[Senotrius]

Originally Posted by bharath79

It was also mentioned that it may be easy to get bored with this bike eventually in 6 months to a year! I think that was a strong statement.

Well that even Gen1 Duke 390 i kinda grew out of. In my opinion, this would work out as good stop gap for Bajaj-ktm-Triumph till they are able to release a parallel twin or higher capacity bike. One that is affordable in 3-4 years time when the speed 400 users could be looking for an upgrade. We have zero proper affordable twins except for the interceptor whose price is creeping up very slowly. How about a 3.5-4 lakh, higher spec Triumph instead?

The speed 400 was what i wanted the honda hness to be at. 40hp, 7 sec 100kmph acceleration and better looks. Unfortunately they won't update the h'ness ever like the erstwhile cbr250.

[gtx2]

Originally Posted by bharath79

It was also mentioned that it may be easy to get bored with this bike eventually in 6 months to a year! I think that was a strong statement.

I can understand someone like him getting bored soon , but a huge group will find a lot of value from this bike for many years to come. This is after all targeted as a mass market product.

Overall his review was detailed so one can look for what they want from a bike was on offering or not. Good stuff.

[aviator1101]

With already so much buzz about the Speed 400 and the Scrambler 400x, now there's a new carrot at the end of the stick.


Photo courtesy Rushlane (rendered image)

[Senotrius]

That is a VERY nice rendering! If this was available for booking, i feel everyone would just skip the other two.

[Rennjit]

That is never going to come. Bajaj has clear distinction on what it's brands do. Bajaj commuters, KTM Adv, Triumph retro.

[bharath79]

Originally Posted by gtx2

I can understand someone like him getting bored soon , but a huge group will find a lot of value from this bike for many years to come. This is after all targeted as a mass market product.

Overall his review was detailed so one can look for what they want from a bike was on offering or not. Good stuff.

I experienced the exact same with CBR and in fact within the first three months of purchase. Great bike but not to my liking, unfortunately I cannot undo the purchase. I have hardly done 5K in 5 years (but there are other reasons too for this limited usage).

Sharply contrasting is the interest I show in driving my Polo diesel, I want to retain it for as long as I can.

I think it is more important and difficult to understand ourselves

Regards
Bharath

[aviator1101]

Originally Posted by Rennjit

That is never going to come. Bajaj has clear distinction on what it's brands do. Bajaj commuters, KTM Adv, Triumph retro.

I do not think Triumph would let Bajaj have that say. And they should not.

In fact, it suits us too, as we would have more options available.

As on date, Bajaj does not have any product directly comparable to the 400 twins. The Dominar 400 is way too bland specification-wise and there is no other pure Bajaj product in the 400cc category which can even participate in the competition.

Already the Scrambler 400x is announced and it will definitely eat into a chunk of 390 ADV's pie.

Originally Posted by gtx2

I can understand someone like him getting bored soon, but a huge group will find a lot of value from this bike for many years to come. This is after all targeted as a mass market product.

The host tells a person to hold on from selling his Hunter 350 and going for this bike, saying the Speed 400 is not a meaningful or substantial upgrade.

That was unexpected.

[bharath79]

Originally Posted by aviator1101

The host tells a person to hold on from selling his Hunter 350 and going for this bike, saying the Speed 400 is not a meaningful or substantial upgrade.

That was unexpected.

And that the person would do better to wait for something like a 650cc classic and some other bike i forgot. It ties back to the same thing that there may not much of value addition to your existing ride and so the boredom will set in sooner than later. That one point scares me!

Maybe we should take it slow.

Regards
Bharath

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by aviator1101

The host tells a person to hold on from selling his Hunter 350 and going for this bike, saying the Speed 400 is not a meaningful or substantial upgrade.

Originally Posted by bharath79

That one point scares me!

As with everything, bikes or cars, however good the reviewers are, it’s their perspective! Suspension being a prime example among other parameters. Soft/comfortable is all relative to our own perception of comfort or issues which we may carry. Many times a soft suspension may not suit someone with a back problem or a weak back because it’s too soft, due to poor damping and so on.

It’s good to study all the material put forward by certain people (Shumi, Rishaad, Sagar and maybe a handful of others) but it’s imperative to be very clear in our own mind as to what we want from a particular bike or car. Most important in any vehicle purchase is to take multiple test rides or drives and don’t be in a hurry to put your money down. Don’t even believe your own mind in one ride or drive because the heart may be influencing the mind Multiple times with gaps in the middle should generally paint a clear picture.

There may be mistakes but I’d rather they be mine than from listening and believing other people.

