[Manas5]

Hi Guys,

The bangalore traffic has now made me sick of driving my Rapid TDi everyday to work. At this point I regret selling off my trusty Pulsar 220. And have decided to get back on two wheels. I need your help in deciding for what to buy. Before you suggest I'd jot down my requirements.

Budget : 1 - 1.5 Lakhs
Height : 6 feet 2 inches
Weight : 88 kgs
Usage : Mostly driving to work that is 8 kms from hy home. And occasional highway tours (will be very rare though)

I have now shortlisted the below options
- A used Honda CBR250R : Which model should I look for. And what price bracket should I find this for?

- A used KTM RC 200 : I find this bike the best looking of the lot. Is a much more aggresive stance. Would you recommend this for my height and build? And again what price bracket should I set for this?

- A new Bajaj Pulsar RS200 : This fits my requirements perfectly. It's a more relaxed seated bike and stands somewhere between a tourer and a sporty bike (definitely not a Race Sport bike as bajaj calls it). I do not like the red and yellow colors which are being sold right now but can wait till the all black version comes out. I know the design is a bit over done and there are some reports about broken alloys and handlebars are around, but I can wait till a revision happens (if it happens soon).

- And lastly, will it make sense to get a Pulsar 220 again?

I'd really appreciate your comments and suggestions which can help me decide on what to buy.

Thanks!

[Added_flavor]

Originally Posted by Manas5

Budget : 1 - 1.5 Lakhs
Height : 6 feet 2 inches
Weight : 88 kgs
Usage : Mostly driving to work that is 8 kms from hy home. And occasional highway tours (will be very rare though)

To be honest, from your words, I think those highway tours won't be rare but non-existent.

In my opinion, you are 99.9:0.1 City commuter: Tourer. Ok let's make it 90:10 al-right?

For your budget and needs, you have missed listing the best fit - The KTM Duke 200. Until you have something against naked bikes.

But if you are very particular about the bikes you have listed, my suggestion is to go for a post 2013 CBR 250. But owning one, I can tell you that you can enjoy it more as a tourer than as a commuter.

The RC200 has a very aggressive sitting position and you will regret buying it for commuting after the initial excitement dies down.

The Bajaj motorcycle seems to be going through a tough phase, tougher than it's build quality. If you want to ever go for a Bajaj, then I suggest wait for atleast a year and a half for them to iron out the issues.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by Manas5

- A used Honda CBR250R : Which model should I look for

CBR is available from 2011, 12, 13, 14 & 15; obviously latest model with low mileage is preferred always

Originally Posted by Manas5

And what price bracket should I find this for?

Originally Posted by Manas5

Budget : 1 - 1.5 Lakhs

I've no say on Pulsars

[ksameer1234]

Originally Posted by Manas5

- A used KTM RC 200:

From personal experience, unless the commute is on empty highways (which I gather isn't), RC 200 will be a chore to ride. The riding posture is not best suited for stop and go scenarios.

Originally Posted by Manas5

- A new Bajaj Pulsar RS200 :

I saw RS200 in person and it doesn't appear overdone. But again the opinions can certainly vary.

Why not AS200 if not RS200? It has the same engine and less things that can break. Also, projector lamp will ensure good visibility.

[Manas5]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

To be honest, from your words, I think those highway tours won't be rare but non-existent.

In my opinion, you are 99.9:0.1 City commuter: Tourer. Ok let's make it 90:10 al-right?

For your budget and needs, you have missed listing the best fit - The KTM Duke 200. Until you have something against naked bikes.

But if you are very particular about the bikes you have listed, my suggestion is to go for a post 2013 CBR 250. But owning one, I can tell you that you can enjoy it more as a tourer than as a commuter.

The RC200 has a very aggressive sitting position and you will regret buying it for commuting after the initial excitement dies down.
The Bajaj motorcycle seems to be going through a tough phase, tougher than it's build quality. If you want to ever go for a Bajaj, then I suggest wait for atleast a year and a half for them to iron out the issues.

