Manish7
Really shocking to hear the kind of treatment you got from the Honda dealer in Pune. It's Honda man. They at least have to live up to the expectations people have of the brand. Really shocking.
Unfortunately since you're in Pune I am unable to help. If it was Chennai, I could have helped since some of my friends have contacts who can put some pressure and get things done. Sorry about that.
I am pretty happy with the service I got from Bajaj Probiking when I picked up my Avenger 200 in March 2008. The bike was delivered as promised and I didn't have to go back to them to collect anything later. The delivery note, insurance cover note, inspection docs, bike manual, battery warranty etc were all available as a set for me to take rightaway. I would say they were more professional than the Honda or Hero Honda guys.
Hero Honda people are also full of head weight. They expected me to plonk down 80k for the Karizma without even having a test ride. At least they can't expect this from a person who has never ridden the bike before. This attitude problem itself put me away 50% from the Karizma thought.
I went through your post on xbhp.com with all the things you considered while deciding on the Unicorn. Well, so far, I love the Avy 200. I mean you can't really compare the Avy and the Unicorn since their engine capacities are different, prices are totally different and the bike types are totally different too. 150cc vs 200cc - no comparison. Cruiser vs commuter bike - no comparison. 60k vs 70k - 10k is a big difference in price.
The Avy 200 is definitely a big, long bike and can't be handled like a CBZ or Unicorn etc. Just like how different it is to drive a Santro and a Verna. However I must say that the Avy 200 has been a fantastic bike so far. Very comfortable to sit and ride as it is, while I am planning to get my seats done up at an upholstery shop for around 800 bucks. The road grip / stability at high speeds is astounding.
Yes it's not a great bike for the city, but it's still a good one. On Chennai roads it is not that bad. I have been to Pune in 2005 and I know the kind of traffic there. Plus, I wanted a totally different category of bike this time and a more powerful one as well. Hence everything pointed towards the Avenger 200.
Oh well ... there goes my story behind my decision to get the Avy 200.
My friend has a Unicorn which has done about 8000 kms and I started the engine the other day and was blown away by the refinement and smoothness of the engine. It was so quiet when idling. Honda is Honda any day and I do agree with that. Well ... if only Honda made a nice cruiser of 300cc - that would probably be my next bike !!
