[ramki.grandhi]

Originally Posted by shancz

The impression I get is that you want a no-nonsense and enjoyable street naked but I may be wrong.

Exactly, this is the right understanding. Thank you for the suggestions, I will start taking test drives and post short updates here to validate my learnings.

[snallagatla]

Wow, We have so many similarities brother. I fall in the same age group, own XUV 700 MX Diesel, live in Bangalore, Family man and a sedate driver.

When I was troubled with similar itch few years ago, I gifted myself a Royal Enfield Himalayan. But, As it was not my primary vehicle, I sparely used and clocked about 8k kms in 5 years span. I had to change 4 batteries and few parts replacement as it was not being used regularly. Also, It never impressed my family. Wife and kids are more comfortable in my car.

So, I totally gave up on owning a bike again but found an alternative in the form of Thar. I drive my car alone about 70% of the time and Thar can take my family as well when we want to go for joyrides within city. Availability of Thar RWD also made the deal sweet.

I know this may not be the answer that you are seeking. But, A Car (or Thar) is more safer than a bike, more relaxing to your body posture and can take you to long distances when needed. Also service intervals and costs are much lesser compared to a luxury bike.

I live in an independent house with good amount of parking space. If you are living in apartment complex, this may not suite to your requirement but just wanted to share thoughts. Hope you maty find your new ride soon.

[satchit_bhp]

You should choose between the RE Hunter 350 and Honda CB350 RS, both these bikes seems good for city ride.

[Devansh88]

Hi,

I'm also looking to buy in a similar budget, and am considering Ktm 390 adv, or used Honda CB500X / Versys 650 / V-Storm 650.

In your options, I just want to point out, rusting seems to be a problem with the CB350. Ample posts on this forum itself. Not sure how nobody pointed it out already. Surprising for Honda and too bad for what is an otherwise great bike.

Honestly, I could just go for the CB500x as don't need the power of the 650 twins, however it's Honda's commitment to CB500x in India that is stopping me from buying it. It keeps getting listed and de-listed from the site... It arrives in limited batches at a time and the future of the next lot or model is always uncertain. Not sure how the parts availability might be 10 years down.

To your question, i don't have one magic answer, but given your life stage and nature to ride one machine for long, maybe going for a well refined twin cylinder over these "smaller" single cylinder bikes might give you more satisfaction over long term. Buy something you will not regret 5-6 years later, even if it means stretching your budget a bit or buying pre-owned.

[raven_blr]

Hello Mr. Ramki Grandhi, I'll be 40 this year too it's not that old of an age sir. I'm happily cruising on the highways with my Dominar 400.

My only suggestion is to make sure to have a long test ride of whatever motorcycle you are choosing, especially if you're considering KTM Adventure 390. It's a tall and a busy motorcycle and can be tedious to ride in the city. But it is quite a joy to ride on the highway.

You can't go wrong with Yamaha or Honda, both are built well, comfortable and will last long.

Motorcycle purchase is an emotional purchase, so go with what pleases your heart. But also make sure to invest in good quality riding gear as these motorcycles can reach dangerous speeds before you realize.

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

Hello fellow bikers, I’ve started looking for a motorcycle but I’m not a young like most of the members here. Could you please suggest me a motorcycle based on below requirements?

Little bit about me
1. Have decent budget, up to 5-6 lacs
2. Im 40 years old, full time dad, uncle etc.
3. Not well built, but recently joined gym and making slow progress.
4. Targeting to be fit by year end and reward myself with a bike.
5. I generally drive extremely careful and I've never broken a road law/rule. --> I've an official certification about this from my wife
6. I already have activa and xuv700

My requirements
1. Want to keep the bike for very long and pass it to my children in a decent condition
2. I’ve experience with 150cc bike during college days and till 30years age
3. Bike has to be free from rusting issues and must have good service support.
4. Not interested in crazy electronics and features.
5. There is no definitive use case for bike, but it should be suitable to shitty bangalore roads and ocassional short highway drives.
6. Should be easy to drive and not keen on aggressive driving posture.
7. Not interested in bikes that aren’t successful and may get discontinued. As I’m looking for long term.
8. "You don't need a new bike, bla...bla...bla..." --> this is not an acceptable suggestion. Because I already have family, friends and colleagues for this.

so far I’m keen on upcoming mt03, 390 adventure x, Honda cb350 series, 250 vstorm. Thank you very much eveyrone, based on suggestions I will start test drives soon.

