[mikon]

Originally Posted by KaandBaaz

My answers for your questions are above in bold.

Thanks for your response!

1. Bike is total stock.
2. He's upgrading, so he dint transfer it seems. Bike is indian invoice - saw the receipt.


How to check or understand that the bike is running on all cylinders?

[mail4ajo]

Hope this type of query is allowed here. I finally managed to convince my spouse to allow me to buy a motorcycle. I am targeting some time early 2016. Waited for this long to mentally prepare myself as I want to do some different riding compared to what I did in my younger age.

Some quick stats and background:
Bikes owned: RX100, RX135, 69 RE 350, HH Ambition. Ridden extensively: Suzuki Supra, Shogun, Shaolin, RD350 HT. Recent: KTM Duke 390

I am 36 years old senior executive. Height is 5 feet 3" and weigh about 76kgs. I prefer comfort over long distances compared to outright speed/acceleration.

Considering my height/age and also preference of comfortable riding, what are my options? I have budget of about 7L in mind. I am clueless about modern day superbikes as I never went past RD350 in my prime time. I am ready to wait and research to take an informed decision.

Also the purchase must give me a good sense of pride and ownership. I am not a true blood rider and not considering to undertake a Ladakh trip on day one. Not looking to show-off, but definitely looking to achieve self actualization through this purchase.

[KaandBaaz]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Considering my height/age and also preference of comfortable riding, what are my options? I have budget of about 7L in mind.

Keeping in mind the budget, you can look for the Ninja 650 or the ER6N if interested in new bikes. Or if you fine with pre-owned bikes then blindly its the Z800. I would not suggest to go for the sports category as you want comfortable riding position.

[mail4ajo]

Lot of people are recommending I spend serious time on the beginner bikes like the Ninja 300 and slowly upgrade to the mid weights like the 650 and move up. Is that the way riders normally go?

I am willing to spend time to learn and understand the bike before I get twisty. Even ready to go through any professional training courses if we have any in India (my friend in Thailand does). I don't want to get a bike that I will be forced to upgrade in a year or two. I am ready to take it slow.

This may sound amateurish, but I am very serious and like to avoid any mistakes especially with regard to skill and safety.

[Sojogator]

@mail4ajo Mate, looks like you have a good history of powerful motorcycles. I think you should go for the 600s from Benellis or one of the 650s from Kawasaki or, since its 2016 that you are planning for, the 650 from Honda would be around the mark you want, most probably with the electronic aids as well. Or a Z800/Striple, if you can get one for a good price.

There are track days and schools that are arranged every now and then, including the world renowned ones. http://www.superbikeschoolindia.com/

Since safety is one of highest priority, I would ask you to stretch your budget or wait for a while till there is a 600-800 cc with ABS on it. I believe, it's an essential for a nearly 2 quintal machines. Not to mention a scooter budget for gear and accessories.

Personally, makes me happy to see someone choose the right parameters while going for their two wheeled dream

[Turbo_Torq]

I wanted to start a new thread but I think that querying here would suffice.

Please excuse me beforehand if this has been outlined already and therefore might come across as clichéd but I would like to know the procedures and implications involved in importing a used bike into our country. Kindly note that I've used the word bike and not 'superbike'. What paperwork should be present and legalised for it to safely land on our shores? Or inland, for that matter!

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Lot of people are recommending I spend serious time on the beginner bikes like the Ninja 300 and slowly upgrade to the mid weights like the 650 and move up. Is that the way riders normally go?

I am willing to spend time to learn and understand the bike before I get twisty. Even ready to go through any professional training courses if we have any in India (my friend in Thailand does). I don't want to get a bike that I will be forced to upgrade in a year or two. I am ready to take it slow.

This may sound amateurish, but I am very serious and like to avoid any mistakes especially with regard to skill and safety.

Ajo, nice to see a well thought out decision towards your entry into performance motorcycling.

It's a good idea to start with the smaller bikes like the Ninja 300/CBR250 since they are pretty forgiving. This is the norm in the USA at least and these bikes are targeted for first time riders who learn the ropes.

However, in your case, since you are well versed with riding, it would be ideal to go with the Ninja 650 or thereabouts. The Ninja 650 is very linear in power delivery and feels like you're riding a Karizma with a bigger engine and more comfy ergonomics. It's that easy to ride it.

You mentioned a budget of 7L so you can easily get an used 650 for around 4L and save the remaining cash for an upgrade later on. There are quite a few nice examples in the used market. You can tap into the owners groups on facebook for help on finding a good bike. If you do zero in on a 650, buy used instead of brand new if you are OK with used bikes. You'll save quite a large sum which can help in upgrades and mod's.

