[SidharthaN]

If you can reduce your expected speed to 80-90 kmph, then Xpulse 4v ticks all boxes. I am 45 and own one along with a Thunderbird.

[tarmacnaut]

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

Please add if there is anything I missed.

What do you recommend?

The Suzuki V-Strom SX is missing. I currently own one and my requirements were somewhat similar to yours and I have already written about the purchase decisioning in the V-Strom thread.

It has a relaxed upright seating position, highly reliable, has the most accomodating, comfortable seat for both rider and the pillion, can cruise 100+ smoothly as it has 6 gears with good top end and one can easily cover long distances without breaking a sweat.

It is equally capable in city as well, as it is pretty lightweight at just 167kgs and has great low end torque with high ground clearance. It is a more complete package for the money in my opinion.

[Senotrius]

You'll have to choose between reliability or service reach. Reliability= Honda hness,service reach= royal Enfield. I would put up with the service reach thing as Honda's are more reliable and chances of stuff breaking down are less. On the flip side if anything does go awry with royal Enfield you have plenty of nearby fng's to go to in most cities/towns. I mean they sell a TONNE of enfields compared to hness. Ride both and see which feels more comfy.One model has to better over the other wrt immediate comfort/ergonomics while riding.In my experience no air cushion,handlebar riser will fix this completely so choose wisely.Use any bike rental app to do that for a day each.

[RT13]

I would definitely add the Honda CB300R to your list. At 3.5 on road in Bangalore, and less elsewhere, I think it’s a fantastic mixed use bike with a superb gearbox and power to weight ratio. However all these calculations go out of the window when you test ride a bike. I think you need to head out and do some test rides to figure out what sort of ergonomics you want and the kind of engine, gearbox and suspension you prefer. That process alone will knock a lot of options off your list. You should also probably list the places you live and commute to and from. Riding a bike in Bangalore is different from Madras (yes it will always be that to me ) and again different to say Cochin or Delhi or Nagpur. Traffic and road conditions can make a difference to the kind of bike one should pick.

[Gaur]

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

Considerations at the moment
1. RE350 Classic, RE Interceptor, 390 Adv, Duke 390, Jawa 42, RE Himalayan, RE Meteor 350, Honda Highness, Dominor 400, Honda CB350, CFMoto 650NK and upcoming RE Meteor 650 or anything upcoming.
Please add if there is anything I missed.

What do you recommend?

Would you want to consider the RE Hunter 350 and KTM/Dominar 250 and Gixxer SF 250 as well ?

Honda Highness/CB350 are good bikes but they really dont enjoy 100-110kmph cruising speeds, at best they are comfortable at 85-90kmph range.

Classic 350/Interceptor/KTM390/Dominar/Meteor are all decent bikes which match few of your requirements pretty well but also have their fair share of negatives, e.g Interceptor is a bit unfriendly in heavy traffic also gets heated up, pillion will hate the rear seat, KTM 390 poor low end torque, Dominar being too heavy and large turning radius.

Himalayan seems to be the best from what you have shortlisted untill now.
As i have already recommended to have a look at KTM 250, i personally feel its a good Jack of all trades master of none type of bike which meets most of your criteria.

B.T.W i was/am still in the same conundrum as you are, just that i wanted to make a switch from my 16yr old Bajaj avenger 180 to something in the 250-350-650 range (read ktm/GS310/dominar/interceptor) but even after trying out all of these somehow none of them clicked, so decided to wait a bit more to actually figure out what suits me best, in the meanwhile got hold of a used,well maintained Honda CBR250R which for the time being meets most of my requirements, fairly comfortable, decently fuel efficient, no niggles (yet), good on highways (comfortable cruising at110-120kmph) and cities alike.

Take multiple test rides and see what clicks the best.

[Livnletcarsliv]

Originally Posted by Gaur

Would you want to consider the RE Hunter 350 and KTM/Dominar 250 and Gixxer SF 250 as well ?

Don't like the looks of Hunter.
Regarding KTM/Dominar/Gixxer 250, it cannot sustain cruise speeds for long enough for my long rides. Again the seating position is not comfortable enough for long rides. These are semi-sporty in terms of seating positon.

[anshumandun]

Do consider a pre-owned Versys 650. I am also into late 30s and I am also around 6 feet tall. The Versys 650 is all I need. Its a keeper. Super reliable, mechanically simple and sorted, very comfortable and it can take you almost anywhere.

[toothless]

Looks like a clear case for Super Meteor.

I am in the same age range, but ride a GT650. Its not for everyone but I enjoy the rides. Definitely not the bike for your needs. But, the engine is superb and can sustain cruising at 100-110 very comfortably. Plus it has enough power for a bit of fun and should keep you happy if/till you decide to upgrade in future. So my suggestion would be to go for the Super Meteor. Its got the same engine, cruiser design and alloy wheels (should be tubeless) which I sorely miss on the GT/Interceptor.

In the end though, its about how the bike speaks to you. Test ride the bikes extensively and give limited weightage to the spec sheets or opinions of others.

[GeeTee TSI]

I had similar criteria and constraints and felt nothing like a motorcycle with good ride for urban ruts

Went for the VStrom 250 but the Hero Xpulse 200 I still admire. The Suzuki has also been planted at 80 kmph cruising speeds, with enough roll on acceleration for overtakes

[amiya.c]

I was in the same dilemma a month back with exact same budget. I am also close to 6ft and in my late 30s.