[mankurup80]

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

Hello fellow bikers, I’ve started looking for a motorcycle but I’m not a young like most of the members here. Could you please suggest me a motorcycle based on below requirements?
...

I believe it depends on your choice of Bike type.
I am 42 and own Kawasaki Z900 for last 4 years. Same as you, i would like to pass it on to my kids. i planned to go for Harley but after riding Z900 i just loved it. I take it for long rides ~ 800KM twice a year and short distance pleasure rides.
I also own JAWA 42 Bobber which is another segment of bike.

[gharika]

I got my leg over a new Duke 390 at 39 9 yrs back after a gap of 10 yrs , switched to Interceptor 650 in 2020. Both excellent bike but won't recommend either for city use.

[spagnet]

Originally Posted by ramki.grandhi

Hello fellow bikers, I’ve started looking for a motorcycle but I’m not a young like most of the members here. Could you please suggest me a motorcycle based on below requirements?

Little bit about me
1. Have decent budget, up to 5-6 lacs
2. Im 40 years old, full time dad, uncle etc.
3. Not well built, but recently joined gym and making slow progress.
4. Targeting to be fit by year end and reward myself with a bike.
5. I generally drive extremely careful and I've never broken a road law/rule. --> I've an official certification about this from my wife
6. I already have activa and xuv700

My requirements
1. Want to keep the bike for very long and pass it to my children in a decent condition
2. I’ve experience with 150cc bike during college days and till 30years age
3. Bike has to be free from rusting issues and must have good service support.
4. Not interested in crazy electronics and features.
5. There is no definitive use case for bike, but it should be suitable to shitty bangalore roads and ocassional short highway drives.
6. Should be easy to drive and not keen on aggressive driving posture.
7. Not interested in bikes that aren’t successful and may get discontinued. As I’m looking for long term.
8. "You don't need a new bike, bla...bla...bla..." --> this is not an acceptable suggestion. Because I already have family, friends and colleagues for this.

so far I’m keen on upcoming mt03, 390 adventure x, Honda cb350 series, 250 vstorm. Thank you very much eveyrone, based on suggestions I will start test drives soon.

I'm 50 (Years) and 150 (Kilos) and I am on my second Bike. I bought my first some 16 yeas ago, a 200cc Pulsar DTSI, did 100k kms on its lifetime. Now chose Meteor 350cc for those same reasons that concern you. I can strongly recommend it, and also it's sibling the Hunter 350, which borrows the same J platform. They fit your bill most perfectly: not excessively electronically gimmicized, comfortable riding position, good for short and long rides, even some off-roading if you please, wide service network (infact the widest probably).

Honda and Suzuki do appeal to me but the limited service network is a challenge. I wouldn't recommend Bajaj due to poor service, obsolescense and spare part availability. Same goes for any bikes made in collaboration - for example Bajaj Triumph, Hero Harley.

If you fancy something more powerful and higher up in the budget you may also consider the Super Meteor.

My teenage kid is already fixated on getting hands- on on the Meteor once of legal driving age, so I guess the new gemeration tok likes it's retor-modern look and can be passed down as legacy.

[Legal_Eagle]

I am 37 years, ride an Interceptor 650 in Bangalore city as a daily commute, from fetching coriander to going to court, it is my one do it all bike. Is it comfortable? A big NO, reason being weight, seat design, foot peg placements, suspension. But the engine is butter, build quality is reasonably good, gear shifts are predictable and what really helps in the city is the bucketloads of torque available at low rpms that negates the necessity of changing gears frequently. It is quite a handful at parking speeds. I bought it pre-worshipped from my friend who was leaving for USA and luckily the bike has remained niggle free in the past two years. I am optimistic about your one requirement, passing it on to the next generation, I think that Interceptor engines are built to last. Having said that, I am thinking of moving on to some other lighter bike, but yet to finalise on one.

