The motor is crisp but isn’t the most responsive at the bottom-end. It is, however, convincingly stronger at the top-end. Its five-speed gearbox is slicker than the Gixxer’s. Overall, the motor has an air of confidence, almost like it’s a bigger engine. It encourages you to push the engine to get the best out of it. The RTR is better suited to the highway as well.
The Gixxer weighs 135kg, which is 10kg lighter than the RTR, and it also has the shorter wheelbase of the two (1,330mm versus the RTR’s 1,357mm). The bike corners intuitively, thanks to its inherently agile chassis and its grippy and substantial tyres. The Gixxer’s suspension is firmer than the TVS, which means you must be more careful on bad roads and bumps. Its ride quality isn’t bad, but it doesn’t feel as well-engineered as the Apache.
Both these bikes are the twin-disc variants, and these are the versions you must opt for. Of the two, it’s the RTR that’s better on the brakes. The Gixxer is the more efficient of the two - it returns 54.1kpl on the highway, in comparison to the RTR’s 48.7kpl.
The Gixxer is priced at Rs 81,926 (SP, twin-disc, carburetted), and is fun, stylish and well-equipped, and is well built. And while the Apache RTR 160 4V is slightly more expensive, at Rs 84,490 (twin-disc, carb), it does everything a little bit better than the Suzuki. TVS has done it again.
