[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by McQueen

In the exact same manner, can you please describe the Honda CB300R and the Speed 400?

CB300R is light weight, sporty, so a good city bike, but has small fuel tank (9.5L), and little more pricier than Speed 400 (2.4 L ex showroom).
You should test drive Speed 400, 300F and 300R to finalize.

[McQueen]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The Dominar 250 and 400 will also suit your requirements.

Hi, it's been a while since you recommended the Dominar 250/400 to the thread starter (OP). Considering its 800 mm seat height and 180 kg weight, would you say it's suitable for someone who is 5'2" (or a bit taller than that.. like 5'4")? I don't know about its weight distribution, so no clue about the real feel.

I was initially considering this bike (D 250) but later dropped it from my list. Still curious.

Here's my post, for reference.

[rishi.roger]

Originally Posted by McQueen

Hi, it's been a while since you recommended the Dominar 250/400 to the thread starter (OP). Considering its 800 mm seat height and 180 kg weight, would you say it's suitable for someone who is 5'2" (or a bit taller than that.. like 5'4")? I don't know about its weight distribution, so no clue about the real feel.

I was initially considering this bike (D 250) but later dropped it from my list. Still curious.

Here's my post, for reference.

As a very recent buyer and a former user of this Dominar 250 and with 5,7' height I will say "NO". The saddle height maybe a decent 800mm but the vehicle saddle is broad and also the vehicle itself is quite front heavy. Anything lower than 5'5" and you're asking for trouble at low speed, traffic or standstill/inclines. I found Himalayan 450 easier to handle at 825mm seat height than Dominar even though both are heavy bikes. This is because of Dominar's center of gravity.

For 5'2, You'd be better of with Speed 400 or any motorbikes with 790mm or lower saddle height but most importantly a light weight bike.
Sure height doesn't matter, weight doesn't matter - but let me tell you that even those people don't find it comfortable in difficult scenarios, even though they're able to manage. There's a diff between comfortable and manageable (with skills).
Take the decision only after doing thorough test rides.

[shancz]

Welcome to TBHP.

Originally Posted by McQueen

If there are good bikes that I should consider, please tell me.

Honest suggestion : Please stop comparing the "X mm of seat height" and start taking test rides.
Why do I say this ?
We are of the same height and I might be even shorter but some of the "taller" bikes actually turn out to be much easier to ride than the "shorter" ones. Depends a lot on the design of the bike, weight distribution and personal preference.
And there's only one way to find out
Don't even bother with specific motorcycles, just go to one showroom say Hero and look at the bikes and take test rides of the ones you like and in your budget. Set a range of 1.6 to 2 lakhs on road. Then repeat the same with other brands like Bajaj, TVS, Honda, Suzuki and others.

Some points :
- If reliability is paramount then avoid getting the first batch of motorcycles from any manufacturer. Current ones are the Triumph Speed 400, new gen KTM Dukes, Himalayan 452, HD X440 and its related Hero counterpart which should come soon and the new Karizma.
- Your expected fuel efficiency is missing from your needs. Do check that as well.

Traditionally I would consider the 100-125cc motorcycles as commuters.
Still, some suggestions based purely on my guess of your requirements disregarding the "commuter" tag:
Please get the models with dual channel ABS, else skip.
- RTR 160 4V : comfortable, proven, reliable
- RTR 200 4V : all above plus adjustable suspension, riding modes
- Ronin : the styling is not to everyone's taste, me included
- Pulsar N 160 : good quality and comfortable
- Pulsar N 250 : might be an overkill for your needs but you know better
- XTreme 160R : sporty and good
- XPulse 200 4V : the lightest ADV around,a treat to ride on broken city roads, easy on the pocket, highway performance might be found lacking
- Karizma XMR 210 : has got good reviews, liquid cooled and efficient and haven't read any major complaints yet.
- Gixxer 250 SF : this makes more sense over the 150 to be honest

At the end choose whichever you had fun riding around.
That will actually make you want to ride and ride for longer rather than the bike being sparingly used.
Update us post the test rides with your final list

Good Luck.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by McQueen

Hi, it's been a while since you recommended the Dominar 250/400 to the thread starter (OP). Considering its 800 mm seat height and 180 kg weight, would you say it's suitable for someone who is 5'2" (or a bit taller than that.. like 5'4")? I don't know about its weight distribution, so no clue about the real feel.

