The Kawasaki KLX 230 S is expected to rival the Hero XPulse 200 4V.

Kawasaki seems to be working on the KLX 230 S dual-sport bike for the Indian market. It is expected to be locally manufactured alongside the Versys-X 300.

The KLX 230 S is currently sold in several overseas markets. Kawasaki has made a few modifications to the Indian version though. The test bike is equipped with a saree guard and a front number plate, which is required by law. This also means that the bike will be road-legal.

The KLX 230 S is based on a steel perimeter frame suspended by a long travel fork at the front and a mono-shock at the rear. The bike rides on 21-inch and 18-inch wire-spoke wheels at the front and rear, respectively. It offers a ground clearance of 210 mm and the seat height is 830 mm.

The KLX 230 S is powered by a 233cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine. On the non-road-legal version, this unit puts out 19 BHP @ 8,000 rpm and 20.6 Nm @ 6,000 rpm.

Source: @hekpomaht_

The Kawasaki Versys X 300 will compete with the KTM 390 Adventure and BMW G 310 GS, among others.

According to a media report, Kawasaki plans to launch a localized version of the Versys-X 300 by the end of this year.

A prototype of the made-in-India Versys-X 300 was spotted testing in February. At the time, it was not clear as to what Kawasaki was up to. As per the latest report, it was the localized version that was being tested.

The Versys-X 300 will be the third Kawasaki to be manufactured in India, after the Ninja 300 and W175. We can expect a revision in the prices of the Versys-X 300 once it’s launched later this year.

The Versys-X 300 is expected to be powered by a 296cc parallel-twin engine shared with the Ninja 300. In the Ninja, this motor is tuned to produce 39 BHP and 26.1 Nm and is paired with a 6-speed gearbox.

The India-spec bike is likely to feature a conventional telescopic fork at the front and a mono-shock at the rear. The brake setup will consist of disc brakes at both ends supported by dual-channel ABS.

The Kawasaki Versys X 300 will compete with the KTM 390 Adventure and BMW G 310 GS, among others.

Source: Autocar India

A good samaritan on a blue Honda SP125 came out of nowhere and towed me for almost the entirety of the remaining section of the journey.

BHPian TorqueMonster recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The last update was just the beginning of good times with this bike. There were no further updates owing to the fact that it was a reliable daily driver for the most part.

The bike on one of the many rides I have taken it to.

But then, things just go to hell. The first of many issues was that of leaking suspension. The entire suspension set-up had given up. Despite no oil seals or fork damages, the forks have worn out from 34 years of abuse and oil is leaking from the shocker rod. While the bike is still temporarily usable, the oil literally gets run out within 200km, making it a 400 Rs expense every week.

Now, it is unfortunate that in the part of Rural TN in which I am, no mechanic would want to touch this bike with a barge pole owing to the lack of spares and the complexity of fixing it.

Hence a decision was made to ride the bike back to Madurai, where it can be fixed. A choice which in hindsight would lead to a mess-up of colossal proportions.

Now it is to note that the bike is not shy to rides, in fact, it does ride easily despite its age. So an 80km highway ride should be one with no hassles.

But that was not the case. Barely 20kms from my home, I noticed that the bike's sound had started to sound coarse, producing a sound eerily similar to what you would hear when a propellor plane is flying over your head. Strike 1.

I slowly saw the bike losing power and managed to clear the bridge I was going through and stop on the side. Or more like the bike stopping and gravity bringing me slowly to the side. Strike 2.

While the situation had instantly become scary, I started to gaslight myself on how it was just a heating issue, and that taking a 15 min break would solve it. I take down an entire bottle of water, and took a leisurely 20 min break, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram to avoid thinking about any possible damage to the bike. I go and decide to start the bike. 2 seconds later, both me and the bike are on the ground. I kick the bike and the kicker is stuck, it is rock solid, I feel a jolt go through my right leg and have no choice but to wave my leg in pain, tripping over the bike and falling down. Strike 3. Strike 4 if you count the damage caused to me also.

I at this stage go into total panic mode. I am stuck on an isolated highway, half an hour away from home, and with absolutely no idea what to do. I call up my mechanic, who confirms my worst fear, that the engine is seized.

I genuinely did not know how to feel about this. This bike has been with me for years. This bike is in my childhood memories, of going around Delhi with me sitting on its tank as a child (I know it is unsafe but my family did not have a car at that time). It is the bike I learnt to ride on, the bike I first tried working and fixing on my own. It has been my daily driver in university, an unofficial member of my friend circle being the go-to bike for my bike rides. It has taken me places, alone, with friends, dates, and almost every core memory I have, and this bike has managed to find its way to it. As I was sitting under the tamarind tree on the side of the highway, watching the bike, I felt the same as I would feel if I were attending a funeral for a loved one.

My temporary funeral was cut short with the arrival of a loud twin-cylinder recovery vehicle, in the form of my Super Meteor 650. But there lies another issue. The Super Meteor, while being a powerful vehicle, does not have the low-end torque to effectively tow a motorcycle. The forward set footpeg also made it difficult to push the bike using legs. One of those moments where my trusted Thunderbird and its low-end torque would do wonders.

