[BleueNinja]

Hi Folks, I am currently looking for a city bike and I am in a dilemma as to which bike to go for.

The thought of getting a bike for city usage came up with rising fuel prices which makes taking my car out for minor errands a costly affair . I currently own a ninja but I am not sure if it would be great idea to take it to my workplace on daily basis or for other city errands that I need to run by.

Bike should be:

1. Equipped with Dual channel ABS
2. Easy to navigate through traffic

Shortlisted bikes are:

1. Royal Enfield Classic 350 :- always wanted one but stars never aligned to get one. With my current build I think it would suit me the best. I am biased towards it
2. Gixxer 250 SF :- I like the way it looks but have heard mixed reviews regarding after sales service and parts availability.
3. Apache RTR 200 :- being a naked street fighter I am sure it would be easy to navigate traffic with this one and also it would return a decent fuel economy.

Few other bikes considered but not sure about them:

1. KTM Duke 250 : I like KTMs but never thought of owning one. Last time I was close to buying one I ended up buying my beloved ninja.
2. Himalayan : I love it's stance and looks but again not sure if I really need it. I use my kawasaki for highway rides. How feasible is it for daily city usage?
3. Pulsar : I didn't like the new ones and lack of dual channel abs on older models isn't appealing to me.
4. Dominar 250 :- the power to weight ratio doesn't seem good to me. Should i consider the dominar 400?

I didn't consider R15 and I don't think it will fulfill my requirements.

Thank you!

[MadTitan]

The CB300R (launching next month) will be the perfect city hack.

[DDIS_RE650]

If you have Ninja then for city commute gearless scooter make sense - Yamaha AEROX 155.

[Ironhide]

You already have a Ninja which is just the fun tool to go WOT on weekends. For city runabout I suggest you look at an electric scooter. A capable machine like the Ola electric scooter or Ather would fulfill the role nicely, and would be future proof to boot.

In case you are specifically looking for petrol machines, do consider a Yamaha Aerox or maybe even a TVS NTorq. They tick all the right boxes in terms of power, comfort and styling with a fair amount of practicality thrown in.

Cheers !

[AtheK]

You can maybe look at Xpulse also, dual purpose bike. In bangalore it serves a single purpose though, as riding on roads here is as good as offroading.

[BleueNinja]

Thank you for your replies

1. Electric bike :- there is no feasible charging options available nearby. Society won't allow installation of charging points.
   
2. Gearless scooter :- Activa was one of the first few options that popped in my head but I am not a big fan of gearless scooters. Don't get me wrong, they are very comfortable and easy to ride around but it doesn't appeal to me. It needs to be a bike.

[shancz]

A city bike should be light IMO and understand your dual channel ABS requirement but that's not very common in the commuter segment.

- Classic : heavy, not intended as a city bike but if you're looking at the Dominar 250 might as well get the Classic so at least your dream is realised since none of those are really city bikes at 180+kgs

- Gixxer SF 250 : not intended as a commuter but can work

- RTR 200 : the best fit for the role from your listed options, how does it fit you is your call. It is compact in dimensions and light.

If you want a city specific bike for errands and office duty would suggest to look at the 160s like the RTR 160 4V and the Xtreme 160R but they don't have dual channel ABS. A better FE number is expected though with reasonably good performance.

[Balaji31582]

I wish the MT15 2022 model comes up with dual channel ABS and if so, that could be one of the options as per your requirement.
As someone said the cb300R will also be a good choice.
I was thinking about these options as you mentioned easy to navigate through traffic.

A RE on the move will not make you to feel the weight. But once you are at stop and go, the clutch action itself regardless of the models will make you to feel for its weight. Please take a test ride before the buy.

[Sudarshan42]

Similar dilemma, looking to replace my aging P220F next year. My top choice as of now is the Yamaha FZS25, followed closely by the RTR2004V. Aerox is a distant 3rd, but if I'm buying a scooter, I'd rather it be electric. Dual channel ABS, decent suspension travel and sufficient power are things that only a motorcycle can provide. Amongst the other 250s, the Gixxer just didn't feel right during the TD, and KTMs just don't appeal to me.

The CB300R will most likely be priced close to the BMW 310 twins and their Apache 310 cousin, and the latter choices seem superior on paper. Not ruling out REs, particularly the Himalayan, but its weight and lack of tubeless tyres doesn't make it the best choice for the city. Dominar 400 seems a bit overkill just for city rides, so I'd stick to the 250cc brigade. Just pick one that feels the best during TD, is easily serviceable and makes you turn around and look at it every now and then For me, that is most likely the FZS25.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by Sudarshan42

Similar dilemma, looking to replace my aging P220F next year.

Your reasoning is accurate, good options to choose from.
Just out of curiosity, you aren't considering the new Pulsar 250 twins ?

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by shancz

Your reasoning is accurate, good options to choose from.
Just out of curiosity, you aren't considering the new Pulsar 250 twins ?

True. Except for the lack of Dual Channel ABS, I think it would fit his bill well.

[DrCar]

I would suggest you to try test riding Avenger once. Whichever engine option you choose, it would be sufficient for city usage.

Pros:
- Reliable engine.
- Good soft suspension and riding position.
- Spare parts won't be an issue as the bike is around for many years.
- Can occasionally take for touring if your Ninja is in service center.

Cons:
- Few quality issues still persist.
- Clunky gearbox and engine's NVH isn't good.
- If you are tall, then the sitting position will be uncomfortable.
- Back seat comfort is poor, though won't matter much in occasional city rides.
- No dual channel ABS. And the bike absolutely needs one as the rear brakes are poor.

Second option is to try Suzuki Intruder once. You might need to accept the polarising look of the bike if you intend to get one.

Another option that you can try is recently launched Yamaha FZ-X. You will get all the advantage of FZ15 with added benefit of comfortable riding posture.

[IshaanIan]

Wait you've got a Ninja300 and you're looking for something else to commute on? If all you want is a second bike with an upright stance then Duke200, Hero Xpulse and Yamaha MT15 all make perfect sense.

[KPR]

Well I'm in same boat as you looking for a city commute or local run about bike. I own a TB500 which is good for 20+ km rides. The reason for looking another bike is that I can't handle the weight of moving TB500 from parked places as it is an elephant. Same goes with higher CC bikes. I don't like gearless scooter as it won't give much mileage and confidence in pot holed roads. So I'm looking for a commuter segment especially 110cc bikes like Splendor+, Honda CD110, CT110 which will give not less than 65 kmpl . They offer very good torque until 60kmph which is more than enough for city errand and can cruise at 70 kmph with great mileage in return. Bikes like TVS Radeon, Livo comes with front disc and single channel ABS. Limit yourself to light weight bikes esp under 150cc. FZx isn't bad either. And such bikes have a 10 ltr tank with 650 km range as compared to 5 ltr tank / 200 km range in gearless scooters. For the occasional fun you can enjoy Ninja.

[Phantom 510]

RE Classic 350

*Evergreen styling and immense street presence for the money asked. Still turns heads after all these years.
* New gen engines are on a different level in terms of refinement with an all new gearbox offering slick shifts when compared to the older RE's (UCE).
* Great tractability allows one to get lazy with the shifts and allows them to settle in a calm mood.
* Effortless to ride in the low to mid range revs.
* Glides over the bad patches with ease.
* Long service intervals (10k kms).
* Great efficiency of 35-40 kmpl.
* Strong resale value.