[mithun]

Originally Posted by brianbandra

i was not aware that pulsars have a mixed market reputation. since I see them everywhere on roads i assumed it would be good.

but I've already made that mistake once with the activa (saw it everywhere, assumed its a good buy, had a bad experience with the vehicle, dealership & Honda company was apathetic too).

tryin to get confirmation about the yamaha . else may go for the apache.

Pulsars are not bad at all. Issues are there for every bikes. Nothing is perfect.

Apache is having very poor engine refinement when compared to others. There are also problems of engine overheating.

Also see :
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...50cc-bike.html

[TomRider]

Originally Posted by mithun

Pulsars are not bad at all. Issues are there for every bikes. Nothing is perfect.

Apache is having very poor engine refinement when compared to others. There are also problems of engine overheating.

Also see :
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...50cc-bike.html

I have been using Apache 150 for almost 2 years now. It has the vibration. But the RTR does not have it. It is very well refined than the A150. And no other bike under 180cc can match the performance of an RTR.

And dear friend, I have not faced any overheating from my bike, even after the 140km non-stop stretch between Bangalore-Mysore in 1 hr 45 mins..

[brianbandra]

Originally Posted by priyank

mr. briannadra, i personally feel that you had a very bad experience with the honda, but that is i presume is because of the dealership, the vehicle has not been quoted as bad as any of the other users, honda is world renowned and is an accepted vehicle even in the european market where none of the other japaneese vehicles could even sniff an air of acceptance.........

Indians have always accepted the second best because they seem to have adjusted to the kind available.........

TVS is TQM certified, but are any of its products even near to that, except the RTR........., even that time would only tell.......

h

Hi I detailed my experience with the Activa in another thread (the ungeared scooters discussion).. the experience was bad with the product quality, dealer service and to make it worse, got no help or even response from the company at all. so now I dont care that Honda is world renowned and accepted in european markets etc.

there are enough good two wheelers available to enable me to strike honda as a brand off my list

[brianbandra]

I was able to check out the Apache recently
Was disappointed because found it to be rather smallish in size.
Though was ok to sit on but I feel it looks funny & did not feel like a complete package. Plus the TVS dealership on Linking Road was weird too.. had hardly anything on display and salespeople also seemed distracted /disinterested ..
Looked like was in process of shutting down or something?
So thinking about Pulsar now.. as no further reports on the Yamaha.

[somspaple]

Honda has undoubtedly the best engine in the class... but it lacks the feel of the powerful bike.. that adrenalin rush is missing...
for me it's Pulsars gives great biking experience.
But than the Bajaj bikes do not have uniform quality levels. In the same offering say 150 DTSi...some of them are really great but than few may not perform well or just may have lot many quality issues like virbrations/low mileage/low pick up. Looks like Bajaj don' t have a proper quality check in place and its a serious issue.

[brianbandra]

A GREAT new bike is really needed in this class.. like when Pulsar was launched way back, it revolutionized this class of bikes.. really need some evolution in this segment of 150cc.. i had high hopes from Apache but was disappointed in reality..

The Yamaha looks great wish it was confirmed for launch and at least some information was available..

I am getting stuck on this purchase guys :-( my wife is laughing at me ..

[ravi@64bhp]

Brianbandra,
I advise you not to rack your head too much and go for either honda Unicorn or HH Hunk. You will not regret. U cannot expect anything better than these two in the class. Do not ask for too much performance from these 150cc bikes like a 180 cc or 200 cc. You will have a reasonable mileage with these two bikes with reasonable performance.

[manish7]

Go with Unicorn (Sober & reliable) or Apache (Aggressive & powerful) -- they won't trouble you. My brother's Apache is running without any problem for more than 19 months now and with 20k on the speedometer. Not a single minor or major issue there. Unicorn is also a great bike - although not with some contemporary features.

I am also eager to buy a new bike now (as I sold my 10 year old beloved Shaolin), but after buying Flyte - I am goingto wait till April 2008. By that time I can save some moe money and hopefully Apache RTR eFi will be launched!

[Moby]

Unicorn
For - Refinement, Comfort, Reliable, All round performer
Against- More of commuter oriented, Tacky plastic parts.

Pulsar
For - Absolute VFM, Fuel Economy.Cheap Spares. Raw feel
Against- Reliability issues, Poor service, Upgrades now and then( killing the resale value)

Apache RTR 160

For- Racing pedigree, Little edge in performance( remember its 160cc) Handling,

Against: Poor service, Little cramped, Spares availability.

The FI version may be launched soon

I am not mentioning CBZ xtreme, Achiever and Hunk , since they are more or less like Unicorn.

Now we have Yamaha R15 , the hottest 150 around, but no confirmed launch dates, spec etc. Price will be far more that regular 150cc

Almost all these bikes have a similar fuel economy , around 45-55kmpl range.

[brianbandra]

found some recent news about the yamaha 150cc launches..
pretty expensive for 150cc ... doubt it shall succeed at that price.. though i would love to own one
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yamaha to launch two premium bikes

Come June, Yamaha will launch two models in the premium segment to revive its business and image in India.
The company will roll out two motorcycles in the 150cc class, a fast-growing segment dominated by Bajaj Auto, and price them higher than a Bajaj Pulsar 150 or a Hero Honda CBZ. Yamaha hopes to take on the competitors with the launch of R15 and FZ 150. Consumers will have to shell out 50-55 per cent more than a regular Pulsar 150, which is priced at Rs 60,000. The new motorcycles will carry a price tag of close to Rs 1 lakh. This will make the models the most expensive bikes in India, ahead of Eicher Motors-controlled Royal Enfield-makers of Bullets cruisers, Bajaj Pulsar 220 and Hero Honda Karizma, which are priced below Rs 90,000. “We are upbeat about the launch of the R15 and FZ 150, which will happen later this year. Price-wise it will come at a premium to any of the Bajaj or Hero Honda models....at close of Rs 1 lakh. We are confident that the two (models) will be a huge hit among youngsters,” a company source said. The models are designed on the lines of the company’s successful super bikes - YZF R1 (1000cc) and ZF1 (1000cc). “R15 and FZ 150 are trimmed down versions of the R1 and ZF1 ,” added the source. Their advanced technology, sourced from Yamaha’s bigger bikes, and features such as 6-speed gearbox and a Delta Frame have pushed the end price of the vehicles. Yamaha Motor India has seen a downswing in sales in recent times following poor demand. Its sales for the year so far (April-January) have fallen by almost 50 per cent to 96,303 units compared with the same period last year.