I have no photos for the same but halfway, a good samaritan on a blue Honda SP125 came out of nowhere, and towed me for almost the entirety of the remaining section of the journey, and just took the next turn even before I could thank him. The fact that I was not stuck till late and reached back within 2 hours is because of this person. Thank you Blue Honda SP125 owner.

So you may ask, what next for the bike? The bike's engine has been opened, showing that the piston of the bike has been damaged totally, and there pretty much lies nothing that can be done which is fixable. Right now, there is a crossroads between getting an entirely new engine from somewhere, or that of checking the condition of the engine block and seeing if it can be bored. The terrible parts availability for this bike puts both alternatives in question.

At least temporarily, it is time to announce the demise of this bike. But I can guarantee, that as soon as possible, it will have its rebirth. Parts are being searched for, and whenever it is humanely possible, the entire engine will be working again, giving the bike a literal rebirth. I shall be updating the thread regarding the work that is being done to the bike, and I guarantee that before too long, the bike will be back on the road, in the same condition as it had come out of the factory in 1989.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Kawasaki has also increased the prices of its offerings by almost Rs 10,000.

Kawasaki India is now offering a 3-year / 36,000 km warranty on its motorcycles. Earlier, the bikemaker used to offer a standard warranty of 2 years.

According to Kawasaki, the 3-year warranty will be offered across all models, except the KX and KLX dirt bikes, which aren’t road-legal. That being said, the company has also increased the prices of its offerings by almost Rs 10,000.

Kawasaki has launched 6 new bikes since the beginning of this year. The bike maker introduced the ZX-6R supersport, followed by the Eliminator 500 and Ninja 500. The bikemaker recently rolled out the updated Z900, Z650RS and Versys 650 in India.

I was initially crazy about the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R and the Triumph Daytona 675R but eventually found out that middleweight super sport bikes are too uncomfortable for touring.

BHPian srivathsanSures recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My craze for motorcycle travelling started back in 2018 when I decided to upgrade from my Yamaha FZ-S 150 to a KTM RC390. After several days and sleepless nights of research, comparison, test drives and I finally decided to go with the RC390 which at first glance might not be the most practical or the fastest bike in its class courtesy of the more expensive rocket Kawasaki Ninja 400 but the way this short stroke high compression single accelerates with all it’s raw nature and the unbeatable price tag back in the day will make anyone fall in love with it instantly.

RC390 is a bike that can cruise at 140-150 KMPH all day without breaking a sweat and can easily keep up with the bigger-capacity motorcycles. In terms of handling, dynamics and agility I can say with confidence that this bike is the best in class with its inverted WP apex front forks and WP rear monoshock that are tuned to dominate the track along with absolutely demonic braking courtesy of the ByBre 4 piston caliper ensures that the bike handles as it looks.

4 years and 22000 kms later my itch for an upgrade started again since RC390 is definitely not a touring bike with its super aggressive rider triangle but still, for a lot of emotional reasons I cannot let go of my RC390 and therefore this time I was not looking for an upgrade but was looking for a second touring bike with the same capabilities of the RC390 but with a little bit more comfort for long-distance touring and mile munching.

This time there was no comparison at all and the bike had to be the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 thanks to its timeless design that ages like fine wine and peach of an Engine with its Burbly V twin-like exhaust note courtesy of the 270-degree crank and a rather basic handling and dynamics package that surprisingly offers great stability on the highways along with surprisingly good offroad capability courtesy of the 174mm ground clearance.

I had an absolute blast with the Interceptor 650 driving it around 11000 kms of high-speed stretches, offroad stretches, canyons, coastal roads, reserve forests covering most parts of south India. Fast forward to 2023 and slowly things were falling into place for my first big bike upgrade.

The plan now was to give my RC390 to my little brother and upgrade to a middle-weight sports bike. The options were Honda CBR650R, Kawasaki Z900, Triumph Street triple 765R, Kawasaki Z800. I was initially crazy about the Kawasaki ZX6R and the Daytona 675R but eventually found out in a hard way that middle-weight super sport bikes are too uncomfortable for touring and can only be used for short rides and track days due to their super aggressive clip ons that take a toll on your back after 80-100 kms of riding. I started off the journey by test riding the Z900 and the Street Triple R 765 and these two are just absolute missiles thanks to their 120+ HP high revving engines along with superb handling and dynamics package (Street Triple was more towards track riding with its razor-sharp dynamics and Z900 was more towards touring with its comfortable riding posture that makes you feel like you’re enclosed by the bike). I personally leaned towards the Kawasaki Z900 because of its top-of-the-class refinement and Japanese reliability and personally, I’m a huge huge JDM fan. The Best thing about these middleweight Naked bikes is the Psychotic acceleration they offer but with great power comes great responsibility and one who owns these machines should constantly be reminded about this mantra because one small mistake where you give a bit more throttle than required and these bikes can pile drive you into oblivion.

Then came the Honda CBR 650 R which does not seem a fair comparison at all when it goes up against the likes of missiles like the Kawasaki Z900 and Street Triple 765 but still at the end of the day it’s a bike that carries the legendary CBR name, A name that gives me goosebumps till date ever since I saw CBR1000RR Fireblade for the first time back when I was in 10th standard.

