[Hamza123]

Hi all
Hope you doing well.
The last time I was on this thread I had sold off my Ninja 650 at a great price and had started hunting for the next big motorcycle both in terms of size as well as engine capacity. I was sure I wanted a road touring motorcycle with little or no off roading capability.
Unfortunately 2 weeks after I sold my n650 a lot of things changed in my professional life which has made me rethink the need to spend on a motorcycle ( I was to pay the entire amount and not finance it ) I will be buying the big bike for sure. Just don't know when. As per my estimate it should be 12 to 18 months .
my other daily runner is a thunderbird 500 which is working perfectly fine.

Now what I need help is in deciding what to do for the next 18 months

1.Should I pick up another used N650? Plenty around and some at great price with low mileage. Use it till the big bike comes and then make it a daily runner in place of the Enfield.

2. Continue using the Enfield as a daily runner plus weekend rides. I tried a couple of rides but they were not as enjoyable as the ninja . Of course there is no comparison but it did feel a bit of a downgrade.

3 . Wait it out for 6 months and review the situation once more and get the versys as planned

4. A far fetched option but thought of it none the less. Sell the thunderbird and get an interceptor which would be a bit more fun and then continue using it as a daily runner once the big bike comes.

Ps some of the n650 are cheaper than a new interceptor.

[RiderZone]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

Now what I need help is in deciding what to do for the next 18 months

My suggestion would be to get a used Interceptor. It's fun, cheap to buy, cheap to live with, plus good time pass to customize and wrench on if you're so inclined. They hold their resale value well too, if you decide to get rid of it later.

[GTO]

Moving your query out to a new thread, Hamza123

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

Now what I need help is in deciding what to do for the next 18 months

1.Should I pick up another used N650? Plenty around and some at great price with low mileage. Use it till the big bike comes and then make it a daily runner in place of the Enfield.

2. Continue using the Enfield as a daily runner plus weekend rides. I tried a couple of rides but they were not as enjoyable as the ninja . Of course there is no comparison but it did feel a bit of a downgrade.

3 . Wait it out for 6 months and review the situation once more and get the versys as planned

4. A far fetched option but thought of it none the less. Sell the thunderbird and get an interceptor which would be a bit more fun and then continue using it as a daily runner once the big bike comes.

Hamza123, given that the generation of Ninja 650 that you owned didnt come with ABS, I would suggest that you stay away from it as your next option. Like Riderzone, I too would suggest an option 5 of buying a low run pre-owned Interceptor 650. Prices are usually in the range of Rs 2.2 L to Rs 2.5 L though you can find some at below the Rs 2 L mark if your stars are aligned. Keep your Thunderbird for now.

Use both bikes for 6 months and see how things are. Will you feel compelled to sell one of them at that time? Possibly not, since the two bikes do different things very well in their own right. The Interceptor 650 is a deceptively capable bike that can be a great intermediate bike for someone in your situation. Possibly on my gentle persuasion, a good friend and fellow TBHPian picked up a pre-owned Interceptor 650 as a stop gap measure and he loves it.

Enjoy your riding until your finances work out in your favour and you can buy your next big motorcycle. At that time, you can sell either the Thunderbird or the Interceptor and you will still have a sweet 2 motorcycle garage.

[AtheK]

I agree with neil, even I will suggest to go for an Interceptor, they age well if you take care of them. Electricals on this bike though are a complete mess, and the peace of mind that you had with Ninja will nowhere to be found. Mechanically the bike is very sound, engine and gear combo is butter smooth and you would be hard pressed to think that you are riding a Royal Enfield.

That said you already own RE, so you already know the issues they bring about, if you are ready to live with it all over again, Interceptor definitely is one of the best bike to get at that price.

[shancz]

I would say this :
If there is a class of motorcycles or a motorcycle which you wanted to ride but didn't want to commit to a purchase or were concerned about maintenance, now is the time to get that.

For me that would be the Speed Triple 675 with an Arrow, if that day would ever come.
Or the Interceptor as well

[Hamza123]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Hamza123, given that the generation of Ninja 650 that you owned didnt come with ABS, I would suggest that you stay away from it as your next option. Like Riderzone, I too would suggest an option 5 of buying a low run pre-owned Interceptor 650. Prices are usually in the range of Rs 2.2 L to Rs 2.5 L though you can find some at below the Rs 2 L mark if your stars are aligned. Keep your Thunderbird for now.

Use both bikes for 6 months and see how things are. Will you feel compelled to sell one of them at that time? Possibly not, since the two bikes do different things very well in their own right. The Interceptor 650 is a deceptively capable bike that can be a great intermediate bike for someone in your situation. Possibly on my gentle persuasion, a good friend and fellow TBHPian picked up a pre-owned Interceptor 650 as a stop gap measure and he loves it.

Enjoy your riding until your finances work out in your favour and you can buy your next big motorcycle. At that time, you can sell either the Thunderbird or the Interceptor and you will still have a sweet 2 motorcycle garage.

