[darkLightning]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

@PrasanaDharna and @Dark Lightning
I am keeping my HF Dawn (even though I have received multiple offers to buy it). So if buy the 390 Adv I have two bikes with me now, 100cc and a 370cc. That I think is a good mixture. Will use the 100cc for short 2-3 km trips and the 390 Adv for longer trips.

Good call this one is, having HF Dawn for daily commutes makes sense. 390 Adv is probably the most stable bike from KTM stable, I personally didn't like it and definitely felt overpriced but there really is no competition in this segment other than Dominar. Definitely maintenance is costly and low end torque is a little bit of trouble but then again no alternatives in that bracket.

Originally Posted by petrolHead_1609

Pardon me for vague requirement but that's the truth
- to explore the biker in me
- this wouldn't be my daily commute

Budget - 4L is the max, frankly speaking this figure is set in my mind because of Benelli TNT 300. I just love the seating position, it's tamed characteristics and boy, that exhaust. Now this is based on my limited knowledge and negligible experience in the field, hoping I get some wonderful takes on this.

Take some test rides, longer ones if possible or you can take rented bikes. No point in investing moolah without knowing what you like. Also keep an open mind you may like some 160 cc bike or maybe a 1000 cc bike.

[petrolHead_1609]

Originally Posted by darkLightning

Take some test rides, longer ones if possible or you can take rented bikes. No point in investing moolah without knowing what you like. Also keep an open mind you may like some 160 cc bike or maybe a 1000 cc bike.

Thank you for pointing me in the direction. I did take the test drive for dominar and TNT 300 and have rented a few other like CBR150, Yamaha FZ 25 and Duke 200.
I should have gone ahead and tested/rented some more.

As it's not going to be daily rider (no off roading as well) , I see it to be mostly cruising on 80-90 kmph. Smaller displacement ones do feel like being stretched.
What bikes are good for such cruising?

I totally agree with not investing a lot here hence couldn't make up my mind until now. Should I be looking in used market then?

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by petrolHead_1609

What bikes are good for such cruising?

A brand new BS6 Ninja 300 eyes closed. 2.99 lakhs ex showroom last checked. Read Audioholic's excellent ownership review of his Ninja 300 in the forum.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by petrolHead_1609

Even I've been looking to go for a bike purchase, maybe by the end of year. Thing is we haven't ever had a bike in our family, so my knowledge in this topic is zero. I have driven some in my college days when my friends weren't wanting to (RE Thunderbird 350 mostly) but haven't driven enough of any to form an opinion. I have been reading some wonderful bike ownership threads, one of which had a BHPian purchasing it in Mumbai, sending through truck to Coimbatore and then driving it off to his native place. Such commitment and love made me wonder should I explore this side of mine!

Pardon me for vague requirement but that's the truth
- to explore the biker in me
- this wouldn't be my daily commute ( that'll be my 2012 i10, I just love it, my father's behind me to buy another or atleast swap it with his. I might write a post about it)

Budget - 4L is the max, frankly speaking this figure is set in my mind because of Benelli TNT 300.

Originally Posted by petrolHead_1609

Thank you for pointing me in the direction. I did take the test drive for dominar and TNT 300 and have rented a few other like CBR150, Yamaha FZ 25 and Duke 200.
I should have gone ahead and tested/rented some more.

As it's not going to be daily rider (no off roading as well) , I see it to be mostly cruising on 80-90 kmph. Smaller displacement ones do feel like being stretched.
What bikes are good for such cruising?

I totally agree with not investing a lot here hence couldn't make up my mind until now. Should I be looking in used market then?

Unless you have a good friend who is an experienced motorcyclist who can help you sort through the different options in the second hand market (some of which will be of questionable quality with zero maintenance!), you should strictly stay away from the pre-owned market. There is a good chance that you might end up with a lemon and will then spend more time with your local mechanic than on the roads every Saturday. It isnt worth it and you have a big enough budget.

