[Karan_n8]

Greetings fellow members!

Disclaimer: This is going to be my first ever bike and I'm really just doing this to bring some excitement in an otherwise really depressing time.

So I can ride a bike, courtesy friends who had bikes we used to ride about a decade ago. Barring a couple of Goa trips, my riding skills have never been put to the test

So some background for you to be able to help and guide me :-

I plan to get a bike for solely two reasons :-
A) Be able to spend some time with my dad , who rode an RE for 2 decades. Want him to be as comfortable on the bike as I would be both as a ride and as a pillion.

B) Going through what has been a very tough and depressing year for all of us, getting a new car seems foolish, but a bike wouldn't be be a stretch and MIGHT become an avenue to find some happiness.

Requirement : Like I mentioned, just an avenue to have some quality time off and away from the confines of the home. I'm 5 '4 and my dad's 5'7 so that is going to really narrow down options as I understand. Not really working on a budget here but would like to cap it around the 5 Lakh mark. Needless to say I understand that for a very occasional rider like me, spending 5 big ones in such a circumstance would be unwise, thus considering the below options :-

1) HD Street 750 :-

Pros :- I'm a sucker for brands with legacy. Sit's pretty low so I',m assuming would be comfortable for me to ride. That big ass 750cc engine must be really enthralling to drive.
Cons:-Super expensive. Don't like the fact that the lights are still typical of a decade old vehicle and no digital displays.

2) Jawa Perak
Pros:- LOVE the look. Not too expensive. Seems to be better than the RE in most aspects.
Cons:- Jawa seems like a sinking ship, so not sure about the ASS. No Pillion seat, thus will have to the after market route. Dad isn't too thrilled about the JAwa, says it hasn't been the best of machines even during it's youth.

3) RE 350/500
Pros:- Nostalgia for dad. I'm sure he will have a huge ass grin no matter what. I like the fact that a lot of it can be custom made from the factory. Very reliable ASS.
Cons: - Read too many boring reviews of the RE. Fairly confident I won't be comfortable riding it considering my short frame. Apart from the retro feel, it really just too common a sight now.

Looking forward to your valuable feedback guys
TIA

[imp!]

I wouldn't do a Harley, but then again, I don't like them so read into that what you will.

The Jawa is a great bike, but with your budget you could do better.

What I'd do is buy a pre owned Bonneville or a new Interceptor 650

[bigron]

Leave the HD. It has nothing going for it. I prefer calling it Hardly Abelson.

Jawa is a pretty face and just that. It is just not a quality product to keep and ride in the long run.

The only RE I would recommend are the 650 twins. I hate the brand and their products but RE hit it outside the park with these two. A used one is all the bike you would ever need and they both are pure joy to ride both on twisties as well as on the open roads.

Like someone else also suggested, a used Bonneville of course is going to bring the biggest smiles. Plus, few can do cool as a Bonneville.

[JithinR]

I would really advise to get RE650 added to the poll. I wouldn't touch Jawa with a barge pole. For a purchase that is meant to be a stress buster you really want something reliable backed by decent ASS.

My opinion, go for the RE650 (If you want a decently powerful retro bike in India ...this is it right now). I am 5'7 and I didn't have any issues handling the bike. I don't exactly know how much of a difference it would make for you but you definitely need to test ride it.

Besides, if you get bored and try to sell off either the HD 750 (not an aspirational model in HD's lineup) or the Jawa (Classic Motors has not really built up a decent reputation yet) you won't get a decent price. With the RE650, this is not a concern.

[camitesh]

Within the options, I'd advise to go for RE (check out interceptor duo as well) for all the pros you mentioned in your post.

Avoid HD for two reasons, costliest of the lot and possibly questionable future outlook in India (see the relevant thread)

Jawa is a beauty but again not as tried and tested as REs and the quality concerns are quite prominent as compared to other options. Also, the missing pillion seat should be a deal breaker for one of the two main reasons you want to get the bike "Be able to spend some time with my dad"

Why limit to only these 3 options though. There are tons of wonderful options out there for all budgets and few of them that I can suggest are Dominar twins, Himalayan, Avenger or even used Vulcan 650 if you are looking for options in cruiser/tourer segment.

