[darkLightning]

Hello Team-BHPians,

As the title of the suggests I need your inputs in shortlisting the bikes for my next purchase.

Let me walk you through the background and conditions for this purchase.

I am 29 and a half year young married guy from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
My wife and I both like to travel and are really looking forward to many new trips together.

For the better part of last one and a half year I was on the lookout to purchase a car which will serve as primary means for outstation trips. However about a month ago situations took a curve and a new job and location change has come into the picture due to which I will in all likelihood be required to move to Bangalore sometime in next 3-4 months while my wife will continue her studies from Bhopal only. Due to this change plonking 15L into a new car makes no sense to us and we have gone back to the drawing board.

Another big factor that has come into picture is a possibility where I may have to take a couple of years break and move out after a couple of years (in essence a gap from riding-driving for 2 years) which effectively means whatever bike/car I have for personal use at that point will be gathering dust for 2 years.


With these two factors into consideration new car is something we ruled out totally (Ecosport going out has not helped matters either, it was one car we were really eyeing).

The next option we had in our bucket list was something out of CB350/ Meteor/ Himalayan i.e a bike to cruise on those long trips with enough capability to carry luggage and the two of us. This was the natural choice we settled on after ruling out new car however the case of this bike biting dust for 2 years has got my feet nervous, To buy something that I really want to own and then see it in dust is not something I can comprehend and I am one of those people who cannot part ways with something that I really like. So we decided to avoid CB350 and gang for now and purchase it at a later point.

The plan now is to purchase a bike which will be used for trips (from Bangalore or from Bhopal). And this bike will be sold after 2-2.5 years.

Now with these two options out what we are really looking for is a bike with following capabilities -

1. Reliability - Each month the bike will see at least one long weekend getaway so a fill it, shut it, forget it bike will be high on the list.
2. Comfort - These long trips will be with my wife as a pillion so back seat comfort cannot be compromised with.
3. Long distance runner - I am looking forward to trips like Bangalore- Ooty, Bangalore - Gokarna etc to give you a hint so the bike should be good enough to haul the 2 of us (135-140kg) plus luggage on these trips.
4. Tough - I don't really know what kind of roads I will encounter in and around Bangalore or on the trips so something which is tough and abuse friendly is desired.
5. Mileage - I am no fanatic of mileage but at the same time I do belong to the middle class so yes a decent fuel economy will be appreciated.
6. Stance - I am 6'2" and I like comfortable stance on my bike. I am not a racer.
7. Bluetooth connectivity - It would be really nice to see who is calling and maps without taking out my phone.

There is one other requirement under debate which is that bi-monthly I maybe making Bangalore-Bhopal-Bangalore round trips solo so bike should be capable of handling that but this requirement in under debate.

Budget - CB350 costs 2.5L plus on road and I had no issues with that price however since I am not purchasing in that bracket I am open to anything from Shine to CB200X however if choice is to be done then 1.5L on road is the kind of price I am looking at. (My previous bike is Splendor Plus).

With these points the bikes I am looking at are -

1. Hero XPulse 200 4V - seat comfort will be deciding factor.
2. Hero Xtreme 200S - again seat comfort will be decisive.
3. Apache RTR 200 4V - Good allrounder but needs to be checked in person first.
4. FZ-X - This ugly duckling has a very comfortable seat which is creating some interest for me.
5. FZ-S - Good all around bike but is it powerful enough.
6. XPulse 200T - The road going XPulse seems good.

I would like suggestion from you all on which of the above is suited for my purpose and whether I am overlooking something.
An insight on road conditions in and around Bangalore with respect to riding will also come in handy.

Thanks,

[tikku.dk]

Looks like new RE Classic 350 suits your usage criteria. Not sure about Bluetooth connectivity but checks all your other needs

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by darkLightning

1. Hero XPulse 200 4V - seat comfort will be deciding factor.
2. Hero Xtreme 200S - again seat comfort will be decisive.
3. Apache RTR 200 4V - Good allrounder but needs to be checked in person first.
4. FZ-X - This ugly duckling has a very comfortable seat which is creating some interest for me.
5. FZ-S - Good all around bike but is it powerful enough.
6. XPulse 200T - The road going XPulse seems good.

Apart from the Xpulse, I don’t see why you have the others mentioned above on your list. Especially since you mentioned wanting adequate grunt with two up for touring.

I’d knock off any and every Hero from the list - except for maybe the Xpulse. And I mean the regular Xpulse; not the Xpulse 200T (which has been discontinued anyway). Do test ride the Xpulse and the 200S though.