CBR650R nails it when it comes to first impressions with its super aggressive fireblade-inspired design.

As soon as I cranked the CBR 650R Honda’s top-class refinement shows with its creamy stock exhaust playing the inline 4 symphony, Silky smooth clutch which sometimes makes you feel if it is actually engaged or not. I was lucky enough to take the bike on a safe deserted empty stretch of road where I disabled the traction control system and launched the bike. The magic that Honda did with this bike is to give it Super Sport level tall gearing with adequate torque lower down that makes it beautifully tractable in bumper-to-bumper traffic and also gives it a screaming top-end characteristic. One might initially think that 12800 RPM rev ceiling is very low for an inline 4 sports bike but the super tall gearing makes sure that the bike gives you super sport level screaming like characteristics, to put it into perspective the CBR 650R can comfortably pick itself up without any knocking from as low as from 18 KMPH to 218 KMPH in just 4th gear and has a top speed of over 250 KMPH courtesy of the full sport bike fairing.

A glimpse of what the CBR650R is capable of (Taken from YouTube)

All these factors make the Honda CBR 650R punch above its weight class in terms of the ability to maintain very high speeds with ease which is the one area where I was not comfortable with the Middleweight naked machines which even though faster than the 650R still did not give me the confidence to hold on to those very high speeds due to extreme wind blast courtesy of the lack of fairing and power wheelies even in the third gear courtesy of their overkill power and torque figures for Indian roads. Therefore the decision was made to replace my KTM RC390 with the Honda CBR650R which was an absolutely perfect fit for my requirements although part of my heart still longed for the Kawasaki Z900 a little bit.

Unfortunately, the CBR 650R was not available in Bingwing Honda and there were no signs of it releasing in the near future too. Thankfully a promising reference led to me purchasing a used BS4 2019 Honda CBR650R which comes with Matte black with red accents which constantly reminds me when I check out the bike after I park it, “Damn bruh! Honda has no business making such a beautiful Sports bike”.

The super aggressive design of the bike often can lead to one thinking that it's a proper super sport built for the track but in reality, CBR650R leans more towards sports touring.

It’s been almost 4000 kms with the bike and I’ve been having an absolute blast in both touring as well as breakfast rides thanks to the bike's beautiful gold finished Showa big piston front forks and an Unnamed Rear mono-shock that is tuned to perfection with its planted high-speed manners (Bike remains rock solid at high speeds) and a pretty damn good cornering stability (I agree that it’s not the sharpest handler when compared to a Street triple but still it is up there in the 8.5-9 out of ten similar to a Z900 where Street triple would score a 10 on 10 according to me and last but not least the stress-free and bullet proof reliable engine often makes you forget that you’re redlining it which happens a lot of times and this keeps you reminded again and again that it’s a Honda.

I named my CBR650R as "Minato no Yūrei (or) ミナトの幽霊" which means The Ghost of Minato.

So now I have a CBR 650R and an Interceptor 650 and I should be happy with both the bikes right? Eh no! The goblins in my head started itching again and this exactly happened one day when I was taking my Interceptor through the beautiful twisty east coastal roads early morning and decided to go a little bit faster than usual thanks to non-existent traffic and safe empty stretches tempting me to twist the throttle a little extra. My big fat mind now coming from a CBR now starts to expect the same level of high-speed handling manners from the Interceptor which is an entry-level roadster with a peach of an engine that is more than capable of handling high speeds but with rudimentary handling and dynamics package courtesy of budget suspension and Top heavy nature of the bike at times.

Because of this Every time I shift a gear and twist the throttle a little aggressively I notice a mild wobble which goes away in a matter of milliseconds and the overall soft nature of the suspension during high-speed corners started to play with my mind. In reality, these factors should never be a deal breaker to buy the Interceptor because it was never designed to carve corners like an RC390 or an Aprilia RS 457 and it’s meant for chilled-out touring and to be a perfect mile-munching companion and in that aspect, Royal Enfield have knocked this bike out of the park.

But by the time I returned home after the ride my mind was set on upgrading and this time, I was not sure about my upgrade path and therefore started researching on touring bikes that fall in my budget. The options were the KTM Adventure 390, Kawasaki Ninja 650 and obviously the Kawasaki Z800 or Z900 (preferably used models) even though I knew these bikes were absolute missiles but still the “sometimes the Inner squid in me wants what the Inner squid in me wants”.

Upon plenty of research and test drives the KTM Adventure 390 was the first one to be crossed off the list because I already had experienced the same engine and it doesn’t bring anything new to the table in terms of performance. Ninja 650 was a very very hard bike to cross off the list because it just had no negatives with its crazy torque which will make you power wheelie every time you let go of the clutch and its very good touring abilities although the one major let down for me was the 130 mm ground clearance.

As the options now got narrower it was clear that it was either gonna be a used Z800 or Z900. Z900 is a better bike than Z800 in every way with its missile-like performance with refinement and reliability along with top-class handling for long-distance tours but the first let down for me was the ground clearance which was 130mm against Z800’s 150mm and the Z900’s short gearing resulting in scary power wheelies and high-speed death wobbles where the Z800 was very planted thanks to its 231 kg kerb weight.

