It had always surprised me why a brand like TVS Motor Company that prides itself on its racing heritage, including that of a glorious history of off-road racing, doesn’t have an adventure motorcycle. That changed at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Expo when a few people got to see the brand’s first ADV in the flesh. And now, after nine months, I finally got to experience the new RTX 300. Oh, and if you were expecting this to be a hardcore off-roading machine like the ones TVS Racing has been using, you are mistaken. But does that make it a bad motorcycle? Absolutely not.
This one leans more towards refinement than excitement. Sure, you can wring some thrill out of the 299.1cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled motor, but it takes effort — I had to keep the engine singing near its redline. Otherwise, it’s an easy-going, amateur-friendly unit that’s happy to potter along. Despite producing a respectable 35.5 bhp and 2.9 kgm, the RTX doesn’t feel particularly quick, thanks mostly to its 180-kg kerb weight. It’s no rocket, but it’s far from lazy.
The real magic, however, lies in the suspension. This is TVS’s first motorcycle to use WP components, and for good reason. The company wanted conical progressive springs to achieve that tricky balance between comfort and control to make it supple on broken roads, firm in corners. And it works exactly as intended. The BTO model I rode came with adjustable suspension, and whether on smooth tarmac or gravelly trails, it never felt out of depth. Of course, hardcore off-roading will quickly reveal the limits of its 180 mm travel, but within reason, it’s as forgiving as a good riding instructor.
The Eurogrip tyres deserve a mention, too. They hold on brilliantly on the road, though the 110-section front and 150-section rear make steering feel a touch heavy. Not troublesome, but noticeable. The brakes continue this theme of approachability, having solid stopping power, though the bite and feedback are tuned more for friendliness than ferocity.
Ergonomically, the RTX nails it. The seat is wide and comfortable yet narrow enough to let me flat-foot the bike, though at 835 mm, shorter riders may find it a stretch. The tall windscreen does its job well, offering proper wind protection without any buffeting. And even when straddling, the riding posture felt almost natural.
And as we’ve come to expect from TVS, the feature list is long enough to fill a spec sheet. There are four riding modes: Rally, Tour, Urban, and Rain, plus traction control and ABS. There’s also Google Maps mirroring on the 5-inch TFT display, though the phone screen needs to stay on for it to work — a small but mildly annoying compromise.
Visually, the RTX 300 commands attention. The dual LED headlamps lend it a menacing face, while the sculpted 12.5-litre tank and white trellis frame adds to the visual appeal. In fact, it looks much bigger than what I’d expected for a 300cc bike to look. The overall finish feels premium, with tight panel gaps and no untoward rattles. It looks every bit the baby ADV TVS promised.
But here’s the twist: the TVS Apache RTX 300 isn’t as extreme as its name suggests. It’s not intimidating or aggressive — and that’s exactly its charm. TVS didn’t set out to build a rally weapon; it built a friendly, approachable tourer that’s happy doing a bit of everything. At ₹1.99 lakh (ex-showroom), it’s a bike that can take you to work on Monday, out of town on Saturday, and maybe a little off the map on Sunday.