Since we only have a limited perspective of your intended usage, I think the Himalayan might be a good bet for you. Around the Rs 1.5 L on road mark, the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V is another very good bet.

There is an equally good case to be made for every bike in the< 4 L range to suit your purpose. The only way to decide is for you to test ride the options and see what you like the best. Happy shopping.

That said, I'll tweak what I said to nutcracker's opening post, it does hold well for your use case.

Originally Posted by nutcracker

I am leaning towards the KTM 390 Adv now. Sure, its expensive, but I think it will enable me to up my skills and will be a stable machine for the 3-4 years (minimum) that I play to own it for.

PS: Im still gonna be keeping my Dawn. Will use that for flip-flop short pant riding of 2-3 km distances.

The KTM 390 Adv is certainly a good option for you. But please dont ride around any motorcycle or scooter with flip flops, at least wear full shoes. The chances of you falling and hurting yourself do not reduce with a ride of a shorter distance to the nearby grocery store or the bank. Ride safe.

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The KTM 390 Adv is certainly a good option for you. But please dont ride around any motorcycle or scooter with flip flops, at least wear full shoes. The chances of you falling and hurting yourself do not reduce with a ride of a shorter distance to the nearby grocery store or the bank. Ride safe.

Got it. Just that, some rides are haphazard, like, say milk is need in my house instantly, now I cant put on pants and shoes just for this thing. What do you bikers do in situations like these?

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Got it. Just that, some rides are haphazard, like, say milk is need in my house instantly, now I cant put on pants and shoes just for this thing. What do you bikers do in situations like these?

Quite easy. We walk

try it

[neil.jericho]

As Red Liner suggested, a quick walk is the easy solution if its a simple errand. It is even more useful in times like this where petrol prices are surging ahead like anything!

If an errand does require taking the motorcycle / scooter out, always wear a helmet and basic gear like gloves and full shoes, at least. You can never tell where danger lurks. And God forbid, you have a fall, you will always wonder, why you didnt wear the nice gear that was lying in your cupboard and restricted for Adventure 390 duties.

I always wear my helmet, jacket, gloves and riding boots when I take my bike. Once you get used to riding with gear, you wont be able to ride without it. Think of it more as a small shift in mindset than anything else.

As always, ride safe.

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Quite easy. We walk

try it

Haha. Well, a distance of 2-3 isn't really walkable especially considering that my time is valuable to me. To make up, I've been running the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon since past 8 years!!

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

As Red Liner suggested, a quick walk is the easy solution if its a simple errand. It is even more useful in times like this where petrol prices are surging ahead like anything!

If an errand does require taking the motorcycle / scooter out, always wear a helmet and basic gear like gloves and full shoes, at least. You can never tell where danger lurks. And God forbid, you have a fall, you will always wonder, why you didnt wear the nice gear that was lying in your cupboard and restricted for Adventure 390 duties.

I always wear my helmet, jacket, gloves and riding boots when I take my bike. Once you get used to riding with gear, you wont be able to ride without it. Think of it more as a small shift in mindset than anything else.

As always, ride safe.

I get what you're trying to say. I guess I will have to get used to wearing gear. During my accident, I am sure that even if I was wearing basic non-riding shoes and a pair of pants, I would have significantly reduced the damage.

Back to the KTM 390 Adv.
They sent a Test Ride bike to my residence today. It was really nice of them. I rode it thoroughly, for a good 7-10kms on highways, urban roads, slush (it had just rained in Delhi. Perfect conditions for a thorough test ride!).
I think the bike is perfect for me. I was able to perform some decent amateur corners too. The bike stalled on me a total of 2 times, but I still dont think the low end torque is going to be much of an issue for me. I've driven the First Gen Indica for many years so I know how it is like to push low-end torque machines. Sometimes I even start my Polo from the 3rd gear from 0kmph. So I think I can manage the KTM's low end torque. However, it will be interesting to see how the KTM will do on slopes with its low end torque.

