[neil.jericho]

Below 1 lac - the Suzuki Gixxer. Very positive reviews all around and clearly better than the FZ as per the experts. Suzuki's most focused offering to the Indian market is a very good choice.
1 to 2 lacs - the NS200 or one of the RE offerings depending on personal taste. I find the D200 too expensive for the 1.57 lacs that it demands. RE has upped its game and the TBTS might be exactly what your brother is looking for.
Above 2 lacs - the Inazuma for the practicality. The Continental GT for its not too blistering but more than adequate performance and absolutely stand out looks.

[khoj]

Err, how can an American be a returnee ?

Buy him an AMT or automatic car and ask him to bid bye bye to any ideas of riding a bike in current day's traffic especially when the elapsed time since his last ride here is as much as a decade.

[batterylow]

Originally Posted by basuroy

There is another bike with ABS on sale - tvs apache rtr 180 (or 200/220 not sure ) . Price should be around 1.5-1.7mark . Check it out , read good things about the ABS . No idea about reliability , sounds coarse like the KTMs .

The RTR 180 retails for less than a lakh on-road.
But I would not recommend it, the riding position is bad for the back and the engine is rough ( compared to the others).

I would say the Inuzuma but the only fly in the ointment is the fact that the bike has sold very little and there are rumors doing the rounds that Suzuki might pull the plug on it.

So as many suggest, a small car is the better option as 67 kms in Bangalore traffic on a bike will be pretty tiring.

Yes, he might lose some time over the bike but hey, the comfort and safety over the bike is well worth the time taken.

Celerio AMT perhaps?

[navin_v8]

I would suggest your brother the RE Thunderbird 500 looking at the requirements you have listed. RE Thunderbird is very comfortable and also flickable in the traffic considering its weight and riding dynamics. Since your brother isn't concerned about mileage, I suggest the Thunderbird 500 over 350. It is well within the budget as well. By the way the Thunderbird 500 gives a mileage close to 30 KMPL after the running in period. It can easily hit a ton and hold it there for all day. The only fly in the ointment is the waiting period. Happy choosing.

[VW2010]

Duke 200 is a better option in this case. If i were him i would go and pick the 390 blindfolded even though its driving in bangalore.

I have the 500, had the 390 and did try the 200 for somedays. For the 65+ ride the 390 will breeze through the not so traffic zone and your expected cruising speeds on free and safe roads will be far easier to achieve than any of the other bikes you have listed.

The 390 is easy to ride.

But considering the stretch you are planning to ride, the 200 will be far more comfortable, cheaper and easier to manage.

The sitting position is more upright and with minor modifications you can have a comfortable seating position throughout the ride and the engine is such a rockstar engine compared to any other 200's.

The stretch has decent 12-14kms where you can cruise. The rest of the 14-16kms is hell on earth. And you need something that is nimble, can short sprint and can make the ride more enjoyable.

The 390 is the best bike for its price. Nothing comes closer and i had my fair share of riding it in chennai traffic for almost six months and i can say i never found it to be a problem in non moving traffic.

Heat can be an issue but with bangalore weather i doubt its going to be biggest thing you would worry about.

A 500 bull is a good choice but if he decides to ride out in the weekend, the 390 will be a better option.

[hiren.mistry]

Hey Sam,
I would recommend the Pulsar NS. I use the same for my office commute which totals 75KMS. I've been using this bike since April and have had not a single reason to complain.

I've adjusted the suspension to the softest setting and my back has not complained. It's powerful enough and at the same time returns an amazing 45 kmpl. So a tankful will easily cover over 400 kms

The newer versions come with MRF tires, Bajaj have corrected its single bugbear.

[Sheel]

Before we jump guns as to whether he can ride or not, entirely depends on him. It is him who is going to decide on this.

As far as environment/dress goes, riders who go to office, usually carry their clothes in the backpack and have their leather shoes in office as well.

Depends entirely on the individual, whether he/she wishes to save time commuting on a bike and compromising on carrying his shirt/trouser or wasting time in a car. I would call it tradeoff.

Originally Posted by sam_sant2005

Suzuki Inazuma to me,
Con - Too many. a) OTR Rs.2,48,000 way too high given its look and performance, b) 24bhp too low for the 183kg bike, c) newly launched bike, d) Since this is definitely not going to sell much, resale will be very bad after 4-5yrs. e) lack of ABS

And no bike is perfect, his requirements point towards the Inazuma, he has the budget, he needs it for commuting. Inazuma can do those short burst to 100 with ease.

He/You should ride one prior to forming an opinion about it.

[degenr8]

Inzuma in terms of comfort.

Been commuting on BETL over 4+ years and never rode a naked bike on those roads.
There are heavy cross winds, major road blocks /almost stand still traffic(office bus timings) sometimes.

