[khajam]

Hi everyone:
I am in Bangalore and currently own a well maintained 4-speed RX135 (1998 model). I recently moved my house to be near my wife's place of work and due to which my daily commute has increased to 60kms. (but with other errands it typically ends in the range of 65-75kms).

I love my bike for all things RX - its simplicity, pickup and general ruggedness is unmatched. Thanks to the various mods done in my bike (K&N filter, reboring and imported pistons etc.,) my fuel mileage is in the range of 28-32. While I typically dont care about it, with the increase in daily commute I spend close 2 or 2.25 litres a day.. which actually made me consider if I should switch to a new bike. And this is the first time in 13 years that I have even considered going for a bike change.

What do you guys think? I dont think I will get myself to sell this bike ever. But I do think that I need a fuel efficient bike. Whats your suggestion on which bike should I consider? My budget is 75k but I can extend it to 1lakh for the right bike.

Any other creative suggestions are also welcome.
Thanks,
KM

[theexperthand]

Keep the RX with you, and invest in a Honda Unicorn for the city commute - the bike have decent power,mileage and good road manners.

Never sell the RX - keep the bike so that you can enjoy taking her out once in a while and for weekend rides.

[stnair]

Since you are ok with RX as to the riding comfort and only worry is regarding fuel efficiency, plenty of bikes to choose - Hero Honda Passion/splendor gives FE in excess of 65kmpl. Bajaj Discover 100cc range claims even more.

But pl checkout Honda Unicorn also. Its costs 70k, comfortable for your long commutes, has decent pickup/acceleration etc and gives FE around 50-55 - only worry is the long waiting period.

regards
san

[khajam]

Thanks for the response guys - I will definitely NOT sell my RX135 - I am very invested in it.

Unicorn is a good suggestion though a lot of people seem to own that bike and also due to its wait period.

I am hearing good things about GS-150R as well. Should I keep that on my list?

My requirement is that the new bike should be decently powered, suitable for long distance commute in terms of riding position and yes decent fuel economy numbers. To be honest, I am looking for a reasonable number like 45+. I dont want a bike that is geared towards FE and has made too much compromises with the joy that comes with riding it. For this specific reason, I am not keen on owning a Hero Honda splendor / bajaj discover. Also, I am hoping that I wouldnt need to make a significant downgrade from RX.

[abhinav.s]

^^ Don't even think about any commuter for just the sake of mileage. After having the blistering pick up and the fond experience of the power of your RX, you will be crying and wanting to sell off the 100cc commuters immediately as soon as you buy it. You will not enjoy the sluggish pick up in city commute at all.
Unicorn is the best bet since it gives a good balance of power and FE.

[Spitfire]

30 Kms one way?

Ask your company to provide transport or get a monthly VOLVO pass. With the Bangalore traffic riding in so many kms day in and day out will get you really tired.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by theexperthand

Keep the RX with you
..........
Never sell the RX - keep the bike so that you can enjoy taking her out once in a while and for weekend rides.

+1 Never think of selling the beauty.
Unicorn is the best bike, but the long waiting period is the pain. The other coices are
1) Apache RTR - Question of FE (40~45kmpl)
2) Yamaha FZ - again the similar FE figure
3) Pulsar 135 - Delivers a good FE and a decent bike for city ride.

After riding RX for years together, I doubt you cannot stick to any 100cc bikes just for the FE, that too in city driving with their sluggish peformance.

[theexperthand]

I too have heard some good reviews about GS150R, but do not know any first hand info - I vaguely remember there was a thread in T-BHP and the OP brought GS150R after sailing pretty much in your boat.
Did a quick search, but could not locate the thread. Another option is Yamaha SZ-X but again, no first hand info.

Do a test ride of these three and decide. I can personally vouch for the Unicorn, but the waiting period is a bummer.

[rohan_iitr]

Have you considered a gearless scooter like Honda Activa ?

It will give you a perfect balance of fuel economy, ease of driving, performance and utility. Plus it can be used by your wife also.

Considering that you already have a RX bike, a gearless scooter would be the best thing to compliment it. Gearless scooters are a great boon for Bangalore's chaotic traffic.

But with a daily travel of 60+ kms, I feel that you should be looking at other options like office transport, public transport or car pooling.

Rohan

[comfortablynumb]

@khajam - I am in a similar quandary [though am not lucky enough to own a RX :-)]. I've TDed Unicorn & GS150R till now and next on the list are Apache 160, Pulsar 150 and Discover 150.

I'm leaning heavily towards the GS150R even though I still have to TD 3 more bikes, as it seems to be the most "complete" bike among all these. All others in this list somehow don't "click" to me. Not sure if I am making any sense to you, but just wanted to convey that don't strike the GS150R from your list just 'cause you don't see many of them on the roads.

Here're a couple of reviews on the GS150R.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...-marriage.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...i-gs-150r.html

Good luck!

Cheers,
Vikram

[Sheel]

For commutes, do have a test ride of the SZ-R by Yamaha. A very competent bike IMO.

[RX135]

If you already have RX, I would dismiss all other Yamaha bikes. Not because they are bad, but simply because they aren't exactly as fuel efficient as their peers.

I wonder why you are not looking at HH Splendor or other commuter bikes. Agreed, it's not a performance beast, but it gets you good mileage better than most 150CC bikes (Pulsar/Unicorn/Discover/FZ/R15), a refined engine and is quite comfortable. For performance needs, you still have RX.

[bluevolt]

There are few good bikes in your budget 75K-100K. Hero Honda Karizma R, ZMR, Bajaj Pulsar 220, TVS apache 180, Yamaha R15 are among the best. You should TD all bikes and decide which suits you more. Check out this thread, very informative - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...cycle-75k.html

[Sheel]

@RX-135 - Don't you think that the performance offered by HH 100cc's vis a vis with any 150cc (again considering performance & FE), makes the HH bikes seem like a poor value M'cycle. (Yes you spend almost 50K on a Passion and ~65K on a Uni/GS)

I believe you can extract 55-60 kmpl from a Unicorn with a restrained right hand and as and when needed may ride faster w/o compromising much on FE?

I truly believe 150's provide almost the best of both worlds, especially M'cycles such as Unicorn/Dazzler, GS-150 R. What say?

[georgev]

Keep the RX like everyone suggested (I am keeping her for the last 23+ years, still my RX begs to be pushed to the limits)

Test ride SZ-R,FZ,RTR go with your heart ....good luck