[sandeepmohan]

Consider the Honda CB Hornet 160R. I recommend this motorcycle for a few things. One is refinement that is hands down the best I have experienced on any of these small capacity motorcycles. Has a comfortable riding stance that is suitable for the city cycle and the occasional highway sprint. The comfort and stability of the mono shock suspension is a well know fact right from the Unicorn days (I owned one too). Reliability is a given with a Honda.

There is only one real problem with this Honda. It lacks excitement when you give it the beans. It'll move but without drama.

As much as I am a TVS fan, I am not convinced even today of the quality and longevity of their motorcycles. That is my only reason to not recommend them.

The Bajaj Avenger is a nightmare to use in the city. While the low seating will impress (Very comfortable too), the heavy steering won't.

The Suzuki Gixxer would be my pick from your list.

[keshav1426]

The Burgman Street 125cc is in showrooms now. You might want to have a look.

[nishsingh]

For all bikers looking to buy a bike for midlife crisis, I would like to quote Emily Dickinson -

" The Heart wants what it wants - or else it does not care"

Go for the motorcycle you want (I guess it's probably the Apache RTR 2004V ABS Variant)

[groom]

Originally Posted by shifu

* Avenger 220 - My heart is on this bike. Partly because it reminds me about my Enticer, and partly because my legs are able to reach the ground while I am seated on the bike. LOL. Unfortunately, this doesn't have ABS.

Any other suggestions?

Avenger will soon get a make over and with the make over will also get a 1ch ABS. So if you wait a little (3months or so) you might get what your heart wants and still be able to convince yourself about the machine's safety.

In addition, you need to invest in a good safety gear. There is no compromise here. Doesnt matter how safe the machine is, the safety gear is what saves you at the end, off course the machine's safety is vital too.

[_nitink_]

I think ABS should not be the only security criteria. CBS brakes offered on many two wheelers also provide decent performance. We have a Honda Activa since past 4 years. I have driven it on most of the surfaces including the shiny cement roads. I have been into emergency braking conditions many times but the wheels never locked. I just make sure that I adjust the brakes according to my needs as I was never satisfied with the adjustments made by the service centre guys.

[MuthuSB]

Originally Posted by shifu

So far I have listed -

* Apache RTR 160
* Suzuki Gixxer
* Apache RTR 200
* Avenger 220 - My heart is on this bike. Partly because it reminds me about my Enticer, and partly because my legs are able to reach the ground while I am seated on the bike. LOL. Unfortunately, this doesn't have ABS.

Any other suggestions?

I have owned 2 of the four bikes you have listed, and it seems that Suzuki Gixxer is a no-brainer choice for me if I would have to spend my one lakh.

Let me explain.

* Apache RTR 160 - Bike is good, great handling and riding dynamics, but has vibration felt in high speeds, and this can become tiresome, also, I hear many complain of back pain after owning the bike for long.

* Suzuki Gixxer - Best bike of the lot, in terms of power, driveability, handling, ABS (no dual channel though), and bang for the buck. Also I still own this bike. This is from my personal experience.

* Apache RTR 200 - Same as the RTR 160, Great dual channel ABS, but expensive than the Gixxer, and vibrations felt post 80kmph and this can get you tired easily.

* Avenger 220 - I used to own one, and since you have ABS as an important requirement, I would suggest not to go for this. And eventhough this bike has a comfortable seating position, I felt the ride being tiresome after long drives, than when compared to Gixxer. Again, this is just my opinion.

Anyways, all the best on your planned purchase.

[su1978]

I have gone thru each and every post of all the members on this thread and have reached the conclusion that your primary requirement is of ABS. Also one other point that you have mentioned above is the fact that you do not want a two wheeler which appears to be more of a teenagers choice. This clarifies few things. Firstly, you will not be driving very fast and would be more of a sedate driver. So this clarifies that u will not be doing any harsh braking. So what is the need of ABS. Secondly, you need a cruiser and not a street motorcycle. So Avenger 220 should suffice the purpose. Owing to its low seat height, lesser weight and well sorted out proportions, it is fairly easy to handle and the braking duties are done pretty nicely by the disc and drum on front & rear respectively. This also falls within your bucket and maintenance is pretty cheap. As for Suzuki intruder, personally speaking(without any offence to the owners), the bike does not seem well proportioned. The body is huge but the tyres are so thin. Upper half seems like an over inflated balloon and lower half seems like cycle.

