According to TVS, it’s bottom-end comfort (literally) that’s going to sell its brand-new bike. And make it sell better than the all-conquering Pulsar. Really?

This is not a battle between the Pulsar 150 DTS-i and TVS’ new Apache. A few colleagues and I who feel biking is a religion, like to believe it’s actually a battle between the needs of a man and a woman. A man wants a bike which is muscular, powerful, one which handles well. The one that will allow him to sweep through corners, do wheelies and stoppies, and basically look cool. But things are changing. A new bike I know of has been designed to suit the woman’s needs more than the man’s, the TVS Apache that has replaced the Fiero. Its designers tell us that they seriously looked at pillion comfort, the gal who’ll feel comfortable behind her guy. Will bikes be designed according to a man’s taste any more? I wonder. Especially when I see that the convention now firmly points at women. A popular two-wheeler maker is wooing women to buy its scooters – we know that already. Thankfully bikes still have to achieve those heights of popularity.
When Bajaj introduced the Pulsar in 2001, it was a moment of pride for men. It was the right recipe to get noticed. It still prides itself on that.
The fact of the matter is that a woman would be more inclined towards riding a bike on a date than travelling in a rickshaw or a bus. Comfort comes later: is she on a cool bike? If she is, then everything else takes a back seat.
I would disagree with the fact that a man will consider the Apache only to keep his woman happy. It’s a macho bike anyway and, will in no way appeal to women more than it would to a man. Still, the Apache just had to be different, and have everything a Pulsar doesn’t. It is without doubt a visual improvement over its sworn rival, the Pulsar. It’s more chiselled, more muscular, more futuristic. The headlight design, side panels and engine case styling shows the kind of the work the designers put in. However, its rear end is very drab and it feels like the blokes at TVS worked so hard on the front and sides that the chisel was quite dull by the time it reached the rear. Yes, the Apache’s build quality is great and its fit and finish is above average.
The Pulsar is no ugly mug either. It’s an old contender but has retained its maturely masculine feel. Its styling has ripened over the years and bears a been-there-done-that confidence. Its designers have let the bulges flow from the fuel tank to the rear, which looks awesome. The engine is snugly fitted, and complements the proportions. It’s tall and sporty and has a great-looking face. I was pretty familiar with the Pulsar since its introduction and so I preferred to begin with the Apache. The Apache sprang to life with the push of the electric start button and brought along with it a herd of vibrations, which was a bit alarming. Obviously the engine damping was not sufficient to arrest the shivers going through the handlebars and foot-supports. The Pulsar is comparatively more refined as it has been improved consistently over the years. Even on the run the Pulsar proved to be smoother than the Apache. However, the Apache’s performance quotient is much higher. The TVS leaps forward at a twist of the throttle and keeps up the momentum through the gears. Its ratios are closely-set and hence the aggressive transmission of power from the engine to the wheels. Its powertrain is the same as that of the defunct Fiero, albeit thoroughly worked-upon, with altered ratios and a revised configuration for better acceleration and tractability, though, strangely, the Fiero’s engine was far more refined.
On the other hand, although the Pulsar’s engine is very refined, it lacksthe punch of the Apache’s motor. I was a bit disappointed with that. But yes, Bajaj Auto says that the Pulsar upgrade that is expected shortly will come with a much improved engine. Perhaps all the snags in this powerpack would be ironed out in the new one. That’s about the newPulsar but the existing one feels sluggish through the gears in comparison. The Apache beats it hollow in this department. Considering the limitations of both the Apache and Pulsar’s motors, they are both tractable and have respectable midrange pulling power. Both drivetrains are tuned to minimise gearchanges; the Apache’s is the better bet as its ratios are closely packed.
Comfort is a very significant aspect of bike design, and the emphasis on rider and pillion comfort comes in even more when the bike is used to commute on a regular basis, alongside Sunday blasts. The Pulsar got the better of the Apache here; I was very comfortable riding it. The rider posture and space that it offers bowl you over, and you’re comfortable immediately: the distance between handlebars and seat is perfect and gives the rider enough room to manoeuvre. This helps especially when you’re flogging the bike, zipping into corners at higher-than-formal speeds. Penetrating through traffic is also easy with the Pulsar’s setup. The Apache was too cramped for me. The handlebar was low-set and it made me sit stiff while sitting normally. This also hampers cornering ability and manoeuvring. The Pulsar’s seat is quite generous as compared to the Apache’s and is softer and more comfortable – girls please note.
Comfort depends not only on a good seat but also suspension. The Pulsar scores here too. It’s damped just right for our road conditions, although the pillion will still ache after a bit. But in comparison the Apache’s stiff seat and suspension had me thinking about my future child-bearing prospects...
And now, the big question of fuel efficiency. The Apache returned a city-highway average of 48.7kpl and the Pulsar returned 52.5kpl. So what does this mean? Before you buy a bike think about the entire package rather than just a pillion seat or a quickest 0-100kph rush. Like a proportionate design is considered a good design your choice must always be proportionate. I think the Bajaj Pulsar deserves the top spot in this comparison. One, it’s an older bike but still looks fresh. It handles well and is well sorted out for the rider. And, it’s more comfortable and fuel-efficient than the Apache. The TVS Apache brings in modern styling cues but goes down the slope because of its unrefined engine, higher fuel consumption and the absence of ergonomics in the riding position and its rear-end styling. It does get brownie points on performance, build quality and overall fit and finish which is just about better than the Pulsar. It may also lose out on the count that its design may age sooner than the Pulsar’s thanks to too many elements in its styling. So, there it is – I’ve said it.
At the end of the day both are powerful commuter bikes which could be used for more purposes than just commuting. And as far as the woman in your life goes, get her thinking more than just using ‘your’ bike as a status symbol.