RUNNING-IN INFORMATION
Running-in Recommendations
Running-in is essential to preserve engine life and performance over time. Twisty roads and gradients are ideal to run
in the engine, brakes and suspension effectively. The first 1000 km is a running-in period for your motorcycle.
Maximum engine speed during running-in 0 to 1000 km - below 7000 rpm.
During the first 1000 km, avoid the full throttle starts and rapid acceleration, which could expose the engine parts to
excessive stress. It is advisable to run the engine at varying load and rpm, though still within recommended rpm limit.
Avoid riding at constant engine rpm for prolonged periods.
During initial running, use brakes gently. Do not brake hard or keep brake applied for too long to enable a correct
break-in of brake pad friction material against the brake discs. To allow all the mechanical parts of motorcycle to adapt
each another, and to avoid reduction of engine components life, it is advisable to avoid sudden acceleration and
running the engine at high rpm for too long, especially uphill.
Check the drive chain frequently and if required adjust it. Also ensure that the chain is lubricated as required to
increase its service life.
Caution
On completion of running-in period, scheduled maintenance service should be observed carefully without fail. Failure to
comply with this will result in damage to the engine parts and other key parts of the vehicle or shorter engine life. Keeping to
the running-in recommendations will ensures longer engine life and reduce the need for overhauls and re-tuning.
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SAFE RIDING TIPS
Safe Riding Recommendations Both the rider and the pillion should always wear an
The following points are applicable for every day ISI approved, comfortable and good quality safety
usage of your motorcycle and should be observed helmet before riding the vehicle. Because, one of the
carefully for safe riding of your motorcycle. most serious injury that can happen is an head injury.
Riding skills and your mechanical knowledge forms You should also have a good quality goggles to
the foundation of safe riding practices. We suggest protect your eyes and help your vision.
you to practice riding your TVS Apache RTX in a Avoid wearing loose clothes or accessories that
low-traffic condition until you are thoroughly familiar could become tangled in the controls or limit your
with your motorcycle and its controls. field of vision.
Most of the accidents are the result of inexperience Riding at proper speed and avoiding sudden
of rider. You must have a valid license that enables acceleration are not only important for safety and low
you to ride a motorcycle of this kind. Always make fuel consumption. It is also important for longer life of
sure you are carrying your driving license with you. vehicle and smoother operation.
Avoid lending your motorcycle to the persons who Avoid use of mobile phones while riding as it could
are inexperienced and not holding a valid driving lead to fatal accident.
license. To prevent or minimise accident, never consume
A motorcycle is not designed to provide impact alcohol or drugs before or during the operation of
protection, so defensive riding in addition to wearing your vehicle. Even minimal consumption of these will
of protective apparel is very important. affect the rider’s ability to control the vehicle.
Please do not let the protective apparels give you a Ride within the law and observe national and local
false sense of security. rules. Always respect speed limits. However, adjust
your speed according to the visibility, road and traffic
conditions.
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Be sure about your visibility and do not ride with the On the wet roads, rely more on the throttle to control
blind spot of vehicles or obstruction ahead you. vehicle speed and less on the front and rear brakes.
Take additional care at road junctions, exits of private Use the throttle judiciously to avoid skidding the rear
land, car parks and on the service roads to highways. wheel from too rapid acceleration or deceleration.
Before changing the lanes or take a turn, look over On the rough roads, exercise caution, slow down and
your shoulder and make sure that your way is clear. grip the fuel tank with your knees for better stability.
Do not completely rely on the rear view mirrors; you To get quick acceleration during overtakes, shift to a
may misjudge a vehicle’s distance and speed, or you lower gear to obtain the necessary power.
may not see is at all. Do not downshift the gear abruptly at high rpm to
Always use turn signal lamps when you intend to avoid damage to the engine due to overreving.
change lanes or take a turn. Be sure to switch it off Avoid unnecessary weaving for the safety of both the
after changing the lane or negotiating the corner. rider and other motorists.
The rider should keep his/her foot on the footrests While riding on uphill, shift to a lower gears so
while riding the motorcycle. that there is plenty of power to spare rather than
Always hold the handlebars firmly with both hands in overloading the engine.
order to be ready for sudden changes of direction or Do not downshift the gears in the midst of cornering.
in the road surface. Slow down to a safe speed before negotiating a
Under no circumstances should both the hands be corner.
removed from the handle bar, as it is very dangerous. Hold the vehicle upright as you apply the brake.
While riding in wet conditions, on loose gravels, the Progressive application of brake is safer. Never
ability to maneuver the vehicle will be reduced. Ride depress the clutch lever while braking at higher
smoothly on this conditions. Sudden acceleration, speeds.
braking or turning may cause loss of control.
