bike for weekend rides EDIT - Bought a Karizma

[kkr2k2]

As the title says, I am looking for a bike for the weekend rides. I am looking for a used bike, so that I pay less.

Here are the criterion:

1. Budget = 15K (+5k for any repairs/accessories)

2. The regulars from the hyderabad xbhp ride R15s, ZMAs, P200s, RTRs. My bike(Suzuki Zeus) cannot keep up with these bikes which normally do around 80kmph to 100kmph and occasionally 120kmph. So to keep up with these the intended bike should have good top speed and decent pick-up.

3. For the budget, initially I was thing of a RX135 with 5-speed. But now I am more inclined towards Yezdi RoadKing(may be '95 or '96 make).

4. Expected FE figures 30 to 35kmpl.

5. Reliable and easy availability of spares.


I think of the both the yezdi fits the bill. But I need the opinion of the guys who ride the Yezdi. Can the bike run at good speeds. The weekend rides which I would like to are 300 to 450 km up and down in a single day and with breaks, the total time is around 8 hours.

Now with the Yezdi Roadking there are some issues:

1. The breaks, I heard they are pathetic. Can anything be done in this area. how about putting in a disk break or may be a brake kit from the jawa 350.

2. The lights, can these be upgraded as well??

3. My height is 6' 2", so I dont think I need to change the seating position or the handle. But I would like to know if I change the handle to reduce the CG, will it effect the handling(I would be able to decrease the coefficient of drag by reducing the CG).

4. Since the bike is no longer in production, will I have to stock the spares? I would like to use this bike as weekend bike for the next two years.

Also the following mods I would like to do:

1. Aerodynamics, make a front half fairing to cover the headlight and the dials, something like the cafe racer:

ok may not be that high funda, i dont mind something which is basic and simple and more importantly functional for me function preceded form.

2. Weight Reduction, while keeping the cafe racer theme in mind, I would also like to reduce the weight. Not much of elaborate mods just to reduce the weight. If I can get suitable replacement for the headlight and dials with lower weight. I would also look into that.

3. Top Speed, I read somewhere changing the stock 16" wheels to 18" wheels, the top speed is increased to 135kmph with suitable sprocketing. BTW, what would be the effect on the engine and FE with such mods.

I dont want to mess with the internals other than the sprocket(provided thats safe)
Any other things should I look into?? or shall I reconsider RX135 or any other bike??

Thats it for now, If I come up with more doubts, I shall post them here.

[akshay4587]

I wouldnot recommend a yezdi or say a RX 135 even(in case you wanna mod it,thats a diff story)that if you need a bike that can do 3 digit speeds on rides constantly.
Keeping in mind your budget,I can only see that a Classic Pulsar 180 would fit in.
Try to find one.
Why not sell your zeus and get a bike with higher cubic capacity?

[kkr2k2]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

.....
Keeping in mind your budget,I can only see that a Classic Pulsar 180 would fit in.
Try to find one.
Why not sell your zeus and get a bike with higher cubic capacity?

hmmm... classic pulsar 180. Yeah! I can give it a thought. Would I be able to get one in my budget??? Also in what condition that would be. Do I have to repair it(rather restore it), knowing that the bajaj bikes are not that great in terms of quality(esp. the engine)

My zeus is going to be a daily commuter. Also I loose lot of money if I sell my zeus. It has a very low resale value.

raj.

[bmw_m5_titus]

Raj, what Akshay said is the best suggestion. The Pulsar 180 or maybe a used CBZ/ fiero will be the best option for you with the tight budget you are on. Though component quality and consistent performance is not the strength of a pulsar, it comes standard with disk brakes( there are no non disk brake versions) and you can always upgrade to avenger coil later on to get a better headlight and yes you can do constant 80kmph without issues!

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

hmmm... classic pulsar 180. Yeah! I can give it a thought. Would I be able to get one in my budget??? Also in what condition that would be. Do I have to repair it(rather restore it), knowing that the bajaj bikes are not that great in terms of quality(esp. the engine)

My zeus is going to be a daily commuter. Also I loose lot of money if I sell my zeus. It has a very low resale value.

raj.

you might be able to find one in running condition
add around 7-8K to make it running in top notch condition with all new engine parts.
A classic pulsars engine can be rebuilt in ~5k.

[YamahaBoy]

Raj, I would also Suggest to forget the idea of yezdi unless you are a die hard fan of Yezdi, Jawa series & go for classic pulsar or cbz. Considering your 6'2 Ht these two would be more suitable than a Fiero also. You should be able to lay your hands on a decent pulsar within 20K & maybe 6K for repairs depending on the condition. You would easily get a FE of Min 40+ & Top Speed of Min 100 - 110.

Cheers!!!!

[TuffRyder]

I would say go for a RK. This perfectly fits your budget. Get the CDI model and yes change the wheels to bigger ones.

If you maintain ur brakes well, then the stock ones are good enough. Remember these are the same bikes that were used in a lot of hill climbs and I have seen them use the stock brakes. If you can fit in a Y350's brake in your budjet, then nothing like it, but I really doubt that would be possible. Another option is for you to get Fury's front end and wheels. I've seen these kits go for around 3 to 4k in Chennai including the disk brakes.

As for lights, these shouldn't be a problem. Any good mech who is good with his electricals can do this for you. Add in a battery, a good charging system, and some good bulbs and you are set.

For your height the RK stock has the best seating position. Trust me with the bigger wheels, the right tyres, and stock handlebars, this is the most comfortable bike for long rides. I owned one of the first pulsars in Bangalore. I did close to 1000 km ride in south india in 2 days with this pulsar and damn the riding position just kills you and the seat is just not comfortable for long rides, plus if u have a pillion they are uncomfortable too.