The FZ series really aren’t the most powerful machines, they produce the lowest power in the 150cc category. Again, test ride them too.

I would suggest you to take a look at pre-owned (or rather pre-worshipped) Himalayan, Dominar 400, Mojo and FZ-25. Or new examples of these. Or try the new CB200X from Honda.

If you can live without the Bluetooth, check these out. Certain variants of the Himalayan do get Bluetooth, I guess. These bikes are fairly reliable. Resale wouldn’t take that big of a hit due to depreciation too, if you plan to sell a used motorcycle after a couple of years. Alternatively, you can keep the bike for longer if you love it!

Added note - I don’t know anything about Bhopal, but what I can tell you about Bangalore is that if you’re any familiar with Mumbai at all, this wouldn’t really be that big of a surprise to you. Be prepared for long traffic jams, back breaking potholes, narrow(er) roads etc., not trying to scare you, but that’s the reality! You’d thank yourself for getting a comfortable motorcycle every time your backside hits a rut.

[ashwinprakas]

2 Years is a really short time for a motorcycle to go bad anyhow let me share my thoughts.

1. Bajaj Avenger 220.

This is the original cruiser, it is dated but reliability is no match considering it's an Air Cooled Bajaj. However depreciation hits hard when it comes to Bajaj's. If you're fine with overseeing that then it is still a really good choice considering that the motor has commuter level grunt for 2 up riding.

2. Royal Enfield Bullet 350.

I'm not referring to the new J Series engines, the old Pushrods are still available, buy one use for 2 years and store it for 20 post which you'd be able to sell it for more than what you'd paid for it.
As for performance get KS if you love thumping around easily does 40kmph in 5th gear riding 2 up, If highways are your thing then get the ES.

FE is spectacularly good at around 45kmpl and this engine is prehistoric so there really aren't any surprises sans the EFI. Also to note, this is heirloom material, can be passed down from generation to generation unlike say a Bajaj or a Honda.

Well that's about it. No other motorcycle fits the requirement as much as the above, I'm ignoring the requirement for Bluetooth cause a ram mount costs around 5k and is a lifetime investment and works better than what these paltry BT Integrations offer.

Hope that helps.
A.P.

[aargee]

Practically speaking...
This

Originally Posted by darkLightning

The plan now is to purchase a bike which will be used for trips (from Bangalore or from Bhopal)

and these...

Originally Posted by darkLightning

1. Hero XPulse 200 4V - seat comfort will be deciding factor.
2. Hero Xtreme 200S - again seat comfort will be decisive.
3. Apache RTR 200 4V - Good allrounder but needs to be checked in person first.
4. FZ-X - This ugly duckling has a very comfortable seat which is creating some interest for me.
5. FZ-S - Good all around bike but is it powerful enough.
6. XPulse 200T - The road going XPulse seems good.

and these...

Originally Posted by darkLightning

1. Reliability - Each month the bike will see at least one long weekend getaway so a fill it, shut it, forget it bike will be high on the list.
2. Comfort - These long trips will be with my wife as a pillion so back seat comfort cannot be compromised with.
3. Long distance runner - I am looking forward to trips like Bangalore- Ooty, Bangalore - Gokarna etc to give you a hint so the bike should be good enough to haul the 2 of us (135-140kg) plus luggage on these trips.
4. Tough - I don't really know what kind of roads I will encounter in and around Bangalore or on the trips so something which is tough and abuse friendly is desired.
5. Mileage - I am no fanatic of mileage but at the same time I do belong to the middle class so yes a decent fuel economy will be appreciated.
6. Stance - I am 6'2" and I like comfortable stance on my bike. I am not a racer.
7. Bluetooth connectivity - It would be really nice to see who is calling and maps without taking out my phone.

don't go together, quite unfortunately!

Originally Posted by darkLightning

which of the above is suited for my purpose and whether I am overlooking something.
An insight on road conditions in and around Bangalore with respect to riding will also come in handy

What I'm going to say below are not going to be appreciated by anyone because they're hard truth & facts of life!

