[AlokSriva]

Friends, I had successfully kept aside my biking passion for almost a decade now. And now that I have the time(?) to indulge myself, am confused with what to settle for.

I am no speed freak, though I have had my share of lunacy on Indian roads (only so far as speed was concerned - and that too on arrow-like desolate stretches). That I have completely corrected myself would be evident from the fact that on a recent drive on Yamuna E-way, I maintained a precise 100 kmph - not even 5 kmph variation on the wrong side while there were folks zipping by me (only one exception when a Duster with temp registration was blocking the overtaking lane and the driver was hooked on to his cellphone).

All in all, the idea of this purchase would be not to zip in triple digits on our highways/roads but cruising merrily at 80 kmph - get my drift?

Of course this would be a gross under-utilization of the capabilities of bikes which I have short-listed, but again, how many of 600 cc bikes are being utilized to their potential anyway in India?

I am in no hurry whatsoever for this purchase, obvious from the fact that I have an R3R on my shortlist when Triumph itself isn't aware when they would able to roll it out in Indian market!

I need advise from the knowledgable mates here on the forum on pros/cons and pointers which can help me decide.

Ducati India has its horror stories; Triumph had to abort its flight even before it could hit the runway; HD is the only one with an unblemished(?) history so far in India.

[pganapathy]

Sorry to be prissy, but a few more details would help a great deal in advice gving from out side.

What are your requirements. Almost any bike over 250 cc will comfortably get you to the speed of 100 to 120 without too much stress so they can do the job.

[AlokSriva]

Originally Posted by pganapathy

Sorry to be prissy, but a few more details would help a great deal in advice gving from out side.

What are your requirements. Almost any bike over 250 cc will comfortably get you to the speed of 100 to 120 without too much stress so they can do the job.

Sure sir, not a problem at all

My requirement is pretty basic -
1) Need a set of 2 wheels with a big heart which I can use for occasional weekend getaways.
2) Am no speed freak anymore therefore, couldn't care less for the quarter mile/0-100 timings.
3) Should be a comfortable cruiser (Rod has the least comfortable riding position amongst the three). No offense to anyone, but I am not looking for a crotch rocket.
4) Should have wow/exclusivity/oomph factor.
5) I need this bike to rekindle my passion for 2 wheels.

Feel free to shoot more questions and would try to be as direct with the requirements as I possibly can.

[bigron]

Are you a biker or a poser ? A suggestion would only be good if it is made within certain parameters. You on the other hand are covering everything from a cruiser to a sportsbike.
Whats your budget , your riding style , riding frequency and reason for buying a bike. Frankly if its just rekindling the passion then the duke 200 would also fit the bill just fine.

[AlokSriva]

Originally Posted by bigron

Are you a biker or a poser ?

umm.. guess there are more pertinent questions you have raised which need to be focused upon - will ignore this one; and sincerely hope ignoring it won't offend you.

A suggestion would only be good if it is made within certain parameters.

Well, don't the quantitative parameters from #1-3 and the qualitative ones #4-5 listed in previous post define the boundary?

You on the other hand are covering everything from a cruiser to a sportsbike.

Request you to refer to requirement/parameter #2 & #3 which very clearly outline the precise requirement. Sincere apologies in case I failed to convey it across with any more clarity.. Though it still beats me how we got a sportsbike into the picture?

Whats your budget

The shortlisted models (also mentioned in the thread title, in case they got missed in the opening post) should be perfect indicator of the budget. Unless the expectation is to spell it out in INRs.

riding frequency and reason for buying a bike

Please refer to the opening post for an answer.

Frankly if its just rekindling the passion then the duke 200 would also fit the bill just fine.

How about an activa? Thanks, but no, thanks Would request you to PLEASE refer to the bold print in requirement #1, followed by #3 and then #4 - please follow the same order - and finally the list of shortlisted bikes.

[manson]

Originally Posted by AlokSriva

Sure sir, not a problem at all

My requirement is pretty basic -
1) Need a set of 2 wheels with a big heart which I can use for occasional weekend getaways.
2) Am no speed freak anymore therefore, couldn't care less for the quarter mile/0-100 timings.
3) Should be a comfortable cruiser (Rod has the least comfortable riding position amongst the three). No offense to anyone, but I am not looking for a crotch rocket.
4) Should have wow/exclusivity/oomph factor.
5) I need this bike to rekindle my passion for 2 wheels.