McQueen, first off, welcome to the forum. You have got yourself enough time to decide on your new motorcycle and a good budget, as well. As everyone else has rightly suggested, please take multiple test rides of each motorcycle and see what suits you the best and / or connects with you. This will depend on whether you will keep it as your primary commuter or if it will extend its duties to be a touring vehicle.

With that out of the way, here are some thoughts on the bikes that you listed
1. Yamaha FZ25 - Very sensible choice as a city commuter. For touring, you will wish that it came with a better headlight.
2. Honda CB300F - I was very unimpressed by this motorcycle. If you expect that typical Honda refinement, dont even waste your time taking a test ride.
3. Honda CB300R - Super light weight and nimble. It felt like a CBR250R that was shrunken dimensionally but XL sized in character. If thats the sort of motorcycle that you like, then this is a motorcycle that you will love. Not my cup of tea.
4. Dominar 250 - I recommend it for its low seat height / convenience factor. You cant deny the weight. Im not the biggest fan of the Dominar range.
5. TVS Apache 160 / 200 - Excellent choices if you want dollops of fun with practicality. Go for the 200 over the 160. It will be well worth the extra amount.
6. Gixxer / SF 250 - What can I say that I havent already said on my ownership thread?
7. Royal Enfield J series 350s - Very popular choices. Try them all back to back. They feel quite different.
8. TVS Ronin - This could be the surprise of the lot. It seems to be a very well engineered motorcycle that has suffered from a botched styling experiment. With your background, I wouldnt be surprised if you came away with it in your top 3 or even in your garage.

[McQueen]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

..

Originally Posted by shancz

..

Didn't intend to quote and notify you both unnecessarily but still wanted to thank you for the informal descriptions of several bikes. I'll test them out over the next new weeks.

[neon_daytona]

Kawasaki W175. Probably a very unpopular suggestion

[Joe367]

Originally Posted by KPR

1. Get one used Honda Navi from OLX to learn biking. The scoot/bike is super fun.

Do you think getting a used Navi in 2024 is still a good option? I'm finding myself in the exact same situation. I'm even lighter than him and only learning to ride scooter/bike. I've always liked Navi.

Is it easy to maintain and will parts be available since it is discontinued in India?

[Flechazo]

Originally Posted by McQueen

• Dominar 250 - Almost everything except for its seat height (800 mm), weight (180 kg) and looks goes in its favour. It packs in both comfort and performance. Considering this!
• Pulsar N250/N160/N150/NS200/NS160 - God knows how to differentiate them. Be my God and guide me. Probably still won't buy a Pulsar - I mentioned why.

[*]TVS:

• Apache RTR 160/200 4V - Probably a VFM bike but I have no clue about them. Can't figure out if they have an advantage over the Pulsars, Fazers and Gixxers.

Having ridden Apache 160/200 4v, dominar 400, F250 for short duration and owing an ns 200, i might be able to simplify some things between these 4 bikes. For reference, my height is 5'5:

Apache- one of the lowest seat height among these, feels like sitting in the bike. In traffic you can easily flat foot with confidence, and moving bike around is also quite easy. Performance is good for both 160 and 200, although if you are planning on highway runs too then prefer the 200. They are very smooth, even with normal fuel. Suspension is balanced for both highway and city usage. Fuel economy might vary between 35-40 depending on traffic and riding style. Upper body will be leaned forward for your height. Headlight performance is good, though felt that high beam feels weak on highways when there's oncoming traffic.

Dominar 250- you can't really flat foot on this, and moving around will be a pain. You need to get off the bike to move it around or pulling it back from parking.
On highway it's stability is rock solid due to the weight, but will be cumbersome to manage in city. Seating posture was good, nothing much to complain about.