I liked the below bikes and was ok to adjust my needs:
- RE Interceptor 650
- Honda CB350 RS
- RE Scram 411

Eliminated Interceptor and Scram because of spoke wheels. Interceptor was also somewhat heavy for office commuting. I know I could have gone for aftermarket alloys but I like to keep my vehicles in stock condition.

For my needs CB350 RS was enough, my highway runs won't be more than 200-300 kms.
If you are going to have longer highway runs then go with Interceptor or Super Meteor.
If your city rides are more then I would suggest to go for RE Classic 350 or Honda CB350.

Jawa 42 2.1 and Yezdi roadster looked small on my frame and had heavy clutch action, hence eliminated.

I was coming from R15 V3 BS6 so I did not look into KTMs, Dominar, XPulse, etc.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

1. No sports bike (or) scooter even if it is a BMW BMW C 400 GT because it doesn't suit me (especially riding position due to my height). It is not comfortable for long rides. It doesn't age well.
2. Comfort - Looking for a bike that is comfortable to sit and ride inside the city as well as occasional long rides for 500-600kms. (My my work city and my home town is 500kms). Smooth tarmac as well as bad road (not off-roading though).

Livnletcarsliv, you may be surprised to know that sporty looking motorcycles arent necessarily uncomfortable. The popular perception is that faired bikes put all the weight on your wrists etc. That is true for some bikes. Many companies have found ways to mask a high handlebar position, which offers a lot of comfort, with a full fairing.

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

Considerations at the moment
1. RE350 Classic, RE Interceptor, 390 Adv, Duke 390, Jawa 42, RE Himalayan, RE Meteor 350, Honda Highness, Dominor 400, Honda CB350, CFMoto 650NK and upcoming RE Meteor 650 or anything upcoming.
Please add if there is anything I missed.

Honestly, most of the bikes you listed will meet all, if not almost all, of your requirements. I would add the Royal Enfield Scram 411, TVS Apache RR310 and Suzuki triplets of Gixxer 250 (naked) / Gixxer SF 250 (faired) and VStrom 250 (adventure).

Test ride all the bikes and see what connects with you.

[sreejithkk]

I would suggest RE Classic 350. I was in similar state and eventually purchased Highness 350. While it is a good bike, I am not at all comfortable with its tall gearing which irritates on city and rural roads where speed vary between 20 to 50 kmph. However in highways it is extremely smooth and comfortable. I knew about the tall gearing but never thought it would irritate me this much.

[Asish_VK]

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

Don't like the looks of Hunter.
Regarding KTM/Dominar/Gixxer 250, it cannot sustain cruise speeds for long enough for my long rides. Again the seating position is not comfortable enough for long rides. These are semi-sporty in terms of seating positon.

Do test ride the Gixxer 250 & 250SF. They are not that sporty in seating position, they are nimble in traffic and also can sustain triple digit speeds on highways. In fact the 250SF will give you additional (comparatively) protection from wind-blast during cruising.
The bike is well built, have good fuel efficiency and cheaper to buy & maintain.

[Samarth 619]

I own the Duke 390 already and I'm in the same position as you- 6 feet, age around 36. Its the first batch BS3, and the raw grunt it has is incomparable, and it ticks all your boxes, except for comfort.

The seat is hard, and that is made worse by the suspension setup which makes it handle well, but bumps are mighty painful, no other way to put it. Pillions curse the bike like anything.
Plus, it requires huge amount of gearshifts in the city due to the weak low end torque, it begs to be revved. Under 4000 rpm its elastic. Above, its a hammer! And with 152 kgs wet weight, its everything I need.

So, as much as I love my 390, you better remove it from your list, the first thing.

Adv 390, well, I've found no significant suspension changes in my last ride, but you better check for yourself, don't take my word, from the short ride I had.


I think you should consider between Dominar 400 and the Honda 350cc bikes. They all will do great for all your needs.
What I wouldn't like about them (if asked), is the 181~ kgs wet weight.

If you're looking for a decent weight bike for city considerations, choose Honda CB300R. Just 144 kgs wet weight and 30~bhp with reasonable mileage for the category.

A heavier bike isn't always stable at highway level, but it certainly helps a bit with crosswinds.
But a heavier bike bogs you down in the city more, requiring more effort steering and manouvering in the city.

Scientifically, a bike's stability depends on its wheelbase (long = more stable & vice versa) and its swingarm length and frame construction.

[neochanger]

Given your needs and preferences, Honda CB350RS seems to be the bike. It will age well, is reliable, maintenance and cost is not too much, looks good and built solid. There are many positives about this bike as mentioned by fellow members already. So I would like to point out only the negatives so that you can be sure whether it’s a deal breaker for you or not:

1. Tall gearing means you can’t put the bike in 3rd and forget it like REs. In traffic though, you can rely on 2nd gear to move through slightly compromising on fuel efficiency.

2. Not for triple digit speeds. It takes its own good time to cross the 90 kmph mark on open highways. You need to put it 4th gear or even 3rd to reach higher speeds quickly (with annoying high levels of engine growls). In 5th gear you will struggle alongside a Spelndor to cross 80-85 kph. This might be a deal breaker for you if you wish to ride over 100 kmph on open stretches. (Although I would never recommend untrained ordinary bikers to ever touch that speed, let alone riding on that speed for long even for fun. But people have different preferences so can’t really insist.)

Everything else about this bike is great in my view. I own this bike and above two points are the only things that I don’t like. If any of the above is a big no for you then you must not get this one. Else, there’s nothing to complain about. BigWing dealerships are increasing gradually and service cycle is of 6 months so the after sales shouldn’t be an issue unless you are too far away from big cities.