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Riding down hills, while cornering, close throttle and The exhaust system becomes hot after a run even if
down shift the gear to take advantage of gear box and the engine is turned ‘OFF’. Care should be taken not
engine which acts as additional brake. This will avoid to touch the exhaust system with any part of your
loss of control over the vehicle due to over speed. body. Park the vehicle in a place where pedestrians
Do not ride the vehicle with two hands off from the or children are not likely to touch the vehicle. Do not
handlebar considering the safety of the rider and the park the motorcycle near inflammable material like
vehicle. wood, dry leaves etc.
As the vehicle speed increases, the stopping
distance also increases. Progressive application of Warning
brake is safer. Do not ride the motorcycle with helmets attached to the
Fuel (petrol) is extremely flammable and is explosive hook; the helmets could cause an accident by distracting
under certain conditions. Refuel in a well ventilated the rider or interfering with normal vehicle operation.
area with engine stopped and ignition key turned off.
Do not smoke or use cell phones or allow open
flame or sparks when re-fueling or servicing the fuel
Caution
system. Do not place any combustible material like cloth,
While re-fueling, there may be a chance of fuel drops paper, vinyl bag etc. near the engine area.
getting spilled on your skin or cloths. Wash your skin
with soap or change your cloths immediately if you
come in contact with the fuel.
Always take out the key when you leave your
motorcycle unattended.
Do not park the vehicle on a uneven surface or a
slope or a soft ground or else the vehicle may fall.
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Additional Safety Parameters • Please avoid using non-OEM accessories or
• Please ensure that no cloth or flammable carrying out any tampering/modifications in the
material is kept near the engine or exhaust area, wiring harness, fuse box, or electrical circuits.
as these components become extremely hot Such alterations may compromise the vehicle’s
during operation. Any such contact may lead to a electrical integrity, potentially leading to a thermal
potential thermal incident, causing damage to the incident, short circuit, or damage to critical
vehicle and posing a safety risk. electrical components.
• Please avoid using tie ropes/cords on the • Please avoid covering the motorcycle immediately
motorcycle while carrying luggage. These ropes after use. When the vehicle is still hot, especially
may come in contact with the exhaust or other around the engine and exhaust areas, placing a
hot components, which can result in melting, cover over it can trap heat and may result in a
burning, or a potential thermal incident. potential thermal incident or damage to the cover
and nearby components. Allow the vehicle to
cool down completely before putting on the cover
to ensure safety and prevent any heat-related
issues.
Note
A caution sticker is pasted near the rear brake fluid
reservoir, displaying all the necessary safety information.
Please read it carefully and follow the instructions to
prevent any potential hazards (ref. Fig. 01).
Fig. 01
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ACCESSORY INSTALLATION TIPS
Use only TVS Motor Company Limited approved Additional electrical equipments and controls should
accessories. not exceed the specified electrical system load of the
Take extreme caution while selecting and installing vehicle (capacity of battery and magneto).
the accessories for your motorcycle. Do not change / add any lighting loads. Use only
The addition of unsuitable accessories can lead to accessories listed by TVS Motor Company Limited.
unsafe operating conditions. Your friendly dealer
will assist you in selecting quality accessories and Caution
installing them correctly.
Care should taken not to damage the wiring harness of
While selecting the accessories, make sure the the vehicle to fit additional electrical accessories; which
accessories should not obstruct lighting, steering, in-turn affects the ‘CAN bus’ system of the vehicle.
suspension and ground clearance.
Caution
This motorcycle was not intended to be equipped with a
sidecar or to be used to tow any trailer or other vehicle.
TVS Motor Company Limited does not produce any of
those things and not sure about the effects of those
accessories on handling or stability. But we can warn
that the effects will be adverse and any damage caused
to motorcycle and its components by the use of such
accessories will not be covered under warranty.
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KNOW YOUR MOTORCYCLE
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your motorcycle is fitted with an Anti-lock braking system (ABS) which is designed to prevent skidding and help riders
to maintain steering control during emergency-stopping situation in dry or wet roads, loose gravels etc.
How does ABS work?
When a rider applies the brakes continuously as he detects a dangerous obstacle in dry or wet roads, loose gravels
etc. thus transmitting excessive brake force to the wheel. This excessive force may cause the wheel to stop spinning
and leads to loss of grip. With no firm contact between the tire’s contact patch and the road surface, the bike
becomes unstable and a crash is imminent.
The slipping wheels on a riding surface results in losing control of whole motorcycle which usually occurs in fraction
of a second. Restoring traction while keeping the bike balanced is only a result of luck, or extreme training, as is
the case of professional stunt riders who drift. Preventing the wheels from slipping due to excessive braking force
compensates losing control and help the rider to maneuver the vehicle and to avoid accidents.
So what the ABS does is actually limiting the braking force exerted by the rider by regulating the brake pressure
and keep the wheel spinning. Once the imminence of the locking (and therefore skidding) is avoided, the system
re-applies the maximum braking force until the next skid is anticipated. By limiting the max force of the braking
maneuver, the ABS systems practically allow riders to use the greatest stopping force possible without locking the
wheels.
How does the ABS understands the wheel locking?
The ABS uses continuous wheel speed monitoring system; wheel speed sensors and toner rings (pulsar rings) and a
Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU).
