KTM RC390, 390 Duke outsell TVS Apache RR 310 but here’s why KTM should be worried

TVS Motor Company launched its flagship motorcycle Apache RR 310 in India in December last year. The bike made its arrival holding a price tag of Rs 2.05 lakh (ex-showroom). With the launch of TVS Apache RR 310, the company aimed at selling 10,000 units of the motorcycle annually and the target did not seem over-enthusiastic or impossible. The latest data by SIAM reveals that TVS managed to sell 242 units of the motorcycle in the month of January 2018. This looks quite low compared to TVS' target that had set at the time of launch. On the other hand, KTM sold 1,041 units of the 390 twins in India. The individual numbers for KTM RC 390 are not available as the report shows the combined figures for the 390 Duke and RC 390. However, keeping in mind the fact that the 390 Duke is a better selling product than the RC 390, the major chunk of that sales figure is devoted to the KTM naked streetfighter. Having said that, the difference between the sales figures of TVS Apache RR 310 and KTM RC 390 is not very high and hence, it cannot be completely judged at the moment that the TVS flagship is on its knees in front of the KTM RC when it comes to finding new homes.

The new TVS Apache RR 310 is currently limited for sale through only 51 dealers in the country. Having said that, the bike is not available for sale in the country generously. The company will expand the availability of the Apache RR 310 to more cities in the time to come and that will surely bring a boost to its sales numbers. Once the TVS Apache RR 310 has its availability to more cities in India, it will be interesting to see only then if it challenges the RC 390 head to head or not.

All said, KTM might need to keep a check on the sales of TVS Apache RR 310. The reason being, even with a limited dealer network, the TVS flagship is doing quite decent and its sales difference with KTM is not that high. Add to that the lesser price tag and the more practical nature of Apache, the motorcycle can be at par with the KTM in sales or even beat it in the months to come.

The TVS Apache RR 310 sources its power from a 312cc, liquid-cooled engine mated to a six-speed gearbox. The engine is good for producing 34 hp of power and 27 Nm of torque. Prime highlights of the new TVS Apache RR 310 include dual LED projector headlamps, dual disc brakes with an ABS, fully digital instrument cluster and a lot more.