[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by sam_sant2005

A bike like Yamaha FZ has so much hype attached to it. it doesnt have a gud top speed. neither does it have a gud mileage! wonder what that is made for!
Note: Iam a P220 DTSi owner.

From my experience power and mileage never go hand in hand.

And power does not equal top speed.

What matter is torque and linear delivery; bikes to be driven in city need to putter around at low speed even in the highest; power bikes need to give their output within their specified gear ratios at the twist of the throttle.

FZ has been designed for - well, design! Just like Swift - catch you by your eyeballs!!

Agree that Pulsar was a head turner when it was launched, but others have pushed the game further. FZ gives you a combination of big feel bike, creamy drive and solid stability - you can't judge a bike by a single ride - despite what everybody else says. You have to take it out everywhere and build a relationship - otherwise how can there be so many bullet aficionados?

I had the same dilemma couple of years back; here are my impressions :-

XCD135 - haven't driven this; tried XCD 100 thought. bike feels small and light; the clocks were tacky (though digital); but riding was smooth - could not believe it was a bajaj gear box; my friend gets 65+ on XCD100;

Discover DTSi 100 - Discover 125 was what I almost settled on - despite the clunky gearbox and only four gears; the earlier iterations (have you seen the orange one with self start and 55W bulb) were much better; the engine has still long way to go. My colleagues have 125 (55+ kmpl) and 135 (50+ kmpl)

RTR160 - have not tried it out.

Honda Stunner - really the best of the lot - but for the idiotic tank scoops; spoilt whatever shape they intended; can't really put a finger on any thing wrong - but could not find anything special either! Nephew has 125 Shine and he gets about 60+ - he is a very conservative driver!

Splendor Plus - boring! The game has move much further and running the same mill with a different shapes and graphics does not appeal to me. The original spendor (from where does hero honda get their inspiration to name their bikes anyway?) was in a class of its own.

So what did I do? Went a bought a Gladiator - despite all the people advising me not to! Bike is good.
Suits my height (5'11"), heavy enough (125 kgs to my 70 kgs), disc brakes and electric start, 52 - 55 kmpl (my average speed is 60) and pretty low on maintenance (have changed the rear brake shoes after 20000 kms - Rs. 450; and odo cable - Rs. 120; service it once in three months - avg cost Rs. 350 (incl. oil change); replaced the mirrors in the beginning itself - Rs. 200); wonderful gear box (only Unicorn has a better one)
Weakness - soft seat (vs. the hardest seat of the RX100); headlight pretty poor; rear view mirrors not up to the mark; my muffler seems to have some rust problem inside as I can hear some rattling inside (am told that it is a common feature!); the tyres tramline a lot (unidirectional on both wheels and it takes time for the tyres to wear and adjust); centre stand feels wobbly?!
*

[Raj_d]

Hi,
I would suggest you to go for any Honda/Hero Honda bike.They are absolutely smooth and most of these will fulfill your needs.If you travel on highways very often ,then opt for higher cc bike.All the Best!

Raj

[parimal_g]

I have Victor GLX since 2005 and driven more than 50,000 Km
Other than regular serviceing that also i do oil change most of the times
never given any trouble in last 4 years.The parts i have changed are .
1>Front Disck pads twice
2>rear brake pads 1
3>Head Light Bulb - Only once that also after four years.
4>Accelarator cable after 25,000 Kms.

And the best part of the quality of bike is the bike was under water for almost for 36 hrs and not a single drop of water went inside the tank.

5>Gearbox as good as new and same about clutch plates and feel.
6>Did tyre change after 25 000 Kms .
7>its the most comfortable bike perfect for city riding and flame is based on the same bike,

My suggetion is test dive all the bike ,check all the details from quality of handle bar,foot rest rubbers,paint quality,riding posture,breaks (the feel and stopping distance).Toruque hight the torque at low RPM lesser the gear changes.I can shift to 4th gear as low as 20 km/hr and bike pulls without problem.Also check how good the headlight its really important in night driving and on the bikes one mistake and you are gone.

Also the spare pats cost.

[iVictor]

Although FZ looks aggressive & charming at the same time, there are few takers. For some reason, the ~trusted~ symbol for power bike is continuing to reside with Pulsar.

I am kinda in fix to decide over FZ, Pulsar and CBZX. Question of Power over mileage over stability!! Any suggestions..

Thanks.

[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by iVictor

I am kinda in fix to decide over FZ, Pulsar and CBZX. Question of Power over mileage over stability!! Any suggestions..

I am not writing this to extol the virtues of FZ here (I own a gladiator and my KB100 is still the bike which I would like travel daily) - the purchase of any vehicle is left to the taste of the individual - but look at this from this angle :

Yamaha has a wide range of bikes in their portfolio - still failed in India miserably after RX100 - their fortunes seems to hinge on launches like FZ, FZS & R15 now - so this bike takes into consideration some of things which others have over looked (tubeless tyres; fat rear tyres; the fat front forks; full digital clocks etc.)

Bajaj wanted to beat Hero Honda and came out with the Pulsar - they did manage to grab them by their b****; in its days nobody else came close to it; P220 is the bike which can satisfying driving pleasure and gives one the taste of how it must be to ride superbikes!

