[bigolp]

Hi, I am looking for a budget superbike or a sports tourer which I can use for daily commute as well as on occasional long tours. Cruisers like the Honda CB350 look good, but I want something more performance oriented that the cruisers aren't meant for.

It's unlikely that I'll face Bangalore-like traffic during daily commute. For tours, I don't plan to cover areas like Ladakh, so too much off-roading or hills is unlikely except for occasional gravel roads and muddy puddles.

My budget is 2.5 lakhs (on road). I can stretch it to 3.

Suggest me a bike please. I don't plan to buy a second hand bike.

Additional preferences:

1. Something that's comfortable for hours of ride. 3-4 hours of continuous riding/driving shouldn't be an issue. Pillion support isn't mandatory.
2. Suspensions that allow running over potholes/bumps without too much of an issue. Take the Meteor 350 for example - you'll fly off if you miss one (pothole/bump) .
3. Can lean confidently. Nothing insane, but leaning at 60s and 70s should be possible on moderately curved roads.
4. Non-naked bikes > Naked bikes. But I'm fine with naked bikes too if there aren't many options.
5. Don't suggest KTM.

Note to the mods: I didn't find a post where someone is looking for moderately sporty touring bikes under 3 lakhs. If there's any, please send me via message (if you can).

EDIT: Additional information also clarified in post #12 below. Please do give that a read as well before responding. Thank you.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post5661060 (Budget sports bike or sports tourer for commuting and touring)

[TheM0nk]

Short answer, you won't get brand new superbikes for 3L. Kawasaki Ninja 650/Vulcan S etc Sells for appx 8.5L on-road.
In your budget maybe look at the new Triumph Speed 400/Scrambler 400. Even those would cross the 3L limit, but would be a solid choice with the latest tech.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by bigolp

Hi, I am looking for a budget superbike or a sports tourer which I can use for daily commute as well as on occasional long tours.

…

My budget is 2.5 lakhs (on road). I can stretch it to 3.

Suggest me a bike please. I don't plan to buy a second hand bike.

Why don’t you do some own research and draw up a shortlist of bikes which meet these pricing and performance criteria - because of the top of my head they don’t match up. Once you have a shortlist, the forum can weigh in on which of these might suit your use case the most.

Personally I’m not aware of any meaningful options within the price range you have indicated. If there is some flexibility on the pricing front, I think the new Himalayan will be your best choice of general all rounder. Second to that I’d recommend the Speed / Scrambler as worthy contenders.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by bigolp

Don't suggest KTM.

Buy the Triumph Speed 400. Or the Scrambler version with a slight budget stretch if you want a slightly larger bike and envisage pillion use.

Cheers, Doc

[BleueNinja]

I don't think you can get a superbike that too a brand new one for the prescribed price by you. However, I have few options for you !

Since you mentioned that you would prefered a bike with fairing over a naked you can't go wrong with these two options. Ninja 300 is a comfortable sports tourer but you will have to stretch a little, where as Gixxer falls within your budget.

1. Gixxer 250
2. Ninja 300

I didn't recommend R15 because I don't think it would be comfortable over long journeys as it has a very committed riding position.

Now if we take Naked bikes in consideration:

1. V-strom :- I think this is the best touring option if you can set aside your aesthetic preferences. Suzuki V-strom is a very good highway cruiser and commuter in your budget.
   
2. Dominar 400/250 :- If you can get dominar 400 then it can be a very good travelling companion. If you don't want to stretch till 400 then 250 should be fine as well.
   
3. Speed 400 :- the newest kid on the block. Decent bike.
   
4. Fz-25 :- this old workhorse from Yamaha is fast, agile and comfortable on long distance rides. I personally have done many Hyderabad - Bangalore trips on this beauty.

[iamahunter]

Originally Posted by bigolp

Hi, I am looking for a budget superbike or a sports tourer which I can use for daily commute as well as on occasional long tours. Cruisers like the Honda CB350 look good, but I want something more performance oriented that the cruisers aren't meant for.

