[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by null

PS: I am inclining towards buying it. Only worry is the new model niggles which I dont want to have. Plus, folks at home don't want me to buy it during this month!

Isn't it better to wait for a while as a new launch will have a few issues.

Subsequent production units would be better and peaceful. Moreover Mahindra is new in the two wheeler segment with relation to ASC so it would better to wait for a while and then invest in the bike.

Just my two cents.

Cheers,
Anurag.

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by amit_purohit20

Unicorn has a more refined and fuel efficient engine than hunk and better seating ergonomics too, but poor plastics.

Well I agree its high time we move over TVS. TVS make very poor engines in terms of refinement and NVH especially the higher cc ones.

The Honda bikes are not famous for good plastics. Their switches seem to be of bad quality and fit/finish.

Excellent point on the NVH of TVS engines. They really need to work on the vibrations on all its bikes, however I've observed they're a company that doesn't listen to feedback so nobody can save them. Customers have been complaining about their engine harshness since the days of the Victor, yet, even today their Apache feels like you're sitting on a mixer-grinder.

Originally Posted by null

I am inclining towards buying it.

I second Amit. You'll be in a lot of trouble if the bike doesn't take off well with the public. You'll be left with a market dud with no resale value. Also, the reliability factor of Mahindra bikes is unknown yet.

[phamilyman]

IMNSHO - customize most regular sporty bike's seat a bit and you should eb good. you needn't sit straight. I found the likes of Pulsar 180 far better than any bullet or avenger or even an Activa or even driving an Alto during my slip disc episodes (and I've had 3 episodes!).

Please remember that on bikes that you sit straight (like the avenger) the shock impacts your lower back straight, unlike a pulsar where your thighs act as cushion. It is for this reason that I abandoned cars during the time I had back pain episodes - it only made things worse! RE's bikes are better, but the straighter you sit, the worse it gets.

Of course, everyone has their opinion - I find some opinion here well meaning but thoroughly dangerous.

That said - Test ride any bike and throw it into the meanest nastiest potholes you can find. And listen to your body and the messages it sends. It will tell you

[null]

Originally Posted by hellmet

I second Amit. You'll be in a lot of trouble if the bike doesn't take off well with the public. You'll be left with a market dud with no resale value. Also, the reliability factor of Mahindra bikes is unknown yet.

Yes. This is one of the main worries for a new player in the market & a new product. That is why I said I should probably wait for the initial niggles to settle in. Other main concern would be availability of spares (and its costs - if that speedometer breaks, I am not sure how much they will quote for it) as I am not bothered about resale.

Having said that, my gut feeling is that this bike will do well. I could find 2 issues - not so great braking capabilities & a bit clunky gearbox. If Mahindra can bring in disc brakes, an improved gearbox & with 5 gears (and a 150cc engine) at on road price of say around 60k (this is 52.5K), they have a killer product to compete with others.

[yatin]

Perfect thread revived at the perfect time for me!
|hellmet| I am in the exact same state as you :-) & am interested in what you end up deciding (I am a few inches taller, but have a similar 35-40km roundtrip everyday & have been thinking on & off about another bike - I love riding a motorbike).

I have a 10-year old LML Freedom that has done great over 69000 kms & still goes well, 9 years after it lost all manufacturer support. But an old suspension is getting on my mind & on my wife's nerves. And people at home are complaining about my image ;-) with a 10-year old bike (& a 4-year old Palio Stile 1.1). So I have been looking around some showrooms & lurking online in bike places. Good for me!

|amit_purohit20| 8-10 years ago, I would've agree with recommending a 100-110cc commuter bike. But things have changed.

Both the Victor & the Freedom are good-sized bikes & came with decent-sized firm seats. Also, build quality & feel were top-notch - my Freedom's switchgear is still very good & the engine does duty as well as it was doing around 30000 kms. They were priced 10% more than the 100cc bare-bone bikes (CD Dawn, etc.) & were worth their price.

Both of them were comfortable & seem to have stood the test of time. Can you expect that from any commuter 110cc bike today (maybe Centuro, from what I read on another thread)?

