Throwback To The TVS Apache RTR 200 Fi E100: The Flex Fuel-Ready Indian Motorcycle
Flex-fuel vehicles can either run entirely on ethanol or a blend of petrol and ethanol
Flex-fuel vehicles can either run entirely on ethanol or a blend of petrol and ethanol
Skyrocketing fuel prices have put buyers in a predicament. One could switch to greener means of transportation, i.e. electric vehicles, or use cheaper flex fuels to power conventional two-wheelers. The only problem is, the latter isn’t readily available at the moment. But Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, says that could change rather quickly.
The government is currently pushing manufacturers to start producing engines that could run on flex fuel. Simply put, a flex-fuel vehicle could either run entirely on ethanol or a mix of petrol and ethanol. The calorie value concentration is lower in the latter, requiring a higher quantity to be burned for optimum combustion. Here’s the difference between ethanol and petrol-powered two-wheelers.
According to Gadkari, the country produces surplus rice and wheat, which could be used to produce ethanol. It can also be extracted now from corn and food grains. The National Policy on Biofuels, approved in 2018, aims at blending 10 percent ethanol in petrol by 2022 and 20 percent by 2025. At present, about 8.5 percent of ethanol is mixed with petrol.
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Ethanol currently retails at about Rs 62-63 per litre as opposed to petrol, which costs an eye-watering Rs 104.90 as of today. In fact, the ethanol-powered bike produces 50 percent less benzene and butadiene along with reduced nitrogen, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide emissions.
So, it clearly has its benefits apart from being cheaper. Interestingly, TVS had anticipated this shift back in 2019 and introduced India’s first ethanol-powered motorcycle, the Apache RTR 200 Fi E100. It’s essentially a regular RTR tuned to run ethanol or a mix of ethanol. Therefore, there’s no loss in terms of performance, so to speak. You can read more about the bike here.
We also have detailed images of the Apache RTR 200 Fi E100, which will give you a clear idea of how different the bike is compared to the ICE-powered variant.
The move may be appreciated by all, especially considering the ever-increasing fuel prices. However, the same cannot be said about two-wheeler manufacturers. Companies have already invested huge amounts while transitioning from BS4 to BS6 fuels. To switch technology again would be quite difficult. Not to mention, this would indirectly affect the prices of all two-wheelers as well.
TVS Apache RTR 200 Fi E100 User Reviews
- Awesome Bike with great Features
I bought this bike for its look and its 200 CC engine. I was a bit nervous before its purchase because it was very new in the market at that time, and I wasn't able to get many reviews to conclude whether I should go for it or not. But now after using it for about two years, I can say that my decision was absolutely correct. In terms of style, looks, and performance this bike is just awesome. Also, having an ethanol engine in it makes it quite eco-friendly as well, one thing that I find different in ethanol engines is that it has more life than other engines.
5 6 - Best in performance.
I have been using this bike for more than 6 months and still, I didn’t find any technical issue in it. The engine works fine and the brakes also responses perfectly, and mileage is also as I have expected. But the only problem that I have been suffering from the start is that the ethanol provider pumps are very tough to find.
1 1 - Best bike
It doesn't actually feel like a sports bike. Sometimes while driving this bike at high speed, the engine starts vibrating. Technically, this shouldn’t happen to a sports bike. Apart from this issue, ethanol is also not available everywhere. So you have to be careful about traveling long-distance with this bike. The good thing about being ethanol powered bike is that ethanol is very eco-friendly and it costs almost half of petrol.
1 - Eco-Friendly bike
I like this bike very much mostly because unlike others it uses ethanol as a fuel which is less polluting than petrol. It delivers a mileage of almost 22 kmpl — 23 kmpl which is very good because the ethanol price is just ₹39 – ₹50 only. Almost half of the petrol price.
3 1 - Fantastic Sports Bike.
I liked this bike, except that it doesn’t deliver good mileage, I have been getting mileage of 35kmpl - 40kmpl. Handling, pick-up, and braking are just perfect and flawless. I am just okay with its design.