• First of all, if you're looking to travel between Bangalore & Bhopal as a weekend trip, then you should stop thinking about it immediately as the plan cannot sustain for more than 2-3 months even as a solo ride
• Then the motorcycles you've listed are reliable, comfortable, may be tough, can yield tough FE (I think you'll have work a little deeper here as you've to come up with a figure to understand the costs) but all of them are designed for one use - CITY RIDE or TRAIL
• On a highway, the game is entirely different; you need a motorcycle that tells you relax, I'll take care at the speed of 140-150 Kmph (I might get an infraction even for saying this)
• Bangalore to Bhopal, roads are all fantastic, no complaints, atleast till Nagpur which I've taken & then towards Chindwara - Narasinghpur - Sagar - Jhansi, so not sure how the roads are between Nagpur - Bhopal; but let's assume they're good too which should be an easy journey of 1400 Km
• And the motorcycles you've listed are capable of doing 100 Kmph with the loads; which mean you'll need a good 20 hours to make the trip on a wonderful day (average of 70 Kmph including fuel stops, minimal food break). So if you start by Friday night 4:00 Pm before the Bangalore traffic starts, you can expect to be 10:00 Am on Saturday in Bhopal
• And then if you got to be at Bangalore on Monday morning, then you'll have to do the same trip in 20 hours, which means, you'll have to be at Bangalore by Sunday night 9:00 Pm (for a good night's sleep & attend office fresh Monday morning), you'll have to leave Bhopal by 1:00 Am Sunday midnight.
• The above round trip is for a stay at Bhopal for just 15 hours!! Worthy or not, this is fact. May be as a rider you're comfortable of riding for 40 hours with a break of 15 hours, but think about the pillion, unless, the trip is like 15 days at Bangalore & 15 days at Bhopal...I don't know what to say; may be you & your Wife are super capable, but the motorcycles you've listed do not sustain for long time.
• During one of these rides, any bike will baptize you to a racer, for sure no matter you ride Activa or Aprilia! Reason being, one can enjoy the open highway for max 1-2 hours beyond which the urge to reach destination becomes more important especially on home-runs & when the destination is known. This is why most tourer expedition venturing to new places are more relaxed as they're no hurry to reach the destination but enjoying the journey itself.

If you're still stubborn on buying a motorcycle to frequent between Bangalore - Bhopal...opt for an used big bikes, which will tick on reliability, comfort, long distance runner, tough & stance but knock of FE & budget; otherwise you can opt for new RE interceptor which will tick on budget to an extent, comfort, long distance runner, tough & stance but knock your budget slightly & reliability to an extent. For sure car is going to be super expensive.

Last but not the least, how do I know? Because been there done that, nearly burnt fingers, fortunately not burnt too much money

Edit - Just made a rough calculation (Ashwin Sir is going to love this)...a motorcycle yielding 40 Kmpl is going to cost you roughly over Rs 7000 only on fuel, food extra for a round trip. So I'm looking at an expense of Rs 9000 per round trip & if its bi-monthly 18K a month & Rs 1.8 Lakh per annum (considering only 10 months).

Another option being - Buy 2 motorcycles, one for Bangalore-Bhopal-Bangalore runs & other one for local weekend runs in Bangalore; however the problems I foresee are...
1. Maintenance cost of 2 motorcycles is going to shoot up than owning one (insurance is getting crazier)
2. There's a good chance you might actually start using one motorcycle more than other; if it's a big bike then the weekend trips & home runs are going to be on big bike if it's small one then eventually the big bike will start finding a new owner on classifieds

[neil.jericho]

darkLightning, I have to agree with aargee's opening statement. The bikes that you are considering and your use case dont go together very well. Given your 2 year gap constraint, there is no easy solution to your predicament.

It all boils down to this
a. if you buy a more expensive bike like the CB350 / Meteor / Himalayan / Jawa / Bullet, you can do your touring in comfort but you will have to keep the bike unused or sell it after a few years.
b. if you buy a smaller capacity bike like what you have listed, then you can sell it after two years with less of a depreciation hit but your touring and long distance riding will not be all that comfortable.

The heart says a. but the head says b. Since you mentioned that both you and your wife love to travel, I will suggest that stick to option a. Go ahead and get something like a Himalayan or a Dominar that will keep both you and your wife happy. You can always recover the depreciation loss at a later point of life but for now, the two of you will be able to tour happily, in comfort and make priceless memories when you are young.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by darkLightning

......whether I am overlooking something...

If you are going to test ride all these, might as well add Gixxer 250 and Yamaha FZ-25 to the list.

[shancz]

Agree with neil.jericho your objective is touring so enjoy that to the max.

Take a call on storing/selling later on. I think its not that big a deal because unintentionally my RTR 180 ended up lying idle for 1.5 years in a basement all it needed was new battery and service. If I had removed the battery it would've just been the service. Just try to change the oil before starting, I had got it towed to a SC. Also park on the center stand.

