Coast to coast in Sri Lanka with the TVS Apaches

Day 1 – West coast to Central Sri Lanka

Colombo to Kandy

The starting point of this adventure was from a town called Wattala, situated right outside the country’s capital, Colombo. The bikes were ready for us. The idea was to change bikes once we reach half way from our destination and to do that for the next two days. I was lucky to get the Apache RTR 160 4V – my favourite Apache back in India. 

After much fanfare and some photos with Apache fans from Sri Lanka, we were off to our next destination, Meemure. Getting through the city wasn’t a big task, as the well maintained roads and good traffic sense made us very comfortable all too soon. Thanks to some fantastic roads, we ate up miles within no time. Meemure was within the reach.

A quick regroup was organised to brief us about the next 2 hours. That primarily involved 37kms of broken roads and the same way back. The attempt was made and after putting some arduous effort, we managed to reach the tiny Meemure village for lunch, during evening snacks time. But honestly, it was worth the effort. The view the Knuckles Mountain range had to offer was astounding. But we had leeches to give us company through the jungle ride. 

The return journey wasn’t that bad, as now we knew what to expect. The Apache RTR 160 4V didn’t break a sweat. The front forks were good. So was the engine. There was no engine stress, nor was there any rattling. I was in no mood to exchange this bike for the Apache 180. But rules are there to be followed. The ride to the hotel was a decent one, with some corners and good straights. But at that point, it began to rain, so reaching the hotel as early as possible became an immediate concern. So we gunned the throttle, and some of us reached the hotel in record time to dislodge the leeches from the boots.

Day 2 – Central Sri Lanka to East coast

Kandy to Trincomalee

The day started little early. I was given the key to the Apache RR 310 and as a result I had a big grin on my face throughout the duration. We left the hotel in haste, and there was a reason for it. Someone from the hotel told us that the road to Trincomalee, which, was our destination for the day, was going to blow our minds.

For obvious reasons, I was curious. So after visiting the famous Kandy temple and Sigiriya (which is a heritage site), we headed towards the east coast of Sri Lanka. But it was time for me to handover the RR 310 and take the RTR 200 4V instead. 

Around 15 minutes later, we found the treasure – long and uninterrupted straight road. To gain perspective on how straight this road was, picture this - I went full throttle on the Apache RTR 200 4V for about 15 continuous minutes. That’s right. The occasional small turn, and the exercise continued. Here, I was impressed by the Apache 200's performance. Great power delivery. Minimal vibes. And the ability to bring the bike to halt was confidence-inspiring. Two hours later, we reached the beach city of Trincomalee and checked in to a hotel that offered a breath-taking view. 

Day 3 – Coast to Coast – Full throttle

Like the word in the title suggests, third day we were going full throttle most of the time as we had to cover close to 300kms in a single day. Honestly, I wasn’t really looking forward to this day, as I had already ridden the best of the best TVS bikes. The only two that remained were the RTR 150 and the RTR 160. 

This route had some straights, some really tight corners, and some really bad traffic. In fact, it felt like India, minus the senseless riding and driving habits. The road to Anuradhapura was smooth and lovely. There was an urge to coax the Apache RTR 200 4V rider into relinquishing his saddle to me, but I was too nice to do that. From Chilaw, the traffic increased and we had to follow the cars if we wanted to reach the hotel without getting a speeding ticket. After two hours of riding and some warnings from the cops, we reached the hotel safely. It was now time to take a dip in the pool, till our luggage bus reached the hotel. 

Day 4 – Track day

The Sri Lankan adventure can’t end without some time at the race track - a place where the Apaches were developed and tested intensively. While the Kanway Autodrome in Mirigama isn’t as challenging as the ones we have in India, it does the job of putting a big smile on the face.

Each one of us rode all the Apaches on this 1.5 kms track turn by turn. Some went fast around the corners. Some were seen riding on one wheel. A few of us were scraping the foot-pegs and exhaust on the Apache RTR 200 4V. After all, this bike is known for its agility and performance. With the Apache RR 310, it was a fun ride on this uncomplicated track. The power delivery, brakes and the ease of going through the corners makes it an addictive motorcycle. I just wish we had some more time at the Autodrome, because on a race track, even a full day with the Apaches feels less. 

The bikes

The brand Apache hasn’t just changed the game for TVS, but also for its dealers and most importantly, its customers. Be it the Apache 160 or the Apache 180, these bikes had a good fan following due to its race DNA and features. The Apache 180 was the first bike in its class to get a dual-channel ABS. From there, things have just gone upwards for TVS. Whether it be its flagship bike, Apache RR 310 or the 160 4V, TVS has managed to offer the right product at the right price. But it was the Apache 200 4V that was the first new premium product to come out of TVS, after it ventured out with BMW for a technical and manufacturing alliance. Even though the alliance was for the 310cc platform, the smaller Apaches have benefitted from superior engineering and quality.