Need a comfortable & beginner-friendly motorcycle under Rs 2.5 lakh

I have shortlisted the TVS Apache RTR 200, Yamaha FZ25, Suzuki Gixxer 250 and Bajaj Pulsar N250.

BHPian ShattereDarknes recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello folks.

A bit of an intro first. I wasn't always into bikes. Actually, I wasn't always into driving as a whole. The only reason I learnt to drive a scooter was that I lost my bus pass and had to get to college. My mom tried to force me to buy a bike in my first year itself, but I thought the bike was just a waste of money. I never got why people buy them. I was the guy that would judge friends for preferring manual over automatic and saw bikes as being extremely impractical.

I drove one poorly maintained Bullet 350 once, just once, and that was enough to change my perspective completely. The feeling of actually being in control of the vehicle, changing gears, using the clutch, all of this made the riding so engaging, I absolutely fell in love with it. Unfortunately, I was yet to get a DL back then.

I'm mainly looking at naked sports bikes, but I'm willing to look at other categories as well. But having travelled all the way around the sun only 21 times, I'm not that big on retro bikes. My dad was never a fan of them either, so I guess it comes from that.

So I learnt how to drive via a friend's FZ25 about a month after driving a bike for the first time. Since I knew the basics well, I learnt it surprisingly quickly. Now I'm in the market for a bike, and honestly, there aren't a lot of bikes in the segment I'm looking at, which made me happy.

But man, the few bikes that are there, make it so confusing because of differing ownership experiences. My kind of driving style is 95% relaxed driving, with 5% fun fast acceleration. And I'll be mostly driving in the city. I don't know when, or if I'll ever have the confidence to make a long outside city travel, but I'd like to buy a bike that can do that if needed. But it's not a big priority though.

• Comfortable
• Easy to drive and forgiving to an extent. Basically beginner friendly
• Easy to maintain. I want a pretty reliable bike
• Has dual channel ABS
• Has a nice smooth engine. The top-end rush is nice, but if the engine has good torque, like the FZ25, then I don't mind it
• Has a usable pillion seat. Doesn't have to be extremely comfortable, just usable for at least city commute occasionally
• Has a decently comfortable suspension for Bangalore roads

I'm willing to compromise on looks, top-end performance for the above. Basically FZ25 > MT15 for me, no offence to the MT15 owners.

So let me list all the bikes I'm considering:

Apache RTR 200

One of the frontrunners. One of the first bikes I test drove as well. Has a very smooth engine, is quite rev happy, has a lot of features, has a gear position indicator, good looks (especially that blue), ride modes, adjustable clutch, suspension, you name it. This machine has it. I had almost finalised this. But there are a few question marks.

• How bad is the pillion seat?
• Being a 200cc, will I outgrow it too soon? Will it cry on the highway?
• How good is TVS reliability?
• Are the features really useful? Are they good enough to tip the decision in this bike's favour?

Yamaha FZ25

With that we come to the 2nd bike, the bike I learnt to drive on, the FZ25. I seem to have a different opinion of this bike than most. When I first drove this, it didn't feel that comfortable. And I could feel mild buzzy vibrations in many places. Perhaps it was just my friend's bike, but when I hopped back onto my Activa, I felt more relaxed because of how smooth it was. I also find the lack of a gear position indicator rather frustrating. Also, the rear brake level is so high, I cannot rest my foot on the lever.

But when I took a test drive of a new FZ, it somehow felt different. It had all the same problems, even the vibrations. But the ergonomics felt more comfortable, and the bike's strong punch in the mid-range was very addictive. I was more experienced with driving when I test drove, and I didn't once look at the console/display. There are a lot of things about this bike to love.

I loved the punchy, torquey engine, the fat rear tire, and the overall looks of the bike, the ergonomics are not amazing but it's comfortable and the pillion seat is generous. The vibrations were not annoying either, and it was somewhat enjoyable. This seemingly fills the gaps left by the Apache.

But there are a few big cons.

• The bike feels quite dated. Instrument cluster is very basic and it doesn't even have a gear position indicator. The BIGGEST factor I'm scared of is if Yamaha releases an updated FZ sometime this year with a better instrument cluster, and I miss out on it, I will regret it a lot.
• I trust Yamaha more than TVS for reliability, but is this particular model that reliable? I've heard about the brake pads wearing out too soon, and the front brake oil leaking. And also a few other issues here and there.
• Is the ground clearance a hindrance? Keep in mind that I live in Bangalore, and there is always one invisible hump around the corner waiting to kill me any time.
• Doesn't feel as refined as the Apache. The Apache felt butter smooth at every rev range
• Doesn't have a slipper clutch

If anyone knows about a new FZ25 coming, please do comment. Between these 2, the FZ has my heart, only for that punchy mid-range, but my mind says go for the Apache for a more up-to-date motorcycle. Honestly, I like both, but I might end up valuing the smoothness of the Apache's engine, the easier travel to the service center (2KM vs 5 KM for the Apache vs FZ respectively), the better instrument console and the ground clearance, the GTT tech, and the slipper clutch. Honestly, I can see myself being happy with either of these, but if a new FZ releases with better features, then I'll regret it.

Pulsar N250

And with that, we come to the Pulsar n25N. I haven't test-driven it yet, as I was told by a Bajaj showroom near me that they're out of stock and I had to go to only 1 main showroom. But talking about the bike itself, it feels like other than the fat rear tyre, it has everything the FZ does, along with a much better instrument cluster, higher ground clearance and a much better top end and also a slipper clutch! It also has a great suspension I've heard. It feels like the almost perfect bikemwith the right compromises for me.

But there are a few concerns:

• Bajaj's reliability - how reliable is this bike going to be? I've heard Bajaj's engines are good only for 1-2 years and they deteriorate quite fast. How true is this?
• That's pretty much it actually.

Bajaj's service center is just as close, if not closer than the TVS. But since I haven't test-driven it yet, can't comment.

Gixxer 250

I haven't test driven this either. But the price of this bike has to be a joke, right? It's about 2.37L on road right now. Back when it was 10k more than the FZ, it was a good deal. But now, with the FZ being 2L on road, other than a good engine, it doesn't have much going for it. It has a hard clutch, not-so-great ergonomics, poor service, vibrations at about 4.5k rpm according to some users and a stiff suspension. Why do people still suggest this bike? Still I'll test drive it once before taking a decision.

Also, I keep talking about suspension, I just want a suspension to feel more comfortable than the Activa I have right now. I don't want to feel a jolt whenever I go over a pothole. From riding the FZ, I can tell you that any suspension around that stiff is totally fine for me.

Well, that was a long post. Looking forward to your opinions

Here's what BHPian ajay0612 had to say about the matter:

Pulsar N250 is the best for you at the moment. Don't worry about reliability, etc. for bikes which sell in good numbers. It is comfortable, has useful features like a slipper clutch, has better power than FZ25, and has good Value for Money.

Here's what BHPian Boringrider had to say about the matter:

Would suggest you wait for Yamaha MT-03 if you are interested as they have recently showcased it and launch seems highly probable although I am not sure if it will be priced in the budget you have set.

I am a bit surprised you are not considering the new RE Classic 350 as it's one of the best in the business for comfort and relaxed driving. Should take decent care of you on the highways also. Suspension is also great, especially those springs under the seat. They do make a noticeable difference.

But if you really want to max out in the comfort and suspension game, why don't you look at ADVs? Beware though, once you get used to one, nothing will ever match that experience ever again.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.