Car & Bike Bike Advice, n00b, 65k

abracadabra

abracadabra

Adept
I was looking for some advice for a totally newbie for a bike, though i have ridden my friends bikes at times, i totally dont understand any jargon.

To keep it simple what i am looking for is a good bike that satisfies the following;

* I dont understand the 125cc, 150cc stuff, just having that cc is aint good enough for me

* Got to travel approximately daily 30 - 40km up and down, most rides on open highway, extra 10km within city

* Good on mileage, not looking for too much style statement at the moment, It should get me from point A to point B with less hassles

* Less overall weight

* Low on maintenance, easily available of service and parts

* Budget of 65k upper limit (only willing to increase this limit if i get something really good by another 5k-7k)
 
ok so lemme help u with this cc (cubic centimeters) stuff
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Every bike in the market is rated by it's power or rather hw bigger is the engine. for eg:

100-110cc bikes : splendor, passion,shine

125cc : stunner ,gladiator etc

150cc : pulsar, unicorn, cbz

180cc: pulsar, apache

>180 cc : karizma, pulsar 220, bullets

to keep it simple :

more cc = more power = more speed = less mileage.

there is 1 more jargon : torque: which the potential of the bike to ride on at higher speeds for longer time. therefore : more torque = more stable and hassle free ride at higher speeds. also with increase in cc torque generally increases.

According to ur needs i would suggest u to buy a bike in 150 cc segment as u will be riding more on highways and hitting high speeds more often.

i wud suggest u following bikes in order of preference:

1. unicorn ( not the new one ) : pros : stable, fuel efficient, grrrrt ride quality ( as it's honda
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), mono suspensions which are more stable, gud ride comfort cons: not tht stylish

2. yamaha FZ : pros: stylish, gud ride quality, wider rear tyre fr better grip. cons : mileage may be on lower side

3. CBZ : it shares same engine as unicorn + hero honda ka vishvas.

4. apache : pros: stylish, grt pick up and power. cons: not a refined ride. and seating posture may be a prblm with guys > 5'8" + if u travel more thn 20 kms daily

hope it helps. feel free to shoot more ..
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Seeing your requirements, I would suggest you a 125cc bike. A bit lesser power but great on fuel economy.

Hero & Honda rules the segment. Hero Super Splendour, Honda Shine, Honda Stunner are great bikes in 125cc.

Or if want to go for more power you can look for Yamaha SZ-X or Hero CBZ XTreme.
 
Yamaha SZ-R for 65K is a good option in 150CC , good looks, same engine as that of FZ, good control & ride quality. Overall All-Round choice for your budget & conditions.

Yamaha has good service, spares network etc.

With Honda, what I observed in unnecessary wait times & jacked up prices for fast delivery & also Unicorn which is 150 CC option from Honda, looks outdated but since style & looks aren't what you looking for, Unicorn is good option, but have seen ppl prefering Yamaha over Honda.

My advice would be stay with Yamaha or Honda with the budget you have currently.
 
#[member='siril_k']

#[member='mathrisk']

#[member='aquaticbullet']

Thank you all for that quick reply.

Some doubts now, as Hero Honda has spit into two different entities, how is the service network going to be. I'm Located in Chennai, though i see a lot of these showrooms daily, how is the response after the split up?

i was kind of more leaning towards Twister, is it a better one to choose? Or skip my option and look at Unicorn or Shine for say?

#[member='siril_k'], #[member='mathrisk'] ; I look at Yamaha for second thoughts, thanks again for putting that suggestion
 
mate after splitting from honda the only prblm hero will face is technical advancements as it used to borrow the whole mechanics from honda. So it has to pump in more into R&D. hence as far as service network is considered it wont be hampered at all.
twister is a gud option but considering its riding posture and ur overall daily usability i wont suggest it to u. also consider tht u will ride on highways and twister wont cruze at 80 constantly for 10kms. We all knw men are adrenaline junkies and even the most subtle of us wud feel the urge to open up a bit on straight strech. So do make sure tht u wont regret while riding a twister on a highway and cursing it fr not putting up consistently.
u can go for shine ( gud mileage but smaller engine so a bit roughed up ride at speeds >70 on highway ) or uni ( grt riding comfo + balanced power and mileage ) with ur eyes closed.

I wont suggest u yamaha even though they are gud cuz of fuel efficiency factor. else gladiator is also a gud bike.

For now head towards honda shwrum and take a test drive.

plz drive shine first and then uni.
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Shine is not that good on highways ,esp cruising at 70+ speeds, because of its 4-speed gear box

Discover is better. 5 speed gearbox

I would strongly recommend Pulsar 135.

gr8 balance of power and fuel efficiency

light weight

flickable in traffic

good on highways (5 gears)

service n/w is good

looks good too

other option is Unicorn (it's a 150cc bike, but overpriced)

avoid Hero 150cc bikes. 18" wheels leave very limited good tubeless tyre options.
 