As for the spares, the RK spares though are getting tougher by the day are not impossible to get. If you work on your engine and get it overhauled, it will easily last you at least for 50,000 km. You will need to just stock up the usual wear and tear parts like clutch plates, cables, brakes pads, etc. Compare these spares to that of pulsar, any day they are cheaper.

About FE, with Pacco carbs, they return a very descent figure of between 30 to 35 kmpl.

As for the modifications, I really wouldn't suggest anything other than changing the wheels and sproketing but then that is a personal choice. You could do that after a few long rides. You will be the best judge.

All the other bikes the others suggested also have their own positives, I just wanted to elaborate on the RK since nobody did that.

Cheers. All the best.

[kkr2k2]

Adding more confusion err... options:

1. Shaolin
2. Shogun

The requirements as listed in the first post.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

Adding more confusion err... options:

1. Shaolin
2. Shogun

The requirements as listed in the first post.

No need to be confused.
remove them from your list
these bikes went out of production 9+ years ago.
I recently sold my mint condition shogun with disc brakes for 18K
finding spares is an issue so stay away.

[kkr2k2]

Though pulsar appears to be a good option, I am unable to convince myself to buy a bajaj bike that too a pulsie.

If all other options fail, I may consider the pee180(no offence meant to any pulsar owners)

Akshay, thanks buddy for continuing your help everywhere.

[phamilyman]

Nope not the p180. Its good, but BAL mechs are incompetent, and too much hassles with the 20w50. else the classic is quite a decent bike - its a kawa after all

[bmw_m5_titus]

What about getting a used ol' fiero and getting it done by Mr. Venugopal in bangalore. It will be in your budget and you will have a hoot riding it. then it will be the zma guys in your group who will have to do the catching up!

[pulsar56]

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

Though pulsar appears to be a good option, I am unable to convince myself to buy a bajaj bike that too a pulsie.

If all other options fail, I may consider the pee180(no offence meant to any pulsar owners)

Krrrkrrkrrr2k2, (I know your Hyd-T-BHP nickname!)
No offense taken. (i own a 150 )
BTW, I have seen lots of second hand bikes being sold at Ram Koti (Ramkote in local slang) in Hyderabad when I was there shopping for some accessories for mine but not sure of the genuineness of the bikes though. Why don't you visit the place to check them out!

[Steeroid]

When someone says 'weekend ride' one assumes a wild, impractical choice without being constrained by 'normal' requirements like Fuel Economy or Bulletproof (pun intended) reliability or even a strict budget.

Still, your requirements state, amongst other things:

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

1. Budget = 15K (+5k for any repairs/accessories)

4. Expected FE figures 30 to 35kmpl.

5. Reliable and easy availability of spares.

Not really what one would look for in a weekend ride...

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

I think of the both the yezdi fits the bill.

Congratulations!

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

But I need the opinion of the guys who ride the Yezdi. Can the bike run at good speeds.

Define 'good speed'. It is very stable upto 100 kmph or slightly more. In a straight line.

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

The weekend rides which I would like to are 300 to 450 km up and down in a single day and with breaks, the total time is around 8 hours.

You will be more comfortable in a Yezdi Roadking after a few hours in saddle than if you were on one of the smaller bikes.

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

1. The breaks, I heard they are pathetic.

They are. Trust me they are very weak and can sometimes squeal like a Leyland with worn break shoes. But you'll get used to it and will start downshifting in a hurry to help the breaks.

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

2. The lights, can these be upgraded as well??

The last lot of Roadkings came with very good lights. However the problem with the Yezdis is that the first thing to be dumped (also see Weight Reduction in your requirements below) is the battery since it would happily run without one.

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

3. My height is 6' 2", so I dont think I need to change the seating position or the handle. But I would like to know if I change the handle to reduce the CG, will it effect the handling(I would be able to decrease the coefficient of drag by reducing the CG).

Your back will thank you if you leave the handlebars where they are.

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

Also the following mods I would like to do:
1. Aerodynamics
2. Weight Reduction
3. Top Speed

Thats quite a list for 15k. Let us know if you actually get there within the budget.

You want Yezdi, dont bother modifying it (except for a spare wheel in place of the crash-guard). Run it on petrol, run it on kerosene, run it on alcohol - it will keep running. Just dont ask it to do tricks.

Dont bother modding it. If modding is what you want to do, pick up an RX.

[Ravveendrra]

Hi Raj,

Your post about the Jawa (when I say Jawa I include the Yezdi & Roadking) brought back memories!

I used Jawas more than 20 years ago. The bikes are fun, easy to maintain - you can pull apart the whole bike and put it together yourself. The seating position is comfortable and you can sit in the saddle all day long without any problem. You could go in for a flatter handle, or even a medium rise one, it is a matter of choice. I guess parts are still available as I see a few in town. You should be able to find a competent mechanic too (a good mechanic will normally be able to source / fabricate most parts).

The bikes came with batteries and a rectifier to charge the battery, but most people dumped the battery as the bike did not need it to run. The best way to get brighter light out of those old bikes is to fit in lower wattage bulbs. I have driven bikes with the stock wheels and the oversize wheels, I preferred the stock wheels. Try changing the sprockets till you find that perfect match, sprockets are not expensive. For highway runs I recommend timing be set to full retard.

The key to stable Jawas is good tyres. Brakes are adequate if maintained well.

If asked to describe the bikes in one word, I would choose 'tempramental'.

One thing with a well maintained Jawa - it stands out! A well tuned Jawa engine in motion is sheer music to the ears. :-" I see a cat fight breaking out over the right to sit on that pillion seat!

Are you looking at Bullets too?

Cheers and wish you luck in your hunt (for the bike and that pillion)!!