[sunilch]

Originally Posted by iamahunter

.

Hello Folks, I have a very similar dilemma and hence seeking advice.

I currently have a Dominar 400 ABS and like it on open roads or highways. It has everything that you need when the road is what it should be.

But for office commute (yes I go to office everyday), I ride about 31Km each day and the roads are a mix of smooth tarmac where I can hit triple digit speeds for a brief moment, B2B traffic, Tolls and signals, going through densely populated bastis and a sort of highway.

But what is common throughout is presence of regular potholes and undulations on the road. On the Dominar I feel those every time I go over them. I need a fix for this.

I have had a CBR250 earlier and again it was a great bike for the highways. I did not like FZ25 and GSX150 during a test ride.

I took test rides of VStrom and Versys 650s and for some reason did not connect to those either due to weight, power delivery or size. I am 6'2". These two are great at soaking the road undulations for sure but for some reason I did not connect with them.

My height and frame has ruled out GSX750, Z800/Z900 and Monster 821 as well as I was not able to sit on those even for 10 mins.

This leaves me with KTM ADV 390 as option but that too looks just a bit improved Dominar 400. So not very confident of it.

Now, I don't have an unlimited budget but I look for VFM deals and open to any brand. I prefer used bikes but open to a new one as well if it is something that I can keep for 5+ years.

Please suggest something that can serve my purpose. I don't ride to office everyday as I take my car for 3-4 days in a week. But that is also because of this ride quality issue with Dominar. If the problems gets solved, I may ride more to office than drive. Weekend rides are usually 300-400 Km single day return to home

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by sunilch

But for office commute (yes I go to office everyday), I ride about 31Km each day and the roads are a mix of smooth tarmac where I can hit triple digit speeds for a brief moment, B2B traffic, Tolls and signals, going through densely populated bastis and a sort of highway.

But what is common throughout is presence of regular potholes and undulations on the road. On the Dominar I feel those every time I go over them. I need a fix for this.

I have had a CBR250 earlier and again it was a great bike for the highways. I did not like FZ25 and GSX150 during a test ride.

I took test rides of VStrom and Versys 650s and for some reason did not connect to those either due to weight, power delivery or size. I am 6'2". These two are great at soaking the road undulations for sure but for some reason I did not connect with them.

My height and frame has ruled out GSX750, Z800/Z900 and Monster 821 as well as I was not able to sit on those even for 10 mins.

This leaves me with KTM ADV 390 as option but that too looks just a bit improved Dominar 400. So not very confident of it.

sunilch, your use case is perfectly suited to an A2 level bike and since you have ruled out the Adv 390, I will suggest the Interceptor 650 and the Honda CB500X. If you would have said that you are looking at the Rs 4L price range only, the Interceptor is the easy recommendation and it will suit your purpose very well. But since you mentioned that you are also looking at bigger bikes, I will suggest that ....

Originally Posted by sunilch

Now, I don't have an unlimited budget but I look for VFM deals and open to any brand. I prefer used bikes but open to a new one as well if it is something that I can keep for 5+ years.

.... you close your mind to this VFM deal thought process. There is no point of looking for great deals but settling for the wrong bike in the process. Just buy the Honda CB500X. Honestly, the bike is tailor made for exactly what are looking at. Everyone will say that it is overpriced and you can buy a preowned Tiger 800 or a near new Versys 650 for the same money but they wont help you in your daily commuting. The CB500X can do it all. Forget 5 years, you will likely keep it for much longer. All you need to do is forget that it is not a VFM motorcycle.

If that is tough, then head to the nearest Royal Enfield showroom and book the Interceptor instead.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The CB500X can do it all. ........ book the Interceptor instead.

Thanks Neil. I have both of these in my mind and I need a test ride of the two. I am open to the CB500X except that there are no test rides in Mumbai :(

Interceptor seems heavy at slow speeds and when stationary but otherwise it should be ok I guess. Will continue to chase for the test rides of these and see how it goes.

[Gansan]

The words RE and City Bike should not be uttered in the same breath! Even a 350 cc RE is a pachyderm! A city bike should be nimble, do city speeds (up to 70 kph) easily with two onboard, return 60+ kpl FE, and be light enough to be manhandled easily in and out of tight spots if push comes to shove. A bike in which you should be able to slightly lift and swing the rear end to bring it out of tight spots if necessary! Nothing above 125cc will give you that flexibility.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by sunilch

Thanks Neil. I have both of these in my mind and I need a test ride of the two. I am open to the CB500X except that there are no test rides in Mumbai :(

Interceptor seems heavy at slow speeds and when stationary but otherwise it should be ok I guess. Will continue to chase for the test rides of these and see how it goes.