Originally Posted by AtheK

I agree with neil, even I will suggest to go for an Interceptor, they age well if you take care of them. Electricals on this bike though are a complete mess, and the peace of mind that you had with Ninja will nowhere to be found. Mechanically the bike is very sound, engine and gear combo is butter smooth and you would be hard pressed to think that you are riding a Royal Enfield.

That said you already own RE, so you already know the issues they bring about, if you are ready to live with it all over again, Interceptor definitely is one of the best bike to get at that price.

Originally Posted by shancz

I would say this :
If there is a class of motorcycles or a motorcycle which you wanted to ride but didn't want to commit to a purchase or were concerned about maintenance, now is the time to get that.

For me that would be the Speed Triple 675 with an Arrow, if that day would ever come.
Or the Interceptor as well

So the interceptor does seem to be a popular choice. But somehow after using the Ninja 650 the interceptor does seem to be a bit of a downgrade. Honestly I don't "need" a second bike but want one. Third actually my old avenger is happily enjoying retirement in my garage

I had a choice to even buy the interceptor when I got the thunderbird. It does not feel like a true big bike in all sense plus my wife refused to sit on it after 1 km. Somehow the Ninja even though old and pre owned, felt "special" and still managed to turn heads after a good wash and polish. The Interceptor purchase would be, well a sort of half hearted.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

The Interceptor purchase would be, well a sort of half hearted.

Hamza, I would suggest you wait it out for 6 months, even more if required, but buy the Versys as per your plan. Don’t make any half hearted purchase which you may regret a bit later and lose money when you sell it again since you didn’t hundred percent like it or want it in the first place.

Here’s wishing your six month wait to finish soonest.

Cheers

[Hamza123]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Hamza, I would suggest you wait it out for 6 months, even more if required, but buy the Versys as per your plan. Don’t make any half hearted purchase which you may regret a bit later and lose money when you sell it again since you didn’t hundred percent like it or want it in the first place.

Here’s wishing your six month wait to finish soonest.

Cheers

The wait won't be 6 months. It's going to be 18 to 24 months to be honest.

The plan what I have thought of is to get the ninja, use it as a weekend bike, and then when the time is right get the versys. And sell the Enfield at that time and use the 650 as a daily runner instead

[GrandTourer]

How about replace the TB500 with Int650 and wait for 18-24 months to get the Versys.

In the meantime, you can get the PowerTRONIC quickshifter & plug and play ECU to add that little bit more spark to the Int650. Last I checked the ECU was 22k and QS was 13K. You can also get a custom exhaust for it. That way you'll have an exciting ride for the next 18-24 months plus a beater (Avenger). When you do get the Versys, you can retire the Avenger for good, and you'll have your dream bike as well as a spruced up daily rider in the Int650.

[Hamza123]

I have bought the thunderbird new and would be a big drop in value to the price of the interceptor.
The biggest point working against the interceptor, which I had a choice to buy even when I got the Thunderbird was pillion comfort. I have a pillion with me about 70 percent of the time, and the interceptor lacs that big time. And to be honest I love my thunderbird. Plus I do a lot of intercity travel sometimes as much as 80kms a day, so the thunderbird is far more comfortable than the interceptor.

[bf1983]

Maybe pick up a 2017+ era Ninja 650 used. It's not pillion friendly like your old Ninja was but its lighter and more agile and has far better brakes. People keep pushing the Interceptor but honestly while its a great VFM choice even I had tried the Interceptor and it just felt boring. The build quality and fit and finish didn't seem good at all.

[Balaji31582]

You have sold your N650 but not got rid of it from your mind. I see you wanted to have similar experience if not less than that. My suggestion would be is to get something like Xaos636, an used cbr650f if not the N650 again given that you might get similar experience if not the same.

Sorry I am going to suggest another idea, which is a very bad one
If the owner to whom you sold is an acquaintance of you, consider checking with him/her if they are willing to give your N650 back for same price. If that happens I think you might feel contended for next 18 months for sure.

[pavanmadhini]

Why not consider a used Ninja 1000 rather than the new Versys? Some fine examples are available for a good 4-5L less than a new Versys.
Sell both Thunderbird and the Avenger and the stretch might not seem like so much anymore.
The Ninja 1000 is perfectly usable as a commuter as well unless your daily route is full of traffic and bad roads.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

Somehow the Ninja even though old and pre owned, felt "special" and still managed to turn heads after a good wash and polish.

Then I suggest to wait and do try out the Ninja 1000 along with the Z900.
Good sports tourer, very tractable, relatively comfortable for the pillion and that butter smooth 4cyliner howl. I preferred its seamless engine response over the Duke 390's in city traffic despite the weight.

A friend was in a similar bind and decent pillion comfort was his requirement, Versys was too high for his height to use in the city. He's quite happy with his N1000. Primarily used as a daily driver along with a D390. He has done some 600+ kms rides across states and said that the windshield is a very big advantage. On those trips he got an FE of 20-23kmpl, good roads and cruising effortlessly.
The city figures will be low but nothing out of the ordinary for a 1000cc 4 cylinder.