[ranjitnair77]

Originally Posted by ACM

Versys 650 and Z900 are both well priced but do not appeal to my heart. Plus want a duller, softer, slower, ride with max comfort and safety.

I'm sure you are aware that the Vulcan and the Versys 650 share the same engine with slightly different states of tune so the differences in power delivery, if any, is minimal. However the Versys has a phenomenal suspension setup which the Vulcan can never match. That's the thing with Adventure Bikes. They don't look that great but riding them makes your realise why they make so much sense in the Indian context. They might not appeal to the heart at first glance but a few weeks of riding them will change everything . Do test ride both the Vulcan and the Versys back to back before you take a call.

A 6 month service interval is fine. My Bonneville has a 12 month, 10k kms service interval but I always take it in for a preventive maintenance checkup every 6 months, 5k kms. I feel that this is important, given the poor conditions in which we ride (bad roads, traffic, dust).

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by ACM

[*]Versys 650 and Z900 are both well priced but do not appeal to my heart. Plus want a duller, softer, slower, ride with max comfort and safety.

Hard to beat the Versys 650 in terms of comfort - specially for taller people. Its pure nirvana on the highways - cruises way better than most cruisers do.

Its an adventure motorcycle for some people, but to most guys including me - its mainly just a superb highway machine.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Hard to beat the Versys 650 in terms of comfort - specially for taller people. Its pure nirvana on the highways - cruises way better than most cruisers do.

How is it in carving up the ghats? Or mountainous roads? With sometimes perfect and sometimes not so perfect road. I have mostly become a rider who can ride for max 1-2 days and carves up the mountains which are 150-200 kms away. Flat, good tarmac for 100-150 kilometers, bad patches leading to dreamland and then where the roads are bad, good views and authentic momos/thupka liven up things.

I am just inquisitive and have no plans to buy now :( The day I have firm plans [read as $$$] I will fly off to Hyderabad/Bangalore/Bombay and have TR's in fellow member's bikes [if I am allowed to]. Will bring my own lid, please don't fret

[Coplay]

In addition to all the suggestions here, you might want to check out the BMW G310R and the BMW 310GS. The bikes are launching in a month I guess, prebookings have started and it would be a good choice for your requirements except being 5bhp less than your requirement.
Think about this (Esp the ADV version GS model)
1. Its tall,has great suspension travel (125kgs? - no problem)
2. It has great ground clearance. (Speed humps? - No problem, No roads? - No problem)
3. Its quick and can keep you happy all day long.
4. Ergonomics - spot on (based on plenty of reviews). No Yoga stuff
5. Has a great pillion seat (for riding 2 up with your kid)
6. Has switchable dual channel ABS with very sticky Metzeler rubber.
7. Its weighs only 170Kilos (lighter than my CBR250R) and is easy to manoeuvre and flick around.
8. Would cost around 3.5-4.5L OTR Mumbai.
9. Its a BMW (which means, you get pathetic service - atleast in Bangalore)

[dkaile]

Have you checked out my Ninja 1000 thread till now on TeamBhp? If not, please do. It may give you a new perspective - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superb...ml#post4411401





Hope you get to make the right choice in this conundrum!

Cheers...

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Sheel

How is it in carving up the ghats? Or mountainous roads? With sometimes perfect and sometimes not so perfect road. I have mostly become a rider who can ride for max 1-2 days and carves up the mountains which are 150-200 kms away. Flat, good tarmac for 100-150 kilometers, bad patches leading to dreamland and then where the roads are bad, good views and authentic momos/thupka liven up things.

That describes my riding as well. Thankfully, Bangalore is blessed with so many locations to tour exactly as per this format.

Versys 650 is heavy, yet extremely confidence inspiring in the corners, mainly thanks to an excellent suspension setup. I do not have any complaints in this regard, except for may be the stock tyres towards the second half of its life.

[Vikram Adani]

Originally Posted by ACM

Thanks

Visited Kawasaki Thane.
Decent Showroom.

My Takeaways:

• Vulcan S (Orange) is presently the only option from them that I was able to shortlist. (I don't want any more Black or Dark Blue Vehicles.)
  
• Versys 650 and Z900 are both well priced but do not appeal to my heart. Plus want a duller, softer, slower, ride with max comfort and safety.
  