Thanks! I somehow do not like naked bikes. And especially duke as it looks too puny when I ride it. I am really interested in CBR250R. Obviously I can't judge unless I take a test ride. But do you think it'd look small for my build? And I have heard there are spare part issues with Honda CBR250R. Is that true?

Originally Posted by ksameer1234

From personal experience, unless the commute is on empty highways (which I gather isn't), RC 200 will be a chore to ride. The riding posture is not best suited for stop and go scenarios.



I saw RS200 in person and it doesn't appear overdone. But again the opinions can certainly vary.

Why not AS200 if not RS200? It has the same engine and less things that can break. Also, projector lamp will ensure good visibility.

Well yes and no. I indeed will get some good stretches while commuting to work. Almost half the distance is wide open stretch and half of it will be jam packed. I was just sold on the looks of RC200. But I took your point of the riding posture. I'd better take a test drive sometime to see how it is.

I am overlooking AS200 as I did not find it appealing at all. I'd rather go for the last gen P220 than the AS200.

Thanks for your response Sameer

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[deemash]

For your 8KM daily commute I dont think these powerful bikes are required. Something from the 150cc segment Honda / Hero bikes will serve your purpose.

Since you own a car, I am sure you wont use bike for highways.

[Added_flavor]

Originally Posted by Manas5

Thanks! I somehow do not like naked bikes. And especially duke as it looks too puny when I ride it. I am really interested in CBR250R. Obviously I can't judge unless I take a test ride. But do you think it'd look small for my build? And I have heard there are spare part issues with Honda CBR250R. Is that true?

It's a thing of the past buddy, probably for the initial one year since the bike was launched. Now, there is no issue with part availability or normal consumables. In fact, Honda is quite particular about the way CBR owners are treated and it shows in their approach. Yes, I was pleasantly surprised too.

Regarding how it'll fit you, you are the best person to judge. The sitting posture can prove to be a little uncomfortable initially, but that's only until you 'learn' how to sit and get used to it. On this topic, this thread is an eye-opener.

Link: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...torcycles.html

[Manas5]

Originally Posted by deemash

For your 8KM daily commute I dont think these powerful bikes are required. Something from the 150cc segment Honda / Hero bikes will serve your purpose.

Since you own a car, I am sure you wont use bike for highways.

Bike has it's own charm on highways. I still go on rides with friends. Mostly it has been on rented REs since most of them have one. But I am not one of those who likes Enfields. So when I decided to go for a bike now I'd prefer a powerful one which'd be the same if not an upgrade over a P220.

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

It's a thing of the past buddy, probably for the initial one year since the bike was launched. Now, there is no issue with part availability or normal consumables. In fact, Honda is quite particular about the way CBR owners are treated and it shows in their approach. Yes, I was pleasantly surprised too.

Regarding how it'll fit you, you are the best person to judge. The sitting posture can prove to be a little uncomfortable initially, but that's only until you 'learn' how to sit and get used to it. On this topic, this thread is an eye-opener.

Link: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...torcycles.html

Thanks a lot. This thread indeed has some really good information.
Like you said, I should try take a test ride first. So now since we are itching towards a CBR from the lot I had shortlisted, do you think I should even think of buying a used bike. Or should I just get a new one. Will it be wise to get a new one since there is word around that honda might launch a new 250-300 cc CBR in first week of august

[sidhu_hs]

Originally Posted by Manas5

The bangalore traffic

get back on two wheels

As someone who has owned CBR250R for past couple of years and driven it on all sorts of roads and traffic conditions, I would suggest you something totally different if your requirement is just city riding:

Get an Activa/Aviator. . For more performance, get the 125cc version. Even ABS is available as an option. And you won't have to worry about getting the CBR's shims changed. . Highway tours best left to your Rapid!

How I arrived at the above conclusion is also a story in itself. When I gave my CBR for service last month, I had to resort to a colleagues' Activa for running some errands in the city. The ride was a revelation in itself as far as ease of driving was concerned. No SNOB value though.