But if you still want to buy used and sell used I would say try out the 390 Adventure. If the price is too steep for used, then just get the ones you wanted to originally.

[AtheK]

I will go against the tide here, If initial cost is not a deterrent, buy a used Interceptor 650, or maybe even a new one. With very minor adjustments to the seat and pillion foot pegs it becomes a very capable touring machine. The engine is a gem and munches miles easily. Seeing the waiting game on them right now, you would probably be easily be able to sell it at a very low depreciation later. You would have a lot of fun touring and upkeep is not too much too.

[abhishek46]

The bikes you have mentioned are not at all great for long distance touring, that too every month.

For long distance touring, personally, I would keep the below in mind:

- 6 Speed gearbox
- 250cc or more
- Comfortable seats
- Heavy kerb weight
- ABS front & back
- Ability to mount stuff

I would recommend the 350cc offerings from RE, Honda 350 twins, Gixxer 250 etc.

[drt_rdr]

Let's start with your idea of selling your bike in 2 years. With your usage scenario, you probably won't be able to sell your bike for a worthwhile price.

If by bimonthly, you mean twice a month and you do the bangalore bhopal round trip consistently for two years, you'll be raking up around 72,000 km from that alone by then. And considering your usage outside of that, you'll be selling a rapidly aged bike that would've run nearly or over 1 lakh kms, and won't be able to recover a decent enough amount from a high-mileage bike even if it's just two years old.

If you meant once in two months, you'd likely accrue around half that mileage, in which case, you'd get a better price. Still, don't expect good value for a bike run around 50k kms.

Add to this, if the electric infrastructure picks up pace by then (assuming electricity costs don't go crazy while EV prices also stay reasonable) petrol-only vehicles (at least the lower end vehicles) will likely lose value, considering the current petrol prices and state government attitudes (And no telling what petrol prices will be like in 2 years).

I say don't buy the bike with the intent of selling later. But if you're bent on doing that, buy a used bike and one that'll have some kind of appeal beyond mere practicality, like RE.

What are your other options?

-You can buy 2 used bikes, keep one in bangalore and another one in bhopal, and take a flight when you want to travel between the two cities. An economy flight will roughly cost double that of riding 1500 kms but you save a lot of time and it's much less risky traveling such long distances in the long run.

-You can just buy one new or used bike and keep it at the place where your usage is the most, let's say Bangalore since I'm assuming you'll be commuting to work on the bike. And then, you can rent out a bike or car when you visit Bhopal and want to travel around. This way, you aren't committing your money and brainspace upfront on 2 bikes and you'd have freedom in terms of how you travel or even what you do with your time in Bhopal.

---------

As for what bike... if I were in your shoes, I'd go with the FZ25. It's a 250 coming in at the price of a 200. It's a bit ugly, comes with some dated tech, and looks weak on paper. But if you look past some of that nonsense, it's a very practical bike and real value for money.

It's got a comfortable near-upright sitting position and doesn't shortchange the pillion either (though you'll have to go check how it would fit your 6'2" frame), it's got very predictable handling, decent enough suspension, a nice engine that accelerates respectably, does 100 kmph all day and supports easy riding as well as a brisk pace. It's been in the market for a few years now, niggles seem to be mostly ironed out. It's a superb pick now, especially with the recent price drop.

[ike]

Originally Posted by AtheK

I will go against the tide here, If initial cost is not a deterrent, buy a used Interceptor 650, or maybe even a new one.

Isn't the pillion seat a deal breaker? I have heard the pillion seat is rather uncomfortable over long distances?

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by ike

Isn't the pillion seat a deal breaker? I have heard the pillion seat is rather uncomfortable over long distances?

Continental GT touring seat is very good, plus you have very good options from sahara seats. The rear pillion pegs are an issue if pillion is tall, but many modifications are available to fix that too.

[karanddd]

I can't say what bike but man Bhopal-Bangalore on a bike sounds rough. I'd just fly between the two and keep the bike where it gets used most.

[Akshay6988]

Man, I am not sure if you can manage almost a lakh kilometres riding a year on a bike. Also the bikes you've mentioned will not give you the performance you will need to fly on highways. Here's my suggestion - get any RE or Dominar to use within and around Bangalore. You can fly to and fro Bhopal, every month, I believe with current petrol prices, flights will work out cheaper I would suggest you rethink your decision to buy a sub 200cc bike (or rather this whole BLR - Bhopal by road) it will tire you out on long highway rides. Or you can get yourself any second hand diesel Maruti, and use that for your trips. It'll save you time and efforts and you can easily sell it off after 2 years or so.