[ramgkulkarni]

Fellow BHPians, I intend to take this opportunity to let you know a small story along with What bike? question to you all. So, let’s get started.

Beginnings:
I started riding 2 wheelers when I was in class 6. My tuition teacher would allow us to use his Kinetic Luna which was barely faster than my cycle at the time. But it kindled a fire that is hard to put out. Soon my brother (SedayGuy) and I were riding anything with 2 wheels on them. Closer to class 10, we had already started riding our dad's Bajaj Chetak secretly and sometimes not so secretly too.

First 2 wheeler - Kinetic Honda (Old rusty)
Finally when I was 16, my dad gave in and allowed us to use a Kinetic Honda which a kind cousin had handed over to us before he left the country. It was CH registered moped in Bangalore used by 2 very curious 16 year olds. A recipe for disaster! I have cried, begged, and escaped numerous cops in the Bangalore with whom this Kinetic had become a regular. Any cops who served during 2005-06 in the Vijayanagar/Rajajinagar area will know us. Being twins, we even entertained some cops before we were set free to take the bike out of the police's hands. After costing a bomb in fuel and Fine money, my father was set on getting us something more economical. Btw the engine seized as well while we owned it, but hey! we were 2 teenagers eager to ride that bike out to the moon.

First new bike: Bajaj CT-100 Deluxe
My father told us that he would get us a new bike depending on how well we do in our mid-terms in 12th. So obviously my brother and I forged a few copies of marks card and did so amazingly well. Nobody was hurt and we were getting a new bike! After a lot of negotiations with my father, we ended up with CT 100. The options that were considered are still engrained in my memory like I had this chat the other night. First up we asked for the last gen 5 speed RXZ or RX-135. It was straight up rejected because of fuel consumption. Disappointed and hurt, asked for a Pulsar 150. Also rejected. In wain effort, we were bargaining for Bajaj Discover 135, hoping my dad will see some sense. Alas, it was he who was paying for it, and we were getting the CT-100. As much as I hated the old man for buying us the absolute lowest spec of a 2-wheeler, the bike would bring in a lot of memories and would eventually find me the future mother of my son. And it did give 90-95 kmpl in the initial days we had it. The bike became an integral part of our growing up and helped us roam corners of this city because of the generous mileage. That bike has seen so much abuse and never once died on us. We put in some local headers to make it sound cool, ridiculous! The bike never rode with less than 2 pillion riders, worst case even 3 pillions. It gave us a lot of good memories. It was a conversation starter with my future wife as well whom I met when I was 17 years old!

First bike I bought on my own: 1999 Yamaha RX 135
Cut to the chase, I was now earning and wanted to realise a lifelong dream of owning a RX. I bought one from a dear friend of ours and it was everything I wanted. It stayed with me from 2010 till 2012 when I had to move abroad for work for a year. My brother took it to Bombay where he was working at the time. He had his time with it too. he decided to come back home after his few years at Bombay. We decided to do a nut and bolt restoration and it turned out great. Used that bike till 2017 and finally decided to part ways with it as it had become a bit of an oil burner and also needed too much upkeep. I still regret selling it though.

Final Bike - Bajaj Avenger 220
This bike was being sold in electronics city by a friend of a friend. He was moving abroad and had barely used this bike for 2k kms in the full 1.5 years he had. I blindly wrote a cheque and brought it back home. The red avenger was an absolute treat with zero issues/niggles. I used it for over 6 months and clocked just over 5k kms before I had to leave for another stint abroad.
What I realized with Avenger was that even through it is an amazing looking cruiser, it lacked the weight to be driven on the highway. It didn’t have high speed confidence compared to a bullet. At the same time my brother bought an Enfield as his daily commuter. So, there was real time comparison being driven by us. After my final stint abroad, I had given up riding bikes to office. Relied on office transport or the car thereafter. Since the avenger wasn’t being used, I sold it around 14K kms.

Some pics of that bike:








Next up - A series of un-entertaining scooters.
- Bought Suzuki Access 125 for my father as a retirement gift and he barely used it. Kept it around for 2 years and eventually sold it
- Bought Yamaha Ray-z which currently does the duty at home.

