[sainyamk95]

Originally Posted by 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.

Well, I really don't think the Himalayan is meant for shorter riders. It has one of the highest seats on the lower side of ₹3L.
Also, it costs around 2L on road, and he has mentioned his budget as half that amount.

[GutsyGibbon]

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.

If you are a conservative rider, you will probably stay away from situations that need hard braking that would lock up your wheels on your own. Traffic could still cause you to do some hard braking, but you need to build some skill to lock up your wheels and dragon in a straight line. ABS is not really going to help you in dealing with someone hitting/crashing into you.

If the Avenger strikes a chord with your heart, seat height, budget, looks, riding style, you should not strike it off completely because of ABS. Sure if there was an avenger with ABS, you should certainly get that. Lacking which you should still consider getting it, and dealing with the lack of ABS.

Talk to conservative riders (not aggressively riding teens) about how many times they have locked up their brakes where an ABS would have helped, and then make up your mind.

I am saying all this because I bought a bike without ABS, when I clearly wanted one with ABS. I don't regret making that choice.

[amiya.c]

Shifu, mate, I would say that you have done your homework well. If you cannot ignore ABS and want to stick close to Rs1 lakh budget then you have only 2 choices and you have listed them out already:
1: apache RTR 200 4V ABS
2: Gixxer ABS

The apache comes with Dual channel ABS, I am not sure about the Gixxer.
Both bikes are very good and you may not regret your decision at all. Apache 200 does have a better performance and will thrill you every now and then, Gixxer on the other hand is one of the best bikes to flick around in the city, but has small seat for the pillion.
If I would have been in your place then I would have gone for the Apache 200 ABS, it really looks and feels more exciting, and yes, forget about the vibrations in the 160 4V and 200 4V, TVS has done a remarkable job in these bikes.

About your dilemma of getting the same old feel of Enticer by going with the Avenger, I would say, try something new, these bikes are incredible.

But on Avenger your better half would feel way safer than these Naked Street Monsters

All the best!

[vittalnrv]

Eyes closed, pls go for avenger 220 street. I have owned all kinds of bikes , eliminator, shogun, unicorn, pulsar, fz, n650 and currently hayabusa. For your height, avenger is best suited and comfortable as well. Plush ride and packs some performance as well.

So many folks suggest apache, but will definitely not age well.

[NSK123]

Originally Posted by shifu

Hello guys,
I need a bike that takes me from home to office, and back. Pretty much a commuter. But would like some thrill that takes care of the mid-life crisis. NVH should be well handled. Atleast till 80-90kmph. That is probably the max speed I will ever go at. Even on my car (Vento TSI), I rarely cross 100kmph.

Due to heavy traffic, I have moved from Car to Bike. I initially tried with Honda Dio, then to, Honda CBR 150R, then to Aprilia SR 150, and now Thunder Bird 350 (with a rear top box to dump my helmet, gloves etc.).

While moving from Car to Bike, the most important one to consider I think is the comfort. Chose a bike from driving comfort perspective. Based on my experience, I think Suzuki Intruder, Bajaj Avenger or RE ThunderBird might suit your requirement. They provide leg front & upright seating position - which will be very relaxing while driving. These bikes comes with Tube type & Tubeless variants. Better to pick Tubeless. Another new one to look for could be Suzuki Burgman 125 (I haven't tried this).

While FZ / Gixer and other street bikes are comfortable to sit, the legs are folded back, the seating position and the engine sound make you rev more and drive fast - that's what they are built for.

This is just my personal opinion - not to criticize any bikes - each will have its own pros & cons.

[shifu]

Thanks for all the responses! The choices being offered are overwhelming, to say the least .

----
There are too many posts to quote individually, so replying in general -

* Is ABS really needed? - Short answer, yes. I might never use it in the city, but I am ready to pay for it and make sure I have a bike that is safer compared to a bike that doesn't have.

* Why don't I buy an automatic scooter - I am more inclined towards a proper bike. However, the NTorq and Aprilia 150 do stay in contention. Will probably check them out. The new Burgman does look interesting, but it looks more like an scooty that has come out from a gym (all muscular body).

----

I haven't done any test rides yet. Will probably go over the weekend. But yes, heart is kind of sold on Avenger 220. And given that one with ABS should be out in a short period of time, I am thinking that I will probably wait for it. I'll probably buy something pre-owned for the next 6 months or so, and then buy a new Avenger 220 with ABS.

Still thinking. If there are more suggestions, please continue to pour...

[Red Liner]

Raise your budget, get a loan and go OUT AND GET THE NEW NINJA 300! What a stonker of a price!

Stop haranguing with the geysers here! YOLO Man!

[trakesht]

Originally Posted by shifu

I haven't done any test rides yet. Will probably go over the weekend. But yes, heart is kind of sold on Avenger 220. And given that one with ABS should be out in a short period of time, I am thinking that I will probably wait for it. I'll probably buy something pre-owned for the next 6 months or so, and then buy a new Avenger 220 with ABS.

Still thinking. If there are more suggestions, please continue to pour...

All the best for the avenger. My wife and I have been using it for almost 8 years. If she can handle it (5'2), I'm sure you can.

Couple of points though
1) the rear wheel tends to lock up really easy

2) not recommended to go above 80kph
3) pillion seat is not the most comfy
4) it does make you drive in a much more sedate manner, because of the relatively stable stance and higher turning radius
5) while the suspension is good for speed breakers, it's not that great with potholes.