Ok, so a Faired bike + Comfortable Tourer + Plush suspension + Should lean - KTM.

What you are looking for is one bike to do it all under 3L. I guess, even if you add 20L more, its tough to to get a bike to do it all.

The closest bike I can think of is a Honda CBR250 which is sadly unavailable now.

Yamaha R1, but its possibly too committed for touring (depending on your age and body structure).

VStrom 250 - Possibly the one suited to your needs, but its not a looker from any angle, 19 inch front not too easy to lean as a regular 17 inch wheel.

RE Himalayan - Functional looking bike, don't expect good cornering (depending on your riding skills)


So there are too many unknown factors, I suggest you go around riding bikes and shortlist what suites you the best, then go thru the forum to understand the advantages and shortcoming of those bikes. Post that, if you're still in the confusion, we can discuss over here.

All the best mate.

[Rajeevraj]

• The Suzuki V-Storm 250 seems the only one that will fit into the budget and kind of do all that you asked for.
• The new TVS Apache RTR 310 can also be considered. Should fit into the stretched budget.
• Triumph 400 will fit in the stretch budget. The Scrambler 400 will probably meet the requirements better, but will be above the stretched budget. Of course, they are not sport/adv kind of bikes.
• Not sure of the reason to avoid KTM, but if it is just due to a perception issue, suggest to revisit and also look at the KTM ADV 250. I was also in the 'no KTM' mode for a long time till I realized that the ADV 390 was the bike for me.

Suggest you prepare a shortlist and do some test rides, there is no one bike that will be perfect, so it is a matter of which bike you feel most comfortable with and you connect with best.

[hothatchaway]

Looks like you want a faired bike. With the budget you have mentioned, I think the Hero Karizma XMR 210 would be a good bet for you. At 1.8l ex showroom, it will fit the bill. It is a relatively new launch, so the freshness will be there.

Test ride it along with the Gixxer SF 250 (ex showroom 2L) which I think is another good sports tourer and take a call.

Don't be averse to a used CBR 250, hard to find as there may only be a few in Kolkata, but you could save yourself some money.

You will find yourself restricted to 250cc with your budget. That is not a bad thing. Good fuel efficiency will be a bonus.

Happy shopping!

[DivyanshuDiv]

Originally Posted by bigolp

looking for a budget superbike or a sports tourer which I can use for daily commute as well as on occasional long tours.

Now, considering your budget and requirements, here are some options you should shortlist.

1. Honda CB300F - good for daily commute, has enough power to accelerate on hard-to-find empty city roads. And decent power for occasional highway rides. Currently, it's budget friendly and runs on a reliable Honda engine.
2. Hero Karizma XMR - it is a mixed bag of sporty styling and touring comfort, backed up by strong hero service network.
3. Triump 400 cousins - on the maximum side of your budget, but will definitely make you smile with its power and torque.
4. Honda CB300R - A true sports naked single cylinder from Honda. Extremely refined and performance oriented.
5. Suzuki 250s Gixxer and V-storm - both these machines are amazing provided you have a suzuki service center in your area. They are versatile and won't disappoint you

Couple of months back, I bought a CB350 RS with similar needs and it is serving the purpose quite well.

[bigolp]

OP here. I didn't expect so many of you to reply to my post. I'm immensely grateful for that. I would like to clarify that the point of this post is to find the best fit, not a bike that perfectly satisfies all my criteria.

If I didn't mention/quote you below, it's because I don't have anything to ask you or mention to the future readers. I have noted your suggestions otherwise - once again, thank you.

Originally Posted by Axe77

Why don’t you do some own research and draw up a shortlist of bikes which meet these pricing and performance criteria [...]

I didn't want to influence your decision. If I mentioned something, you might have thought that I like and dislike certain things based on my shortlist - but that may unlikely be the case.

Now that I received many comments, let me reveal my initial picks.