The Kawasaki Z800 basically does 90% of everything a Z900 does in terms of performance while offering more stability and super tall gearing (Very similar to the CBR 650) that makes it more touring capable than the canyon carver the Z900 is with a 15-18% reduction in price in the used market. I was lucky enough to get referred to a beautiful one-of-a-kind 2017 Z800 Sugomi edition which was the final bike that launched before it was replaced by the Z900. I instantly was blown away by its black and cherry red looks very similar to the color pattern of my CBR and therefore would go well with my garage.

Kawasaki's sugomi design at its best with its super aggressive body work.

The Kawasaki Z800 is geared in such a way that the lower gears deliver a psychotic rush of torque which along with the super tall gearing of the bike makes sure that the bike redlines at 111 KMPH in first gear, To put it into perspective in the first gear Z900 redlines at 98 KMPH, Street Triple and the CBR650R redlines at 108 KMPH. Along with the tall gearing the wave of torque that hits you after the bike crosses 4000rpm makes sure you hold on to those handlebars with your dear life as there are no electronics to save you from this brutal engine, however as you progress up the gears the bike becomes noticeably mellow and cruising at 6th around 100-130 kmph makes you want to check if the bike is still running or not.

When it comes to handling and dynamics the duties are handled by upside-down Kayaba forks with pre load and rebound damping adjustability and a rear gas charged monoshock with pre load and rebound damping adjustability, The bike with its stock settings is on the stiffer side and one might feel the undulations, potholes on the road but on the bright side of things this setup makes sure this bike is a canyon carver and can handle corners like a charm and not a single time We would notice the 231 kg kerb weight thanks to the low center of gravity of the bike that ensures that Z800 is always planted aiding in high speed touring. Last but not least the looks of a samurai makes sure the bike gets celebrity-like attention on the roads.

I named my Kawasaki Z800 as "Rurouni Kenshin" or "るろうに剣心" as a tribute to one of my favorite manga series I grew up watching.

To sum it up 2023-2024 has been a roller coaster of a year for me. Not even in my wildest dreams I thought that I would upgrade my RC390 and Interceptor 650 which were already among the best-in-class bikes in the country. Nevertheless, it has been an amazing experience touring with the beautiful Japanese inline 4 screamers that not only look like legendary samurai warriors but also perform like one. Looking forward to more rides with the two bikes in the future. I also wish to write more about my experience with my RC390 and my Interceptor 650 in the future which in itself deserves a separate thread because they’re such good bikes our country has to offer.

Here's a list of the top 5 things I love about my CBR650R

• High speed manners are just exceptional, One can easily hold on to very high speeds with very minimal effort.
• Screamer of an engine, One of the very few bikes which can be pushed to its absolute limit where it will still remain stress free.
• Perfectly tuned suspension setup ensuring a reasonably plush ride along with amazing stability during cornering. The bike although not a track tool can still be taken on track days and will certainly put a wide smile on our faces.
• Reasonably comfortable seat along with a decent rider triangle ensuring that the rider's back is not sore after long rides. I personally was able to do 200km at a stretch without breaks.
• Looks like a samurai warrior and sounds like one with its inline 4 screaming engine.

Here's a quick summary of what I love with my Z800

• Psychotic acceleration in the initial gears ensures the rider holds on to those handlebars clinging on to dear life.
• Phenomenal tractability in the city. The bike can be put to motion from a standstill even in third gear.
• Reasonably plush suspension which works wonders during cornering. Every complaint you have with the stiff setup will disappear when you're carving the canyons.
• Creamy smooth engine that is on par with Honda's refinement and has a more bassy exhaust note than the CBR650R that sounds amazing on the higher RPMs.
• Looks like a samurai warrior. This bike grabs a lot of attention in the city due to its aggressive design.

I am not listing down the cons of both the bikes at this moment in time because I feel it's gonna take at least a few more thousand Kilometers for me to be able to learn more about these bikes. I will do a comprehensive review in the near future for both of these bikes.

Hope my experience can help someone with their decision to buy a big bike in India. I will keep posting further updates on my rides and service/ maintenance costs for both bikes. Thanks in advance for the read.

Attaching some more pictures of the bikes.

The garage as of 2024.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The 2024 Versys 650 is powered by the same 649cc parallel-twin engine.

Kawasaki has launched the 2024 iteration of the Versys 650 in India. The adventure tourer is priced at Rs 7.77 lakh (ex-showroom).

The 2024 Kawasaki Versys 650 is available in two colour schemes: Metallic Flat Spark Black and Metallic Matte Dark Gray. The same fairing design has been carried over, featuring dual LED headlamps and a tall visor.

The 2024 Versys 650 is powered by the same 649cc parallel-twin engine, producing 65.7 BHP and 61 Nm. It is paired with a 6-speed gearbox via a slipper clutch. The bike is equipped with an adjustable upside-down front fork and a mono-shock at the rear. The brake setup consists of dual 300 mm discs at the front and a single 250 mm disc at the rear.