During normal operation the ABS works similar to a normal brake, but functions only when the wheel tends to lock
up. The speed sensors fitted on both the wheels measures the rotational speed of the wheel, when the wheel speed
reduces rapidly i.e. wheel tends to lock, the HECU modulates the pressure in the brake circuit and thereby prevents
the wheel from locking.
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How the irregular road surface affects the braking? It is not necessary to have this pulsation feel every
Humps and irregular surfaces of the road can cause time the brake is applied. Pulsations are felt only
the wheels to lose contact temporarily with the road during wheel locking tendency, occurs due to the
surface; if this happens the braking force that can be modulation of pressure in the brake circuit by HECU.
transmitted to road surface is zero. Pulsation means that the vehicle is in limit. This
If the brakes are applied under these condition, the pulsation feel also depends on the road condition.
ABS has to reduce the braking force to ensure and Rear wheel lift
maintain the directional stability when the wheels Under very severe and sudden deceleration,
regains its contact with the road surface. At this however, under certain circumstances it is possible
instant the ABS must reduce the traction, so that the that the ABS unit fitted in your vehicle will be unable
wheels will continue to rotate under all imaginable to prevent the rear wheel from lifting clear of the
circumstances, because this is the precondition for ground and flip over.
ensuring directional stability. As soon as the actual Severe braking can cause the rear wheel to lift off
circumstances arises, the system reacts instantly the ground. When you brake, bear in mind that ABS
and adjusts braking force accordingly to achieve control cannot always be relied on to prevent the rear
optimum braking. wheel from lifting clear of the ground.
Why does brake pedal / lever pulsate during brake
application? Warning
Vehicles fitted with ABS uses the conventional brake
The ABS can apply and release the pressure in the brake
system during normal operation. But during hard stop
circuit much faster than that rider can do with brake pedal
the brake pedal / lever feels different, i.e., a rapid / lever to avoid wheel locking, so there is no need to
pulsation in the brake pedal / lever; This is absolutely pump the brake, it requires only continuous application.
normal.
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EMS a Glance Furthermore, an ECU comprises of a computer which
Engine Management System (EMS) of your uses a microprocessor to process the inputs from
motorcycle is a self manipulative system that checks various engine sensors in real-time.
and regulates the proper functioning of all the Based on the data input, the ECU precisely calculates
operations carried out by the engine. and delivers the ideal air-fuel mixture. It also regulates
The EMS checks all the factors related to engine the idle speed of the engine and controls the correct
operations, i.e. speed of the engine, load, delivery of both fuel and spark to the vehicle under
temperature, fuel consumption, etc. There are two various driving conditions.
major function performed by the EMS, they are:- Optimum functioning of the EMS assures maximum
• Provide a spark at the right time engine power, with lowest amount of exhaust
• To meter fuel to the engine in the right quantity. emissions and the lowest fuel consumption. The
EMS is also responsible for the smooth and efficient
The EMS is comprised of several sensors and signals
running of the motorcycle.
required for injection and ignition spark occurrence,
and a sensor for information about the oxygen content
in the exhaust and monitoring health of catalyst.
The Engine Control Unit or Electronic Control Unit
(ECU) is a central part of the EMS, which is virtually
the ‘Brain’ of an engine. It plays an important role of
collecting, processing, analyzing and executing the
data it receives from various sub-systems (sensors).
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Emission Control Factors that may affect motorcycle emission
Source of Emissions If the following symptoms are noticed in your
The combustion process of an engine produces motorcycle, have the vehicle inspected by TVS Motor
carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Control of Company Authorised Main Dealers.
hydrocarbons is very important because under • Abnormal jerk
certain conditions, they react to form photochemical • Difficult to start or engine gets off after starting.
smog when subjected to sunlight. Improper idling
Carbon monoxide does not react in the same way, • Misfiring or backfiring during acceleration
but is toxic. TVS Motor Company Limited used • After-burning (back firing)
various components to reduce carbon monoxide and
• Poor driveability and poor fuel economy.
hydrocarbons.
• Noise due to sudden escape of gas during
Exhaust emission control system
opening of fuel tank cap.
All the TVS motorcycles are tested in the factory
Crankcase emission control system
for optimum fuel efficiency and lowest possible CO
The engine of TVS Apache RTX is equipped with a
levels.
closed crankcase ventilation system to prevent
While adequate care is exercised at the factory
discharging crankcase emissions into the atmosphere.
to ensure that the emissions are within the limits,
Blow-by gas is returned to the combustion chamber
it is essential for the owner to always maintain the
through the air cleaner and the throttle body.
motorcycle in good condition by getting it periodically
Evaporative Emission Control System
checked and serviced by TVS Motor Company
Authorised Main Dealer so that the emission and fuel The TVS Apache RTX is equipped with an evaporative
consumption levels are maintained as per norms. emission control system which consists of a canister
and associated piping. This system prevents the
escape of fuel vapors from the throttle body and fuel
tank.
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