In case u want a long distance touring machine, then Royal Enfield Classic 350 should be your choice. The amount of customization this bike can take is unbelievable. Your presence on road and the character this bike displays is really immaculate. This is a bike not for teenagers or young and vibrant but for mature riders who would like to ride sedately and calmly. All the while i say this, please do not underestimate the power and torque of this beast. Am sure that you are also the sort of person who would want to display the same. The sheer number of Royal Enfields on road would do justice my statement above. And 99.99% of the time, i have seen matured riders on this bike.

[Subby]

I suggest you to go for Bajaj Avenger 220 street. It suits perfectly to your requirements sans ABS. I personally used this bike for more than 5 years and appreciate its following characteristics.

Big bike like feel with classic cruiser like design. They updated design in recent past.
Very comfortable seat with low saddle height.
Smooth 220 cc engine with good torque till 75-80 km/hr speed. After that there is some vibration, but not that harsh and can be easily ignored.
Good brake with more than enough bite at front wheel.
Good service network and easy availability of spares.
Manoeuvering is not that difficult when one gets used to its riding dynamics.
Fuel efficiency would be around 35 kms/litre in city.

Only annoying thing I experienced that speedo cable used to give up in every 1500 -2000 kms.

PS: Addressing to your fear, I never had a fall in all these 5 years. You can have your feet firmly on the ground due to low saddle height.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

Like a few of the members suggested here, i would vote in favour of the Aprilia twins and the NTorq.

All three of them are almost bike like and have a lot going for them. Decent storage area is one big plus that I see as compared to the bikes.

Though these scooters can do decent speeds, I personally feel only lack of abs should not be a deciding factor. In stop go city traffic how much speed can one manage? I am not taking away anything from the fact that any safety equipment is always an added advantage and can sometimes be life savers as well. Yet, for city traffic, I am not sure how much of it will really be useful?

[emkay.india]

Originally Posted by shifu

My commute would be around 8-10kms.

I'm gonna suggest you something different considering your commute distance. I suggest you to get a good bicycle to cover this distance even if it's one way to your office. You won't sweat much for this distance and it'll be a great cardio exercise. If this is your total distance to/fro your office then don't look any further and get a bicycle.

If you really need a motorcycle the Yamaha FZ S/16 will do wonders. It'll suit your height/weight and handles like a wonder. Even without ABS the bike stops at your whim and the engine is a proven one. You can't go wrong with this.

[Jeevith]

Originally Posted by shifu

I am going to have an interesting weekend test-driving

Considering you liked the Gixxer and the Avenger, might I suggest the Intruder. If the looks of said bike are palatable, my guess is that this would suit you best (low ride height and all).

Also think this serves the mid-life crisis best!!!

[avishar]

Do not get too caught up with ABS. Since there are a myriad of ways in which one can have an accident on a two-wheeler, I hope you have also included in your budget the costs of a decent riding gear and a helmet.

I would still suggest to consider an automatic scooter. Something like the Burgman that was launched today, or the N-Torq. They are comfortable, they zip through traffic and N-Torq even sounds good! It would also allay your wife's fear about you riding around in a two-wheeler, since family members tend to look at scooters to be slower and safer. (Neither of which is necessarily true!)

Even if is easier to skid, the arc with which you will fall is much less for scooter and your chances of catching it is better, is it not?

Also I feel scooters give me way more confidence when slamming the brakes thanks to its low center of gravity, the weight over the rear due to the engine, and the weight over the front because of the short distance between the front tyre and your sitting position of the rider.

[jassi_jeeper]

Despite your height and weight I would suggest a Royal Enfield. I am 36 and a father of 2. I just dont ride my Bullet but CAN NOT part with it. The brotherhood , clubbing is unmatched. No harley no triumph can match it. Kids and oldies from all walks of life are hooked to royal enfield.

[Red Liner]

Get the latest gen Himalayan. Will suit your purposes very well, has a good low seat height, very comfy, and feels safe on the road because its bigger. The downside is no ABS. I would recommend waiting until the ABS law kicks in next year.

[emkay.india]

Adding to the previous post I'm 37 and father of 2 too. I got my wife to gift me a R15S last year I simply don't feel like riding another motorcycle after experiencing the handling prowess of this mean machine. And of course R15 kind of justifies my need as I travel ~60 kms in round-trip to my work place.

I take my wife's Yamaha Alpha to drop my kid at the school and trust me I do get scared when cutting through traffic or taking sharp corners which I handle like a dream in my R15. You're right in your decision to choose a bike over a scooter and I strongly suggest to stay with it.