Whatever you decide based on advice here or elsewhere, do test ride all your options thoroughly before you take the leap. Good luck

[ast.ggn]

I would suggest a bit of variation, look for a pre-owned Street Rod instead of Street. It solves most problems which Street has (except engine heat). I have seen quite a few very low run bikes on sale recently in Delhi which may land well under your budget. The bike gives you a premium feel which both RE and Jawa won't and that torque of 750 blows everything else away. You won't feel the need to upgrade for a long time. Get a test ride and see if it fits your requirement.

Edit: Pre-owned Bonnie is also a great choice as suggested above.

[shivshanker]

Hello @Karan_n8, I have been riding since 1985 have grown over the years with different Two wheelers.

When I was in College circa 1985, I had a CD100 for my daily use. Those were the times that RE was not so popular. But one student from Bhopal had brought his bike down south to where we were studying. I had the opportunity to use it for a day as he wanted to borrow my CD 100 for a longish trip. RE used to give around 22Kms to a lt. of petrol those days.

That one day of riding a RE 350 has stuck with me for a life time. Fast forward to 2005, got married, returned from a foreign assignment of 10 years and I wanted to buy a Bike.

Did not think twice, went to a RE Showroom and swiped my card for a 500 CC, not regretting the decision since then.

Fast forward to 2018, again was on a short term assignment, the Bookings for INT 650 opened up and put my money down for it without a Test Drive and took delivery of the Bike in Early 2019.

The INT 650 is a fantastic bike no doubt, but for a person who is used to the riding dynamics of the legendary RE, the INT 650 is different.

The reason I shared with you the above story is to put my two cents, that once a person who has had a RE for 2 decades might compare everything to the old experience.

Since your key usage is only weekend usage or recreational riding, suggestion keep the Money exposure minimal, especially when nobody knows how the COVID situation will unfold.

[anjan_c2007]

Brand RE rocks ! The Perak was a non starter (though too early to conclude) and the HD 750 is a dream gone sour due to brand HD's own gremlins and it's self invented and created repulsions that are repelling it's fans from the particular make and model.

The result is brand RE stays firm-footed in India and rocks, Brand Jawa could be approaching and negotiating with coffin makers (please check their monthly sales that are abysmally low to sustain) and brand HD has retreated to Singapore !

Brand Jawa sales :-

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ot-pretty.html

[neil.jericho]

Karan_n8, good decision to go with a 2 wheeler to spend some quality time with your dad in these prevailing conditions. First things first, the Perak is a single seater and any jugaad done to make it a double seater will be illegal and even worse, unsafe. Please dont consider it for your usage conditions. Look at the Jawa 42 if you must, but again, it isnt high on everyones recommended list here on the forum.

The Street 750 is a nice bike but it will likely be an overkill for your usage and will be pushing your budget unnecessarily if you buy a new one. There are a ton of these bikes in the preowned market and enlist the help of a friend if you go down that route. You can save yourself a lot of money if you do so.

But that leaves you with the Royal Enfield from your listed options. The 500 is no longer on sale. The 350 is and it suits your requirement very well. Your Dad will enjoy it a lot given his riding background.

That said, the Interceptor 650 and the Himalayan are superior offerings from RE though not in the same mold as the Bullet / Classic 350. The Himalayan might offer the most seating comfort though I am not so sure about the height aspect for you and your dad. The Interceptor (and GT) 650 is the best RE motorcycle manufactured today, do give it a strong consideration and keep aside Rs 2-3K to get the seat reupholstered and made more comfortable.

I dont want to muddy the waters by making suggestions outside your 3 listed brands but as TBHPian camitesh mentioned, there are a lot of other options as well.

[VellVector]

Originally Posted by Karan_n8

Requirement : Like I mentioned, just an avenue to have some quality time off and away from the confines of the home.

I would go for the Street 750, it's actually a pretty good bike with its limitations. But definitely a capable machine. It will also be more fun that a RE350.

Despite all the talk of Harley shutting down in India, at the max it will be the local production of bikes that stops. HDs sales and service network isn't going anywhere so you should have long term support for the bike.

