[born.4thnov]

Have you considered Yamaha MT-15. I personally liked the look of it.

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[Urban_Nomad]

You haven't mentioned if he's open to looking at pre owned. The Duke 390 makes for INCREDIBLE value. You can get one for Less than a lakh. The 2017 models, 5 K kms can be had sub 1.5 lac. No bike comes close to the value on offer

The pillion thing... Give it time. "Most" womenfolk would say they want to head out on long rides as a pillion, but that usually dies down very soon. Like with everything else, there are exceptions. For now, buy a gel seat that can be strapped on or get one made to your specifications. Use when required and get it off when going solo

Also

Originally Posted by Stribog

pillion comfort is apparently a must), and has the following requirements,

Tourer type vehicles are ruled out on account of personal preference.

The 2 statements kinda contradict each other... no?

All the best

[Vibhanshu0923]

I would recommend the RE Himalayan FI. The fuel injected version has ironed out the niggles of the earlier models and it fits right into your relative's budget. It ticks almost all the requirements listed by you.

1. It is a very comfortable motorcycle for tall folks. I'm 5'10 and on my recent Ladakh trip, i felt that it could easily accommodate taller frames.
2. The bike is not tough to handle in the city traffic. In fact the height proves to a boon while negotiating traffic. Not to mention the excellent ride quality that helps tackle the potholes and rough roads your relative
3. might encounter on his highway trips.
4. I believe the Himalayan has one of the most comfortable pillion seats in the business further amplified by the ride comfort on offer. I recently did a Manali-Leh trip on the Himalayan and the pillion was all praises for the pillion seat during the long hauls on non-existent roads
5. Fuel economy is satisfactory for a machine of this class and should easily return 25-30 kmpl under most riding circumstances. The engine too is adequately powered for cruising on the highways.
6. The only possible deterrent could be the earlier Himalayan's notorious reliability reputation. But with the introduction of fuel injection, most of the niggles have been sorted and the rental Himalayans during our 12 day Ladakh expedition did not need an ounce of attention during the trip.

An icing on the cake is the luggage carrying capacity of the bike that is a real boon on the highway runs. I would recommend a test ride of the Himalayan to your relative before making his decision.

[jd10ent]

Dominar any day of the week. Have been using one for over 2 years now, commuting to office 30%, short weekend rides (200-400kms) 30% and 40% long tours. It ticks all boxes. I do a 30kms round-trip for office commute sometimes and do face heavy traffic (Pune) - no heating issues. I'm sure the 2019 Dominar also has none although my 2018 version is SOHC vs. the DOHC of 2019.
It's a pleasure to ride and is super comfortable, stable and exciting on the highway. It's bulk is easily manageable, and I say this after using a RE for 3 years prior to that.
Pillion comfort is ok-ok.
Mileage is between 25-30 but if you ride at unspeakable speeds regularly expect it to dip to 22-23 kmpl.

[Sheel]

It would be great if your relative would test ride few bikes, have a feel of them and update over here.

Plenty of bikes in that range and tons of choices, I mean, you can't go wrong with Gixxer-250, Interceptor, Dominar or even the KTM.

A test ride and having a feel of them at a sales outlet will give him better vibes, so I would suggest that.

[Stribog]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

You haven't mentioned if he's open to looking at pre owned. The Duke 390 makes for INCREDIBLE value. You can get one for Less than a lakh. The 2017 models, 5 K kms can be had sub 1.5 lac. No bike comes close to the value on offer

Tried to get him to do that, even suggested a used Santro or Alto but his folks ruled out 2nd hand vehicles entirely. Sad but that sentiment is very strong still in our country.

Originally Posted by Vibhanshu0923

I would recommend the RE Himalayan FI. The fuel injected version has ironed out the niggles of the earlier models and it fits right into your relative's budget. It ticks almost all the requirements listed by you.
.

We actually did do a test drive but he felt that city traffic would be a chore to manage in a bike that size. Are you sure it is not a concern.

General update

Apparently Suzuki have stopped selling Bs4 models. Only whatever is in stock.

We have test driven the Gixer naked and faired version, Himalayan, since we were there, the RE 350 (both rejected by his SO, and I did like the 350 but his call), to be done post pongal the Yamahas and Dominar.

Will post back here for final thoughts.

Thanks all and Happy Pongal

[sachinnair]

Happy Pongal

As someone else had suggested, please consider the Hero XPulse 200T. The Xpulse is a tourer, and the 200T is, according to Hero, a "modern retro". Which means it is a regular commuter shaped bike. But with 200cc and FI, it ticks most of the boxes your relative is looking for. One thing going for it is a very practical and comfortable commuter seat. And since it is a Hero, and the base platform Xtreme has been around for a bit. So reliability, service and parts even in small towns should not be a big problem.