Ns200- balance of both bikes. Although seat height is 807mm, I can almost flat foot, and it weighs 158kg, so not that heavy to move around either. There won't be any issues in city once you get used to that seat, but on uneven surface you still might have to get off and move around the bike. Though, while moving around it feels heavier than Apache. Use xp95 to reduce vibration, also improves responsiveness. This feels more upright than both Apache and dominar due to the raised clip on handlebars. Front USD forks are tuned for softer setup, whereas rear is slightly stiffer than front. It's comfortable, has good stability on highways at speed of 100 kmph. Although fuel economy doesn't matter to you, happy to report that on highways I can easily get 38 kmpl on highways with a pillion maintaining speed of 90-100, and 43 when I'm riding alone. Has halogen lights and brightness is good enough. Spread isn't that great though, need aux lights for highways.It is present in market from a very long time, so there are tons of modification you can do to suit your riding style.

N250/F250- These are the best 250s for your use case. Seat height is low, 50:50 weight distribution means better agility in city, good performance for both city and highways, and also comfortable suspension. Headlight is excellent, and rear seat is quite spacious for pillion and mounting luggage. Main problem with it is the availability of spare parts and accessories. Seating posture of N250 feels more like an Apache, and f250 feels like that of ns200/rs200.

Since you will be mostly using it for city usage, i would suggest to look at naked bikes, since they usually have center set foot pegs, which helps in keeping foot down faster in case of any emergency. Also this is your first bike, so i would say get something which can be repaired anywhere, and availability of spares should not be an issue. Because sometimes there are small things which needs adjustment, and you can't always visit ASS for those.

[Ride with P]

Mod note: Please avoid quoting entire large post for short replies, have trimmed the quoted post. Thanks

Originally Posted by McQueen

Hi T-BHP, this is my first post on this site. I am planning to purchase a new bike in the next 6-8 months. Having only driven a borrowed commuter a few times, and an Ntorq several times, I'm seeking guidance in compiling my initial list of options for test rides.
=======[*]Meteor/Classic 350 - Love the bike's character! Other than that, it's probably going to be a difficult vehicle for me to maneuver in traffic. [/list]If there are good bikes that I should consider, please tell me. I'm also willing to consider second-hand bikes under 1 lakh and bikes that are going to release later.

For your requirement you don't actually need an engine above 200cc. Also, why haven't you considered the Hornet 2.0? It has quite low seat height and sufficient power for cities and highway. One big plus point with the Hornet is it's agility. Reliability has never been an issue with Honda. If you were okay with Pulsar, N160/N250 are vfm options.
Important: There are many options available in the market, but you can find out what suits you the best only after test riding the shortlisted options. On paper specs are of no use if you don't fall in love with the ride of a machine. All the very best with your new motorcycle.

[V0rtex]

My suggestion is to go for the Honda CB Shine, it’s a reliable bike with good fuel efficiency and it’s quite refined as well. If your friend wants a bit more power and can handle a bit more weight try the Yamaha FZ or the Unicorn. I’ve ridden the new FZ and it actually sounds really good as well, the exhaust has quite a bass to it and pops when you decelerate. The Unicorn is a tried and tested workhorse, nothing more can be said about it.

[Mukunthan91]

I would suggest try taking an extended test drive of Hunter 350. I am a proud owner of Hunter 350 dapper white since December 2022. I have clocked around 18000 km till date. Its easy bike to ride and maneuver in city.
Although the bike weighs in around 180 kgs you don't feel the weight of the bike once you start to ride. The sweet spot is 60-80 km/hr. and its an easy bike to ride in city and occasional highway duty. I get an consistent average fuel economy of 35-37 km/liter.
If you don't find the stock seat comfortable, RE has bench seat available as an accessory and the only drawback i find is the suspension setup is bit hard during long rides. The service interval is once every 5k km and oil change is done once in 10k km and its easy on pocket when it comes to maintenance .

[Xtremecrd]

Originally Posted by neon_daytona

Kawasaki W175. Probably a very unpopular suggestion

Actually I believe this will be very good choice. Nobody talks about this bike due to kawasaki botched it's launch and later corrected it's price. Being kawasaki I believe it will have reliable, no nonsense bike for city commuting. It will give 45 to 48 kmpl. Most of the issues such as tubed tyres and exhaust heat at the rider RH footpeg has been eliminated in the new iteration. But main issue will be kawasaki's very limited nos. of service centers.

Please do take the test ride of this vehicle as this will be 175 cc engine producing mere 13 ps power but it's gearing is spot on. It will have very minimal vibrations except at the top speeds.