[Samba]

Originally Posted by sachinnair

My requirements:

1. City Kmpl of at least 40. My bike will be used mostly for city commutes. Hence city riding practicality is important. I am ready to ride something with a 40 kmpl average, but anything below that is going to be a deal breaker.

2. Comfortable cruising ability at 100 kmph. Enough to keep up with a bunch of RE 350s. Vibrations must be at a tolerable level.

My peak choice's for your requirement will be -

1) The good, old and reliable CBR 250!

The seating is perfect for riding in city & highways both. Regarding keeping pace with the RE's, it will be the opposite! The RE rider's will struggle to keep pace with a CBR 250! This bike can comfortably cruise at 100 km/hr for all the day.

2) FZ 250/Fazer250

I personally own this bike. It's awesome in city. Delivers great mileage too. Good for highways. Cruising at 100 km/hr on the highway is easy and relaxed. The only place where it lacks is the topspeed. If you plan to ride at more than 125 km/hr then you should look elsewhere.

For details, you can have a look at my ownership report-
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...oint-view.html (Yamaha FZ25 : An Owner's Point of View)

3) Gixxer 250

I have personally not rode the Gixxer 250, but I have rode the Gixxer 150 and I was impressed. So the 250 should be even better!

As you will be riding on the highways too, i will suggest you to look for a faired bike. The wind blasts are much better controlled.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by sachinnair

1. City Kmpl of at least 40. My bike will be used mostly for city commutes. Hence city riding practicality is important. I am ready to ride something with a 40 kmpl average, but anything below that is going to be a deal breaker.

Realistically speaking you can't opt for anything over 180cc.

Displacement is not always a determinant of FE but relative factors are. Many would go ga-ga about what ARAI claims but better to be realistic on this front.

My best FE on my P220 is 51.5kmpl, at the leanest setting when calculated recently, but at the same time my lowest was 28kmpl at factory setting, both when ridden in mixed conditions, so you see the variance. With a Sub 180cc motorcycle it is unlikely that your FE would drop below 40kmpl as you've mentioned to be your requirement.

2. Comfortable cruising ability at 100 kmph. Enough to keep up with a bunch of RE 350s. Vibrations must be at a tolerable level.

That is an oxymoron.

A UCE 350 can push up to 115kmph, but anything over 90kmph is simply asking for it, even on the UCE 500 my friends key snapped off due to the vibrations at triple digit speeds.

A P180 could run circles around a UCE350 on the highways.

The 200 and 220 cc Pulsars are another option that keep coming up, but owning two Bajaj bikes has made me want to consider other brands.

I've ridden with a friend for around 800km's circa 2015, his was a UCE350 and mine was a P220 off the shelf.

I almost died by falling asleep behind the handlebars from riding at a snails pace so that the UCE 350 could keep pace.

And this is not an isolated incident, another enthusiast from another motorcycling forum had the exact same experience, even both motorcycles were the same.

The P200NS is a highway muncher and riding alongside a UCE is completely out of the picture.

Hope that helps,
Ride Safe.
A.P.

[jkaushik]

Like our fellow bhp-ians have mentioned, the RTR200 4v, the Gixxers, the FZ250s or for that matter almost all the bikes on sale in India currently (except the entry level ones) are good highway and city machines (some slightly better then the others) and will serve your purpose well.
I am saying this with the assumption that you are not a hardcore highway traveller or an aggressive city rider. So it all boils down to your personal preference.
Some might not like the eccentric KTMs and for them the FZ250 makes more sense. Etc.
I suggest you shortlist a few bikes, maybe 3-4 and take test rides on each of them and compare the ergonomics, riding position, pillion comfort etc and then decide. But if you choose to buy a more premium and powerful bike than your v15, then you FE expectation might take a hit.
Anyway, its an exciting dilema to have on which bike to choose. Enjoy.

[ravradha]

The least cost solution to this optimization problem with the following constraints

More than 40 KMPL
Good for city commutes
Good for highway
Can do ~200 Kms at a attach @100 KMPH
Good quality

gives one clear solution. RTR 160 4V FI twin disc, single channel ABS.

Please knock this choice out before choosing any other.