So my advice to you before you spend your hard earned money on anything will be to do the following tests in real world:

1. Drive an Activa/Aviator and CBR/others back to back on your way to work twice or thrice to get a seat of the pants feel.

2. Drive CBR on a highway at 80 - 90 kmph in 6th gear for about 25 km.

The above tests would clear your mind as to what you want.

[Shanenanigans]

From what I noticed, the people who have complained about the CBR having backaches and such after riding consistently either haven't found a comfortable position on the bike or are too short.

I'm six feet tall and the CBR is way more comfortable for me than the Avenger (that I previous had) ever was. It has a very slight lean ahead, which feels quite natural after a while.

The thing is, Added_flavor and me just got back from a ride to Yercaud and back and I had fully expected backaches or shoulder aches or wrist aches considering this would be the first time I'd be having a long ride on this bike. But there was no such thing. When I had gone for a long ride on my previous bike, and got back home, I couldn't feel anything below my waist and it was painful. This ride was just unlike that.

Now, my ride to work is typically an 18 kilometer jaunt with about 15 of those kilometers on the ORR. As a result, I'm not exposed to too much traffic, and the one thing I can tell you is that the first gear is too short, and the second gear is too tall. This makes it an annoyance in traffic at first, but once you get used to it, you start ignoring it.

Another thing is, I've owned a bike before, and didn't take it out touring much. Once I got the CBR, I started touring with the fellas from here, starting with the short rides, and the midsize ride this weekend and I can't wait to take my bike out for another ride this weekend. This is coming from the person who takes the same bike to work everyday and used to love sitting at home and playing video games over the weekend. I'd have to say the bike ( and the riders ) kinda changed me.

Also, while the new one may release in August, I wouldn't get it until Honda irons out the ever prevalent first batch issues. The shim issue that sidhu_hs talks about was there in the first few batches of the CBR250R but ironed out later.

After the alloy shattering on the RS200 that's been doing the rounds on facebook, I wouldn't recommend it either. I would highly recommend the Duke 200 though. Great bike for puttering around town and the occasional tour ( not for a pillion though ) but a little common like the pulsars.

The Activa, while it's practical, it just invites trouble in every city that I've driven in. There are minimum of 8-10 ( yes, you can actually count individually ) reckless activas on the road between Point A and Point B at any point of time. Of course considering the distance driven. I saw around 12 of them today on my way back from work and two of them had the gumption to cut me off while I was just doing a measly 45km/h on the ORR.

From what I see, for your height and build, the Duke 200 ought to be your first option (by a long mile), and the CBR your next. The Duke 200 should be around 1.4 or 1.5 on road and a new CBR without ABS should be around 10-15k more than that. A used CBR without ABS will run around a lakh, and one with should be around 1.2L. I wouldn't get a used semi-powerful bike though, simply because not many regular people take care of them.

[Urban_Nomad]

Short answer - CBR 250:

- Comfy ergos (Duke will feel like a prison, RC will not be kind on your wrists)
- Most powerful of the lot; but does not overwhelm
- Better quality than Pulsar
- Other 2 are relatively new. You will have more options to choose from if scouting for a used CBR
- I think it looks rather nice, especially in red
- Has the ABS option that works very well IMO. Can be a life saver. No half baked single channel ABS here

This is what comes to mind. Happy hunting and keep us posted on what you finally end up with. All the best!

[joshlance]

Manas, after checking out the three bikes, I would say the RS220 would be a good idea. Yes, I'm 6, and around 82 odd kgs. Bajaj is ironing out their issues no doubt but they've still come a long way. I've been an RD rider for a long while and one year ago started riding a Discover 125ST. I do an average of 1,400 kilometres a month and this bike has been amazing. I've been doing some research and what I see is that the CBR & Duke were a little "small" for me. The RS has all the tech like ABS, monoshok & FI. The Duke 200 ain't got ABS which I feel is invaluable. A bike can only go as fast as it can stop. Not safe. Imagine doing 40kph and a kid darts across the road!. Bad scenes. Bajaj also has the triple spark tech. It's cost effective to maintain, has got enough juice to get you around in traffic, fits a 6'+ frame nicely. Overall, needless to say, value for money.

