Coming from a lighter city commute bike, handling and turning felt slightly worse.

BHPian EM-pathetic recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I want to replace my Pulsar 150 which is in great condition simply because it's old and I desire a new bike with better tech. My commute will be wholly in the city. It's been a considerable amount of time since I last purchased a bike, and now I'm looking to buy a high-quality one without significant budget limitations.

Started with checking out Dominar and various Pulsars. Dominar is very good but I felt it is heavy for city use. Pulsars - I felt are not a major upgrade.

Test rode the CB350RS and the Highness. Both felt good. I felt handling on the Highness is better, but wanted more color options.

I've been following this thread from the start, and given the consistently positive reviews, I was eager for the Speed 400. Before the Triumph showroom opened in JP Nagar, Bengaluru, I visited this. There were some Triumph representatives who mentioned that this is the same Keerthi dealer from Residency Road. You can book online for "Keerthi-Residency Road" and take the delivery here. So I went ahead and booked this on Sep 6th. They mentioned that bike will take about 2 months for allotment. After that, I headed to the showroom for a test ride once it opened, but there was a queue, so I decided to return later when the crowd subsides. Spent my time reading this thread everyday

Few days back, another dealership Khivraj called me up and mentioned that I will get the bike within 7-10 days if I transfer the booking to them and make payment. Also mentioned that I will be eligible for the 10k initial discount. This prompted me to visit Keerthi, JP Nagar. They mentioned that the booking queue is now irrelevant and the bike will be allotted to whoever makes full payment. If full payment of INR 3,05,870 is made (all inclusive), they will then get the bike from Pune. Red-model will take 20 days, Black/Blue will take 40 days. Keerthi, Residency Road called me up with similar information. It appears that the purchasing process for Triumph has undergone a significant change. Now, there's no relevance for the online booking queue; you simply pay in full and get the bike. While I'm not particularly fond of this approach, I figured it's acceptable as long as the bike lives up to its reputation. I went ahead and took the test ride.

Test-ride:

I had great expectations after reading through this thread and going through various videos. The test-bike started when the ignition button was pressed and promptly stopped. I pressed this again and now the engine was up. This happened two more times during the test-ride with alternate engine starts failing.

Gear shifts were smooth. I went in residential roads and handling was just about OK. Coming from a lighter city commute bike, handling and turning felt slightly worse. You can ride it slow in 3rd or 4th gear, which is good. Took many U-turns and the engine shut off in the 1st gear. This happened two more times later with the engine sputter-stop in the 1st gear with near full clutch. I hit false neutrals 2-3 times during the test-ride. Maximum I could touch was 80 kph since I was within city traffic. Overall acceleration is very good.

Conclusions:

The test-ride was extensive and I rode for more than 20 mins but was a bit under-whelmed. Was happy with the Triumph staff at Keerthi, JP Nagar for their prompt service. Considering the new payment method and test-ride vibes, I'd like to hold off for now, let-go the 10k discount/FOMO feeling. I have pre-booked the Scrambler using another mobile number. So I will wait for that and other releases on the Indian motor-bike scene and take a decision later.

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Should I consider the Meteor 350 or the new Classic 350.

BHPian puntra800 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am a 33-year-old currently riding a modest Bajaj Pulsar 150 for more than 12 years now. Currently, I am in a dilemma, I have always wanted a Royal Enfield from my college days but considering my physique (I am 5' 6" but still I don't feel out of place on a Pulsar) I always shied away from even going to the showroom to check them out and over years other priorities took over and the desire was parked somewhere in the dark corner of my grey matter.

Now since my bike is reaching the 15-year mark I wanted to change it and the dormant devil woke up again now with double the vengeance (fuelled by my better half, she is also a big RE fan). My brain on the other hand started working exactly in the opposite direction of my heart just telling me to think logically.

1. My riding pattern, I prefer 2 wheels over 4 wheels for short drives but when it comes to long drives I refrain from touching 2 wheelers just for safety reasons (Even if I drive safely I do not trust others on the highways) so in other words its mostly going to be a city use vehicle with occasional long drives.
2. The little boss, I have a little one now and if I take her on a 2-wheeler even for 10 km, I am pretty sure I am going to get a sound lecture from both parents and the parents-in-law.
3. The uncle feels, as I am growing old my role as luggage bearer and transporter is becoming more. A scooter makes more sense in this case. Easy storage easy moving around for groceries and veggies.
4. The demon called traffic, since the usage is majorly in the city and I stay pretty close to the metro line I doubt I will be taking it for a longer distance within the city as well, courtesy namma Bengaluru city traffic.

All the above points seem logical but then again there is this famous dialogue in Tamil "Inga enna solludhu" (In a literal sense, what is the heart saying) and the heart says "RE, RE, RE".

Requesting BHPians for their suggestions as people say different perspectives matter.

Also, If I go for a RE would it make more sense to go for a Meteor or the Classic? If I sway away from RE which would make an ideal replacement for my humble Pulsar.

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:

Follow your heart. You only live once. Watch that old Hindi movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and take inspiration.

You’re only 33, you have a long enjoyable life ahead of you God Willing. You deserve to chase your own happiness and if RE makes you happy and you can afford it why ever not? Go for it!

Here's what BHPian ranjitnair77 had to say on the matter:

Given your usage pattern, it's likely that your RE will gather dust in your parking. It's just not meant for short, congested commutes. And here's the thing with most material possessions: Once you have it, it starts to steadily lose value. The thrill is almost always in the chase, not in ownership.

But then again, your heart has been beating for an RE for many years. It might just awaken the rider in you, given the active RE rider ecosystem. In case you find yourself not using it, you will have no issues in selling it off with minimal financial impact. You should just go get yourself a Classic 350.

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

I bought my first RE (BS4 C350) when I was 35yrs old. Same as you, always dreamt of one but at 5’6” and 63kgs was a bit intimidated by it. I too owned a Pulsar 150 for 10 years but was hardly using it. Once I got the RE, I started on the beautiful journey of motorcycling. And it’s not just about riding. It’s about the holistic experience. Knowing the bike, ‘feeling’ it, personalising it, growing more comfortable with it. And then you start the real riding - increasing the distance slowly, finding and settling into a rhythm where you and the bike become one. That’s the real joy! If the heart wants it, the heart will show you the way to use the bike more often.

I am on my second RE now - the Interceptor650. My 8yr old daughter and I go for 10-15 km rides on the Inty - a ritual that’s slowly but surely becoming ‘our thing’. These are usually weekly errand rides with breakfast or light snacks thrown in. She talks about growing up fast so that she can get her own RE and do father-daughter longer rides!

You want a RE because you have always desired it and can now finally afford to indulge in it. Get it and let it become a part of you. The minor details will take care of themselves.

From a practicality PoV the Hunter is the best suited, from a ‘feels’ PoV, the Classic is unmatched. TD all and take a call on which. But get one and you’ll never look back!

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