CBZ - one of my clients was an early bird to buy this bike (in 2003) - it was big, but didn't deliver in terms of overall experience; haven't tried the CBZ extreme - I think the game has long moved on and HH has to catch up a lot in this area.

If you have the budget, check out the Fazer - likely to a step ahead of FZ!

Happy biking!

[iVictor]

With Yamaha, I see few issues. They do not have a broad market/customer base here in India & that too for quite some time now. Also not sure about the A.S.S from their end. So spending 70k+ on their bike is a tough decision. CBZX is not competing anymore, as it seems.

I have had P150 for some time & yes it's been tasteful.
I am going to checkout Yamaha & CBZX today.

Let's see how it goes.

Thanks.

[parimal_g]

Originally Posted by iVictor

With Yamaha, I see few issues. They do not have a broad market/customer base here in India & that too for quite some time now. Also not sure about the A.S.S from their end. So spending 70k+ on their bike is a tough decision. CBZX is not competing anymore, as it seems.

I have had P150 for some time & yes it's been tasteful.
I am going to checkout Yamaha & CBZX today.

Let's see how it goes.

Thanks.

If you car checking Pulser and Yamaha whay not apache RTR 160 .

[Technocrat]

@vrprabhu: Great post there in sync with what MutantX want.

I would say with your requirements stay away from the current lot of 150/160 cc bikes none of them would give you 60/65 mileage. RTR will give 50 in very conservation riding style.

Some 150 cc bikes which will give you around 50 mileage in sedate riding are - Unicorn - Hunk - P150.
No idea about the Suzuki GS150R.

I say go for the Stunner, it has looks, reliability, will have good resale too & also give mileage in the range of 55-60.

You can also look at flame & Discover. Also gladiator from Yamaha is a good bike but it looks a bit dated.

Btw what mileage do you used to get with your 180?

[MutantX]

Originally Posted by Technocrat

You can also look at flame & Discover. Also gladiator from Yamaha is a good bike but it looks a bit dated.

Btw what mileage do you used to get with your 180?

My P180- DTSi gives around 40 kmpl which I feel is good for a 6 year old bike. But the engine gives a lot of trouble.

The engine suddenly stops while doing 80 kmph and I have to start the engine once again at this speed. I had given it to Bajaj authorized service center and got this problem rectified. But the same issue creeps up after 2 months. I talked to the Bajaj mechanics who said, this is a known issue with Gen-1 DTSi engines.

I also had a look at DIS 100 (Discover DTSi 100cc). I would follow up with my initial test drive experience.

Thanks,

[abhinav.s]

If you are looking in the 150 segment, then Unicorn is a clear winner since I have a friend who owns one and has done 10,000 kms on it in the last one year. He is getting a consistent mileage of 55-60 in the city. Though there are good reviews of the Suzuki GS150R, I dont know of anyone who have owned the bike to comment. But the internet reviews from the customers seems to be in the positive for the bike.

If 125 is your choice, then Honda CBF Stunner would be a very reliable and good option. Though it might look big, it should be easy to handle. Again have no personal experience with this bike but of the current lot this seems good. You might want to check out the TVS Flame as well but personally I am not a fan of TVS bikes though I have owned the first gen Apache RTR without the tank scoops for a while.

[Gansan]

I was intrigued by the massive rear tyre of the FZ, and checked it out at a showroom yesterday. A TD bike was not available then, so just had a look at the bikes. What I noticed immediately was that sari clad ladies can't ride pillion- the pillion seat is so small. And there is no way we can add a side box / carrier. That makes it absolutely impractical for me.

So I will wait for the new Karizma before taking a call on the Suzuki GSF 150 R. TVS bikes do not interest me. And I will not touch anything from Bajaj even with a barge pole. Since there is already a Honda Unicorn in the family, it is out of the equation for now.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by Gansan

What I noticed immediately was that sari clad ladies can't ride pillion- the pillion seat is so small.

Probably Yamaha wanted the bikes to be sold only to bachelor boys who want to ride solo on the bike!!

Forget sari clad ladies, ladies who are a bit on the plumpier side cant sit on it even if they are clad in a jeans or salwar!!

Dont ask me if this is from experience with the test ride... I will have to hide from my wife urgently now!!!

[vrprabhu]

Originally Posted by MutantX

The engine suddenly stops while doing 80 kmph and I have to start the engine once again at this speed. I had given it to Bajaj authorized service center and got this problem rectified. But the same issue creeps up after 2 months.

I too had the same experience - the first time, it gave me a scare thinking that the bike went dead on the highway! Re-started it - things worked fine!!
Have you noticed (or rather felt) that the bike seemed to craving for more fuel when reaching this stage? Tried to change the float / needle height settings - somehow, it never felt perfect!

Can't get hold of GS150R till date! Even the showrooms are nowhere near-by / conveniently located!

Originally Posted by iVictor

Also not sure about the A.S.S from their end. So spending 70k+ on their bike is a tough decision.