• Gixxer 250 (fully-faired)
• MT-15 (naked) which surprisingly wasn't suggested by any

I don't know much about the reliability and serviceability of companies like Triumph but the Scrambler/Speed seem to be recommended by quite a few. Will do a bit more research about Triumph.

Originally Posted by BleueNinja

[..]Ninja 300 is a comfortable sports tourer but you will have to stretch a little [...]

I have an emotional connect with the Ninjas as superbikes always meant a Kawasaki Ninja for me since I was in high-school. I don't mind stretching my budget for the Ninja 300. But probably only for this bike! On a side note, the BMW/TVS 310 RR may also be a good bike for me at that price point.

Just a few questions if you don't mind:

1. How would you rank the the Ninja 300, BMW G 310 RR and the new YZF-R3 from Yamaha (which is going to be launched soon) with regards to my needs/wants?
2. Can you shed some light on the availability of spare parts and general serviceability of the Ninja 300?

Noted your other suggestions too. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

[list]
[...]Not sure of the reason to avoid KTM, but if it is just due to a perception issue, suggest to revisit and also look at the KTM ADV 250. I was also in the 'no KTM' mode for a long time till I realized that the ADV 390 was the bike for me. [...]

Alright, I'll test drive the KTM Adv. 250 and 390 and see if I like them. I actually liked the RC 390 but that's not good for touring. I'm also slightly skeptical about KTM/Bajaj's service quality, so decided to keep KTM and Dominar 400 out of my list completely.

[shancz]

Some more info would help a lot like seat height preferences, expected FE and running costs etc.

Collating the feasible bits :

Originally Posted by bigolp

- My budget is 2.5 lakhs (on road). I can stretch it to 3.
- Pillion support isn't mandatory.
- Suspensions that allow running over potholes/bumps without too much of an issue. Take the Meteor 350 for example - you'll fly off if you miss one (pothole/bump) .

Suggestions for a test ride purely based out of hunch, in order:
- Karizma XMR : check the suspension
- Gixxer SF250 : check the suspension
- Triumph 400X : service is still unknown
- If you can, do wait for the road and scrambler versions of the new Himalayan to come out and if interested

Somehow I didn't get what exactly you're looking to buy. A "sports/supersport/superbike" are very different terms and pothole dismissing suspension cannot happen on any of the above bikes.

If you aren't sure yourself, try out the bikes listed in this post and the ones before it and come back to us with more info, likes/dislikes, weight preferences etc. and we can take it from there.

[bigolp]

Originally Posted by shancz

Some more info would help a lot like seat height preferences, expected FE and running costs etc.

[...]

Somehow I didn't get what exactly you're looking to buy. A "sports/supersport/superbike" are very different terms and pothole dismissing suspension cannot happen on any of the above bikes.

Some more info that I should have added.

• I don't care about the fuel economy and the running costs. Reliability is important for me - something that won't break down unannounced if serviced regularly.
• Any seat height is fine as long as it's not more than 800 mm. A centimeter more is fine but something more than that is not. This rules out many adventure bikes like the Adv variants of KTM, V-Strom and Triumph Scrambler 400.
  Something like the Triumph Scram 400 is good for touring (as the seat height won't matter in that case) but handling it will be less comfortable for me in bumper to bumper traffic or inner parts of cities or while navigating through potholes or puddles during the monsoon (or in similar off-roading conditions during tours). I'll go for such a bike only if it stands out in every way barring the seat height.
• The weight doesn't matter as long as the weight distribution is decent - which is true for most bikes. Anything below 200 kg is fine by me.

As for the segment - well, I'm looking for a sports tourer as I mentioned in my original post. I meant sports bike that is also comfortable for long hours of riding. (I wrongly used the term superbike instead of sports bike. I hope that clears the confusion.)