Drop a mail to Honda on their Big Wings website and see if things can be sorted out by them. Im surprised that Bombay doesnt have a test ride bike when Bangalore and even Cochin have one each.

[BleueNinja]

An update.

I had to park my bike purchase decision as I had to shift cities.
With increasing fuel prices, me shifting to Pune and my TS-07 registered Vehicles being halted at every other checkpoint, getting a local registered bike became a necessity.

Bikes considered but didn’t make it.

Aerox :- I didn’t consider Aerox as I am 6’1 tall, riding scooters becomes an uncomfortable affair for me and pillion hence, don’t like scooters which is a personal taste of mine.

FZ-25 I used to own a FZ-25, which has been passed down to my younger brother now, hence didn’t TD it.

Hero Xpulse : I somehow didn’t like it, maybe it’s the rally/dirt bike design language. It’s a good bike but not for me.

Duke : I was willing to cross my budget for this bike but, wife wasn’t willing to allow me to do so.

Classic 350 was tugging all my heart’s strings and I am able to manage it well into city, courtesy my father’s Royal Enfield 1982 Bullet that was crucial in helping me learn how to ride a motorcycle. Didn’t buy classic for following reasons:

1. I already own a ninja, which i use for my weekend and some random night rides. So getting a classic 350 for just grocery and office runs was making less and less sense with each passing day.
2. I really wasn’t in mood of spending 2.6 lacs on my motorcycle purchase considering the fact that I will be changing my car by the year end. So looking to save up money for that.
3. I plan on taking my father’s 1982 bullet, get it restored and gift it to my father and sometimes use it myself when I go back to my hometown

So, with the contenders out of the way, I have decided to go for Pulsar 150 Twin Disc with single channel ABS . Reasons for considering the pulsar despite it being one of the old products in the market:

1. They have provided a single channel ABS and rear wheel with disc brake. The bite is good enough for the city conditions. I apply brakes with 80:20 ratio, and front wheel does come with ABS.
2. 15 ltr fuel tank with a mileage of 40-45 kmpl results in good range.
3. Sitting posture and seats seems comfortable for rider and pillion.
4. It lands well in my budget and is easy on eyes.
5. It’s easily flickable and manageable in city. Which as others pointed out seems to be the key ingredient for a good city bike.
6. They are providing a side stand sensor as well, which I believe is good addition.
7. Pulsar has been around for a while hence, reliable and low maintenance. Bajaj’s after sales is a totally different question tho.

I really do not need a gear position indicator, time being displayed on HU or Bluetooth connectivity. I mean they are good to have features but, for my city rides I would be fine missing out on them.

[Amil]

Originally Posted by BleueNinja

An update. So, with the contenders out of the way, I have decided to go for Pulsar 150 Twin Disc with single channel ABS

The Yamaha MT15 updated version is launching in few days in case you still haven't booked/bought the Pulsar. Has USD forks in the front, Dual channel ABS, Aluminium swing arm, etc. Pillion seat not very good though, kinda small.

[sameerchavan]

Guys
I am also in the same boat. I am currently having Thunderbird 150. It's too heavy in the city and difficult to quickly navigate. I want something light weight, modern and easy to manage in traffic and bumpy Bangalore roads.
I am a tall person. I need an upright position and the gear shift should not be in the sports position. I mean not in the back from the centre of the bike. I don't see gear shift using heel like in thunderbird in recent bikes. Most bikes have toe shifts only. I know this heel shift is mostly in city bikes and cruisers. But is there any good bike in the range of 2L and 200cc that looks sporty & lightweight?
I was considering Honda hornet 2.0. But reviews are not good. It's failed model that I heard.
I was considering KTM adventure 200. That is the only option. But a bit expensive.
Is Xpulse 200 good?

Thanks
Sameer

[Amil]

Originally Posted by sameerchavan

I was considering KTM adventure 200. That is the only option. But a bit expensive.
Is Xpulse 200 good?

