[Pythonic]

I own a Honda CB350 H’ness from the first lot. Have driven it for about 35,000 km. It still puts a smile on my face and is easy on the pocket, but I think it’s time to move on.

We’re spoilt for choice in the current bike market, so I’m a bit confused about what to go for. I hope forum members will sort my problem out.

What I use my bike for:

• Commutes (most days a week)
• 50-100 km rides on weekends
• Overall a good 750-1,000 km a month
• 300+ km trips at least once a quarter

Expectations:

• Must be low maintenance
• Must be reasonably pocket friendly (I don’t except a 40 BHP bike to give 35 km/l, but it mustn’t be something insane)
• Must be fun and have a character completely unlike CB350/RE 350s
• Must be comfortable for longer trips, hopefully with good luggage carrying capacity (I have shifted homes with the CB. That would be nice but it's not a hard condition)
• On the lighter and flickable side (sorry RE)
• Budget between Rs. 3-5L

Bikes I have shortlisted:
This list might be quite eclectic and have widely different bikes, but that’s the issue I’m facing!

Upgrade:

1. KTM Duke 390
2. KTM Adventure 390 X
3. Triumph Scrambler 400 X
4. Aprilia RS 457

Sidegrade:

1. TVS RTR 310 (cruise control sounds awesome)
2. CB 300R
3. Duke 250

I also feel that given that I’m optimizing for ‘fun’, I should go for a cheaper bike (300R/Duke 250) because I could just abuse it and have all the fun I want. The most fun I’ve ever had on a bike was on a Platina on which I used to pop wheelies, skid around and do all the Instagram things

I’m totally confused. If you guys can help me whittle this list down to 2 bikes, I would test ride them and choose 1 or feel free to suggest some other bikes too. Please help me choose how I should spend my first promotion paycheck

[drsingh]

If you're looking for a bike with a different character than the two cruisers, may I suggest you look into the new Xpulse 200 4v that will be easy on the pocket to have fun with

Spares are cheap. With the rally kit, great for offroading ,trail riding.

Fuel economy is similar to the CB350

If you want to go bigger, Himalayan 450 is a great option in a similar vein.

Xpulse being lighter and more nimble than the Himalayan, makes it more chuckable on the trails.

Let us know what you end up with after the CB350.

[Sebring]

I was in the same boat as you. These are my 2 choices below. Apart from your list, the VSTROM 250 may not seem like an upgrade, but I urge you to test ride it once before taking a decision

Originally Posted by Pythonic

Upgrade: 1. KTM Adventure 390 X.

Sidegrade: 2. VSTROM 250.
3. Duke 250

[Pythonic]

Thanks for your inputs Drsingh snd Sebring. I’m a bit skeptical of the xpulse’s highway performance but will still add into my list.

Had the chance to visit KTM showroom near me yesterday, bit of a bummer. They didn’t have half their catalog on display and couldn’t offer any bike for a test ride.
They offered me a chance to sit on the duke 250/390 on display and offered a customer’s adv 390. Obviously couldn’t gauge much from it, but the dukes seem comfy and the adv looks small but feels like a big bike.
On the way back dropped into the TVS showroom and they finally had the RTR 310. It has polarizing looks from some angles but the bike is brilliant, very spirited.
The middle variant in black with the quickshifter sounds good vfm at 3.1L.

[Ratan Prabhu]

Originally Posted by Pythonic

What I use my bike for:
Commutes (most days a week)
50-100 km rides on weekends
Overall a good 750-1000 kms a month.
300+ km trips at least once a quarter

Expectations:
Must be low maintenance
Must be reasonably pocket friendly (I don’t except a 40bhp bike to give 35 kmpl but it mustn’t something so insane)
Must be fun and have a character completely unlike CB 350/RE 350s
Must be comfortable for longer trips, hopefully with good luggage carrying capacity (I have shifted homes with the CB, that would be nice but not a hard condition)
On the lighter and flickable side (sorry RE)
Budget between 3-5L

For the above, my vote goes to the Scrambler 400x as it should tick all the boxes. First service Costs 2.2k and the paid once should be around 5k which is ok since it will be once a year.
Comfortable and decent luggage capacity for solo rides as seen in most reviews. Mileage in city will be around 25 and highways around 29. Not very light weight but good weight distribution makes it easy to ride in city as well.

Originally Posted by Pythonic

I also feel that given that I’m optimizing for ‘fun’ perhaps should I go for a cheaper bike 300R/Duke 250 because I could just abuse it and have all the fun I want

For this, you can go with either of the 2 you have mentioned. Both are fun bikes. CB300R will have more performance as it is super light weight and faster acceleration. But this is a very compact bike. Might feel cramped if you are tall.