Feel free to shoot more questions and would try to be as direct with the requirements as I possibly can.

Man, with that list of requirements, I'd simply head down to the nearest Yamaha dealer to check out the V-Max!
Just incase that breaks your bank, go for the next best thing, the MT - 01, I can vouch or the fact that its comfortable, has tons of oomph and can munch miles over your weekend getaway rides too! The only hitch is that Yamaha does not sell them anymore, and you'l be hard pressed to find a well kept example that anyone really wants to part with as such.

[bigron]

The Ducati Diavel , Suzuki Intruder or the Yamaha V max. All pretty exclusive , though the diaveli and the v max more so , big displacement motor , can be used everyday or weekend fun and will rekindle whatever you want them to rekindle.
Personally have ridden the intruder and the v max extensively. Slightly different genera but the v max is the bike I would pick. Have also test ridden the diavel and it looks amazing , super street cred plus its a Ducati.

[black12rr]

Originally Posted by AlokSriva

Sure sir, not a problem at all

My requirement is pretty basic -
1) Need a set of 2 wheels with a big heart which I can use for occasional weekend getaways.
2) Am no speed freak anymore therefore, couldn't care less for the quarter mile/0-100 timings.
3) Should be a comfortable cruiser (Rod has the least comfortable riding position amongst the three). No offense to anyone, but I am not looking for a crotch rocket.
4) Should have wow/exclusivity/oomph factor.
5) I need this bike to rekindle my passion for 2 wheels.

Feel free to shoot more questions and would try to be as direct with the requirements as I possibly can.

I would suggest get a Yamaha FZ1 (1000 cc) , its fast(150bhp) ,naked , good build and service backup .Even a 2013 busa ABS or Intruder should be Excellent .

Coming to 4th point , wow/exclusivity/oomph , for you or for the others seeing you on the ride ? .
Get a bike ,when every time you wring the throttle , you can feel the WOW!
Get a bike ,every day you ride in ride out you feel within yourself your are EXCLUSIVE !
Get a bike ,every time you park it makes you look back couple of times before you head to your place , thats oomph!

Even if you have a budget of a crore I suggest not to buy a bike which is exotic and does not have spares or service in place unless you don't care who services it and how long and how much it costs to service it .

[Sn1p3r]

To me this is not a straight forward question.

I was in the market for one and thus I can offer some advice though I am no expert on anything technical.

1. All the bikes will infuse new energy and you will fall in love all over again. I had a smile pasted every time I went to see one.
2. All the mentioned bikes have a different character and I think you need to ride one to see what you love. Kindly do not buy into hype and passionate sweeping statements from fellows as all bikers are passionate advocates of their bike, after all they are in love.
3. To my liking Ducati was the best fit of what I wanted but Ducati India has its own issues and as of our forum members has bought Diavel has issues with the registration and support is sketchy. MT-01 is not available, FZ1 is a competent mile muncher if you want hassle free biking experience (Nikhil from Motocafe can give you more on this), VMax is a bit long in tooth but I think Yamaha is not in any hurry to change whats already selling. Rocket is a nice machine but its support network is not too strong. HD is a good bet for you will never get bored customizing the bike if you feel its getting old. Rod is a nice machine but I never felt comfortable on it. I think you should check the Dyna series as well.
4. An alternative I would like you to ponder. BMW Yes I thought it was a bit expensive but it will be a niche bike.

Cheers!

[//M]

Ducati has shoddy service in India so buying a Diavel, no matter how devilish it looks, is pretty pointless. Rather the BMW K1300R is a good choice. It is a superbike, has incredible torque, looks handsome, the BMW Motorrad service won't let you down and it has those raw looks and will surely give you the wow factor too.

[JVH]

All the best with whatever you end up with. You have received very nice recommendations for your requirements. If I were you I would lap up something from the BMW stable. I never really had an experience with one until recently. They make awesome over-engineered bikes and their tourers are to die for. And how soon are you planning to buy? If you are not in a hurry, you can wait to check out Triumph line up. Despite their delay, they may actually have a surprise in store next year.

[gthang]

@AlokSriva,

Nice predicament you got yourself into.