• Vulcan S like the Harley Street 750 is also short. and 2" higher seat would have been perfect for me (6ft ht). I believe seat height can be raised by using aftermarket seats. (Even higher than the adjustment that they provide in the adjustable seat option.) The Lower back support though good needs to be even better for me.
  
• Vulcan sounds good in the closed showroom environment but could have been better. Most bikes sound good indoors.
  
• The Showroom sales advisor was quite good and knowledgeable.
  
• He said the Service Interval is 6mths/6000kms but if the vehicle is not used much they would entertain even after 8mths for service. (But we do know this is risky to rely upon.)
  
• I did not do a test drive as I had not taken along any gear and was not comfortable using their helmet. Plus this was just for my initial assessment at present. I decided to do a test drive during monsoons towards end of July.
  
• The Bike in the showroom had 70k Extra Auxiliary LED Lights as an accessory. It had extra saddle bags, and rear pillion back rest. All looked good but were priced exorbitantly. (Yet less relative to Harleys).
  
• Harley Street Rod 750 has better ground clearance but will exhibit the oven under the seat engine trait and also has straight handle bars that are a stretch rather than the relaxed position of the Vulcan.
  
• The Standard Vulcan Handle Bars are good enough and adjustable ones are not required. (Adjustable seat can be bought separate from the handle bars and is relatively decently priced.)
  
• The Foot pegs are adjustable and comfortable for taller riders if placed in the extreme ahead position.
  
• It is a mid sized Cruiser, good looking for the segment but will not wow one for long on looks alone. It though might just be the most practical option for someone like me starting out... but for the low ground clearance. That low GC is a safety issue by itself.
  
• Good news seemed to be that Kawasaki might introduce bigger cruisers later in the coming months considering the response to the Vulcan. As per the showroom they are selling as many Vulcans as all the rest of the models put together.

Hi ACM!
Your observations are all spot on & very on point.

I was there at the Thane dealership & attended the safety meet, which started at about 10.30 and we were there almost till one. Mr Sachin Nair Spoke very well and shared innumerable tips about every safety aspect of motorcycling, ranging from braking tips, riding in different conditions, to gear & other practical aspects. You should have come since you live nearby... towards the end it was a nice open disc on all things bikes...

Anyway, to discuss your point, some others in the audience today also asked the question about ground clearance of the Ninja 650 (which also has 130 mm gc) to Mr Nair (who has done more than 80,000 kms on his ninja 650), including tours to nepal, bhutan, rajasthan, south india etc. He was of the opinion that this is a non issue when riding solo. When riding with a pillon and luggage, also he has never faced a problem with GC as long as you are sensible and slow down to 5-10 kmph on the bigger speed breakers or larger potholes...

I agree with most of your observations about the vulcan. As for sales, i had expected it to do well at launch itself, thanks to the relaxed riding position, capability to seat 2 in great comfort, and NO complimentary tandoor provided by the company to deep fry your thighs unlike the street . Even though both bikes are smaller cruisers, i would expect the vulcan to grab more eyeballs in terms of street presence due to its longer appearance. Some things that irk me about the street, other than the heat are : not even basic information on the display like absence of a proper tachometer, fuel guage etc, no gear shift indicator etc... The street sounds better, but i think an akra should fix that. plus an akra is officially approved by kawasaki and does not void warranty (i just got to know this today)...

[basuroy]

I would advise you go with one of the Triumph bonneville variants . Or you can wait and test ride the upcoming Royal Enfield interceptor 650cc motorbike . Harleys look cool but they run very hot and are extremely heavy , thereby betraying their archaic engineering .

Normally , I would suggest a duke 390 or a ducati scrambler but I doubt they would be that comfortable for you . Lightweight bikes are the safest and aforementioned bikes have relatively comfortable upright seating posture .

Also if you often ride with pillion , avoid sports bike( especially the duke 390 which I myself ride ) like plague . Avoid the Harley 750cc bikes like black plague .

ps: when you pay more than 2L for a motorcycle , it is not just about utility but also bling and what you find aesthetic . So if you find your heart crying out for a harley while logic dictates a 5L Kawasaki is a better choice , go with the Harley . Suffer you will but it will be worth it . Lets not forget logic also dictates a car is better , and more importantly safer , than the best bike out there .

pps: Avoid motorcycles with power above 80bhp if safety is a concern ; no amount of advanced gizmos is going to stop you from hitting 150 or more on those bikes within mere seconds before the rational part of your brain can figure out what you just did . Bikes like triumph street triple or kawasaki Z900 are devastatingly powerful and not safe by any yardstick unless the rider is highly experienced and can exercise self control that rivals a celibate's . Before someone misinterprets my comment , there is no inherent flaw in their design but such extreme power can , and eventually will, have a corrupting influence on most riders .