[Senotrius]

Since you don't have the Speed 400 in the list, my opinion would be to go for the Speed 400x. Next the adv x and lastly the 300r. But before you go for any of these, please check the ground situation at the respective ASCs. It's hard to get spare parts for the 300r. Second would be the Triumph. I'm waiting for the Speed 400 lower engine guards since 2 months. I want to say go for the 300r as it's the lightest, quickest, most reliable of the lot, but in case of a fall the parts are hard to come by.

[kedar3223]

The Duke 250 is very underrated motorcycle. With the new frame, suspension, increased gc and quickshifter, it's a really responsive and do it all bike while being decently comfy. The engine has a nice duality, wherein it can do calm as well as top end rush post 6k rpm. It might not be as punchy as the triumph 400 lower down, but has a better spread and way better top end behaviour. KTM service is one of the better ones in this segment and spares too are reasonable. If you're ok with the space, it would be my choice.

[doomketu]

I use the TVS RTR 310 for my daily commutes, and it puts a smile on my face each time i ride it in the city. Its flickable and light. I ride in a sane manner and get 35 - 36 on good days and about 28 on bumper to bumper traffic days. RTR has some benefits but buying just for cruise control(CC) might not be the right thing. CC is good ,i used it for a bit, but what really shines in this bike is the throttle response and the quick shifter . Combine that with ease of crawling in traffic , what TVS calls GTT , its easy to ride.
For open roads , it does its job really well and can quickly climb into 3 digit territory and be planted. In the Low end you have vibrations on the Foot pegs and tank with some being felt at the handlebar as well, coming from your Honda, you will see a night and day difference.

Coming to the highway aspect, i am not sure this bike might help you on those long rides. Seat is a bit on harder side , but the back support of pillion helps keep back ache at bay ( i am 6 ft +). The upright leaning stance is nice, but at highway speeds the bike may no be able to comfortably take you on highway trips, windblast might accelerate the onset of fatigue. I rode it on a particularly windy day till the airport ( 50 km one way ) and return, and i was not very confident ( maybe its a skill issue for me. i know people have toured ladakh on a RC390 no less, but those folks are made of stronger substance than i)

[amiya.c]

I am too in the same boat and have booked the Aprilia RS457. Actually I got bored of the way CB350 delivers power, it is ok for city rides but on highways I do not find it engaging and at the end of the day I find it unexciting. So if you are in the same boat and looking for excitement then go with something above 40bhp. I almost decided to go for RE continental GT 650, chose it over Interceptor because of its engaging riding stance, but again I wanted two different categories of bikes in my garage so cancelled it. I would suggest you to keep the CB350 for city and choose something that is exciting on highways and does not get heated up in the city rides easily. I upgraded from R15 V3 BS6 but later realized that it was more exciting than this CB350 but that again came with the cost of tiring riding stance.

[2nd_gear_7krpm]

Originally Posted by amiya.c

I am too in the same boat and have booked the Aprilia RS457. Actually I got bored of the way CB350 delivers power, it is ok for city rides but on highways I do not find it engaging and at the end of the day I find it unexciting. So if you are in the same boat and looking for excitement then go with something above 40bhp

Ditto. Cancelled my Aprilia RS 457 booking due to some personal circumstances. I had also booked new Duke 390 on the date of it's launch. Till now I'm unable to cancel it, a story for another day

Now I've zeroed down on a few 2022/23 pre-owned Duke 390. If the negotiations go as expected, I should be owing one by the end of this week.

[Pythonic]

Originally Posted by amiya.c

I am too in the same boat and have booked the Aprilia RS457. Actually I got bored of the way CB350 delivers power, it is ok for city rides but on highways I do not find it engaging and at the end of the day I find it unexciting.

That’s great. When is the delivery due? I’m planning to visit Aprilia and Triumph showrooms this week.
Also ditto about CB 350. Even now, I was just riding it back to my home and it has got no top end to speak off. Going out from a lonely stretch of road I had a r15 and a pulsar beat me out when it just would not budge post 100

[jetsetgo08]

:Offtopic , When people say the power delivery of a bike is boring for highways, does it mean that the faster bikes that are more engaging, keep us away from drowsiness and keep us more attentive for longer spells?

[Pythonic]

Another day, another bummer. The RS is awaiting some certification from the TN government so no test rides yet, got to sit on it anyway, very comfortable ergos for a tall person, even had space to move about, just slightly forward leaning. The manager’s quoting a wait time of 4 months

[Phantom 510]

Hero Mavrick 440
1. Harley X440 derived motor is throaty and characterful.
2. Quite quick on its feet. Be it flatout acceleration or in gear roll on.
3. Largest service network in the country alongwith affordable service costs will keep one tension free.
4. Not being too high tech should help in the long term ownership.

[Peri_patetic99]

I believe the himalayan 450 should be a good upgrade for you. I have test driven it, and although it lacks initial torque, just like the cb350, the pull after 3.5k rpm is quite good and won't let you get bored. Also, the suspension and the seat are just perfection. You should strongly consider it as an option and i believe its a worthy contender to the options you've suggested in terms of performance and flickability as well.