Also, look at the pre-owned route, there are a reasonable number of streets selling at a good price.

[Karan_n8]

Thank you so much for your suggestions gentlemen, just re-enforces my belief in this community made up of level headed enthusiasts.

After deliberating on the responses I'm thinking the following :-

1) Jawa is out, primarily because of what @neil.jercho pointed out. Last thing I want is to drive an unstable machine that too with my very limited riding skills.

2) The Interceptor I never considered only and only cause it really does not appeal to me, and if and when my father enters the RE showroom, I know he will be fixated on the classics. Also I'm slightly skeptical towards the 650 cc mated to a 4 stroke.

3) Out of the new options, the Vulcan sure looks impressive to me! But like a lot of people pointed out , it really would be an indulgence, something my logical self tells me I shouldn't. Also hardly and pre owned options with a fair pre-owned price point. OTR cost is around 6 Lakhs and the pre owned one are asking for 5 ?

4) HD still remains a possibility, if I can get something pre worshiped around the 3.5 mark.

Originally Posted by shivshanker

The INT 650 is a fantastic bike no doubt, but for a person who is used to the riding dynamics of the legendary RE, the INT 650 is different.

Since your key usage is only weekend usage or recreational riding, suggestion keep the Money exposure minimal, especially when nobody knows how the COVID situation will unfold.

Thank you for this simple short story sir. These two lines have seem to hit the right in my mind and I am pretty sure the RE Classic will definitely be one of the top 2 options. Just contemplating on the other one now

[Axe77]

Ditch the HD. Its awful.

Ditch the Perak. Jawa is known to have some quality issues. Also, while the Perak looks gorgeous, I can't stand the thought of it being modified to have a pillion seat. Kinda defeats the purpose.

The 350 REs still have quality niggles I feel and the engine simply isn't 2020. If I want to ride something like that I would rather buy a 1980s built Royal Enfield. Not a Royal Enfield built in 2020, priced in 2020, but made as if it was made in 1980 (ok tad exaggeration but you get the drift)

I would say hands down go for Interceptor.

Its got the RE heritage factor without the RE legacy quality issues. The engine is outstandingly competent. It is a genuinely modern product. It looks vintage, rides modern, great build, awesome price and well within your budget. Also has enough grunt for longer touring with a pillion.

Originally Posted by Karan_n8

2) The Interceptor I never considered only and only cause it really does not appeal to me, and if and when my father enters the RE showroom, I know he will be fixated on the classics. Also I'm slightly skeptical towards the 650 cc mated to a 4 stroke.

In terms of riding position, looks etc, the Interceptor is like a raw diamond waiting to be polished the way you want. With a hint of a few changes here and there it can be transformed to suit both the ergonomics as well as the (classic) looks you want. It still epitomizes a classic vintage look even in stock form I feel. Do ride it along with all the other options and that may make you change your mind.

[neil.jericho]

Karan, good to see your update on your thought process evolving through the decision making journey. Im adding a few thoughts below.

Originally Posted by Karan_n8

Thank you so much for your suggestions gentlemen, just re-enforces my belief in this community made up of level headed enthusiasts.

After deliberating on the responses I'm thinking the following :-

1) Jawa is out, primarily because of what @neil.jercho pointed out. Last thing I want is to drive an unstable machine that too with my very limited riding skills.

Smart decision! No jugaad can provide you with peace of mind in this situation.

Originally Posted by Karan_n8

2) The Interceptor I never considered only and only cause it really does not appeal to me, and if and when my father enters the RE showroom, I know he will be fixated on the classics. Also I'm slightly skeptical towards the 650 cc mated to a 4 stroke.

Dont worry about the engine, Royal Enfield has done a great job with this unstressed but lovely 650cc engine. The engine is not high strung and doesnt beg to be revved to the limit which makes it very user friendly. On such a diverse forum like Team BHP, if you have a lot of members recommending (and owning, I might add!) the Interceptor 650, there definitely must be something to it, right? All we are saying is, keep an open mind to it and have your dad test ride it as well. You and your dad might come out of the experience very surprised You might still end up with the Classic or Bullet 350 but do decide once you test ride the Interceptor as well.