[Kalash_6324]

There are practical options and then there are options that tug at your heartstrings.

Considering your objective of keeping the bike around long term and passing it onto your children, the following list is in the order or recommendation and reasons to go for it.

1. Honda CB350 - It's Honda's take at the retro 350cc thumper and they've done a fantastic job with it.
It's easy to ride, easy to maintain, has typical Honda quality and assurance that comes with it.
The engine is smooth and relatively free revving.
A great cruiser and a really good city bike too, although my only complaint is it needs relatively more gearshifts in the city, compared to an RE Classic/Meteor/Hunter.
No rusting issues with just normal care and parts availability in the long run shouldn't be an issue either.

2. RE Classic/Meteor - As good as old school charm gets.
Both are wonderful bikes and the only difference is in the suspension setup and ergonomics.
Both do the job they're supposed to, really well.
A great selection of paint shades and accessories to choose from.
Now, the newer J Series bikes are really reliable and have no major issues so to speak, but in terms long term reliability RE will always be behind Honda, even if it's just the placebo effect.
I have a 10 year old Classic 350 myself and have no complaints in terms of mechanical reliability.
Only issue being the paint chipping and rust (not in my case, touchwood) which probably won't happen in newer REs, but absolutely won't in a Honda.


From here on out, it's going to be short.
3. KTM 390 ADV - long in the tooth, not as refined, not as easy to ride in the city as the above two mentioned. Due for a replacement within 9 months.

4. Himalayan - A brilliant bike overall, extremely capable tourer and user friendly when it comes to off-roading.
Only issue is it's a 7 year old bike that is due to be replaced by the end of the year with a brand new and much better engine. Personally this is what I'm waiting to upgrade to.

5. Yamaha MT03 - Not as revered in pther countries as the other MT versions. Bit of a let down compared to other MT series bikes.

6. Suzuki V Strom 250 - A superb bike, lovely to ride. Standard Suzuki build quality and assurance. Shouldn't have any long term issues. Only thing is it's an ADV, so the purpose of the bike is long road trips.
It can easily be your daily driver though and shouldn't have any real complaints.
Only issue I've heard of is a fault with the steering assembly that causes the bike to veer right if I'm not wrong, and the OE brake pads don't last as long.


Now, test driving each and every bike is the only way to zero down on what you like.
Everybody else will be able to give you perspective, but it comes down to your heart and constraints.
So best of luck on the decision and wish you many happy miles ahead!

[phamilyman]

Highness / VStrom 250 are the ideal sedate rides that can transform into hooligan like bikes at redline.

Unless you want a bigger bike. Then go for the Triumph Bonneville

This is the last moment in your life when you can truly bike well

You can drive a SUV into your 70s - but a bike is physically demanding on our crazy shitty roads

Sorry I am a full YOLO person - buy a bike your heart enjoys but not one that's beyond your abilities to control (The RC390 was too quick and too razor sharp for me at 33 - I'm 40 now myself)

[mkc15]

@ramki, I was more or less at the same thought ~2 years ago. I waited for CB300R and finally I test drove facelifted G310R. I liked it a lot mainly for the ride height, weight and handling and got one. If you can compromise #1 a bit, G310R would be my suggestion.

[dkaile]

Having a emotional connect with your bike is as important as the lastability of the bike. For the occasional rider that you will be, have a look at the Classic 350 Reborn Chrome and you won't go wrong with it. Look for my ownership thread on this forum for some insight.

Happy hunting... Cheers

[jetsetgo08]

If one likes torquey machines, the CB350 and RE350's are perfect for relaxed riding. As long as one does not flick through the traffic, sticks to their lane, these do their job very well. Infact the tall 1st gear, light clutch on the CB350 are a boon in heavy traffic. Only drawback I would say is their weight, one can't lift the rear of these vehicles to squeeze in tight parking spots.

[rajshenoy]

You will find plenty of 40+ bikers here

Among the current set of bikes, you can go for CB350 (I own one too) but since you are willing to wait till year end, we might get the Harley x440, Himalayan 450 and the Triumph 400cc bike by then as you do not have any budget constraint.