[Manas5]

Originally Posted by sidhu_hs

As someone who has owned CBR250R for past couple of years and driven it on all sorts of roads and traffic conditions, I would suggest you something totally different if your requirement is just city riding:

Get an Activa/Aviator. . For more performance, get the 125cc version. Even ABS is available as an option. And you won't have to worry about getting the CBR's shims changed. . Highway tours best left to your Rapid!

How I arrived at the above conclusion is also a story in itself. When I gave my CBR for service last month, I had to resort to a colleagues' Activa for running some errands in the city. The ride was a revelation in itself as far as ease of driving was concerned. No SNOB value though.

So my advice to you before you spend your hard earned money on anything will be to do the following tests in real world:

1. Drive an Activa/Aviator and CBR/others back to back on your way to work twice or thrice to get a seat of the pants feel.

2. Drive CBR on a highway at 80 - 90 kmph in 6th gear for about 25 km.

The above tests would clear your mind as to what you want.

Hi Sidhu, thanks for your suggestion. But i really don't think I'd ride a scooter in the city. I'd definitely look like Mr.Incredible did while he was driving the tiny car :-)

Originally Posted by Shanenanigans

From what I noticed, the people who have complained about the CBR having backaches and such after riding consistently either haven't found a comfortable position on the bike or are too short.

I'm six feet tall and the CBR is way more comfortable for me than the Avenger (that I previous had) ever was. It has a very slight lean ahead, which feels quite natural after a while.

The thing is, Added_flavor and me just got back from a ride to Yercaud and back and I had fully expected backaches or shoulder aches or wrist aches considering this would be the first time I'd be having a long ride on this bike. But there was no such thing. When I had gone for a long ride on my previous bike, and got back home, I couldn't feel anything below my waist and it was painful. This ride was just unlike that.

Now, my ride to work is typically an 18 kilometer jaunt with about 15 of those kilometers on the ORR. As a result, I'm not exposed to too much traffic, and the one thing I can tell you is that the first gear is too short, and the second gear is too tall. This makes it an annoyance in traffic at first, but once you get used to it, you start ignoring it.

Another thing is, I've owned a bike before, and didn't take it out touring much. Once I got the CBR, I started touring with the fellas from here, starting with the short rides, and the midsize ride this weekend and I can't wait to take my bike out for another ride this weekend. This is coming from the person who takes the same bike to work everyday and used to love sitting at home and playing video games over the weekend. I'd have to say the bike ( and the riders ) kinda changed me.

Also, while the new one may release in August, I wouldn't get it until Honda irons out the ever prevalent first batch issues. The shim issue that sidhu_hs talks about was there in the first few batches of the CBR250R but ironed out later.

After the alloy shattering on the RS200 that's been doing the rounds on facebook, I wouldn't recommend it either. I would highly recommend the Duke 200 though. Great bike for puttering around town and the occasional tour ( not for a pillion though ) but a little common like the pulsars.

The Activa, while it's practical, it just invites trouble in every city that I've driven in. There are minimum of 8-10 ( yes, you can actually count individually ) reckless activas on the road between Point A and Point B at any point of time. Of course considering the distance driven. I saw around 12 of them today on my way back from work and two of them had the gumption to cut me off while I was just doing a measly 45km/h on the ORR.

From what I see, for your height and build, the Duke 200 ought to be your first option (by a long mile), and the CBR your next. The Duke 200 should be around 1.4 or 1.5 on road and a new CBR without ABS should be around 10-15k more than that. A used CBR without ABS will run around a lakh, and one with should be around 1.2L. I wouldn't get a used semi-powerful bike though, simply because not many regular people take care of them.