In terms of features, the Versys 650 comes with a digital instrument console with smartphone connectivity, a USB charging port, ABS and switchable traction control.

After riding my Kawasaki Versys 650 for four years and 20,000 km, I have overgrown it and looking to upgrade.

BHPian StepUP! recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello there!

I am seeking this community's advice/help in deciding on my next bike. Before that, just a bit of background - My current ride is, rather was, a Versys 650. 5 years old, odo stands at 20000kms. Before this, I had a CBR250R.

While CBR was a good bike, my wrists always hurt due to the sporty riding position. No matter how much I tried to correct my posture. I was in my late twenties then.

I went for Versys in my early thirties, it being an ADV has great suspension comfortable for long rides. It has enough grunt to keep up with superbikes, the engine is typical Japanese, low-speed high gears very much doable. Mild off-roading is a breeze.

However, after riding it for 4 years, I have overgrown it. With its advantages, I think it has its own flaws:

• I never felt connected to the bike, I sit on the bike and not in the bike. While it dismisses bad roads with aplomb, on the highway or taking corners, it feels usually boring. Don't get me wrong it has a superb chassis to lean in corners but this being a high CG bike, after you lean in, to get back in line, that nervousness is always there. Of course, attributed to my limited skills as well.
• Always top heavy
• Heavy 230+ kgs weight with high CG becomes scary to manage in traffic and tricky situations like when you have to stop on a slope or while coming to halt, your leg is on a slippery surface or in a ditch. For reference I am 5'9" and with riding shoes, I have to tip toe. I could never flat feet when in the saddle.
• Lacks character. Engine note is meh.

With a heavy heart, I let it go. Versys took me to so many places and a lot of beautiful memories are associated with it. Rode her to many forts, lakes, dams, and ghats around Pune. But I am convinced it's the right decision. I was not riding it much for many months.

What I want in my next bike:

• Budget max 10 lakhs OTR
• Not too much downgrade in terms of power
• Shouldn't be top-heavy, lesser the weight, the better.
• Comfortable to ride. I am 40 now and don't want to strain my back, wrists.
• Twin or more cylinders, no single-cylinder bikes.
• Open to pre-owned route.
• Reasonable ASS and maintenance.
• No Japanese.
• No cruisers.
• No KTMs

Am I asking too much?

My rides are weekend breakfast rides and sometimes to work which is 40kms to and fro.

Only 2 bikes come to my mind:

• Aprilia RS457 (actually it's RS660 but it's out of budget)
• Street Triple

Please suggest if the above are the right choices, and if there are more bikes to consider fitting my requirements.

PS - I haven't taken any test rides yet but soon will do.

Thank you!

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say about the matter:

Candidly, yes. I’d encourage you to think through this list and perhaps break it up into the ‘non-negotiable’ conditions and the ‘good to have’ ones. That might help you broaden your options list a bit more.

”Should not be too much of a downgrade”: That rules out the 457. As does perhaps the unknown on maintenance.

From the above shortlist of two, a sparingly used Street Triple R would suit your requirements quite well. You could also consider the Trident 660 perhaps. Again a nice enough motorcycle in its own right but the Street Triple will just be much nicer if you can snare a good one.

If you are open to classics you could also consider the classics range from Triumph. They’re heavier than the above two but not top-heavy. You’ll again need to go slightly used to make it fit in 10 lakh.

I can’t think of much else from your listed requirements, which applied strictly rule out most other options.

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

Aprilia RS457 may run into issues during servicing and spares because they don’t have market penetration for the foreseeable future.

Street Triple while being a huge upgrade to your Versys power wise will also be a huge downgrade comfort-wise. The rider triangle is decently committed and could get cramped which will not suit you either. I have owned this bike hence speaking from ownership experience.

I would suggest a brand new Kawasaki Ninja 500 (forget your no Japanese clause) which has just been launched and will fit in your budget. It will not be too much of a downgrade power-wise because it’s much lighter than the Versys 650 (~170 kgs versus ~230 kgs) and power delivery should be more direct. It should be comfortable to ride and own with Kawasaki service which should be better than Triumph and surely Aprilia.

Take a test ride with an open mind and see if it floats your boat. All the best.

Here's what BHPian Sudarshan42 had to say about the matter:

How about the Triumph Trident 660 or any of the other 660 triples (Tiger, Daytona) from Triumph? I know service is a hit or miss, but this will be the ideal upgrade given your constraints.

If not that, also consider the Honda Transalp or the CBR650R. The latter is a bit long in the tooth now, but given that it's a Honda inline 4, should be a decent upgrade. Another wild card can be the Z900, provided your no Japanese caveat is flexible.

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

Since the CBR250R used to put a strain on your wrist, I think the Aprillia and Striple will do the same. You may want to consider Triumph Bonneville or Street Twin. In the used market these two will come in between 5 to 7 lakhs. The classics offer you a no-fuss pure riding pleasure, a thumpy torquey engine, extremely healthy weight distribution that wouldn't feel top heavy at all and you can easily flat foot them. I own a Street Twin and I am very happy with what it delivers.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The Z650 while not suited for touring performed without a hiccup but there were a few issues with the bike that I realized.

