[cool.aquarian]

Hi All,

I need your advice on which bike should i buy.
I am from Delhi, 22 yrs, height 5'7" weight: 60kg and I have just recently learnt to ride a bike.

I am looking for a bike with good looks, easy and smooth to handle in city traffic, mileage(greater than 40-45 is fine with me), maintenance and good after sales service.

My primary requirement is travelling some 2*30=60 kms/day 2-3 days a week to office + some odd 30-40 km here and there on weekend.

I have the following bikes shortlisted in order of preference:

1. TVS Apache
The only things that concern me about this bike are:
- gear-box (false neutral at times etc..)
- vibrations at high speed. (How severe are they actually)
- reliability
- after sales service of TVS.

2. Honda Unicorn
My concerns are:
- Will it be too big/heavy for me to handle? (You may advice me to test ride it, but still i want a first hand opinion).
- Does it suite a 22yr old like me in terms of looks?
-

3. Karizma
- Costliest of the lot, But is it worth it?
- Gear Box, Mileage etc...
- Costly replacements.

4. Pulsar (i wont go for it as it is very common these days).


Keeping all the above points in consideration, Please suggest me a bike from the above or any other bike based on your personal experiences with these bikes..



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[alen]

From the above lot i wud suggest u to go for the uni
Since i m not too sure if TVS has rectified the problems in apache i cant really advice u to go for it. Also since u will be travelling a lot, the zma mite turn out costly for you in the long run.

But IMHO i would choose the pulsar anyday over the other bikes since i own one myself. And it is my first bike too but i didnt face any riding problems

BTW have you checked out the new pulsar 180. Have a look at it and then reconsider your list

[Nikhilb2008]

Originally Posted by alen

From the above lot i wud suggest u to go for the uni
Since i m not too sure if TVS has rectified the problems in apache i cant really advice u to go for it. Also since u will be travelling a lot, the zma mite turn out costly for you in the long run.

But IMHO i would choose the pulsar anyday over the other bikes since i own one myself. And it is my first bike too but i didnt face any riding problems

BTW have you checked out the new pulsar 180. Have a look at it and then reconsider your list

What problems were there in Apache ?? I didnt know there were any !!

Could you please enlighten me ?

Otherwise, I would have suggested the Apache...

[alen]

Originally Posted by nikhilb2008

What problems were there in Apache ?? I didnt know there were any !!

Could you please enlighten me ?

Otherwise, I would have suggested the Apache...

When i rode the apache the main problem i found was of the false neutral....also the gear lever seemed too long
Apart from these small problems the bike is good.

[devarshi84]

TVS Apache makes the best 150cc bike after pulsar if..

You are looking for a fun to drive bike.


Unicorn while not as fun to drive is more reliable than the Apache.


I would vote for the Karizma though. While I am not a big fan of Hero Honda, I have to say Karizma is a pretty good bike. Its reliable, powerful and looks and rides like a 250cc bike.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by alen

When i rode the apache the main problem i found was of the false neutral....

I feel this could be a one of problem. I never faced this problem on the test drive I took.

[deadman]

I like avenger.... problem is even secondhand one will cost you aroung 50k to 65k ..... then i changed my mind to go with 4 weelers like M800 or so....Search Is ON...

[finneyp]

I would shortlist TVS Apache and Unicorn.
Test ride both the bikes and then decide! Good luck!

[garvit2002]

the false neutral problem in apache has been rectified a new gear shifter has been given to the existing ones

[turbo_v12]

The Apache though, is nervous when it comes to handling. The bike I tested had a hard gearbox and a rough engine (dunno if the test machine was screwed up, but it was lacking refinement).

The Uni will suit you, and probably is perfect for the kms you wil put on the odo per week. Yes, it doesn't have a sporty feel, but makes up for those with excellent handling and an amazingly smooth engine...'tis quite a good commutr bike too....

If expense was not a problem, the ZMA would have been your best bet, but maybe the new 180 DTSi is not bad either....

You might as well go in for the Unicorn.

[cool.aquarian]

TVS Apache...
What is the best place in/near south delhi to test ride the bike and/or buy it?
Can anyone help me out with a good-trusted TVS showroom nearby south delhi?

[nikkibike]

My vote is to Unicorn!!! Thatz the best one that suits the parameters you mentioned!

[fieroid]

Originally Posted by cool.aquarian

1. TVS Apache
The only things that concern me about this bike are:
- gear-box (false neutral at times etc..)
- vibrations at high speed. (How severe are they actually)
- reliability
- after sales service of TVS.

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ok, lemme clear ur doubts..sicne i'm closely associated with ppl who even made that bike at the factory and i know how good it is. Its nothing but a trusty old fiero with the 5-speed goddie. Do u have any concern about reliability? its a gem of a Japanese made suzuki engine.
1. gearbox - the older verisons of the apache has a slightly shapter angle on the shifter "star" leading to a hard movement of the shifter resulting in some false gears..however now that has been changed to a more rounded one and its shifts as good as the good'ol fiero...
2. vibrations?--whats that? every plastic clad bike will have panel vibes..thats all a general perception is what i feel..i never felt any
3.reliability - we have fieros that have clocked 1,30,000kms with just a ring change...that shows the reliability. I can take a bet on teh service life of teh engine.
4. after sales?--I dont know about ur place, but we have the best back-up from TVS.
soem highlights- The apache sports a shortwheel base which is pften compared with the p150 and unicorn's 1300+mm...but TVS has crafted a flex chassis..which means it gets rigid for straight line stability and flexs for flickability. We have also had drag sessions against the p150,unicorn and cbz...The apache was simply taking them. And that too by the best riders.so no debates here.
Factory has tested the apache to clock 0-60kmph in 5 secs with a good rider which is class leading.
however what i dislike is teh rear styling of the apache, which looks like a hurry-bury job. These are some facts about a good bike.
Never said that unicorn is bad, but thats not my concern here.

[markiv]

I own a Unicorn, and i can tell u that it has the best engine among 150cc bikes. plus great stability at high speeds and a good riding position for long rides.

though if looks matter to you, TVS Apache/Pulsar are the ones

You can check out the HH CBZ xtreme too! being a HH, after sales support and resale should be decent !!

oh and forgot to tell you about the nice and slick gearbox of uni !!
its just a pleasure really, makes other bikes look so crude once you ride the Honda Unicorn !!

though there are no alloys and the oomph factor is missing, its still a classy bike from looks point of view!

[venkatesh_t3]

Originally Posted by cool.aquarian

Hi All,

I need your advice on which bike should i buy............................................... ................................
Keeping all the above points in consideration, Please suggest me a bike from the above or any other bike based on your personal experiences with these bikes..



.
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I have pulsar 150 cc classic one, i have done 40k with it till now absolutely no problem, i have test driven both apache and unicorn

I found unicorn more refined engine very smooth to ride though it does not provide you sporty riding position

Apache looks way better than unicorn, but when comes to smoothness and handling its on top.

Test ride all the bikes, as alen said check out the new pulsar 180 too.

Note from moderator : Kindly avoid quoting entire post.