One issue I noted with the KTM 390 Adventure was the immense heat that was being generated, even when stationary at red light signals. And the heat moves upwards and can be easily felt on my thighs and my body. Is this normal? The Dominar didn't have any heating issues at all. Also, how does it feel like using the Quickshift. It was enabled but the shifting felt very normal to me.

Still, minus the heating, I think the 390 Adventure is the perfect machine for me. It gives me so much confidence when I brake it, when I corner it, and it is really stable. The Exhaust sound isn't much to rave about. And the indicators don't indicate "Left" or "Right", it shows a generic dual-arrow indicator. That is inexcusable imho for a bike that costs above 3.5 Lakhs. There is a "click" mechanism on the horn button which I'm not a fan off. It should be smooth like how the Indian bike manufacturers do it.

If the heating issue is a normal occurring on the KTM 390 Adventure, I think I will almost surely be uncomfortable with it, especially for short rides, and when the sun is intense. Any way to fix this?

[mithun]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Hows the KTM Duke 250? I know it rides well in the city and traffic conditions, tight corners, and can do the occasional 300-500km tour.

I’m worried about pillion support on both the bikes. Are aftermarket solutions available to improve pillion seat for them?

The BS6 Duke 250 is is one of the most refined KTM's. In reality, its feels like a Jap engine with an Austrian badging!

The pillion comfort is better in Duke 250 than other 250cc machines although the seat is on a slightly harder side!

[darkLightning]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

If the heating issue is a normal occurring on the KTM 390 Adventure, I think I will almost surely be uncomfortable with it, especially for short rides, and when the sun is intense. Any way to fix this?

As per my understanding all KTM machines do heat. You can offset it with correct gear selection but yes heating issue is there you will mostly have to learn to ignore it. A person like me who sweats a lot and dehydrates faster than average I even feel heat in Dominar.

Another point of note here will be your riding position and how the riding triangle works for you because it changes where you are going to feel the heat.

As for your question about Duke 250 it will also solve your purpose, heck I will still say even a Honda Unicorn can solve your purpose if you do not really want to feel the power of high performance machines.

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Got it. Just that, some rides are haphazard, like, say milk is need in my house instantly, now I cant put on pants and shoes just for this thing. What do you bikers do in situations like these?

A quick story from my side, June 2019 my family were about to leave for a picnic trip but we had some time and I decided to pick up some cash from ATM before the trip instead of during the trip to avoid unnecessary stops. The ATM I locked on is 1 km away from our home, time was 7 AM in morning, I took my Wego, put my helmet on (I never ride without helmet) and took off, just outside my apartment on first intersection I was turning left and person ahead of me (a milkman) who was also turning left suddenly decided to take U-Turn, It was a hard braking situation and to be honest 9/10 times it would have resulted in a fall with anyone, I too had a fall my hand got bruised, my legs got bruises but Helmet absorbed impact of my head hitting the road. It saved my life, other injuries took 3 weeks to heal though. Moral of the story you never know on Indian when where and how you might take a fall so any sort of protection you can take it is better than none, Helmet is a must.

Originally Posted by petrolHead_1609

I see it to be mostly cruising on 80-90 kmph. Smaller displacement ones do feel like being stretched.
What bikes are good for such cruising?

I totally agree with not investing a lot here hence couldn't make up my mind until now. Should I be looking in used market then?

Used market is big No for anyone who doesn't have enough experience.

For cruising at 80-90 kmph to be honest any bike can do it. A 100 cc may feel some stress but anything starting from 125cc (Honda Shine) can do this cruising. What really matters is how you build up to it's sweet spot. Your bike purchase is going to be mostly a heart based decision so I suggest scan all manufacturers see whichever one you feel comfortable and connected with and go for it, don't worry if it is 100 cc or 1000 cc cause memories are not made with displacement

[Travelling_Monk]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Got it. Just that, some rides are haphazard, like, say milk is need in my house instantly, now I cant put on pants and shoes just for this thing. What do you bikers do in situations like these?