So why a new bike?
My wife recently went through an old album of our days in college and reminisced some of the odd bike trips we did. She always wanted to go on a small ride on the avenger but time never allowed us to do it. As I am turning 35 years old early next year, she said I should get a new bike and we should make new memories while we still have some pepper left in the hair. As a petrolhead, you take your cues when they present themselves even if they appear half heatedly. When it is so direct, you just grab the opportunity. The icing on the cake, she wants to buy it as a birthday present. So, I am going to get my old leather jacket dry-cleaned(hopefully I still fit into it) and prepare myself for my mid life crisis bike.

Requirement:
- Needs to be a cruiser. The avenger spoiled me with its seat and posture
- Want to have that royal enfield esque heaft to the bike. Gives amazing stabiliity out on the open road
- Hopefully below 3 lakhs
- And should be usable in the city traffic

What I have seen so far:

- RE Interceptor: What a beast! It was fun driving this around on a test drive. What I noticed is that it is a bit handful in city traffic. My brother who riding pillion was jumping back and forth to stay put in the seat. I feel its just not going to work in bangalore Traffic. It doesnt come under 3 lakhs but I would have brought it if it matched my requirements.

- RE himalayan: Doesnt perform the same as the 350. Found the low end torque down compared to 350. Not sure if it was the test ride vehicle issue or not

- RE Meteor: Superb sitting comfort for the rider but not that great for the pillion. I am ok with this as my wife fits perfectly well. I found the 350 suits the city and highway needs very well. The fit and finish along with the new engine is unlike the old RE. I found the paint to be absolutely gorgeous, may be better than my old swift as well.

RE Meteor 250 has clearly won my heart but I want to make sure I review other options as well.

Other options:
- Honda H'ness CB350: need to test drive
nothing else has come close to my imagination. I havent been up to date with the bike mark

Request some of our biker Bhpians to chip in their valued inputs.

Thanks gain folks!

[AtheK]

Try the hunter 350, it is a great bike to ride as well, how comfortable pillion is, you will need to figure that out with your wife, take her along and see if she is fine. It is light and nimble and should work great in city.

I ride the interceptor in the city all the time now, it is easily manageable, does get heated up a bit but it is fine. The only big downside is the mileage of around 20-21 Kmpl in the city. That said I still have it as me and my wife can easily head out to highways and it is just such a pleasure to ride it on highway with a pillion.

If you are ok with the 20-21 kmpl mileage in the city I will recommend the interceptor for sure, as memories eventually would be made on the highway rides and not in city!

[ramgkulkarni]

Originally Posted by AtheK

as memories eventually would be made on the highway rides and not in city!

Very true!

I also want a good city commuter as well. This will include short school pickup-drops and maybe even the occasional office visits.

Interceptor is a beast man! Its not for me though. I can manage very well with a 350 and its adequate for me. The top speed runnings will always be in the 4 wheeler for me. This is as I said a mid life crisis bike till the enthusiasm wanes off or I discover new found love for motorbiking.

The new RE is quite the looker. The seats are quite comfortable especially the touring seats, so I will check that out.

Thanks

[joednazareth]

Hi There.
Greetings to you.
Try the HONDA Unicorn 160.
I did visit the showroom last week of NOV'22.
Liked the Matte Gray.
The Bike has the same time tested smooth engine.
Has the best riding position, comfortable
The BS6 norms has choked the engine, EFI has replaced the Carb.
You also have the kick start.
Broad and Long seat. Saree Guard is neat.
Get a tail carrier like the Vstrom 650 XT.
You have the Mounts under the seat.
I wouldn't recommend any RE products, cause of the parts quality and fitment/alignment. Weight.
I did find your younger years were full of excitement and your parents must have lived from one crisis to the next. Not too serious of course.

It's better to negotiate roads / traffic on a two wheeler. Just be aware of the crazy ones who zip past you on the wrong side.
Just keep same momentum and direction to be safe in city limits.

Kind regards to you and your family.

[shancz]

Since you mentioned the cruiser as a requirement :

The Super Meteor can bring you the Interceptor powertrain in an even more premium and expensive cruiser package but for what you want to achieve with this motorcycle, the Meteor is the optimal choice.