Originally Posted by Karan_n8

3) Out of the new options, the Vulcan sure looks impressive to me! But like a lot of people pointed out , it really would be an indulgence, something my logical self tells me I shouldn't. Also hardly and pre owned options with a fair pre-owned price point. OTR cost is around 6 Lakhs and the pre owned one are asking for 5 ?

Rs 4 to 4.5L seems more appropriate for a preowned one, if you are lucky you might get one for even lower. The bike sold very poorly so there isnt really much supply, which is fine because there really isnt much demand in the market either

Originally Posted by Karan_n8

4) HD still remains a possibility, if I can get something pre worshiped around the 3.5 mark.

That seems like fair pricing, you might get earlier ones for between Rs 3 to 3.5L.

One more thing to keep in mind, is that as you go towards offerings from the international manufacturers, like the Kawasaki Vulcan and the Harley Davidson Street 750 is that the service costs are much higher than that of say the Royal Enfield Bullet 350 or the Interceptor 650.

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by Karan_n8

Requirement : Like I mentioned, just an avenue to have some quality time off and away from the confines of the home. I'm 5 '4 and my dad's 5'7 so that is going to really narrow down options as I understand. Not really working on a budget here but would like to cap it around the 5 Lakh mark. Needless to say I understand that for a very occasional rider like me, spending 5 big ones in such a circumstance would be unwise, thus considering the below options :-

HD 750 - Exclusive & most premium in your list. Also the largest capacity and power figures. If you really aspire to own the brand, go ahead. Otherwise, it may not be the wisest choice. Reliability has always been an issue and service is expensive.

Jawa Perak - Jawa hasn't really taken off in India & I don't expect any miracles with the Perak either. Best to stay away. Pillion seat is also a practical issue.

RE 350/500 - The 500s are not available anymore. The 350 will suffice for the nostalgia aspect, but is still quite poor in quality and features. This may be the best choice from your list though.

RE Interceptor 650 - As you have seen already, the most recommended motorcycle in the segment. You need to ride it to really experience that butter smooth, torquey 650! RE has also taken quality control issues seriously with their flagship models. Do check it out before putting your money down on the 350. If possible, rent it over a weekend and ride around with your dad!

RE Himalayan - A very capable all rounder, often underestimated as it is positioned as an off roader. However, it is quite a tall motorcycle - if you're on the shorter side, it might prove tricky. Do check it out when you go to look at the 650s.

Benelli Imperiale 400 - Wild card entry to the list, as you seem to prefer the classic/retro styling. Very capable motorcycle, way better than the 350s. However, Benelli as a company might not be everyone's cup of tea. If you have good A$S in your city, it's definitely worth a look.

[imp!]

Originally Posted by Karan_n8

2) The Interceptor I never considered only and only cause it really does not appeal to me, and if and when my father enters the RE showroom, I know he will be fixated on the classics. Also I'm slightly skeptical towards the 650 cc mated to a 4 stroke.

3) Out of the new options, the Vulcan sure looks impressive to me! But like a lot of people pointed out , it really would be an indulgence, something my logical self tells me I shouldn't. Also hardly and pre owned options with a fair pre-owned price point. OTR cost is around 6 Lakhs and the pre owned one are asking for 5 ?

4) HD still remains a possibility, if I can get something pre worshiped around the 3.5 mark.

Good to hear the Jawa is out of question, you are definitely considering some better options now.

Interceptor 650:
I don't see anything wrong with a 650 Twin 4 stroke, the bike and engine seem to be performing just fine.

Vulcan:

If you like the bike and can afford 6 lakhs, just do it. It may be an indulgence, but go with the heart on a fun weekend bike

HD:

I definitely urge you to consider a pre owned Triumph Classic in the 5-6 Lakh range, I am sure you can find a good Bonneville with low running. Afterall, most people who buy these use them exclusively for breakfast rides on weekends. You will get a far more refined and well built bike than a Harley. Indeed, Id recommend a new one as well if you are able and willing to upsell your budget significantly ( Speed Twin FTW!)


Finally you can consider commuters and tourers, essentially bikes used as tools from a logical perspective. However, since this use case is an indulgence, I would urge you to test a few different bikes and buy with the heart.