[ACM]

Originally Posted by ranjitnair77

I'm sure you are aware that the Vulcan and the Versys 650 share the same engine with slightly different states of tune so the differences in power delivery, if any, is minimal. However the Versys has a phenomenal suspension setup which the Vulcan can never match. That's the thing with Adventure Bikes.

I am yet to reach a stage where I would be going on long drives across India. I feel that I might most likely do Night drives within Bombay and weekend drives to Lovavala or Igatpuri etc. I do have it in my consideration set and find Versys to be a phenominal bike but I prefer shorter bike rather than SUV kinds. Cars though have to be ONLY SUV's for me.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Hard to beat the Versys 650 in terms of comfort - specially for taller people. Its pure nirvana on the highways - cruises way better than most cruisers do.

Its an adventure motorcycle for some people, but to most guys including me - its mainly just a superb highway machine.

I have followed both your Versys thread and your superbike Tips thread. Awesome knowledge shared, Lovely posts. Yep Versys will be tested back to back with Vulcan. If Vulcan is sufficient for comfort then it will be preferred though for my limited use.

Originally Posted by Coplay

In addition to all the suggestions here, you might want to check out the BMW G310R and the BMW 310GS. The bikes are launching in a month I guess, prebookings have started and it would be a good choice for your requirements except being 5bhp less than your requirement.
Think about this (Esp the ADV version GS model)

Having the X3 not looking out for another BMW. Maybe the X5, maybe not. But BMW bikes service experience is something I anticipate to be quite poor. Cars is all they are able to manage.. just about.

Originally Posted by dkaile

Have you checked out my Ninja 1000 thread till now on TeamBhp? If not, please do.
Hope you get to make the right choice in this conundrum!
Cheers...

Have been reading upon ALL your threads and followed you to your LARGE Cruiser journey as well as to N1000 Superbike. Somehow I need a mix of both in a smaller size right now. Vulcan or Versys may be it for me now or maybe something from the Triumph Bonnie Range.

Originally Posted by Vikram Adani

Hi ACM!
Your observations are all spot on & very on point.

I was there at the Thane dealership & attended the safety meet, which started at about 10.30 and we were there almost till one. Mr Sachin Nair Spoke very well and shared innumerable tips about every safety aspect of motorcycling, ranging from braking tips, riding in different conditions, to gear & other practical aspects. You should have come since you live nearby... towards the end it was a nice open disc on all things bikes...

I visited the showroom again with my friend on the same day as you at about 1.15pm. You might even have been there. Checked out the Vulcan S in Orange Lava colour and also again saw the Versys and the N1000. Versys look does grow on you, but if there is a built in love for cruisers don't know if practicality will overhaul that. The Vulcan comes across as the closes one can get to a cruiser without having to bear the unreliability, heat, Harley Tax, ergonomic issues, weight of a most cruisers. That said it too has some limitations like sound and GC. So will see.

Originally Posted by basuroy

I would advise you go with one of the Triumph bonneville variants . Or you can wait and test ride the upcoming Royal Enfield interceptor 650cc motorbike . Harleys look cool but they run very hot and are extremely heavy , thereby betraying their archaic engineering .

ps: when you pay more than 2L for a motorcycle , it is not just about utility but also bling and what you find aesthetic . So if you find your heart crying out for a harley while logic dictates a 5L Kawasaki is a better choice , go with the Harley . Suffer you will but it will be worth it . Lets not forget logic also dictates a car is better , and more importantly safer , than the best bike out there .

pps: Avoid motorcycles with power above 80bhp if safety is a concern ; no amount of advanced gizmos is going to stop you from hitting 150 or more on those bikes within mere seconds before the rational part of your brain can figure out what you just did . Bikes like triumph street triple or kawasaki Z900 are devastatingly powerful and not safe by any yardstick unless the rider is highly experienced and can exercise self control that rivals a celibate's . Before someone misinterprets my comment , there is no inherent flaw in their design but such extreme power can , and eventually will, have a corrupting influence on most riders .