Yes - spending 70000 bucks is a big decision! Didn't have a problem with A.S.S. of Yamaha till now in Pune - had a disc problem in the initial period with my Gladiator, but it was replaced (of course, they took some time). Even their toll free number works fine now (1800-180-1600, I think).

And, don't mistake me - I have nothing against TVS - but TVS bikes seems to get rattly with age - right from the AX100, Supra to Samurai, Shogun & Victor, the same type of problem recurs. Only exception was the Fiero (in fact the second iteration as FX was an enjoyable bike)

And let us try to honestly answer this question -

How many CD100's, KB100's, AX100's are still running today as compared to RX100's? Even though I am a die-hard KB fan, my vote for the best built bike goes to the RX100 (my put offs were (a) hard seat (b) 6 volt electricals when it was launched) - and that speaks volumes for Yamaha.

I am pretty sure the current launches from them will live up to the same high standards!

[MutantX]

Guys, I finally managed to sell my P180 DTSi (Nov 2003 Gen I) for 16k to a dealer. I settled for the amount which he gave as the engine was giving me lots of trouble. I just wanted to get rid of the bike.

As for the new bike is concerned, I did a test drive of Discover DTSi 100 & XCD 135.

Let me try to summarize my experience, fun & disappointments on both the bikes:

Review of Discover DTSi 100cc

Appearance/Looks: The bike looks small and sleek. The reason why the over-all appearance of the bike looks small could be because of the small fuel tank. The fuel tank is round 8 Lit. The bike weighs around 115 Kilos and just comfortable for me.

Acceleration: The Acceleration from the 1st gear is sluggish. This was as expected since DIS 100 was just 94 cc bike. I am sure the acceleration is half of what i got on my P180. I am fine with this as 99% of my travel is only in the city traffic. People from chennai would sure be aware of Ambathur traffic and chaos.

Engine: This is the same engine used on Gen 4 pulsars. The engine has been detuned to displace 94 cc and there by gives more fuel efficiency. The engine is silent and smooth. Not as smooth as the honda but much silent and smooth as compared to older DTSi engines.

Fuel Economy: The dealer quoted 80 KMPL, I am sure it cannot be 80 kmpl, but it would be somewhere between 65 to 75KMPL.

Brakes: DIS 100 is equipped with drum brakes only and there are no options for DISCs. Drum Brakes are weak. You feel it is weak especially after driving with a DISC for over 6 years. This needs some getting used to.

Price (Major Factor):

Vehicle Cost : 40,970
Comprehensive Insurance : 1,128
Road Tax & Reg. charges : 4,097
Accessories : 500
Addl. Accessories : 750
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Total- On road price : 47,195
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If it is a full cash payment, then there is a cash offer of 500 rs. If it is bought through Bajaj Finance, there is a rebate of 1000 rs.

Good things:

i. DIS 100 comes with a 5 speed gearbox which is extremely innovative for a 100 cc bike. You can even run on economy at 50/60 kmph in 5th gear. This would save a lot of fuel and ensure that you get a good mileage.

ii. DIS 100 comes equipped with an electric start which is again good for a bike in this segment.

iii. Maintenance free battery. Atleast this is what Bajaj claims it is. I do not know if this is a real +ve but I feel the battery is an important and integral past which needs to be maintenance free. I had changed close to 4 batteries on my P180 over 6 years.

iv. Auto choke which is a good feature when it comes to starting the bike in the morning.

v. Ride control switch (for better fuel economy). Again I do not know if this would be a real +ve, but Bajaj claims it would stretch the bike by a sizable few KMs.

Review of XCD 135

Apperance/Looks: The bike looks mid-sized and has mini farings. The fuel tank is round 8 Lit with 2.3 lit reserve. The bike weighs around 116 Kilos which is almost equal to that of DIS 100.

Acceleration: The acceleration from the 1st gear is good, better than DIS 100. The bike is notchy and fast.

Engine: This is the same engine used on Gen 3 pulsars. The engine make a little extra sound as compared to DIS 100.

Fuel Economy: The dealer quoted 55 to 60 KMPL. I agree with him.

Brakes: DIS 100 carries a drum and DISC brake. Brakes are sharp. I am used to driving a bike with DISC brakes so i feel it is comfortable.

Price:
Vehicle Cost : 50,399
Comprehensive Insurance : 1,307
Road Tax & Reg. charges : 4,632
Accessories : 500
Addl. Accessories : 750
------------------------------------
Total- On road price : 57,588
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This is a good 10k more than the DIS 100 which is ofcourse the latest Gen 4 DTSi engine. For 100 cc segment, DIS 100 is good as it is the so called latest in technology (DTSi Ver 2.0) and claims gives extremely good mileage. More over, I feel extremely comfortable with the bike as it is light compared to other bikes. I would be taking the final decision by today, I would post the pics once I get the bike.

Major factors for the final decision would be:

Comfort > Price > Mileage > Looks

I am going for the the Aam Aadmi bike. It would be a big leap for me as It is downgrading from a P180 to a X 100cc bike.

Thanks,
Arun

[Technocrat]

At 57k do test the Honda Stunner &/or the Shine(amazing torque)