Let me make it simple -

Pulsar135 - faster than the FZ/FZs/Stunner from 0-60 kmph

Pulsar135 - Greater top speed than the FZ/FZs/Stunner (120~125kmph vs 105kmph for the fz)

Pulsar135 - Better fuel economy compared to the FZ/FZs on par with the Stunner

Pulsar135 - Cheaper than the the FZ/FZs/Stunner on road

Pulsar135 - Cost of Spares/Maintenance is lower than the FZ/FZs/Stunner

Pulsar135 - More fun/lower running costs compared to the the FZ/FZs/Stunner

Pulsar135 - Smoother power delivery/gear changes (yes surprising isn't it) than the stunner. the build quality is decent too.

These are not my words but the words of XBHP/Overdrive/Autocar/Bike India/Every knowledgeable biker

Check this out :-

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yfHUo_91wE[/media]

As an owner of this bike since Sept 2011, I can add a few points which won't be mentioned in the reviews:-
  • I cancelled the booking of the yamaha sz-r which is the worst most boring bike ever made and got the pulsar and i never regretted it
  • I have routinely done 400-500km rides non stop on this bike in under 7-8 hours on highways and i have never had issues. i go on biking tours with a group almost twice a month
  • The ride is a bit hard even if you adjust the gas charged shock absorbers
  • I have touched 130KMPH multiple times on my long rides that's more than most 150cc bikes
  • There are vibrations if revved very high but then that is where the fun is - this is a bike which you ride not commute in. Although it will do the commuting bit just fine - I travel 40-50 kms a day on an average in traffic and have no complaints
  • The bike is easy to master and is forgiving. As a first time bike owner I can say I have learned quite a bit about handling bikes and this will set me up nicely for the upgrade to a bigger bike. If you want to upgrade to a bigger/higher displacement bike i.e 200-250 cc in the future this is a nice bike to learn about biking.
  • The brakes are good
  • Opt for MRF tyres over Eurogrip as this bike comes with both tyres. Infact avoid eurogrip tyres on any bike of any make.
  • Do not opt for engine oil from Bajaj. Get your own engine oil and ask them to change it front of you.(this goes for any bike). Opt for Motul mineral oils till the first 5000 KM and then shift to semi synthetic oils. Always maintain the same oil grade as mentioned in your bike manual i.e 20W40 or 20W50,etc
  • I love revving and thrashing the bike and even with my approach I routinely get 60 kmpl as the minimum mileage
  • Accident repairs are cheap for the Pulsar 135. You can go for a 100% insurance claim while buying the bike from the dealership. I had two massive accidents and was lucky to walk away alive although the damages to the bike was very minute compared to the scale of the accident. The cost of replacing the front brake and clutch levers cost me Rs.200 in all and an overall suspension check/correction and realignment of front shock absorbers and the headlight assembly cost me Rs.550. Changing the plastic panels on my headlight cost me Rs.250. I spent Rs.1000 in all as I didn't have the patience and energy to wait for the entire insurance process. The entire work was done in 2 days and now my bike is as good as new and runs even better.
 
If low on maintenance, then go for Super Splendor or Honda Shine . They'll give consistent fuel economy throughout bike's life and build quality is top-notch. If you're going for Bajaj Pulsar 135, overall good bike, good power, good speed, flickability in traffic, stiff suspension, vibrations at high speeds, mileage 58-65 for 1 - 2 years, then it'll need heavy maintenance which most Bajaj bikes are known for.

If you wish for quality & trouble free engine for at least 5-6 years, I'll advise you to go for Hero or Honda motorcycles.
 
if you are going to ride 30 to 40 kms, i wont recommend any of the crap 100 to 135 cc bikes in the market.. not just only because their engine power is less, but there isnt a lot of thought process involved for an optimum seating position, high speed stability etc.. .these are just bikes to get you from point A to B within the city. I am not saying you are gonna burn your engine or anything, but I'd say with such long distance rides daily, you should also give a lot of importance to riding position, stability on the highways at speeds of 70 to 90, and also overall stability while braking... generally, heavier bikes will always be more stable at higher speeds and on highways while overtaking trucks.. one of the biggest problems faced by light bikes is the swaying on highways due to fast winds especially when overtaking trucks.. as soon as you get on the side of a truck, the wind is blocked and you feel relaxed but as soon as you cross the truck, the gust of wind suddenly starts pushing the bike in its direction .. something, which we become aware about with a little experience... and lighter bikes, with weaker engines required to push through higher rpms will only cause a lot of fatigue throughout the journey..and are overall, a lot less safer than heavier bikes, with higher displacement engines, much better riding positions and this whole package translates into more efficient, confident and stable braking when required... with all the options in the market, i will strongly not recommend to buy bajaj. its true that bajaj offers a good bang for the buck and is making decent bikes, but still, there are issues with their quality of manufacturing..