[vsbabu]

I have similar requirements and I use RE 350; FE is about 32-35kmpl in Bangalore traffic (I think - have not measured that much), fairly easy to drive and specifically unchallenged by new potholes that come up every other day in Bangalore; good riding position. Once in a while, weekend drives are also good - I stick go max 90kmph since beyond that the handlebar vibrations are a bit troublesome and most of my rides are very early in the morning - it is nice to be slow then. Servicing has been fine once I found a decent place - it also helps that my driving is very less; 4 days to office continuously, once a month; that's all. Have clocked 10000km after 6 years of ownership.

Still, I am considering replacing this towards end of the year. Only reason being the weight. When I get stuck in a traffic jam in an incline, it is a pain to keep it from rolling though I can keep both my feet on ground due to low-ish height. Plus once I had to push because the one cable broke and I literally saw stars.

Suzuki GX 150 on the other hand ticks all the boxes. Considering GX 250 seriously as a replacement.

[TheRajput]

Thanks for starting this thread. Even I am in the same boat and looking for a bike since months. Used to ride a CL 350 but sold it a few months back due to reliability issues. Got a new job and my daily commute is of 50 kms in Mumbai which I'm doing by my car currently but I really am not willing to drive in peak traffic during evening so looking for a comfortable commuter and occasional cruiser. My budget is 1.2 Lakhs and have shortlisted the XPulse 200. Is it a good decision?

[atnyia]

I would suggest to at least checkout Gixxer 250. I have Gixxer 155 since 2014. It's perhaps the best thing on city roads and the twisties. The FE is 45-50 in city traffic, with high degree of consistency and irrespective of how I ride.
It doesn't like wind blasts ( I have the naked one). Brake progress is slow. The first problem goes away in Gixxer 250 but the second one doesn't.
Also, not sure if people mentioned Mojo, which seemed to be an all purpose great bike. I rode pillion to my friend on that in city. It was awesome with good acceleration, big seats and big brakes.

Take a test ride.

[Ibanez_70]

I have been in the same dilemma since months now. I took a test ride of RTR 200 4V and FZ25 since it finally boiled down to these two considering my riding style. Most probably I will be going for the FZ25 since it's more refined and the riding position is relaxed. It somehow has a big bike feel to it while riding. It definitely will give you 35kmpl I feel, but it can give you up to 40kmpl if you ride it well. If you still require more mileage you can go for the RTR 200. The RTR is a practical all rounder that will keep you happy and it's a reliable machine too.

[Sk8r]

Any suggestions, BHPians?

Hello Buddy, I was in your shoes a couple of years back and my requirements were exactly the same including the location ( Chennai ) ! My daily commute is around 40 kms. I took TD of
1) Dominar : It was a bit too heavy for my liking and usage ( 90 % Chennai Traffic ). The refinement was not at it's best
2) FZ 25 : It was super refined and the vibrations until 70 KMPH was almost NIL and that was enough for my kind of usage. Post 70 kmph vibrations creep in gradually
3) Duke 250 : Great power and handling in the city, but somehow I felt it doesn't my office going avatar - Business Formals and an orange/ Black bike

Finally, I ended up buying Yamaha Fz 25.

ODO as on date : 22500
Mileage : 40 KMPL

Experience Satisfaction Index :
Bike - Great
Delivery : Bad
Service : Bad

[Debashis_1]

Nice Thread. Even I will be curious to find out what bike @Sachin will be choosing. Since few BHPians have favored Hero Xpulse 200T, I'll share my experience with Hero CBZ extreme (erstwhile Hero Honda).
My CBZ Xtreme is 9 years old 54000 on speedo. I believe Hero Xpulse 200T uses similar/same engine block as Hunk and CBZ Xtreme. The bike is good in all respect and can do 75 km/hr without any major vibrations (Highest Speed 115 km/hr.). So just assuming Xpulse 200T can push 90 without any trouble.
Negatives:
1. Servicing… Yes, you read it right. Several Hero service centers have vanished from Bengaluru (At least my area).
2. Carburetor engine is a big pain in neck during cold start.
My recommendation
1. Please find a FI motorcycle engine for peace of mind.
2. Since you are already using 150 cc motorcycle, I would recommend going for higher capacity motorcycle (200-250 will be ideal). However, the 40 kmpl mileage could be a bottleneck.
3. Choose a bike whose aftersales service are good and available nearby.
4. Yamaha FZ 25 and Fazer 250 looks very promising in my opinion.