BHPian bf1983 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Short intro to the ride.

I love long rides! Did one to Rajasthan almost 10 years ago on my Yamaha FZ16 and loved every second of it. Still have so many fond memories etched in my brain.

A few photos from that ride -

My old helmet and cheap ass gloves.

My old FZ16. The seat would feel like a rock within 60 km!

Different kinds of traffic

Empty roads of Rajasthan. I literally stopped near the divider and no one was around.

Jal Mahal

Unfortunately, while my mind loves such long rides my body loves junk food a LOT more so the mind is willing but the body is weak!

To make matters worse my current bike the Z650 is fantastic for short distances and the occasional overnight trip. But with no wind protection and small proportions for my hefty 100 kg frame, it was not a good fit for riding long distances. But all that hardly matters when the heart wins over the mind and insists on doing something.

My good friend Aditya is a Duke 790 rider and I often go on rides with him as he is the planner-in-chief for most of our rides so far. It's been just breakfast rides or overnight rides of around 250-350 kms distance which were manageable for me.

One night after a round of drinks (All good plans usually start off with a round of drinks) he decided to embark on a 2000+ km ride. I being a heart-over-mind kinda guy seemed all impressed by this idea despite fitness and experience being against me. After a few days of figuring out where to go, he decided to go to Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary in Rajasthan. That was 1100 kms from Mumbai and I was thinking I am out as I can't do such distances anymore.

To make matters worse he was planning this ride for January which was peak work season so I told him flatly I wouldn't join. Aditya however kept pushing and went so far as to check my work schedule and found a gap where I could accommodate a ride if I didn't get any work on those days.

Knowing how fluid my work days are I told him let's see and didn't commit to anything. However, he worked tirelessly in the background finding people to join on the ride, setting up an itinerary, and finding locations for us to stay at.

Come the first week of January and somehow my dates were still free. He had already hammered out a workable plan on a budget. And he managed to find 6 other chapris err I mean KTM Riders to join us on the ride. I have to keep reminding myself that it's the riders that are chapris and not the bike.

I was torn whether to go on the ride or not as I could potentially miss out on work since it was peak season for me. However, my dad convinced me to go as he told me money comes and goes but opportunities like this rarely present themselves wrapped up in a neat package.

So that sealed the deal for me and I paid the hotel booking amount and blocked my dates. Ranthambore here I come!

Our planned route

After a little deliberation, we planned to take two days to travel 1100 kms to Ranthambore via Gujarat with a stopover for the night at Udaipur. An ambitious 800 km first-day ride. We figured it would be great if we could do maximum riding on the first day itself so that the rest of the trip could be a lot easier.

We decided to return via Indore and Nashik as that was actually the fastest route as per good old Google Maps.

We decided to do this trip on a budget. The only must-haves were hotels with safe parking for our bikes. Aside from the hotel in Ranthambore which we prebooked, we didn't book anything else as anything could happen to make the plans change.

Planning and preparation

Any long bike trip like this needs a lot of planning and preparation. With the route and number of days planned out, all that was left was to make sure my bike was up to the task.

Luckily my bike was due for its biannual service so I could make sure the bike at least wouldn't be the weak point on our trip given it would be the only Kawasaki amongst all KTM riders.

I overpacked for the trip and my 50 litre Guardian Gears bag was bursting at capacity. Luckily I had two Givi tank lock bags which came in handy thanks to how easy they are to mount and dismount. An 18-litre tank bag in front and a small 5-litre tank bag mounted on the tail rack that held chain lube, battery air pressure pump, and some tools. Attaching both the Givi bags took 1 minute total as you just push it on the lock and loop the strap on the oft chance the mount breaks. Truly the Givi tank lock system is an amazing setup and wish some Indian manufacturers could come up with a similar system at a more palatable price. Nobody in my family knows how much two small bags and a few plastic rings can cost and they never will!

I also picked up an air/water seat hybrid but it's badly designed and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The model was the BBG Wow 2 in 1 seat. The straps holding the seat to the straps are very badly designed and I doubt it will last more than a few months.

Lastly, I concentrated on fitness and dropped 5 kgs for the trip which definitely helped.

Day 1

After what seemed like an eternity, Jan 26th finally arrived and we were all set to meet up at Naigaon just outside of Mumbai to start our journey.

My Joy all ready for the ride

Our group consisted of me, Aditya, Pramod, and Ninaad who turned out to be our lead riders since they were by far the fastest riders in our group, Subhankar (who had a lovely top box which led to many beautiful memories on our trip), Porus, Furqan (who just happens to stay 1 km from my home) and Sanju (a new rider who had an equally lovely top box which ALSO led to many beautiful memories on our trip)

We decided to travel by night to avoid the heavy daytime traffic so we planned on leaving by 2 am itself!

Unfortunately, while most of us were on time someone from our group managed to lock himself out of his house while taking out the trash and he took some time to get a spare key and leave to meet us. We made sure we reminded him of his folly for the rest of the trip

Waiting for everyone to arrive

The line up

Finally, by 3 am, we set off and enjoyed the 6-lane Gujarat highway that we would be following till we crossed Vadodra. However, within a few kms we found out there was extensive road work going on, and with the heavy truck traffic we were traveling a lot slower than we would have liked. We were having mandatory stops at every other toll naka to rest for a bit but since it was cold and we were sleepy these stops were lasting a lot longer than planned.