Agree with you on your entire post. Less than 80 BHP most likely.

[Red Liner]

I somehow feel that you will be happier on a vintage modern classic like the bonneville street twin range. Or if you can splurge a little more, the devastatingly beautiful z900RS. Full CBU from japan.

Ditch the versys if you are going to be just pottering around home ground. That bike is pure adv performance and zero bling in the conventional sense (hidden exhaust, muted sound, parallel twin etc).

Well, if you have 10 lakhs to spare on your first big cycle, i would avoid the vulcan as well. It just lacks that something, and an auto nut like you will want that something extra. The vulcan does not offer that. Its a well sorted economy cruiser.

For me, it is strictly between the bonneville range at the economical pov, and the z900RS to absolutely smash it through.

Both can be ridden easily with anyone with half a sensible brain, so dont listen to all the car guy speak here. More the BHP/cylinders the bike is actually easier to potter around in any gear.

[dkaile]

Take a Duke 390 for the time being and make peace with it. Till you are ready to move on to the big boys. A gradual upgrade process is always nearly foolproof.

Cheers...

[ethanhunt123]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Take a Duke 390 for the time being and make peace with it. Till you are ready to move on to the big boys. A gradual upgrade process is always nearly foolproof.

Cheers...

I wouldnt recommend Duke 390 for someone starting biking after a long time. Its a proper hooligan bike with abrupt power delivery. Dominar would be a better choice.

Having said that - i think Vulcan is a very good option for someone looking for sedate rides.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Take a Duke 390 for the time being and make peace with it. Till you are ready to move on to the big boys. A gradual upgrade process is always nearly foolproof.

Cheers...

This is actually an excellent suggestion. Enter biking with a superb low cost bike. See how you feel about riding in general and it will also help you understand what kind of bike you might be attracted to. Then upgrade to whatever bike you think is right for you.

It may be you decide you do not want to ride after all once you own the first bike. Alternately, you may have the ultimate clarity on what style of bike you would be happiest with.

If you are lucky, maybe you could even get a good second hand Duke and save even more money on the initial exploratory purchase. It is also a good way to hone your skills initially so that when you buy a big bike ultimately you are not needlessly limiting things like bhp and cc etc. You will not what level of bike you are most likely going to be confident and comfortable with.

[dreamseller]

Originally Posted by Sheel

How is it in carving up the ghats? Or mountainous roads?

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

That describes my riding as well.

I can vouch for the kind of enjoyment that CrAzY derives, on twisties, from his Versys. It looks so effortless that one tends to forget how tall the bike is otherwise.

[ACM]

Visited both Kawasaki and Triumph on the Western Express highway:

1a) Kawasaki Versys 650: Lovely, Practical, Comfortable, Good Ground Clearance, I can flat foot it. The 2018 Green colour is also lovely. But is a bit boring and too sensible. Plus I may be more comfortable with a shorter bike. Need a long test drive to decide. It is a bike you buy with the head not the heart.


1b) Kawasaki Vulcan S: Poor Ground Clearance is reduced even further with my weight. It as impressive to look at as the Triumph Speedmaster. Appeals to the Heart, love the New Lava Orange version. Is shortlisted at the top by me, but I have to see if the ground clearance can be lived with. I would have to increase the Seat height a bit and stretch the Foot pedal to the forward most position and of course spend for that and the Pillion back rest, and wind screen, plus engine, Radiator and stump guards right at the start. Unlike with the Versys, which has the advantage of height and some of the stuff.


2a) Triumph Thuderbird Stome: No longer on sale, saw a preowned one in good condition, It was a good fit, but I am looking at buying in Dussehra / Diwali period not right now so need to see what is available then. I want to give my mind some sensible amount of time to decide this time round.

2b) Triumph Speedmaster: Their only Cruiser. A good bike but the same size as the Vulcan with a lot more character and power that costs 5L more. For the price it seemed too small for my frame.

2c) Bonneville T100, T120, Street Twin, Thurston: All wonderful bikes that are too open chested for me. Nope, not what I am looking for riding though they would look great in the parking lot.

2d) Tiger 800 series: Lovely fit, can be flat footed by me. but but 15L. Hmmm.


The Triumph showroom like their bikes had more charm and character than the Japanese Kawasaki. But this has made me again considering exploring Harley range of Street Bob and Fat Bob. So that is next.