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Big bike for Rs 12 lakh or RE Interceptor 650: Which to buy

I live in Dubai and come to India only for a month every year.

BHPian DrvSafe recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi All, I'm in a big confusion regarding a motorcycle purchase. I'm an NRI living in Dubai and come back home to Kerala maybe 1 month every year. Now, I wanted to purchase a motorcycle and can put aside Rs 12 lakhs for the same.

But as soon as I think of this, my head says why put that much money when I use it only once per year, why not just buy a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650.

Heart says, anyways will be having only a month at home for at least some years to come, by the time I come home permanently from Dubai, not sure what my conditions will be, so go and buy the bike you like.

I'm sure so many members might have faced the same dilemma.

What's your take on this? What would you have done in this situation?

Here's what BHPian AtheK had to say on the matter:

If you are home just a month, you obviously can not ride it every day. Let's say somehow you are still able to ride it for 24 days (80% of the days), it's not worth it until someone else in the family will also be riding it.

Bike not being used for months together will develop niggles, you will need to keep both the tires on paddock always or you will have problems, plus the forks might leak. The battery needs to be kept disconnected and then charged again. This also means when you come back every year you will need to spend considerable time getting it serviced and making it roadworthy.

Look at the option of maybe renting a bike when you are in India for a couple of weeks, rather than doing injustice to a machine. If I was in your shoes I would not have bought a bike for just three weeks.

Here's what BHPian am1m had to say on the matter:

Seriously man, as someone who has 2 bikes just sitting at home and falling apart, I'd say don't buy anything! (And those are not even expensive bikes, and I used them well before I stopped using them.) Bikes degrade when they are not being used unless you take great care to store them properly and even then, they can't be for years together. So definitely don't waste money on something you are going to use for just a month in a year. Not to mention all the time, effort (and additional money) you will spend to get the bike running again each time you return. If you're home for a month in a year, why spend it with a mechanic at a garage instead of with family and friends?!

A friend in a similar situation (merchant navy, used to return home for a month or two a year) went and bought a Harley. Finally, his old parents had to take the trouble to sell it off for him. At a considerable loss. Same with another friend who got busy with his business and didn't have time to ride, had to sell.

Rent some awesome bikes in Dubai and enjoy them there, they have the roads!

Here's what BHPian neil.jericho had to say on the matter:

DrvSafe, with that budget, I would do the really simple thing and just buy myself a tasty motorcycle in Dubai. That way I can enjoy riding for 11 months of the year and would only have to worry about the 1 month when I return to India.

But if you are really keen on buying yourself a nice motorcycle to use in Kerala when you come down, get yourself a motorcycle that will keep you happy. I do know of a firm that provides a babysitting service of sorts for superbikes. It caters to people in the same situation. If you are interested in knowing more about it, drop me a PM and I'll send you their contact details.

However, do keep in mind practical things like the road conditions in Kerala, traffic density, family commitments, limited time availability etc and think about whether you really would enjoy riding your motorcycle for 1 month of the year here or 11 months of the year in Dubai. I hear that the riding community in Dubai is pretty active. To me, it's a no brainer. Pick up your motorcycle of choice in Dubai and have fun!

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:

I can't speak about bikes but I know a few NRI friends who are very particular about making their India trip worthwhile, something to look forward to, etc. They hate the hassle of renting a car and they feel quality of life is much better if they have their own car and total freedom to travel. Most of them are close friends and I am a caretaker for one such car and it works out really well as I also know their days of renting before buying their own car.

My suggestion is to buy a mid-range bike (can be 2nd hand also) that is exciting enough for you to look forward to riding in India. Nothing too expensive that you constantly worry about it and yet not something so basic that you have no emotions for it.

To be honest, as long as the bike is parked/stored in a safe place (I mean really safe) and has a smart battery charger, you will do just fine. There are many people with exotic bikes and cars that rarely see the road - just by having a proper parking/storage facility. If anything, limited and occasional use makes a strong case for an exotic bike whereas regular use warrants a more pragmatic bike. The logic that one must not buy something expensive unless it gets used regularly (paisa vasool) has very limited application in life.

It would be a bonus if you have a trustworthy friend or family member to ride it (or just fire up the engine) occasionally and just look after it for you. In the worst case, you can request the authorised service centre to send a technician home to just keep the bike in good shape.

If it looks like fair weather, why not follow your heart.

Here's what BHPian krishnaprasadgg had to say on the matter:

100% go with the Interceptor. Even though you will be here for 1 month every year, most of that time you are going to be busy with much more important stuff. Riding a bike to enjoy it thoroughly is not going to happen for maybe a day or two, you will also have to spend some of those days maintaining the bike as well. Moreover, these bikes tend to develop snags when not used regularly, fuel goes bad, plastic and rubber seals start to crack and tyres develop flat spots or go flat. If you are ready to spend a lot of money or assign someone to take care of these things, don't spend that kind of money just for the sake of a few days.

And moreover, handling high powered bikes for a few days every year isn't exactly the best way to be safe on these bikes, do note this is in no way questioning anybody's skill, it's just the hard cold fact, me even with having superbikes accessible 365 days a year, when I get on my R1 after a gap of 2-3 weeks I feel a bit rusty and need to spend a few km before I feel comfortable again on the bike.

Hope this helps

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