We got delayed finding a place to eat breakfast. Every good restaurant we found on Google Maps turned out to be shut because it was 26th Jan. We finally stopped at a local khau gully and ate some really nice gujju snakes.

Till now, I was the lead rider and Aditya was the sweeper but that got changed by afternoon as Sanju being a new rider was falling behind and Pramod and Ninaad decided to take over lead duties and they zoomed off!

Lunch was supposed to be post-Vadodara but with a bit of roadwork including work on the upcoming Delhi Mumbai expressway, we couldn't maintain decent speeds. It's a shame we can't take our bikes on the Delhi Expressway when it comes out but hey hopefully most of the truck traffic takes that route which will allow us bikers to ride in relatively less traffic.

We decided to stop at a place recommended by our fellow rider Porus who's family stays in Baroda. Unfortunately, Pramod and Ninaad were so quick that they went 7 km ahead of the hotel! We were so far behind that when they were calling out signboards we couldn't spot them till we rode for almost 10 minutes! The hotel was lovely and we thoroughly enjoyed the lunch.

(From L-R, Subhankar, Me, Porus, Aditya, Pramod, Furqan, Ninaad and Sanhju)

Ready to ride

Once we turned off NH48 the roads were a lot narrower and the road surface wasn't great which meant even slower average speeds. However, the scenery was quite lovely and we stopped to take a few photos

The only two non Adventure bikes on the ride

After a while it became evening and the heavy traffic suddenly disappeared but so did the light! Since only two of us had mobile navigation we had to keep stopping to wait for everyone to catch up which slowed us down further. Another issue was there were patches with no network so Discord wasn't working and communication was becoming a problem.

It had become 9 pm and we were still 160 kms from Udaipur, our planned destination. We thought maybe we should push on but some of us were dead tired (Me included !). Our ride captain Aditya said let's not push as we hadn't slept much and the chances of making mistakes will increase if we push on without sleep. So we searched for a hotel in the town we were in (Modasa) and luckily we found a very decent hotel where we all slept like logs.

Our Hotel in Modasa in the morning

Day 2

We woke up nice and early and started loading our bikes. We were treated to a gorgeous sunrise.

The idea was to have a quick breakfast and then head out. Unfortunately, it wasn't a buffet breakfast and we had to order what we wanted to eat which took time. So by the time we left it was past 9 am. Lucky for us the sun was out and we weren't freezing as much. The roads to Udaipur were beautiful and we were glad we didn't head there in the night as we would have missed all the beautiful landscapes we passed to get to Rajasthan. The vegetation changed drastically when we reached Rajasthan and the road to Udaipur was a fantastic 6-lane highway which was FAR better than anything we had traveled by so far. This time no one was holding back and we were really gunning it and enjoying the curves and scenery at err strictly legal speeds (honest!). We still kept up with the breaks to ensure we all were caught up as there was a substantial gap between the lead rider and the sweeper who ensured nobody was left behind.

With excellent roads and making good time we had to turn off on another highway which was 4 lanes and super smooth. With such beautiful scenery, we had to stop for a quick photo session. The roads were so good so far we were laughing at the estimated time to reach our destination.

My Joy! All 3 bags on the bike

Sanju, Subhankar and Aditya

Subhankar

Porus

Lead rider Ninaad and Pramod

Furqan

Ride captain Aditya

The next highway was 6 lanes but our enthusiasm dipped seeing just how much traffic was on this highway and the road surface was very bumpy. Since we HAD to reach Ranthambore tonight by any means we raced on (at strictly legal speeds of course!) Even our slower riders the previous day were pushing hard and we were still making good time notwithstanding the traffic and we were sure we would reach our destination well in time. That's where we were so wrong!

After a leisurely lunch and another turn off, we found ourselves on a beautiful 4-lane highway with sparse traffic. We thought we were incredibly lucky till I heard splattering like raindrops falling. The sky was clear so I was confused about what sound I was hearing. Suddenly my visor got cloudy and I couldn't see well. I stopped to figure out what was going on and I finally saw them. Millions of tiny insects died all over my windshield, helmet, Gopro, and bike. It was a genocide! It took me some time to clean out all that gunk but unfortunately, these insects would be out in the billions! We would kill tens of thousands of them and stop to wipe off the bodies of their dead comrades. Then continue riding and kill a million more! :(

Genocide!

Aditya demonstrated why we had to keep stopping

This really slowed us down as although the roads were simply beautiful the constant stopping to clean our visors killed the momentum we had.

Right throughout the trip we had a lot of attention from locals when they saw a slew of bikes with riders in full gear so we were no strangers to attention. Almost all interactions were wonderful with the usual questions like where are we from, where are we headed, how much our bikes cost, mileage etc, etc. Unfortunately, the only bad incident took place when we had all stopped to wipe our helmets. Three people stopped and insisted on selfies. It took us a few seconds to realize these guys were sloshed. Those who could take off but three of us were left with these guys and they were getting a bit aggressive when I consented to a selfie but refused to take off my helmet as they demanded. While one of them was more aggressive than the others the other two realized I was getting scared and pulled the aggressive guy away which allowed me to start my bike and leave. Luckily they didn't bother us post that. After that there was roadwork at our turn off from the highway and the the sun had gone which made our last leg of the journey a lot slower.

