[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

I hate using the Versys in Bangalore on a daily basis.

True. And I wonder what's the need to?

Unlike cars where most families have / can afford only one - motorcycles can be had for multiple roles.

I absolutely see no need to take the Versys out to office everyday. Forget traffic and all - just the thought of the congested parking space at office is enough to dissuade me.

Will anyday take the Punto to office instead.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

I love the motorcycle on the highways and mountains though. Since I'm not a family man, riding helps me...almost meditate.

And i can assure you that this meditation is even more important for a family man.

The car doesnt even come close in terms of the highway / weekend experience.

[djpeesh]

Let's add some perspective here.

One of my best friends has a Honda CB1000, a Honda Blackbird, a Harley Heritage and now my Bonneville.

Guess what's his daily ride? One of two Activas (His wife rides the other). On weekends, they take the big bikes for a spin to Pavel for vadapav and Chai. The rest of the week, everything is covered up.

In the crowded streets of Bandra, there's absolutely nothing like an Activa.


As for meditation I can attest to the fact that riding on the highway and watching the sun rise is what kept me sane for the last couple of years.

[anilp]

There are multiple reasons behind this trend:

(1) The initial USP of big bikes is over now that you see so many of them on the roads. Not a big deal to own one more. Earlier, it had huge amounts of flaunt value for many wannabe bikers.
(2) It's still a huge pain to justify spending so many big ones to immediate family. If you look at most of the catchy options, they are still north of 8 lakhs (which is mid size sedan territory). The comfortable spending space between four lakh to six lakh still lacks enough options. The last time I discussed this at home, my wife told me to go ahead and buy one if I can justify letting it mostly rust in our parking spot. The reality is that most owners I know use their motorcycles for just one or two weekend rides a month. That's why the classified columns are still full of big bikes with four digit mileage figures on the clock.
(3) Increasing maturity and understanding about what it takes to own (and ride) a big motorcycles is yet another reason why many prospective buyers are opting to settle for lower capacity machines which are capable enough for 90% of Indian conditions. Apart from the cost differential, there are also inconveniences attached to big motorcycles such as heating up in traffic, high servicing costs, issues with parking in public places due to people fiddling with them, and most importantly lack of time (and roads) to ride these machines properly.

There are enough lower priced options that can handle all these and more. For example, most 200 cc+ motorcycles available now can cruise all day at speeds above 90 Kph. This proves sufficient for most riders.

To cite a personal example, I picked up a KTM 390 Duke in 2013. The idea was to use it as a bridge machine, and upgrade to a bigger motorcycle in the next couple of years. The cost to value equation is still not tempting enough for me to upgrade to a brand new big machine so far. My motorcycle (as well as equivalent options from Kawasaki, TVS, etc) proves capable enough for most of my requirements.

For me, track days happen regularly (at least three to four track days a year), touring (at least one long ride every month), and small rides have been regular occurrences over the past five years. A regular service with oil change is in the region of Rs 3000-4000, and except for splurging on pricey tyre options, it's been a great value for money ownership experience. The only time I end up wishing for a higher capacity motorcycle is while touring on boring long stretches like the NH4 stretch post Belgaum.

Parts are dirt cheap, and the service centres are available across India. Even if I crash the motorcycle, fixing it will cost one-fifth of what an equivalent 600 CC+ motorcycle will cost. For example, replacing the starter motor on a Triumph Tiger 800 costs in the Rs 50,000/- range.

Do I plan to upgrade? Yes, but it'll definitely be a pre-owned big bike rather than buying one fresh off the shelf. This is because five years of owning a powerful motorcycle which has enough power to weight ratio has convinced me that a 650 CC+ motorcycle will end up being a weekend ride for me.

I might as well let someone else take the depreciation hit...

[timuseravan]

Reading through this thread, whatever maybe the other reasons but one thing is clear: Duke 390 has murdered big bikes in India

I wonder if Bajaj/KTM realized this and so have refused to launch anything with higher capacity.

[The Great]

Originally Posted by timuseravan

Duke 390 has murdered big bikes in India

Absolutely agree, but if the RE Interceptor/ CGT is priced near about 3/3.5 that will be a game changer too IMO.

This might turn the >500 cc sales.

It has the tech + necessary safety features, the current RE wave and if they price it right then in my opinion it will be a hot seller.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by timuseravan

Reading through this thread, whatever maybe the other reasons but one thing is clear: Duke 390 has murdered big bikes in India

I wonder if Bajaj/KTM realized this and so have refused to launch anything with higher capacity.

The cup is half full... The cup is half empty. It all depends on how you see it.

You say Duke 390 has absolutely murdered big bike scene in India. But many joining the scene fresh are upgraders from previous gen Dukes. Duke 390 has totally bridged the gap in performance and atleast a small percentage of these numbers will upgrade eventually. That's a big promise to the industry.

More people are likely to upgrade from a Duke 390 to a Z900 / STripple than the earlier years from they had to make a huge jump from the likes of a Pulsar or Karizma.

Reason why even Bajaj is getting ready with 790 / Triumph partnership etc.

Originally Posted by The Great

Absolutely agree, but if the RE Interceptor/ CGT is priced near about 3/3.5 that will be a game changer too IMO.

This might turn the >500 cc sales.

It has the tech + necessary safety features, the current RE wave and if they price it right then in my opinion it will be a hot seller.

RE priced at 3.5L will give a boost to HD too, if they play the cards wise enough. A Harley Davidson Street 500 priced closer to a Royal Enfield could attract atleast a small percentage of those prospective buyers.