I still like my criteria for buying the Freedom (& |hellmet|'s criteria for the Victor). As somebody I know said, we spend the 3rd longest time of every day on/in our vehicles (after work & home). Comfort is very important & both these vehicles provided it.

I personally am not looking at commuter bikes for my next bike, mainly because of their pathetic seats & the insufficient stock tyres. I am a big fan of the flexibility afforded by 5 gears (in the city, you can get 1 more useful gear), but to be able to use it, you need a bigger & torque-ier engine than 110cc. Add a riding position that is good for the highway, and you have a bike that is friendly for the daily 2-hour roundtrip too.

I would love to have had the option of a cruiser bike in the 100K rupee, 200cc range, but that seems to be only Bajaj & I don't like the speed with which they themselves obsolete their products (& the products seem to be designed to stand up only till that obsolesence - my opinion, I know others see it differently). Enfield Bullets are too heavy, their looks are too "classic" & F.E isn't practical for long daily commutes.

Apart from the obvious choices, Unicorn & GS150R, 1 intriguing choice is the Karizma:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...rizma-zmr.html
The 100K-110K rupee price range & the 40kmpl F.E isn't all that bad, if the bike is all it is made out to be.

|hellmet| Did you think about the Glamour PGM-FI? 125cc fuel-injected, around 75K rupees.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by yatin

Enfield Bullets are too heavy, their looks are too "classic" & F.E isn't practical for long daily commutes.

Yatin,

I would suggest you to once do a TD of a RE Classic 500 or a RE Thunderbird 500 and you will love it. The bike looks heavy and is heavy while it is standstill but once on roll you'll hardly feel the weight and it glides for miles.

Seating position and riding comfort is good enough and won't be hurting your back. Regarding FE it would be giving you somewhere between 30-35 kmpl which is not bad for its bulk and engine capacity.

Originally Posted by yatin

Apart from the obvious choices, Unicorn & GS150R, 1 intriguing choice is the Karizma. The 100K-110K rupee price range & the 40kmpl F.E isn't all that bad, if the bike is all it is made out to be.

I own a Karizma R model and YES it is very good in spite being old (Old is Gold). It ticks all the boxes for a buyer who is ready to pay 90K. Let it be seating position, driving comfort, engine response it is smooth and cool and gets a smile on my even now when I get to ride it.

The ZMR would be slightly better in FE as its PGM-Fi as compared to the 'R' model.

Do an extensive TD of both these bikes (RE and Karizma) and zero down on it. We'll wait for the good news.


Cheers,
Anurag.

[fiestarry]

I think the best two wheeler in the below 1 lakh segment as far as riding comfort is concerned is the Avenger. It may take a few days to adjust to the new riding position after the regular trundlers but once set it is simply a class apart.
I would like to test ride the DSK offerings but they are so highly priced.
I wonder when the Avenger replacement will come?
A 350 cc, single cylinder, 28 bhp bike with one size larger wheels for about 1.3 lakhs. Is it too much to ask from this world?

[ashis89]

From being a sufferer of bad back to riding a P180, I can tell you that biking has never been a problem for me. I am 6ft,85 kgs and ride my bike with great comfort. I have commuted for 60+ kms daily(B'lore roads are not exactly good), 5 days a week and was still ready for a weekend spin(now it has drastically reduced as I am back to being a student and time is a scarcity). I have never had a back pain because of biking though my long hours at office desk left me with neck pain.

Coming to long distance touring, this bike is a boon. My earlier bikes including a P150 and a couple of Calibers left me exhausted after a 100-150 km ride. But with P180, I have done several B'lore-Mysore and back(350 kms). Once I went over the top and rode to Goa from B'lore in a single day(700 kms) and yet I never complained.

So from my experience, I feel the new-gen sports(so-called) bikes, with their hunched sitting posture give better support to the back and the gas-charged shocks play their part in keeping you relatively isolated from the road. Check out this bike too, it cost around 85K on-road. And TD every bike for a fair amount of distance to get the actual feel of it(even better, loan a friend's bike for a day for a better opinion) before taking the plunge.