But do definitely ride Honda CB350, maybe you like that stance better for two up riding and if you do do check out the Classic 350 as well.

[ramgkulkarni]

Thanks Joed and Shancz, I appreciate your feedback.

Unicorn is definitely not a contender. I dont want to go down on the engine capacity. Atleast 250 cc and above is my criteria. Also must be heft for occasional highway cruising.

I think meteor is hitting all the right boxes. CB350 need to be checked before the final decision is made.

[iamahunter]

At this age, my suggestion would be to get something which will keep you both happy for a years to come. I am at the same age and I can understand the "pepper" reference. That's how I justified my big bike purchase to my mom and close relatives.

Do not think below the Super Meteor if you plan to hit the highway, I know it will be over your budget, but consider it as an investment for happiness. Yes the 350's are good (Honda and RE both), but I would not consider it an upgrade over your Avenger. I think you should take your time to think about it before you take the plunge.

[ramgkulkarni]

Agree @iamahunter, it is not an upgrade from Avenger.

But for me the 350s provide a good highway cruisability which is difficult to find in any bike under the price range. I also dont want to spend too much with the upcoming slowdown expected as well.

I have ridden a CBR 1000R as well and I can easily say that neither I have the strength nor the energy to care for such mights. May be a 650 is a good option but with my limited running, I will end up losing interest in it if it becomes only a highway cruiser.

So the 350s are easily palatable in that sense.

Thanks

[GreyNomad]

@ramgkulkarni brother you’re clearly in love with the RE Meteor350. Stop procrastinating and sign the cheque already. It’s a beautiful machine and will keep you happy for a handful of years at the very least. If the motorcycling bug bites you hard, you can always upgrade to its elder sibling or whatever will be there then.
Till then, get this one home and start making memories!

[ajay0612]

Your choice is between RE Meteor and Honda CB350. Try Honda CB350 and maybe you will be able to decide quicker. If your height is 5'6" plus and Bigwing showroom is not far away, I would suggest CB350. It is almost flawless and simple.

[pachchu77]

I would say, don't just decide based on the 1-2km test rides, but rent your shortlisted bike(s) for a day (or so) and ride for at least 100+ km across city/highway matching your use case (read with/with out pillion, riding style etc) as closely as possible. This would help you make a well informed decision.

Best wishes...

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by ramgkulkarni

RE Meteor 350 has clearly won my heart but I want to make sure I review other options as well.

If your usage is primarily in City, also test ride RE Hunter 350 as it's lightweight compared to other RE bikes. It can also work well for occasional highway ride.
Outside of RE & not beyond 350cc, test ride TVS Ronin as well.
I am hoping that all test rides are being carried out along with your wife.

[rahulcmoulee]

Looks like you have your heart set on the Meteor. Having owned it for 11 month and done over 5k kms now, I can assure you, the bike will not let you down. I use it for my daily commute and it is much easier to ride than the weight suggests. It can hold a comfortable 90kmph cruise without breaking a sweat too. Have had no reliability issues so far either.

Do try out the CB350 too, it is a great bike but for me the tall gearing robbed it off any fun in the city. But it might be better suited to your riding style.

[ramgkulkarni]

Thank you Sukiwa and Rahul. It definitely helps having to know one of the members own and not face any issues.

TVS Ronnin is an odd ball of a bike. I really didnt like the design of the bike and not sure which category it sits in. In any case, I am not planning on that bike as it doesnt please my senses.

Yes, I am taking the wife to Bing wing tomorrow and testing the CB350. I have heard the tall gearing is a bit of a let down. A friend owns it too and he cant stop about how much he loves his bike. If all goes well, I will decide and do a booking either for the CB350 or Meteor.

[Bullfrog]

Last month decided on Ronin after testing Hunter and CB350. CB350 was dropped due to being a riding hassle in traffic with frequent gear changes. Hunter was great with a completely different character with 17 inch wheels (first on RE product line). Without oil cooler the engine runs really hot and I suspect can get uncomfortable in slow crawling traffic. Ronin was a real winner with all technology, fantastic handling, 2channel ABS and all other TVS goodies. Also great build quality. Also it has a great stance for riding. Using it for daily commute in Bangalore.