I've had a Bajaj pulsar for 9 yrs and wouldnt ever buy a bajaj again.. .I'd rather recommend to go for yamaha or Hero Motocorp..

And i'd definitely recommend you to look at something higher than 150 cc. even 150cc is acceptable, but definitely not lower than that... you can try the Hero Karizma, although its quite old now, it still offers excellent seating position, (comfortable as well as better considering riding and braking) and much better than the pulsar 220.. pulsar 220 feels as if you are seated on a full sized bicycle...

in the 150cc's, have a look at yamaha FZ or Fazer, both are the same except for the front fairing in the Fazer.. ..

The fuel economy on even the 220ccs isnt bad at 45 kmpl if you ride well.. you might even get better because you will be riding long distances (assuming good highway like roads)

although, if fuel economy is too much of an issue for you, a 150cc or a 180cc will provide the optimum balance between fuel economy and engine power for going such distances everyday and keep fatigue levels minimum.. However, do not go for any 100, 125 or 135 cc bikes... you are going regret it once you ride for about a week and start realizing the disadvantages..
 
There goes an honest review. No matter how VFM Bajaj bike seems during purchase, you'd always end up repairing problems forever. Of course there are some exceptions, but everyone has different perspective about bajaj bikes.
 
Personal experience with Unicorn.

Used it inside the city for 2 years. Never let me down. I travelled b/w cities on it, not a problem. Yes its not as powerful as 200+cc bikes, but still good enough. VERY ess maintenance. After 2 years of occasional maintenance, I took the bike on one of the hardest biking tours on the planet, Delhi-Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Delhi. It rode beautifully and survived without many problems. So i guess you can go for Unicorn or FZ for your requirements. Forget bajaj unless your looking at the 220 or the new 200.

Both FZ and Unicorn have similar ride quality.

Style is more important? Go for FZ

Mileage is more important? Go for Unicorn

Yamaha vs Honda is a useless argument. Both are good at certain things and both are companies which I appreciate.
 
^^^^ no bajaj.. especially discover.. . there wont be any problems with the bike.. i dont have much of problems in my pulsar which is 9 yrs old.. its just that the bajaj bikes wears faster and small things.. like gearbox making noise, gear shifting not very smooth etc etc..

if you go for 150cc's, yamaha best option.. the FZ and fazer, both are comfortable, and have good wide rear tyres for good grip..
 
The new Pulsar 200Ns looks promising, I really hope this Bike stands out from the crowd from its older unreliable siblings. Just add Quality to Bajaj and It'll surely get mass appeal and lot of customers than Hero Motocorp and Honda.

FYI, There are still more than 2x customer who believe in quality than VFM bikes with low quality. Not starting a brand war, the fact is just fact .
 
The best way to get a recommendation on buying a bike is take a round in your area, ask each and every mechanic "Which bike will he buy if he has 65K in his pocket". Believe me every mechanic will say UNICORN, they would go as far as saying they would spend upto 72K if he can get a Unicorn. They'll never disregard a Pulsar or Yamaha they know all the +ves and -ves of those bikes but they'll still settle for a Unicorn. I recommend you do the same
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You can tune Unicorn to match up to the performance level of a Pulsar/Yamaha. But still get a really good mileage, Unicorns are known to offer ~55KM/L even after 3 years of usage. They last longest and is the least maintenance bike you'll ever find in India. Cheap servicing, easily repairable, cheap parts and availability of parts in rare locations is excellent.

Yes, it's overpriced in the market and yes, you'll the waiting list for a Unicorn is very huge. But if you can wait then get it.
 
Actually the discover 125cc or 150cc is good.. Comparative bikes in the same range are costlier than this and also have lesser features design as well as spec wise..
 
benryu said:
Actually the discover 125cc or 150cc is good.. Comparative bikes in the same range are costlier than this and also have lesser features design as well as spec wise..
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Sorry have to disagree on this. I own a Discover 125 DTS-i which I used to used during my college days. She has done 28k on the odo till date. The bike has lots of issues. During the first 2 years things were good but then problems started to appear. Fuel efficiency dropped. Also the bike is just not meant for highway riding.

Now i own a R15 v2 and the difference is quality (both build and ride) are worlds apart. Its returning great <acronym title='FunEnclave' class='bbc ipSeoAcronym'>FE</acronym> too (45kmpl avg) I have also driven a Fazer and its worth its price.

So I would suggest you to avoid Bajaj and bet Yamaha or Honda.
 
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