Hope this helps

[Swap_Abarth]

Considering all your requirements FZ25 fits the bill. It is frugal, well built and priced well too. It can cruise at 100/kph all day along. In city or on highway it will serve you well. The other good option is, old but reliable CBR250. Fully faired bike will give you better wind protection on highways.
FZ25 and CBR250 are adequetly powered for Indian roads. Though service experience could be hit or miss. But these are ultra reliable.
If you want something small (read smaller displacement) and fun, take a test ride of MT15.

[Memnon]

I am also in a similar position.
On paper the Xtreme 200S seems like a good proposition along with Xpulse 200T. I think as these are tuned for city riding mileage should be around 40 as you require.
- Good lower end and midrange torque
- Good seat
- Rider adjustable suspension which is softly tuned in stock form for Xtreme 200S, not sure about 200T
- Very good pricing

But all this is on paper.
When I called the nearest Bangalore dealer who is already quiet far away, he says test drives won't be given due to high demand and that he has delivered many bikes already and there are many orders waiting.
But I have not seen a single one on the road so far! So I am not sure what is going on.

Due to this I am considering Yamaha Fzs V3 and Gixxer 155 both of them are now around 1.25Lacs on road in Bangalore!

[Zinda]

Dont see too many votes for Dominar - but I will share my view here.
2 years back I was in same dilemma after selling off my 12 years old Avenger. I needed something which is easily maneuverable and returns decent economy in the City, and could do Highway duties too. Bit reluctantly bought the then-newly launched Dominar.

My experience -
City (+):
Street fighter design helps in Maneuverable
Good punch helps in gaining quick speed from standstills
Returns a decent 30 kmpl
Twin Channel ABS
Slipper Clutch helps quick moves
Attractive looks + DRLs get attention

City (-):
Can be problematic for relatively short height riders
No main stand
B2B traffic fries your legs


Highway (+):
Can do legal highway speeds (and a bit more) all day - I have done some good speeds too but it isnt appropriate to post it here. Not to boast, but to highlight the good power on tap
GOOD BREAKING - ABS helps
LED High and Low beams
Exhaust note with spirited riding - I earned a fan at McD Shoolagiri who asked me to rev it once more

Highway (-):
Anemic horn
Spirited riding dents economy figures (~26-28 kmph) - returns ~32-33 otherwise
Wind Blast tires you more than anything else
Somehow I have failed to get that Perfect Posture - maybe need to add extra cushioning and handlebar raisers.


Overall I believe its well spend ~Rs. 1.9L 2 years back, and the Machine ticks all necessary boxes for me.

Notes -
My ride breakup is 80% city and 20% highway (Occasional breakfast runs primarily)
All economy figures are measured by Tankful to tankful method

[MadRasTan4986]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Finally, I ended up buying Yamaha Fz 25.

ODO as on date : 22500
Mileage : 40 KMPL

Experience Satisfaction Index :
Bike - Great
Delivery : Bad
Service : Bad

Hi Sk8r
Just curious, since I'm a FZ25 owner as well:
Where did you procure your bike?
where are you getting your Bike serviced?

I have had no issues with my services so far.

[MadRasTan4986]

Originally Posted by sachinnair

My requirements:

1. City Kmpl of at least 40. My bike will be used mostly for city commutes. Hence city riding practicality is important. I am ready to ride something with a 40 kmpl average, but anything below that is going to be a deal breaker.

2. Comfortable cruising ability at 100 kmph. Enough to keep up with a bunch of RE 350s. Vibrations must be at a tolerable level.

Hi Sachin

I side with most of the folks who have suggested the FZ25. Being an owner myself I can vouch for it's versatility and reliability. Especially now since they have updated it with dual channel ABS and changed the exhaust pipe to a stainless steel one that hopefully won't rust as much as the gen 1.
It's a frugal and fun bike, with good comfort for rider and pillion. I'd suggest you take a test drive on the same. Being a Yamaha services are very reasonable and nicely spaced out. Not a big fan of the Fazer25 especially of it's looks, and frankly the fairing and added weight don't do it justice.

Other options you can consider

The Apache 160/200 could also serve your purpose well.

Gixxer SF250 or wait for the naked variant to come out and get that.

Also if you are patient, maybe get a Jawa. But too much uncertainty with the brand now but it is a wonderful bike to ride.