Simple solution to this dilemma is to walk or if the shop is a bit far away say a couple of kilometers, the best solution would be to cycle. Keeps you fit for sure.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

One issue I noted with the KTM 390 Adventure was the immense heat that was being generated, even when stationary at red light signals. And the heat moves upwards and can be easily felt on my thighs and my body. Is this normal? The Dominar didn't have any heating issues at all. Also, how does it feel like using the Quickshift. It was enabled but the shifting felt very normal to me.

Still, minus the heating, I think the 390 Adventure is the perfect machine for me.

Originally Posted by nutcracker

If the heating issue is a normal occurring on the KTM 390 Adventure, I think I will almost surely be uncomfortable with it, especially for short rides, and when the sun is intense. Any way to fix this?

By KTM standards, the Adventure 390 heats up much less than the BS4 Duke, thanks to it's improved heat management. It is what it is, and if you are uncomfortable with the current levels of generated heat, forget the Adventure 390 and move to some of the other suggested options in your price range. Different riders have different thresholds of accommodating heat, vibrations etc, and these can be especially prominent when you move up the ladder. There are a lot of other comfortable bikes that suit your requirements to the t, keep taking test rides and choose wisely.

[avishar]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Got it. Just that, some rides are haphazard, like, say milk is need in my house instantly, now I cant put on pants and shoes just for this thing. What do you bikers do in situations like these?

I am no 'biker' but this is my experience. I used to have a 200 NS in Bangalore. I used to wear a decent jacket, gloves and a full face helmet to office everyday, insane traffic and heat et all. No complaints. Even if it's a short ride to the shops usually I would go out with a helmet and jeans + sneakers. I never really found wearing a helmet to be cumbersome.

One evening I returned back home, tired after battling through some of that mind-numbing traffic, lots of 1st gear crawling and a hot engine. We needed something from the shops which is less than 200m away from home. I was too tired to again go out on the NS so I borrowed my roomate's Activa and set off, without a helmet (very unusual for me).

Unbekownst to me, the narrow road had been dug up and it was poorly lit. I saw it at the last moment and even at 40 kmph I hit the rut too hard, and went flying and landed head first on asphalt. Infact I have a very fuzzy memory of the entire episode anyway.

I ended up in ICU for a couple of days with a fracture in the skull and a deep gashes all over my face!! It was a small unlit lane and I was lucky that another kind samaritan was passing by. I had passed out and I was bleeding and I had left my phone at home. Therefore he had to use my office ID to contact my office and organized an ambulance. There was thankfully a hospital about 10 minutes and I was rushed into emergency. The office contacted my parents who then contacted my roomates, because they had no clue what had happened and was probably wondering what was taking me so long. I was in hospital for quite a while. If only I had worn my helmet that evening.

Before that I had done my share of intercity rides etc but I ended up having the most serious accident of my life just minutes from my doorstep on an Activa.

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Got it. Just that, some rides are haphazard, like, say milk is need in my house instantly, now I cant put on pants and shoes just for this thing. What do you bikers do in situations like these?

Change into jeans and wear sneakers on the way out. It hardly takes 2 minutes. Helmet - always.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

What do you bikers do in situations like these?

Flip-Flops are a big NO(Illegal Now), injuries in your lower extremities don't heal as well, so do proceed with caution.

This is what I'd used to use when not wearing work boots.



You can source the same from here.

Better than nothing as they're Steel Toe'd and quite resistant to abrasion.

As for clothing, pants are a minimum else in the event of a tip over there's a good chance of getting yourself an unsolicited tattoo, like this;



Just saying.

Wearing riding gear is a hard to cultivate habit, there used to be a time when I used to commute interstate wearing flip-flops, a hoodie and a half faced helmet. A motorcycle mishap which had me wearing a knee brace for about 3 months while staying in a hostel that had only Indian Style Commodes taught me a lot about humility and brought me a lot closer to God, I mean every time I shifted weight to the messed up knee there'd be a shooting pain that'd take my breath away and make me see only white, if that wasn't my soul leaving my body I don't know what is.

Ride Safe,
A.P.