All the best. Do also account for expenses towards riding gear.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Considering my height/age and also preference of comfortable riding, what are my options? I have budget of about 7L in mind.

Also the purchase must give me a good sense of pride and ownership. I am not a true blood rider and not considering to undertake a Ladakh trip on day one. Not looking to show-off, but definitely looking to achieve self actualization through this purchase.

Hi Ajo,

You have ridden a plethora of bikes and I feel with your mature outlook you should be able to manage a bigger/more powerful bike from the beginning and importantly no need to upgrade/lose money in the foreseeable future.

Even so, I would recommend buying a bike with ABS at the very least. So out go the Kawasaki N650, ER 6N and the Benelli's.

The safest would be a bike which has ABS and traction control. Enter the Ducati Monster 821 which is above your budget currently at an on road price of approximately INR 11,05,000.00 in Bombay. This bike has ABS and traction control with riding modes which you can adjust to your liking and even switch off completely if you wish. Besides, this bike looks absolutely smashing, especially in the Ducati red.

I have not taken a test ride of the Monster 821 as it's not currently available, but, can confirm the riding position is spot on. Very comfortable seat, handlebar and footpeg position. Plus it has the option to lower the seat height if required.

If you can wait some more and extend your budget great, or, pick up a used Kawasaki Z800 which has ABS. The on road Bombay price for a new one is around INR 9 lakhs approximately.

The safety net which ABS and traction control provide can make the difference in staying on the bike or crashing in tricky situations.

Happy choosing mate and do update us regarding your final choice.

Cheers,

Cyborg

[mail4ajo]

Thanks a lot for all who responded. I now have a fair understanding. Still loads of reading to do. Also started making a wish list for riding gear. Looks like we have great choice in India.

From the info, Ninja 650 or ER6 seems to be a good place to start. Surprisingly I see many used on sale too, is a facelift or new gen expected soon? Curious as the CBR 650F also seems to be around the corner. Although a great looking bike and the meaty exhaust note ( is inline 4 the reason??), specs looks too much for me now and expected to be good lakh over the Ninja.

A friend runs a leasing business in Pattaya (PRC pit stop) that does Harley and big bikes. He promised to offer me a feel of the CBR/Ninja when I am there in few months. They do long rides on the Indo-China road and are very passionate folks.

[mail4ajo]

Another query lingering on my mind is, how easy or difficult are these 600cc+ bikes to maintain. Saw some posts about Z800 being heavy on the maintenance costs while Triumphs being easier on the pocket with longer service intervals.

Does Honda provide a good service record in India for big bikes? Know they sell the 1000RR. Will getting good service be an issue in Chennai where the scene does not seem to be that mature like BLR or Pune?

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Lot of people are recommending I spend serious time on the beginner bikes like the Ninja 300 and slowly upgrade to the mid weights like the 650 and move up. Is that the way riders normally go?

This may sound amateurish, but I am very serious and like to avoid any mistakes especially with regard to skill and safety.

Hi Mail4ajo

If you have ridden extensively on 150cc or more you can try the 650 not sport bikes. These will be very pardoning for any mistakes and also will have the power to satisfy your urge for speed. Ninja 650 and Ducati monster 696 are good entry level motorcycles. The Bonne is very good too. Do spend some amount of your budget on good jackets, helmets, gloves and boots.

You will soon outgrow a 250 or a 300 in the current product offerings.

Sit on the bike you want to ride and see if it is comfortable. If your not happy on it, you wont like it in the future.

Maddy

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Lot of people are recommending I spend serious time on the beginner bikes like the Ninja 300 and slowly upgrade to the mid weights like the 650 and move up. Is that the way riders normally go?

Yes, in the west, but they have comparatively higher disposable income.

The ideal trajectory would be like 100cc-150cc -> 200-250cc -> 350-500cc -> 600-750cc -> 750-1000cc -> 1200-1400cc for supersport and standard/naked class of motorcycles, perhaps adventure too.
Most riders abroad do 250cc -> 600cc -> 1000cc or bigger.

Cruisers can take fewer leaps and they have bigger top ends - 1800-2400cc cruisers like Valkyrie and Rocket III.

Do you have that kind of money to buy and sell every year or two to the next upgrade , that means absorbing depreciation loss too? Do we have the kind of second hand options they do ?

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

I am willing to spend time to learn and understand the bike before I get twisty. Even ready to go through any professional training courses if we have any in India (my friend in Thailand does). I don't want to get a bike that I will be forced to upgrade in a year or two. I am ready to take it slow.