ABS is must(safety first), most of them just shift lanes on high speed BETL without a look at rearview mirror (just switch on turn indicator while continuing to shift lanes)

There is only bike that comes to my mind is CBR both comfort and safety at your price rage (but feel the true characteristics/take advantage of the chassis your need to better set of tyres)
Not sure about is the version/availability at the time of your purchase.

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by sam_sant2005

suggest the best for him

IMO, he should look at a used Duke 200 and first figure out if riding in India, daily; is his cup of tea. Just in case he decides that it isn't, selling it forward would mean taking a hit of a few thousand rupess and moving on without regret

If he is a tenacious one and is 100% confident that he wants to ride full time, I have to say that Sheel is spot on. Nothing will beat the Inazuma. It will check every box for your brother

My only grouse with the bike is the lack of ABS at that price (and the price itself )

[amit_purohit20]

Originally Posted by sam_sant2005

Suzuki Inazuma to me,
Pro - Heavy bike - rock solid. Suzuki parallel twin refined engine. Mile muncher, yes.
Con - Too many. a) OTR Rs.2,48,000 way too high given its look and performance, b) 24bhp too low for the 183kg bike, c) newly launched bike, d) Since this is definitely not going to sell much, resale will be very bad after 4-5yrs. e) lack of ABS

I was also of the opinion earlier that we need to get maximum BHP when we pay through our nose for any bike more than 1 lakh INR.

But after reading through many threads about Duke 200 and Duke 390 my opinion has changed. Also it doesnot matter how many BHP a bike makes as most of the extra BHP's in the bike are best utilized on a open highway not in the confines of the city.

In India most bikes require a good low-end torque and a equally good mid range torque. This makes the bike with a good pickup and good driveability.

Fun in India is below 80kmph or at max 100 kmph. Anything above that is useless in India because driving at speeds of above 100 kmph is too dangerous. Not recommended at all.

The Inazuma brings a vibration free bike with good low end and mid-end. The smoothness of the bike, the high quality of switchgear and a no cost-cutting approach is its USP. A somewhat commuterish sitting position and a spacious bike with good pillion seat is what makes it one of the bikes of the choice.

Other option could be a Duke 200.

[maverickrider00]

Guys, Suzuki India does not seem intent on selling the Inazuma for a long time, infact it is out from their website. The KTMs share the same dubious quality engines of the Pulsars, trust me I have one. I would advise him to wait for the new Honda CB300F, the naked version of CB300R, expected in the first quarter of 2015. I am waiting for it. Rest it is his choice.

[hiren.mistry]

Originally Posted by maverickrider00

Guys, Suzuki India does not seem intent on selling the Inazuma for a long time, infact it is out from their website. The KTMs share the same dubious quality engines of the Pulsars, trust me I have one. I would advise him to wait for the new Honda CB300F, the naked version of CB300R, expected in the first quarter of 2015. I am waiting for it. Rest it is his choice.

Care to elaborate? I thought it was the Duke's engine (with some changes) that is in the Pulsar NS. The Duke isn't perfect, but so far I haven't heard any engine related gremlins.

[PatienceWins]

Gixxer seems to be a very good bike based on the reviews.

I would not recommend a faired bike (mini sports), if the bike will be used only for city commuting. Makes sense only if it involves decent empty stretches. Otherwise, the riding posture will not be comfortable in stop go traffic and it is less flickable compared to commuter bikes.

[amit_purohit20]

Originally Posted by maverickrider00

The KTMs share the same dubious quality engines of the Pulsars, trust me I have one.

With due respect I would like to state some facts:
KTM Duke 200 engine and Pulsar 200 NS engine share a lot of mechanicals.
The internals of the engine are the same to justify volumes and keep the costs down.
For 200 NS the cylinder head is different to accomodate 3 spark plugs, a carburettor inlet as the engine doesnot has a FIP. The engine electronics have been remapped for better fuel efficiency.

Inspite of many mechanicals being common with KTM engine still I feel the reliability of Pulsar 200 NS engine is not the same, especially the engine auxillaries like the fan, radiator etc.I think cost cutting has been done in these areas. Although its easy to complain but just compare the price of a Duke200 and Pulsar 200NS, Pulsar is nearly 35-40% less so its VFM machine.
Pulsar 200NS is high on fuel efficiency as compared to Duke 200, so it suffers a bit on performance and fun factor.

[arunphilip]

+1 for the whole 'get a car instead' suggestion, for the following reasons:

a) Safety (esp. on the elevated road)
b) Comfort (A/C, dryness during monsoons)
c) Health (pollution, back)

If your brother is passionate about bikes, then let him get one for weekends and the occasional office commute. For the regular rat race, a car will be my recommendation.