Adjustable suspension and sportier ergos make a huge difference on the BTO
It’s been some time since TVS Motor Company launched its factory customization program called Built To Order (BTO), with its popular supersport- the RR 310, being the only model included in the program currently. There is a lot to talk about the Apache RR 310 BTO and the extent of customization it offers. We’ll do that here, alongside delivering details on the performance and real-world livability.
Table of Contents
TVS BTO Program: The Preface
TVS Built To Order is a factory customization program that lets you spec your RR 310 with a few dynamic and ergo upgrades and choose from a curated set of visual kits and enhancements. Everything from speccing, to ordering and tracking the delivery can be done through a web configurator and via the TVS ARIVE app. The manufacturer currently offers three different customization packages/ kits: Race kit, Dynamic kit, and Visual kit. The first two have key roles to play in improving the overall ride experience and handling, while the last lets you turn your RR310 into a looker that you’d never get bored drooling over! The base motorcycle would cost you Rs 2.6 lakh, ex-showroom, and depending on the add-ons you choose, the price would go up.
TVS Apache RR310 BTO: Up Close With It
Take a look at the motorcycle that we’re sampling. What you see here, is an RR310 specced to the fullest- with all three kits installed and max’d out. The Dynamic kit adds fully adjustable suspensions to both wheels. The front gets golden Kayaba USD forks that offer 20-step damping and 15-step rebound adjustments. The KYB rear mono-shock also offers 20-step damping and 10-step preload tweaking. Having these many adjustments gives you infinite possibilities. If you are someone who knows a thing or two about suspension tuning, you can give this motorcycle almost any character that you’d wish it had, and thus ensure the best riding experience in any given scenario. Check out this video for a more detailed walkthrough of this suspension.
The Race kit makes the overall ergonomics more track-friendly, and speed-ready by giving it a clip-on handlebar, raised footrest angle, and up-swept footpegs. The overall rider triangle demands you to be very committed, while on the roll. While this does improve the overall control and ride experience on tracks and high-speed corners, there are slight compromises made on everyday livability. We will talk about these in detail, further down in this article. The raised footrest assembly, and slightly tweaked design of the exhaust, bring about higher lean angles so that you don’t have to worry about scratching it around tight corners. Adding to these, the RR 310 BTO also comes with a Brass coated chain for longer chain life and better performance.
Talking about the Visual kit, most of the aesthetics like the livery, decals, and wheel colors can be customized. BTO can give the flagship TVS supersport an attractive Race Replica livery. Various stickers, including personalized race numbers, can also be had. Check out the BTO website to find out more about the kits and builds available.
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TVS Apache RR 310 BTO Price: The Complete Breakdown
This could just be one of the most popular questions around the RR310 BTO. How much does it take to buy one? The shortest answer would be ‘depends on how you spec it!’. At the time of doing this story, the base motorcycle bears an ex-showroom price of Rs 2.65 lakh. The Dynamic kit would cost an additional Rs 12,000 and the Race kit has a price of Rs 5,000. Painting the alloy wheels Red would require Rs 1500. The exciting ‘TVS One Make Championship’ race replica livery, the one on our motorcycle, would cost Rs 4,500. With all these installed, the Apache RR 310 BTO would cost up to Rs 2,86, 500, ex-showroom.
| Base motorcycle price | 2.65 lakh |
| Dynamic kit | 12000 |
| Race Kit | 5000 |
| Race Replica livery | 4500 |
| Red wheels | 1500 |
TVS Apache RR 310 BTO: Engine And Other Mechanicals
In its engine and other core mechanicals, the RR310 BTO remains identical to the 2021 RR 310. It continues to be powered by the same 310 cc engine producing 33.5 bhp and 27.3 Nm, and comes mated to a 6-speed transmission. There are also four selectable ride modes on offer: Rain, Normal, Sport and Track. The exhaust on the 2021 motorcycle sounds better than its predecessor, and the same prevails on the BTO. What you’d notice here is that the throttle response in Sport and Track modes is slightly sharper than what you’d like on a race track!
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TVS Apache RR 310 BTO: Ride Experience
The motorcycle we rode, had both the dynamic kit and race kit installed. In more familiar terms, it had the lowered clip-ons, raised footpegs, and fully adjustable suspension setups. These have major impacts on the overall ride experience. The race kit alters the overall rider triangle quite a lot. With this in place, the motorcycle demands you to be in a much more committed posture, and rewards you with better grip and handling around fast corners. You can neatly hug the motorcycle and be in better control while going fast around corners. The rear set footpegs also give you slightly better lean angles (around 4.5 degrees more or so). The rider triangle is very likable on the track and in scenarios where you’re speed-savvy.
The Dynamic kit gives the motorcycle fully adjustable Kayaba setups on both wheels. The front gets KYB shocks and the rear a monoshock. Courtesy of the adjustments they offer, the motorcycle’s nature can be adapted to the specific riding scenario that you’re in. However, this suspension demands a pre-requisite for optimum efficiency. It demands the rider to know a thing or two about suspension tuning or have one who knows it handy! A wrongly set suspension can, honestly, spoil the entire fun! If in the right tune, this suspension can give you a ride/handling experience you’d never expect from an RR310! The BTO feels more responsive to rider inputs and more planted at higher speeds, than the regular motorcycle.
The performance and refinement of this engine are both to be loved. The acceleration is very likable. The 2021 update had brought about more refinement and a slightly better exhaust sound to the R310, and the same continues on the BTO as well. I would wish for slight improvements in the transmission and shift quality though.
RR310 BTO: Liveability | How Practical Is It?
With its committed rider triangle and sporty nature, the RR 310 BTO could seem to be a ‘not-so-liveable’ motorcycle. But is it one? NO! Even with both Dynamic kit and Race kit in place, the BTO is quite easy to live with. You can use it for your lazy daily commutes, the eager highway runs, and weekend track days, all with ample ease. The adjustable suspension is something that I would strongly recommend. The lowered clip-ons are very sporty but do give your wrists minor discomfort on long rides. However, you’d not really land them in pain, if you know to ride the low-set clip-ons without putting your body weight on your wrists. The Rain mode, honestly, is a big boon on the wets, especially with the committed ergos and sporty nature of the motorcycle. We tested this extensively, by riding over 40 kilometers in heavy downpours.
The vertical TFT instrumentation display comes from the 2021 motorcycle, with identical features. The new thing, however, is the internal storage that lets you store vehicle documents and more. The overall plastic quality feels neat and the switchgear feels pleasant to operate.
TVS Apache RR 310 BTO: The Down Sides
- Despite the sporty ergos, the RR310 BTO’s seat falls slightly behind in offering the grip that you deserve! The rider tends to slide forward and hit the tank every time she/he brakes!
- This motorcycle doesn’t get adjustable clutch/brake levers. This seems weird considering the fact that even smaller bikes such as the TVS Ronin have them on offer.
- The throttle response feels a bit too aggressive in the track mode, something not everyone would be ok with, when out on a race track. A slight remap could fix this easily, as the RR 310 features ride-by-wire tech.
Best Spec On TVS Apache RR 310 BTO: Our Choice
So what would our ideal Apache RR 310 BTO look like? How would we spec ours? Well, we would want our BTO to bear a shade of Black, and with Black wheels. On the most personal note, the Race livery is a bit too loud. We would also spec it with both the Dynamic kit and Race kit. Thanks but we would also refrain from having a race number on the visor! To us, this would be the best Apache RR 310 BTO spec!
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