[nutcracker]

UPDATE:
Today I sold the KTM 390 Adventure.

Tomorrow, I will be booking the Honda CB350, which seems to be a perfect city bike and an alternative tourer.

I will buy a twin parallel sometime in 2021, fingers crossed!

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Tomorrow, I will be booking the Honda CB350, which seems to be a perfect city bike and an alternative tourer.

Please do a extensive test ride of the Honda before plonking your money. I came out quite disappointed after one, after hearing praises for the bike from all quarters.

Cheers...

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Please do a extensive test ride of the Honda before plonking your money. I came out quite disappointed after one, after hearing praises for the bike from all quarters.

Cheers...

In that price bracket, 2 lacs, which bike would you suggest instead?

Its very difficult (near impossible) for a guy riding big bikes to be blown away or even moderately enthused by a 20 bhp bike.

Cheers, Doc

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by ebonho

In that price bracket, 2 lacs, which bike would you suggest instead?

The comparison was based on my 2004 old Karizma as it rides today and which I ride almost daily. Obviously I would not be comparing it to any of the bigger bikes.

Cheers...

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by dkaile

The comparison was based on my 2004 old Karizma as it rides today and which I ride almost daily. Obviously I would not be comparing it to any of the bigger bikes.

Cheers...

But your Karizma is not available as a choice for nutcracker to buy to replace his 390 Adventure, hence I was curious as to options.

Personally for me the Gixxer SF 250 blows both the CB350 and the Meteor out of the water. At the same price point.

Cheers, Doc

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by ebonho

But your Karizma is not available as a choice for nutcracker to buy to replace his 390 Adventure, hence I was curious as to options.

OK, so I read the OP's opening post now as I was curious as to why anyone would like to downgrade from a 390 ADV to a CB350. I think he has also now compromised on the twin cylinder requirement which was non negotiable in the opening post. Seat height and pillion comfort seems to be his primary motivation to switch albeit at a compromise in performance. A Interceptor 650 with a customised seat as well as a custom footpeg for pillion comfort might be a better option in this price range.

https://youtu.be/i6dIrSdoxlM

Cheers...

PS - I also heard rumours from the Honda Dealer (a friend) at Meerut of a Twin Cylinder 500 cc launching sooner rather than later next year.

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Please do a extensive test ride of the Honda before plonking your money. I came out quite disappointed after one, after hearing praises for the bike from all quarters.

Cheers...

I did test ride it last weekend. While it isnt as exciting as the 390, it has its own points that go with it. I sold the 390 with indeed a very heavy heart. The 390 is very flickable and it makes me feel like a speed demon while riding through the city and zipping past other vehicles. There's no comparison to that feeling. The CB350 is a balanced machine that I can throw around for years to come. The KTM certainly doesn't fit that bill.

This is a head over heart decision, and I'm actually sad that I had to let the 390 go. But I guess it's all about purpose. For the city and b2b traffic, the 390 is jerky as hell, and has an unlinear character. High seat height means more challenging mini manoeuvres over service lanes, footpaths etc. I'm 5'10", and while the seat height isnt really a problem, I feel that having a flat footing when riding the Indian city streets is a must. My purpose was to own an all-round do-it-all versatile bike. My purpose doesn't require performance.

For that, I'll wait a few months and gets a parallel-twin/inline twin. Maybe the refresh of the Interceptor or Continental, maybe Kawasaki Ninja 300/400/650, or the Yamaha R3. The new Aprilla looks promising too. If I'm lucky, KTM will launch the 450 Adventure too. That will be my speed demon machine.

Originally Posted by dkaile

OK, so I read the OP's opening post now as I was curious as to why anyone would like to downgrade from a 390 ADV to a CB350. I think he has also now compromised on the twin cylinder requirement which was non negotiable in the opening post. Seat height and pillion comfort seems to be his primary motivation to switch albeit at a compromise in performance. A Interceptor 650 with a customised seat as well as a custom footpeg for pillion comfort might be a better option in this price range.

Cheers...

PS - I also heard rumours from the Honda Dealer (a friend) at Meerut of a Twin Cylinder 500 cc launching sooner rather than later next year.

I did test ride the Interceptor thoroughly too. Its a great engine no doubt, but I'm not a fan or the ergonomics. Plus, for a machine meant to be my daily driver, the GT650 returns a lower FE. With the CB350, I can easily save a minimum of ₹ 20,000 upwards per year on fuel alone, I can park the bike anywhere without worrying much about it. So many times the KTM 390 was fiddled by kids, once I had to replace my clutch lever and right mirror due to that. No centre stand also meant drops in parking lots.

I think its worthy to mention that I also own 3 wonderful cars (Polo, Vento and Pajero). The Polo and Vento give me FE of around 17 - 22 kmpl. So using a commute bike that gives FE of 20-25 (like the KTM 390, Interceptor) makes no sense.