Actually, unless there is a strong reason not to, why not consider the high end Pulsars and the Avengers?

I own a Gixxer 250 naked. Again, ticks all the boxes, except for pillion seat comfort. But if this dude is one going biking on weekends and all, then the "someone" may want to ride along as well. If "someone" has a sense of adventure, average height and no arthritis, then the pillion seat is manageable.

If he can wait for a month or two, I guess he should look out for the BS6 lineup from all the manufacturers. RE is promising things, TVS Zepplin is waiting in the wings, Avenger 400, and I'm not sure what else is there.

[Skidrow]

Originally Posted by sachinnair

Happy Pongal

As someone else had suggested, please consider the Hero XPulse 200T. The Xpulse is a tourer, and the 200T is, according to Hero, a "modern retro". Which means it is a regular commuter shaped bike. But with 200cc and FI, it ticks most of the boxes your relative is looking for.

Sachin, is the 200T available with FI or is it Carb only and single channel ABS?

[Neeraj1903]

As a Dominar owner, for last 2 years and 10 months, to be precise, I can vouch for it. Ride quality is good at high as well as low speeds. Handling is good too. The bike heats up a bit during traffic but not to an extent where you will be having Tandoor legs
Average fuel consumption for the 2017 model of mine hovers around 25 to 28 in city and up to 30 during occasional highway rides. Riding it in dense Pune traffic hasn't been a problem for me at all as the bike moves ahead even on steep inclines using just the clutch and no throttle input. Brakes are excellent and ABS is well calibrated.
The bike is definitely on the heavier side but one gets used to it after a few days. The bike has been reliable and niggle free for me and doesn't have squeaks or rattles despite crater filled roads.
Only one point which might be an issue is the pillion seat comfort. The seat is a bit narrow and sudden acceleration is a strict no-no when with a pillion.

[ThePatientMan]

Originally Posted by gkveda

I own Dominar 2018 model that has run 6500 Kms approximately.
My commute is 14 Kms on Bumper to Bumper traffic(J P Nagar to Silk Board Signal) and 24 kms on hosur road highway commute per day.(Almost Highway run). Occasionally, I go long drive too (Around 300 Kms a day)

@Gkveda Completely agree with you on the Dominar. Bought mine in May 2019 and i am still in the "Running In Time" . You put it perfectly that is is for the rider to get used to the bike and not the other way around (coming from a RE Classic it did take me some time to get used to the Dominar specially the sharp U turns. Landing cost was 2.20 Lacs. I find that the bike tends to frown in bumper-to-bumper traffic and loves open roads (don't blame it though). My better half refused to sit pillion with me seeing the height of the seat (compared with the RE) so can't comment on the pillion comfort part. I am 5'6'' but the saddle height hasn't been much of an issue though i have to be careful on some stretches. After having used a Pulsar for 13 years i can assure you that reliability of Bajaj has not been an issue. Dominar recommended for the given price range.

Mod Note: Please avoid quoting the entire post when responding

[sachinnair]

Originally Posted by Skidrow

Sachin, is the 200T available with FI or is it Carb only and single channel ABS?

Sorry. Xpulse 200 (the adventure tourer) has FI option. 200T does not have FI.

[BayB]

I know, I could be trolled for suggesting this but do check out Suzuki Intruder. I have found it be one of the most comfortable bikes both for rider and for the pillion. It has one of the best shock absorbers in 150 CC category, more for a comfortable ride rather than handling. My opinion is that Suzuki launched it as a premium 150CC bike as the build quality is superior than any other Suzuki bike.

[RD150]

For bumper to bumper commuting , Dominar and Interceptor are a strict NO. You will be left frustrated mainly because of the weight and size. For your requirements, MT15 or FZ25 seem to be the perfect bet. The MT15 is a great product from Yamaha, has decent tech but the high pricing is spoiling the party. But as it fits in your budget, go for it.

[sagaranjos]

Please tell him about this bike named the Xpulse200.
I myself am 6' 1" and rented out this bike for a day.

The tall stance felt like heaven.
Things that weren't great were
1) the heat from around the engine and high exhaust
2) the headlights aren't great
3) the gears are very short.

But I thought these were minor niggles. A BS6 version is just around the corner.

[0xTKB]

CBR250R hands down!


I'm a proud owner of CBR250R since Aug-2012. Height almost 5'11". No bike comes closer to this when it comes to touring, reliability & easy to maintain.

Just 2 services a year, 6 months or 6000 kms. Rs. 1500-1800 per service price. Chain set lasts around 15000 kms in hills and will last around 20000 in plains. No niggles, absolutely nothing wrong with this bike. Efficiency is around 32-35 in city and around 40 on the highway.

If your relative can upgrade to CB300R, then that is a great choice too. Although naked bikes have issue of wind-blast on highways while cruising at high speeds.