Cheers

[kibzu]

Originally Posted by Senotrius

Well that even Gen1 Duke 390 i kinda grew out of. In my opinion, this would work out as good stop gap for Bajaj-ktm-Triumph till they are able to release a parallel twin or higher capacity bike. One that is affordable in 3-4 years time when the speed 400 users could be looking for an upgrade. We have zero proper affordable twins except for the interceptor whose price is creeping up very slowly. How about a 3.5-4 lakh, higher spec Triumph instead?

The speed 400 was what i wanted the honda hness to be at. 40hp, 7 sec 100kmph acceleration and better looks. Unfortunately they won't update the h'ness ever like the erstwhile cbr250.

A side note on Honda...
Totally agree with the last point on Honda. If Honda had come up with a 40bhp engine, they could have seen better numbers in sales. Their build quality and overall design was decent. They could also have capitalized the market by now. For now, for some one looking at the 350-400 cc range with good power, the names that come to mind are Triumph, Harley, KTM390 and Dominar 400.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by aviator1101

The host tells a person to hold on from selling his Hunter 350 and going for this bike, saying the Speed 400 is not a meaningful or substantial upgrade.

That was unexpected.

But I’d agree with that if you see it in the larger context. Its not a substantial enough upgrade.

Would I buy a Speed 400 over a Hunter - sure!

Would I ‘upgrade’ from a Hunter to a Speed 400: unlikely - its not a big enough change. You can “switch” from a Hunter to a Scrambler 400 maybe or to a Speed 400 to experience something different, but its not an out and out substantial upgrade in my opinion and that is the thrust of his point I guess.

I think one needs to see this broader segment in the following ways. The Classic 350, Speed 400 and KTM 390 are all very different kinds of bikes delivering power in very different ways and will appeal to different kinds of riders.

One needs to decide which category they fit in. The Classic is a nice chugging machine where you can munch easy miles at 80 - 90/100 kmph all day long.

The KTM is on the boil, very peppy - will probably holder higher speeds with more ease, will egg you on to push it, will perhaps feel a bit impatient for easy slow riding - will be an absolute blast to even take to track. It will definitely feel a more punchy and entertaining a bike than the Speed.

The Speed then is somewhere in between. Very easy to ride and equal to the task whether in city or on the highway. Its playful without being intimidating. You can whack the throttle and have some fun but you can’t cruise at it all day at 120 - 130 kmph - it will feel like its being ‘worked’ at that level. For pure performance, the Duke 390 trumps it no two ways about it.

So to each prospective - pick your poison as per your taste. The good news is even just between RE, Hero, Bajaj / Triumph we’re going to be flooded with some superb options in the 400 - 650 cc segment across various formats. Each one will have a certain identity, a certain character to the ride and of course some inherent pros and cons. Decide what kind of riding you wanna do, what are your priorities and then pick the bike which fits best. The options are soon going to be APLENTY!!

[jaganm]

I agree and I couldn't be more thrilled. Back in the 80s when I learnt to ride, the 100cc Japanese bikes were the pinnacle of performance. As I reach the autumn of my riding days, I think I will have a number of options to choose to ride over the coming years.

I currently ride a Highness and a Vstrom 650. I do not see the Speed as a very meaningful update from the Highness. It definitely looks like it will hold 10-20 kmph more on open highways but it looks like it will be harder work than the Highness which can cruise at 100 all day without strain. The Highness has extremely good ergonomics, a well sorted out suspension and the benefit of a humungous range on a tank of fuel plus the Honda reliability which has made it an ideal tourer for those who aren't in a hurry and aren't taken over by the marketing machine of RE.

However, if I was choosing a bike, I would definitely look at all these other points besides just the power figures.

Coming to my second bike, I definitely enjoy the Vstrom but find it a bit too big, a bit too heavy and frankly it has way more performance than I need, so an adventure bike that will offer 80% of the performance at 50% of the price but with lower weight and a seat height of 800-805 mm is what I am looking for. I don't think the Scrambler will fit the bill and I'll need to wait for the Himalayan, Hero and who knows, the Japs may just shock us with something from their stable.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Going through all the reviews, it almost feels as though the Speed 400 is actually a modern day Pulsar 400, in snazzy international clothing.

...that can shake up the market, in a way that the original Pulsars did.

This. Exactly what I felt looking at the tank. Somehow reminded me of the OG pulsars. Although not a fan of this genre, but I would be very very interested in the TIGER which as per many experts like Schumi is a certainty. Tiger 400 at a sticker price of ~2.8L ex-showroom would be

[Senotrius]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

This. Exactly what I felt looking at the tank. Somehow reminded me of the OG pulsars. Although not a fan of this genre, but I would be very very interested in the TIGER which as per many experts like Schumi is a certainty. Tiger 400 at a sticker price of ~2.8L ex-showroom would be

You're not the only one who felt it looked like OG pulsar in pics. But we're yet to see it in person.

[NomadSK]

Apologies in advance for being OT.

But For a moment I thought this thread is for the review of Triumph bike doing speed of 400