Thanks
Sameer

Since you are a tall rider and KTM Adventure 200 seems a bit outside your budget, the Xpulse 200 could be a good option for you. You may also test the Apache RTR 200 4v or the Yamaha MT15 latest model. I still think the Xpulse 200 would be better suited because of the riding position it would offer you.

[sameerchavan]

Thanks for the suggestions. I took a test drive of Xpulse 200 4v. I found it lightweight and good tall. But the instrument panel has faulty information. The gear level is not visible. And I saw reviews there they have mentioned this issue. Plus the fit & finish of Hero is not good. The seat is too narrow(6inch wide) and short. The pillion cannot accommodate on the seat. He has to sit on an extended grill. I liked the vehicle but Hero has done a lot of mistakes everywhere.





I tested yesterday RE Scram 411 and I like it. It has big engine (400cc), tall, has good wide tyres, long comfortable seat and is lighter than the Himalayan. But the cost is again around 2.7 Lakhs. Has anyone tried this?

[joednazareth]

Greetings to all,
Gearless scooters have more moving parts that need replacement.
High on maintenance as issues begin to surface.
Old Hero Honda BS4 Model, CD100s, Splendor, are good light and easy to maintain.
Find one , Get USHA STD cylinder kit, engine servicing, front and rear new set of tyres, wheel bearings , main chain sprockets and you can have a reliable bike for daily office use.
Get a heavy duty canvas back pack and secure it in front of the rear saree guard. Use it as a shopping bag or storage.
Original good quality parts for older Hero Honda are still available with the Dealership spare parts dept.

[Amil]

Originally Posted by sameerchavan

I tested yesterday RE Scram 411 and I like it. It has big engine (400cc), tall, has good wide tyres, long comfortable seat and is lighter than the Himalayan. But the cost is again around 2.7 Lakhs. Has anyone tried this?

Main reason i didn't suggest this or the Yezdi Scrambler was the budget constraints. Regarding the Hero, you are getting what you are paying for.. You could give the Yamaha FZ25 a try since the MT15 would feel kinda small for you.

[GivethThyBeans]

Mod note: Please use Search feature to look for existing thread before opening a new thread on same topic. Thanks.


Hi,

Have you ever faced the dilemma of choosing between 110 vs 125 vs 150 cc of motorcycles when the primary objective is to have relatively comfortable ride for daily office commute?

I am 42, 5' 7", 80kgs and looking for a good commuter bike for my 2-3 days a week (thanks to hybrid model! if it ever continues?) office commute of ~40 km one way in city traffic.

I currently own 2014 Mahindra Gusto scooter which has started showing age (20k odo) and also discontinued now. Hence, I am restricting it's use for running errands within circle of 5km or so. It is a great handler (compared to Activas) but seems to have stiff suspension, so not very comfortable to ride for anything more than 20-30 mins.

I used to have 2016 Hero Super Splendor - 2nd generation with horizontal engine before COVID years which is an excellent bike but it is not with me anymore.

I do have a car. But thanks to fuel prices and biker's itch - "it's better to be on two wheels than four" makes me feel to own a bike and use it for the office commute.

Considering the insane price in auto market hikes in recent years, I am not really looking for anything north of Rs. 1.5L all inclusive. Also, not interested in used market. My main criteria is neutral handling, refined engine & very good suspension.

Kindly suggest.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by GivethThyBeans

[b]

Considering the insane price in auto market hikes in recent years, I am not really looking for anything north of Rs. 1.5L all inclusive. Also, not interested in used market. My main criteria is neutral handling, refined engine & very good suspension.

The Yamaha FZS V3 is great for your needs! Costs exactly 1.5L OTR. It is extremely comfortabe, and reliable. Also gives a real world city mileage of around 40-45 kmpl. Do check it out

[KPR]

Originally Posted by GivethThyBeans

Considering the insane price in auto market hikes in recent years, I am not really looking for anything north of Rs. 1.5L all inclusive. Also, not interested in used market. My main criteria is neutral handling, refined engine & very good suspension.
Kindly suggest.

I'm also in same boat as yours. Have you finalised? I need to replace my 15 year old daily errand bike Libero. I'm eyeing that TVS Raider. Mix of most things needed I feel. But having lived with trouble free Yamaha I'm inclined to put my money on FZx or FZ25. You can also have a look at FZx. It has very comfortable seating with metal tank. So you can place a tank bag for your office commute and ride as a free bird.