My take on your choices:

V-Rod: Offers you a chance to have an UNIQUE bike. You can customize it to your heart's content. Will ride OK for the most part, can keep up with most traffic, or be comfortably ahead. Cannot be thrown around in the twisties so much. Brakes are poor and will heat/fade soon. Alloys will not handle bad roads so well. Not so much the alloys' fault as much the huge weight of the bike it has to carry. All said, the Midnight Rod in Black with Orange Stripe makes me go weak in the knees.

V Max: Power Cruiser. What else to say? Will come with Japanese reliability and service backup. The Engine gives it character, rest of the bike is quite ordinary. More powerful than the Diavel, but 100 kgs more. Faster in straight line, but having to live with that extra weight wont be fun in India.

Diavel: Rides as good as it looks. A thoroughly modern Power cruiser without the extra baggage. Sales and service are poor, but not impossible. If you can take a leap of faith that Audi Ducati will come around, plenty of Diavels available in stock right now.

If you are not in a hurry, can I suggest a new alternative for you? Something new and unique, with oodles of style, and might fit your bill?

The Moto Guzzi Griso 8V:



http://www.motoguzzi-us.com/motorcyc...iso-8v-se.html

Moto Guzzi is opening showroom in Gurgaon soon, and should be a relatively easier Italian to work with, with Parent Piaggio in the picture. First lot of bikes expected in a couple of months.

Not mentioning about Triumph Rocket since there is no clear idea when they will be available in the market.

Have fun, and be sure to RIDE SAFE.

Cheers.

[AlokSriva]

Originally Posted by manson

Man, with that list of requirements, I'd simply head down to the nearest Yamaha dealer to check out the V-Max!
Just incase that breaks your bank, go for the next best thing, the MT - 01, I can vouch or the fact that its comfortable, has tons of oomph and can munch miles over your weekend getaway rides too! The only hitch is that Yamaha does not sell them anymore, and you'l be hard pressed to find a well kept example that anyone really wants to part with as such.

Thanks manson. I originally had V-Max in my list. However, had to drop it off since a) has a pretty low tank range; and b) it ain't a good handler at low speeds - I could be wrong on the second one though.

Originally Posted by bigron

The Ducati Diavel , Suzuki Intruder or the Yamaha V max. All pretty exclusive , though the diaveli and the v max more so , big displacement motor , can be used everyday or weekend fun and will rekindle whatever you want them to rekindle.
Personally have ridden the intruder and the v max extensively. Slightly different genera but the v max is the bike I would pick. Have also test ridden the diavel and it looks amazing , super street cred plus its a Ducati.

Agreed, devil anytime over velocitus maximus

Originally Posted by black12rr

I would suggest get a Yamaha FZ1 (1000 cc) , its fast(150bhp) ,naked , good build and service backup .Even a 2013 busa ABS or Intruder should be Excellent .

Coming to 4th point , wow/exclusivity/oomph , for you or for the others seeing you on the ride ? .
Get a bike ,when every time you wring the throttle , you can feel the WOW!
Get a bike ,every day you ride in ride out you feel within yourself your are EXCLUSIVE !
Get a bike ,every time you park it makes you look back couple of times before you head to your place , thats oomph!

Even if you have a budget of a crore I suggest not to buy a bike which is exotic and does not have spares or service in place unless you don't care who services it and how long and how much it costs to service it .

Loved the description mate of wow, exclusivity and oomph
Since I am looking for a comfortable cruiser, FZ1 and Busa would be out of contention. Intruder.. umm.. not too sure. Will try to test ride it in order to arrive at a conclusion.

Originally Posted by Sn1p3r

To me this is not a straight forward question.

I was in the market for one and thus I can offer some advice though I am no expert on anything technical.

1. All the bikes will infuse new energy and you will fall in love all over again. I had a smile pasted every time I went to see one.
2. All the mentioned bikes have a different character and I think you need to ride one to see what you love. Kindly do not buy into hype and passionate sweeping statements from fellows as all bikers are passionate advocates of their bike, after all they are in love.
3. To my liking Ducati was the best fit of what I wanted but Ducati India has its own issues and as of our forum members has bought Diavel has issues with the registration and support is sketchy. MT-01 is not available, FZ1 is a competent mile muncher if you want hassle free biking experience (Nikhil from Motocafe can give you more on this), VMax is a bit long in tooth but I think Yamaha is not in any hurry to change whats already selling. Rocket is a nice machine but its support network is not too strong. HD is a good bet for you will never get bored customizing the bike if you feel its getting old. Rod is a nice machine but I never felt comfortable on it. I think you should check the Dyna series as well.
4. An alternative I would like you to ponder. BMW Yes I thought it was a bit expensive but it will be a niche bike.