Hi Shanenanigans,

Thanks for sharing your experience. I too travel from koramangala to work that is currently in whitefield. But soon my office will be bang on the ORR and 9 kms from home. There will be nice stretches to ride on during the morning. I have ridden the KTM duke 200 and also RC200. I find duke quite small. It doesn't feel so but it just looks small. And also the pillion seat isn't that comfortable. Me and my girlfriend keep doing frequent trips around bangalore and pillion seat is quite important factor as well. I'd definitely try to take a TD of CBR250R. I am just wondering is the seat height is appropriate for me. Can you tell me if the seat height would be as much as the P220 had?

Originally Posted by joshlance

Manas, after checking out the three bikes, I would say the RS220 would be a good idea. Yes, I'm 6, and around 82 odd kgs. Bajaj is ironing out their issues no doubt but they've still come a long way. I've been an RD rider for a long while and one year ago started riding a Discover 125ST. I do an average of 1,400 kilometres a month and this bike has been amazing. I've been doing some research and what I see is that the CBR & Duke were a little "small" for me. The RS has all the tech like ABS, monoshok & FI. The Duke 200 ain't got ABS which I feel is invaluable. A bike can only go as fast as it can stop. Not safe. Imagine doing 40kph and a kid darts across the road!. Bad scenes. Bajaj also has the triple spark tech. It's cost effective to maintain, has got enough juice to get you around in traffic, fits a 6'+ frame nicely. Overall, needless to say, value for money.

Hi Joshlance,

Thanks for your response. Though I haven't seen one RS200 in flesh, what is your opinion on the design language used by bajaj. It obviously seems a bit overdone. Is it all stickering that can be peeled off?

[Shanenanigans]

Originally Posted by Manas5

Hi Shanenanigans,

Thanks for sharing your experience. I too travel from koramangala to work that is currently in whitefield. But soon my office will be bang on the ORR and 9 kms from home. There will be nice stretches to ride on during the morning. I have ridden the KTM duke 200 and also RC200. I find duke quite small. It doesn't feel so but it just looks small. And also the pillion seat isn't that comfortable. Me and my girlfriend keep doing frequent trips around bangalore and pillion seat is quite important factor as well. I'd definitely try to take a TD of CBR250R. I am just wondering is the seat height is appropriate for me. Can you tell me if the seat height would be as much as the P220 had?

I haven't owned a pulsar 220, but I can tell you that the CBR seat is higher than the Duke's. If you find the Duke small, it's just better to go for the CBR. Also, the pillion of the CBR is excellent for both my mom and my girlfriend. They felt no discomfort and are kinda happy I didn't get the Duke.

I've not found the manoeuvrability of the CBR a problem in traffic, it's just that the gearing of the first and second takes some time to get used to. Took about four days of riding to work in peak hours to get a good grip on that.

It's better to just take a test ride than bite the bullet. I didn't take a test ride of the CBR250R, but I did sit on the 150R before I moved to Bangalore ( when I had sprained my ankle, no less ) and thought I'd never be able to adjust to it. However, when I got the 250R, it was just comfortable. Since you're a good 2 inches taller than I am, you're going to have to take a test ride or sit on it at least.

Since you're not stranger to a slight lean ahead on the handlebars, you should feel at home on the CBR.

Of course that's my opinion.

[farhadtarapore]

I've ridden CBR 250R(Abs) in Bangalore traffic for a good 4 years. Here are my observations:

1. Riding position is a bit aggressive: I am 5'9" and though my feet rest flat on the ground while seated, I do get wrist pain after long riding in stop-and-go traffic. Never got backache though.
2. Handling is superb: Even in the stop-and-go traffic, I can plod along in 1st or 2nd gear and the bike remains upright and does not do the honeybee-mating-dance that I've seen many slow-moving 2-wheelers doing.
3. Good quality and headache-free ownership experience: Never had any problems with the bike come rain or sun.

Go for CBR.