I have decided to own 2 bikes. One for the practical purposes and one for the enthusiasm/sports touring. Will get my second machine somewhere down 2021.

[nutcracker]

I would like to add that I've not yet zeroed in on the CD350.

I am still open to exploring my options. Suggestions would be welcome.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

I would like to add that I've not yet zeroed in on the CD350.

I am still open to exploring my options. Suggestions would be welcome.

What about the Himalayan? Its not so tall and is supposed to be having a cushy ride.

Also you don't need to worry about too much power in the city. Or anywhere.

Cheers, Doc

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by ebonho

What about the Himalayan? Its not so tall and is supposed to be having a cushy ride

As a previous owner of the Himalayan, I can vouch for it's worthiness. It bought me back home from a 3200km solo journey over 14 days without as much as a puncture, even on the most treacherous terrain. For a person of 5'10", it's seat height should not be a issue and pillion comfort should also be superior to a CB350. It's engine definitely has much more grunt than a CB350 and gearing ratios are also much more balanced. Though the top speed is just marginally more at 140. One big disadvantage of the Himalayan is that it is not a city bike as it is much taller and also might not be a looker for most people. But it's utility as a light and easy to live with 'do it all world-tourer' should not be discounted.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...re-tourer.html (Royal Enfield Himalayan - Comprehensive Review of the 'Desi' Adventure Tourer)

Cheers...

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by ebonho

What about the Himalayan? Its not so tall and is supposed to be having a cushy ride.

Also you don't need to worry about too much power in the city. Or anywhere.

Cheers, Doc

Originally Posted by dkaile

One big disadvantage of the Himalayan is that it is not a city bike as it is much taller and also might not be a looker for most people. But it's utility as a light and easy to live with 'do it all world-tourer' should not be discounted.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...re-tourer.html (Royal Enfield Himalayan - Comprehensive Review of the 'Desi' Adventure Tourer)

Cheers...

I test rode the Himalayan too. Can definitely say that it is not the perfect city ride/daily driver. It is not very flickable, and isn't as comfortable as the CB350. Definitely the CB350 is a much better city option.

[KayEss]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

I test rode the Himalayan too. Can definitely say that it is not the perfect city ride/daily driver. It is not very flickable, and isn't as comfortable as the CB350. Definitely the CB350 is a much better city option.

I don't know if you have already bought the bike but it appears to me that your use case is crying out aloud for a Gixxer SF250. It is light with what appears to be a fairly large rear seat. The ergos are comfy and fuel efficiency is also apparently in mids 30s if you are easy on the throttle.
All reviews suggest a punchy response in low and mid bands and no heating isues either.

Cheers,
KS

[TwerkyC0ffee]

Hi @nutcracker, there hasn't been any update to this thread. What did you end up buying? I'm sorry I'm not aware if you have started a new ownership thread. Cheers!

[jaganm]

Having owned a CB350 for 4 months and done almost 5000km with a mixture of city and highway driving, i would wholeheartedly recommend it as a good choice when it comes to a bike that can almost do it all. The key word is almost. It is wonderful in the city, the riding ergonomics are spot on and the torque that is available in the low end is good enough for anything our cities can throw at it. The riding position is great for the rider though the pillion may be left a bit uncomfortable. Honda has literally brought back the “Fill it shut it forget it” slogan with this. And the refinement, wow. My group has a Versys 650 and VStorm when we exchanged bikes on a recent ride, i felt that the CB350 was on par and the only question in my mind was “How has Honda done this?”. It is a bike which you can ride at full throttle on the highway and you feel that both you and the bike will easily take it all day.

But it is not all roses though. The ability to go higher than 110-120 is a big negative as our highways easily support and demand these speeds. If you’re comfortable riding at 90-100, it will happily do that all day.If Honda just put a 500cc mill in the same bike without changing anything else, i will be standing outside their doors the next day.

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by TwerkyC0ffee

Hi @nutcracker, there hasn't been any update to this thread. What did you end up buying? I'm sorry I'm not aware if you have started a new ownership thread. Cheers!

Yes there is. I sold my 390 on Dec 22nd bought a CB350 on Jan 4. Have ridden it for about 3000 km now.

Originally Posted by jaganm

But it is not all roses though. The ability to go higher than 110-120 is a big negative as our highways easily support and demand these speeds. If you’re comfortable riding at 90-100, it will happily do that all day.If Honda just put a 500cc mill in the same bike without changing anything else, i will be standing outside their doors the next day.

I agree. I think this bike nails the city bike part. It has great ergonomics too. Only gripe is, it could do with a bigger engine like 500cc and more pickup. The seat could have been better too. My butt goes numb within 30 minutes.