We had bookings at the hotel so we had to push ourselves but the going was getting tough. We kept stopping as there were a lot of turn offs so we had to wait for everyone to regroup before making the turn-off. What was worse there was some local festival and these villagers were having fun right on the road. With blinding lights switched on we couldn't see that they were on the road till we almost crashed into them. Luckily Discord was working and Pramod and Ninaad would announce when there were these local hazards. We were all very tired at this point and we stopped one last time before the last 45-minute leg of the journey. We placed an order for food at our hotel and the promise of a hot bath and hot food gave us the energy to push on & finally by 11 pm we reached our hotel safe and sound. The weather was so cold that the moment I left the hot shower I started to freeze! I ate a little food but then I ran to cover myself under the warm blankets and drift off immediately to sleep after a hard day of riding.

Continue reading BHPian bf1983 report for more insights and information.

The Ninja 650 and Ninja 400 are available with a "good times voucher" redeemable against the ex-showroom price.

Kawasaki has announced discounts of up to Rs 40,000 on the Ninja 650 and Ninja 400. The offer is valid till March 31, 2024, and until stocks last.

The Kawasaki Ninja 650 is available with a “good times voucher” of Rs 30,000. It can be redeemed against the ex-showroom prices of Rs 7.16 lakh. The effective price of the bike after the discount is Rs 6.86 lakh.

The Ninja 650 competes with the Honda CB650R. It is powered by a 649cc parallel-twin engine that produces 67 BHP and 64 Nm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox.

The Kawasaki Ninja 400 is available with a discount of Rs 40,000. The bike now costs Rs 4.84 lakh (ex-showroom).

The Ninja 400 goes up against the KTM RC 390, Aprilia RS 457, TVS Apache RR 310 and the Yamaha YZF-R3. It is powered by a 399cc parallel-twin engine that produces 47.5 BHP and 38 Nm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox.

Other motorcycles included in this comparison include the Yamaha R3, TVS Apache RR 310 and BMW G 310 RR.

BHPian Ripcord09 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Aprilia RS 457

What you'll like:

• Mini-superbike looks with spot-on proportions and exciting colour schemes that grab attention
• Powerful 457cc twin-cylinder motor that produces a segment-best 47 BHP & 43.5 Nm is effortlessly fast and has a wide torque band with good rideability
• Easy-going nature with sport touring ergonomics, light clutch and positive gearshifts
• Excellent handling with a communicative and forgiving chassis, well-tuned and adjustable suspension setup and grippy tyres
• Touring potential with a 13L fuel tank, optional high windscreen, optional USB charging and provisions for strapping luggage
• Exudes quality - excellent paint finish, best-in-class 5" colour TFT instrumentation, aluminium dual-beam chassis and triple clamp upper plate, etc.
• Made in India. Pricing has been well-received and undercuts equivalent twin-cylinder rivals significantly

What you won't:

• Looks can be polarizing for a mature customer. No hint of subtlety with either the design or colour schemes
• Lacks the top-end rush of some rivals. Torque band is very wide and useable, but drops closer to redline
• Brakes could have better initial bite. Rear brake especially feels spongy, at least for track usage
• Lack of IMU/Cornering ABS. Few good-to-have features like USB charging, bi-directional quickshifter, TPMS, adjustable clutch and brake levers, etc. are offered only as accessories
• Aprilia's tiny dealer and service network is a concern

Review Link

KTM RC390

Launch Discussion

Kawasaki Ninja 400

Launch Discussion

Yamaha R3

Review Link

TVS Apache RR310

Ownership Review Link

BMW G 310 RR

Launch Discussion

Here's what BHPian VW2010 had to say about the matter:

The best bike would be the Ninja 400 at RC390 price. Now we know that is not happening so as a proper chapri bike owner I am choosing RC390. The smiles it gives every time you ride it are so infectious that I am never selling my RC390. The parts are cheap and getting the bike up and running even after a fall is not heavy on the pocket and it's a rocket. I have the shortest sprocket and it jumps at every opportunity. Love my RC390.

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

Nice comparison thread, but completely moot without getting a chance to ride the RS457. On paper, RS457 is a clear winner and maybe in reality also, but would be good to test ride and see what works the best for you.

The single-cylinder bikes would be vibey compared to likes of R3, Ninja 400 and RS457 so probably a good comparison will be to keep it between the twins and maximum throw the RC390 in the mix.

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

Voted for Others

RE 650 twins

Yes, this is a 650cc bike but the price is quite similar to the other bikes mentioned.

This 650cc engine is a gem, have a sweet whistle-like exhaust note and it is so smooth to ride.

I own an RR310 but if I am in the market today, I would buy an RE 650 twin even though I am happy with my RR 310, as my age is going up, my taste in bikes is changing.

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