[yatin]

I didn't consider Bajaj & TVS bikes, for different reasons. I also ignored top-choice Honda & also Suzuki, due to their attitude & service quality doubts.

I test-drove the Karizma R the moment I learnt it was only a couple kilos heavier than the 150cc Hero bikes. As |a4anurag| said, it puts a smile on your face! I dropped it due to half-peg gear shift, split seats not conducive to pillion rider & the bulk which most of these bikes keep the rider aware of.

My choice was the lightest, torquest 150cc I could go for - Yamaha SZ-RR!

It has very short gearing (40kmph at 3000rpm in 5th gear!) just like my Freedom, seems well-built & has a great seat. As |ashis89| said, a slightly leaning-forward position is actually more comfortable. But you should change posture at traffic stops to avoid stiffness. Its lighter weight & its weight distribution make it terrifically maneouvrable. The readily-available torque at low rpms, the roll-on figures for in-gear acceleration & the revvability of a Yamaha make up for lower expected f.e (40's is what I hear).


75k-odd on-road Bangalore makes it the least expensive option, at the cost of outright power & top-speed; switchgear isn't as complete as Apache/Pulsar/Karizma, but it feels good.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by yatin

My choice was the lightest, torquest 150cc I could go for - Yamaha SZ-RR!

Congrats on the purchase.

Have you put an ownership report? If no, please do so.

Anurag.

[mashmash]

Originally Posted by yatin

My choice was the lightest, torquest 150cc I could go for - Yamaha SZ-RR!

Congratulations. Not many are seen on the road. Do post some pictures along with your initial impressions.

MaSh

[greenhorn]

looking for a bike for my dad to upgrade from his crux. Was planning to buy an RX, as it had a really nice seat, but now dad needs something with a self starter as dad's getting old.
He wants a bit of an upgrade from the crux, and budget can be stretched to 1L, but getting something with an old couple friendly back seat is the challenge.

Priorities - Self Start (must have)
Low, flat and comfortable back seat ( the RX 100 seat is the benchmark)
Disc brakes (good to have)
Brands - Yamaha, Honda, Hero, Suzuki, maybe TVS (no bajaj, no bullet)
No scooters, no cars.

We have looked at a couple of cheaper honda & hero models, but they don't feel like an upgrade over the crux. the FZ was his first choice, but the back seat is not exactly mom friendly. So that's also out.

Other possibilities - Honda CB hornet/Unicorn - again back seat is a bit too high, but dad is a big fan of stopping power, and the rear discs are a big plus point for him

Option #2 - Take a Splendor classic pro and replace the seat with a full seat + foot rests etc (need to do some research on this), but this is still a fancy cd dawn, and not much of an upgrade over his crux

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

looking for a bike for my dad to upgrade from his crux

If power isn't important, some decent options that satisfy the self start and comfortable seat criteria are Honda Shine, TVS Star City, Star Sport and Victor. All of them except the Victor have been in the market for a while now, so hopefully all gremlins have been sorted out.

[The Great]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

looking for a bike for my dad to upgrade from his crux. Was planning to buy an RX, as it had a really nice seat, but now dad needs something with a self starter as dad's getting old.

You should seriously consider 125CC segment as you are looking for an upgrade without compromising on comfort and convenience. IMO the following bikes would suit the criteria as an upgrade (powerwise and also features wise these bikes qualify for best replacement of the rugged Crux)

• Honda Shine
• Yamaha Saluto
• TVS Phoenix
• Hero Super Splendor

Out of the above I really liked the Honda Shine and the TVS Phoenix. I would suggest you to take your parents for a test drive and let them decide the comfort factor while you can compare the features.

All the best !!

[driverabhi]

I think you should consider Avenger from Bajaj. It suits your practical needs. Although I am not sure why Bajaj is put off the list. Avenger has got self start, is low slung, has got amazing comfort on the seat, back rest for the pillion rider, disk brakes. I guess, it is fulfilling all the requirements here.