[knightrider_7]

I would never say you should overlook ABS. Buy the one with atleast a single channel ABS.

I urge you to do test drives of the following bikes, and then decide.

1. TVS Apache RTR 180 ABS
2. Suzuki Gixxer 150 ABS
3. Honda CB Hornet 160R ABS
4. Hero Xtreme 200R
5. Suzuki Intruder (Just take a test drive, even if you don't like the looks)

These are the ones within your budget (except Intruder). Before considering the other suggestions, please have a test drive of all of the above.

[VivOverland]

Originally Posted by shifu

I would really like to have ABS in my bike. It might appear to be an overkill for city driving, but I would like to use the best of the technology that's available today.

You are absolutely right to want ABS, which is an essential safety feature anywhere in the world. I lost my knee ligament (ACL) when my Royal Enfield slipped under sudden braking, at just 60kph (no ABS).

On an aside, scooters are ridiculously easy to slide, there is no telescope to absorb full load transfer to the front, under sudden braking.

However, small wheels are meant for inner city maneuverability, and not long distance higher speed (+60kph) cruising. Point and scoot, is what scooters are made for! Motorcycles aren't as easy to move around in the city (depends on your base point; negligible difference as you're moving from a car).

At the risk of howls of protest from the 'Indian traffic is unique' brigade; sharing some perspective from an Italian American who's used a Vespa and a Moto Guzzi in NYC, hope this helps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqar4y8pvv0

[shifu]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Raise your budget, get a loan and go OUT AND GET THE NEW NINJA 300! What a stonker of a price!

Thanks to your suggestion, I did stop by the Kawasaki showroom on Sunday. Missus wanted some alone time, so had to make sure I make the lil one finish his homework, and took him along with the incentive of making him sit on some 'green' bikes.

You have ignited something that I can't get off my mind. They don't give the bikes for test ride on Sun, so couldn't ride it. But I was able to sit on the display bike and guess what, my legs touched the ground!

The only fly in the ointment is the price. Its 3 times my budget. I know the whole "you-live-only-once" drill. That is what made me spend 13 big ones on the Vento TSI. But the sane mind won't get overridden by the heart again. Unless I hit a lottery or something .

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Stop haranguing with the geysers here! YOLO Man!

I have no idea what this means!

[hserus]

Originally Posted by shifu

I have no idea what this means!

I suppose he meant geezers or old men rather than geysers or water heaters / those Yellowstone hot springs. And "You Only Live Once" so don't worry about the cash and enjoy life.

[shifu]

Sorry to hear about your ACL tear. Hope you have recovered from it. Missus had the exact same injury 15 years back when her bike skid on sand that was on the road.

While I am not claiming that ABS is the mother of all solutions for making the bike 100% safe on road, I want to make sure I have it on the bike. If I use it even once in the entire time I own it, I would consider it worth it.

Originally Posted by VivOverland

At the risk of howls of protest from the 'Indian traffic is unique' brigade; sharing some perspective from an Italian American who's used a Vespa and a Moto Guzzi in NYC, hope this helps

This video is nice! It might or might not be relevant to the Indian context, but one thing that did strike a note was the fact that a motorcycle gets more respect than a scooter on road. I also have a Nano at home, and that is an analogy I can relate to. Many times I have noticed that somebody who would have otherwise waited if I was driving another car, doesn't think twice before cutting right in front of me. He probably doesn't know about the spongy brakes of the Nano .

This kind of seals it. It is going to be a motorcycle, not a scooter.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by shifu

This video is nice! It might or might not be relevant to the Indian context, but one thing that did strike a note was the fact that a motorcycle gets more respect than a scooter on road.

Good to see that you've decided on opting for a Motorcycle over a Scooter, plus it justifies your requirement for safety.

Though not exactly to the point regarding "respect on the road" I just had to share this bit;

The less informed being a majority raised in the typical Indian household setup having spent a majority of their impressionable years by the side of their mothers tend to co-relate respect with bling and it is a sad thing that the same conditioning extends to all aspects of their lives even road manners for that matter.

But fact is that there is nothing as "bad-ass" as riding a scooter, the level of risk involved and the dedication required to haul miles on it is something that I still find difficult to comprehend.

Plus, from experience, they may or may not recall the dude who strolled in on a super sport or liter class, but they sure as earth would remember the guy who rolled in on a Scooter.



Among the 80 or so riders who showed up I was the only one on a scooter and the following year when the meetup spot was within my home state a couple of riders some even from other states rolled in on Scooters and came up to have a chat with me though this time I was on my Bajaj CT100B having totaled my TVS Wego.

The new banner and T-shirts also included a rider on a scooter among motorcycles!



And let me tell you, knowing I influenced so much change and opened up minds in the motorcycling community made up for the years of disrespect from the less informed, some who still make fun of me for buying a 10k helmet while riding a 30k motorcycle, all the while using 500/- helmets and 30k phones.

So in the end go with what makes you happy, those who matter wont be bothered and those bothered would most likely be those who don't matter.

Ride Safe.
A.P.

[farhadtarapore]

I also attended a bike rally held in Mumbai some time back. There were Panigales, multistradas, triumphs, enfields, exotic vintage bikes, etc.

And me and my boy on Suzuki Access 125.