As for suspension, I'm looking for something that offers a balanced mix of comfort and safety. What I mean by safety is the handling. (I took Meteor's example to explain this. No doubt it's comfortable. But given the degree of softness of the front suspension and hardness of the rear, it's risky if you miss a pothole at say 60 kmph. That makes it a bit unsafe over its non-cruiser counterparts.)

[subincb]

Buy a 2015-2016 ninja 650\er6n with low mileage. May get it close to your price. Very comfortable for long rides. Generally good with all types of roads but mind the low ground clearance. Only regular maintenance required on general kawasaki like other big Japs. If you like to ride faster than cars to be safer on highways nothing better than this at the price range. Very nimble. But not for city riding.. heats up

[shancz]

Originally Posted by bigolp

Some more info that I should have added.

I now have a better hang of your needs.
Haven't ridden the Meteor so cannot understand the issue but probably because of the cruiser form the rear has less travel, stiff and transmits the impact directly to your spine due to its design.

Your needs aren't complicated, something that a 200-300cc is designed to service
Revised suggestions for a sports-touring inclined 200-300cc motorcycle under 3 lakhs on road:
- Hero : Karizma XMR
- Suzuki : Gixxer 250SF : and while you're there try the Gixxer 250 as well
- TVS : RTR 200 4V with adjustable suspension. Tried, tested, capable but a bit old. Swing a leg over the RR310 to see if it can work for you on comfort although a bit over your budget.
- Bajaj : Pulsar F250 but since you're not looking at Bajaj, will leave it out.
-Yamaha : FZ25 isn't listed anymore and no idea about the others. I am a bit disillusioned with Yamaha's motorcycle roadmap except the R15.
- Honda : the CB300R and the CB300F do come to mind but poor spares support and the 300F getting lukewarm reviews leads me to skip these especially considering the expanse of other capable options.

Test them out and let us know your views.

[siddhant]

Originally Posted by bigolp

Now that I received many comments, let me reveal my initial picks.

• Gixxer 250 (fully-faired)
• MT-15 (naked) which surprisingly wasn't suggested by any

I don't know much about the reliability and serviceability of companies like Triumph but the Scrambler/Speed seem to be recommended by quite a few. Will do a bit more research about Triumph.

Having owned a CBR 250R in the past, I think that bike would have been perfect in your budget. A friend of mine just bought a pre-owned Gixxer SF 250 and it comes really close to the CBR although I liked the CBR more.

Originally Posted by bigolp

Alright, I'll test drive the KTM Adv. 250 and 390 and see if I like them. I actually liked the RC 390 but that's not good for touring. I'm also slightly skeptical about KTM/Bajaj's service quality, so decided to keep KTM and Dominar 400 out of my list completely.

The good thing about the KTM ADVs over sports tourer is the comfort over long tours and especially over rough roads when you can stand and ride without caring about ground clearance. Recently, I did 780 km in a day on the 390 ADV and I would equate it to doing 600-650 km on the CBR 250R.

Originally Posted by bigolp

I have an emotional connect with the Ninjas as superbikes always meant a Kawasaki Ninja for me since I was in high-school. I don't mind stretching my budget for the Ninja 300. But probably only for this bike! On a side note, the BMW/TVS 310 RR may also be a good bike for me at that price point.

Just a few questions if you don't mind:

1. How would you rank the the Ninja 300, BMW G 310 RR and the new YZF-R3 from Yamaha (which is going to be launched soon) with regards to my needs/wants?
2. Can you shed some light on the availability of spare parts and general serviceability of the Ninja 300?

Noted your other suggestions too. Thanks.

The Ninja 300 is a great option too. I have ridden my friend's R3 and it reaches triple digit speeds effortlessly. I thought I was doing 80-90 kmph but I was shocked to see the speedo at 105-110 kmph. The Ninja should be similar. Spare parts availability and service shouldn't be an issue in metros. The bike has been here for years, so it ultra reliable, smooth and fun in the top end.

Test ride these and pick whichever you connect with the most. I think all are good options and capable tourers.