So I'd recommend you skip the 300 and take the 600 route. The 300cc power is nice and practical, you can use most of it rather easily, but you also soon crave more. Once you get to 100+ hp, the craving doesn't really stop, but you're in a rarified zone where you're way faster than almost everything else and you still can't safely open the throttle wide for more than a few seconds , at ~100hp , so 150+ isn't going to much advantageous except those brief bursts of acceleration.

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

This may sound amateurish, but I am very serious and like to avoid any mistakes especially with regard to skill and safety.

Good, keep aside 50k for gear!

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Another query lingering on my mind is, how easy or difficult are these 600cc+ bikes to maintain. Saw some posts about Z800 being heavy on the maintenance costs while Triumphs being easier on the pocket with longer service intervals.

Not a whole lot of difference there. With minuscule volumes, you're stuck with authorized dealers for new bikes, with old you have the choice of other 'recommended' SBK mechanic in your town, whose reputation may vary widely depending on who you ask. Trained personnel at authorized dealers aren't all the same level of skill - so person to person skill and temperament varies. The Japanese have shorter service intervals, ~ 5000-7500km is pretty good itself, as long as the bike stays problem free , you only have to visit them once or twice a year. Triumph has 10000km/1 year intervals, I think BMW and Aprilia too.

Each service will set you back by INR 6000-15000, depending on parts changed. 6-7k for regular service with only oil and oil/air filter change. Spark plugs, brake pads, chain+sprockets will depend on running and how well cared they were.
Not a lot between Triumph and the Japanese to sway you, say 10-20%.


If the bike only needs regular service and parts change, mostly it will be quite ok. It's when your bike has a problem, then it takes a good deal of skill and knowledge to diagnose the problem correctly, else they'll put the bike through a series of trial-and-failure cycles hoping that was the problem and their last fix, fixed it.

Overall, it's a hit and miss affair, India's service mindset is poor, and you'll be led around with lot of talk but little concrete action. If your rapport with service techs is good, you may get a lot better treatment and time spend in at least attempting to solve your problems, but you'll have to stay around and push them gently anyway, else your bike could stand in the workshop for days and weeks before anyone actually works on it ( and not just because of parts unavailable, it could be workload also, staff quitting after arguments with management or for greener pastures, just like we do , other events that take staff away for support at the venue etc ).

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Does Honda provide a good service record in India for big bikes? Know they sell the 1000RR. Will getting good service be an issue in Chennai where the scene does not seem to be that mature like BLR or Pune?

None of the brands offer super-satisfactory service on a reliably wide scale. It varies from owner's experiences, dealerships, individual technicians. Luck is a huge factor. If you find a good tech who you can build a rapport with and stay on good terms, well and good. They then will know your bike's history and past issues if any, and will sometimes do small jobs free, etc.
As in any business, personal relationships/rapport can help.

[mail4ajo]

Originally Posted by Harish.Krovvidi

search and you will find bandit / CB1k and FZ1 naked in range of 7.5 to 9 lac Indian invoice

How does premium bikes normally depreciate in India? For example if a bike cost 10L on road today, what can the resale expected in a year or 2?

[katchkamalesh]

My cousin who owns a Hyosung GT650R had left it unused for more than 6 months without draining the fluids and disconnecting the battery. Now my uncle has asked me to bring it back to shape and sell it.

I for sure know that the battery must be dead and it needs replacement. The rating of OE battery is 12v & 12amp. Since I could not find this spec, I contacted the one and only authorized service center of Hyosung in Chennai. The service manager told me that Hyosung has stopped providing the battery and asked me to use RE’s battery which is 12v & 14amp.

Now the problem is that even after replacing the battery the bike is not starting. I able to hear the starter motor whizz. I am not sure what the problem is.

Can any of you throw some light on what needs to be looked into or even suggest some good mechanic?

Replacing fluids is not going to be such a big task and hence I think I can manage it.

P.S I have been following up with the service manager to send one of his technicians to my place or to load the bike into Tata Ace. Nothing seems to work. He says that his technician has fallen sick and it is not possible to pick up the bike.

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by katchkamalesh

Now the problem is that even after replacing the battery the bike is not starting. I able to hear the starter motor whizz. I am not sure what the problem is.

Can any of you throw some light on what needs to be looked into or even suggest some good mechanic?
.

Is the cranking normal or weak? Did the fuel pump prime (you'd hear a long screech when ignition is turned on. If there's no sound, the fuel pump may be faulty. I suggest you drain and filter the fuel before refilling.

Have a look at the fuses too. Before cranking again, remove the spark plugs and hold them close to the chassis/engine block, then crank, to check if ignition/spark is present. Ask a mechanic to do this - don't touch the plug/wire while cranking !

If all this checks out ok, next thing to check is injectors for clogging. Do check the wiring, in case there are any shorted.