Cheers!

Very valid callouts in #3, yes, I had gone through gthang's thread where he talked about the 'obstacles'.
Yes, the riding position on Rod isn't comfortable.
And your advice in #4, yes, there are awesome tourers from motorad but unfortunately, no cruiser.. Am not a big fan of fairings on bikes given our driving conditions and curious/poky onlookers.

Originally Posted by //M

Ducati has shoddy service in India so buying a Diavel, no matter how devilish it looks, is pretty pointless. Rather the BMW K1300R is a good choice. It is a superbike, has incredible torque, looks handsome, the BMW Motorrad service won't let you down and it has those raw looks and will surely give you the wow factor too.

Thanks mate! Yes, the service arm of Ducati is a concern. However, their service center is GGN is barely 7 kms from my place which seems to be a lot better when compared with gthang (please refer to his today's post on his diavel thread).

Originally Posted by JVH

All the best with whatever you end up with. You have received very nice recommendations for your requirements. If I were you I would lap up something from the BMW stable. I never really had an experience with one until recently. They make awesome over-engineered bikes and their tourers are to die for. And how soon are you planning to buy? If you are not in a hurry, you can wait to check out Triumph line up. Despite their delay, they may actually have a surprise in store next year.

With BMW tourers, there's a bit too much of fairing on the bike for my comfort. But yes, needless to say, they are awesome bikes.
I too am waiting to bite the bullet till the time Triumph arrives..

Originally Posted by gthang

@AlokSriva,

Nice predicament you got yourself into.

My take on your choices:

V-Rod: Offers you a chance to have an UNIQUE bike. You can customize it to your heart's content. Will ride OK for the most part, can keep up with most traffic, or be comfortably ahead. Cannot be thrown around in the twisties so much. Brakes are poor and will heat/fade soon. Alloys will not handle bad roads so well. Not so much the alloys' fault as much the huge weight of the bike it has to carry. All said, the Midnight Rod in Black with Orange Stripe makes me go weak in the knees.

V Max: Power Cruiser. What else to say? Will come with Japanese reliability and service backup. The Engine gives it character, rest of the bike is quite ordinary. More powerful than the Diavel, but 100 kgs more. Faster in straight line, but having to live with that extra weight wont be fun in India.

Diavel: Rides as good as it looks. A thoroughly modern Power cruiser without the extra baggage. Sales and service are poor, but not impossible. If you can take a leap of faith that Audi Ducati will come around, plenty of Diavels available in stock right now.

If you are not in a hurry, can I suggest a new alternative for you? Something new and unique, with oodles of style, and might fit your bill?

The Moto Guzzi Griso 8V:

Attachment 1016186

http://www.motoguzzi-us.com/motorcyc...iso-8v-se.html

Moto Guzzi is opening showroom in Gurgaon soon, and should be a relatively easier Italian to work with, with Parent Piaggio in the picture. First lot of bikes expected in a couple of months.

Not mentioning about Triumph Rocket since there is no clear idea when they will be available in the market.

Have fun, and be sure to RIDE SAFE.

Cheers.

Belated congratulations bro on your prized possession.. I can relate to the way you are spending time these days since mine is getting consumed only on research.
Thanks a lot for adding to the confusion by adding another dimension <<grins - have run out of the permitted emoticons>>

[Sheel]

To make things simple, and in all honesty, buy the bike which you like the most (appeals the most) and believe me, it shall do all the roles without fuss.

Else, you may complicate the decision as well & lose out on riding time/miles.

Best wishes

[AlokSriva]

Originally Posted by Sheel

To make things simple, and in all honesty, buy the bike which you like the most (appeals the most) and believe me, it shall do all the roles without fuss.

Else, you may complicate the decision as well & lose out on riding time/miles.

Best wishes

That makes things really simple unless there are 2 options scoring equally on the wish list

Only drawback which makes the Rod lag amongst the choices is the riding posture..