[Jnani]

Hello all,

I am a mechanical engineer by profession and a creative artist by passion. I am in my 45th year now.

My very first experience with a two-wheeler was my dad's Suvega. Nice little moped. And then Luna, Kinetic Honda, and Activa. All were my dad owned. Among them, I still love the rides on Suvega, Luna, and Kinetic.

When I passed my engineering with good grades, my dad gave me Rs.19000 to buy a bike. And by that time I had already decided which bike I would be buying. None other than 86 make RX100. I purchased my (can say my dad's) first bike in 2004. It was a bit modified when I bought it. After a few months of working and saving some money, I gave it to a reliable mechanic in Mysore to bring it back to the stock version. Luckily the bike was previously owned by a doctor and was in good condition. Did not have much work to do though, it cost me around Rs.6000 then. Those times were difficult even for shelling out Rs.1000 extra.

In 2004, I moved to Bangalore from Mysore for work and along with me came my RX100. That was my first long ride. Loaded the truck with bare essentials to live in Bangalore and rode my bike to Bangalore. And that was when I came to know about TeamBHP from a colleague when I asked him about a reliable mechanic in Bangalore for my bike. From then I am visiting TeamBHP to learn various topics.

I took my RX on road trips (not so long) to Waynad, Ooty, and Coorg and of course every weekend trip to Mysore to see my parents.

I got married and became father to a boy in 2007. By that time my RX100 had reached its 4th bore. And I wanted to have an alternate bike and bought a new Apache 160. In 2008 I had to move to England. Sold both bikes. The depreciation of Apache was encashed in the RX100 sale!

Upon returning from the UK, again I started to look for a good RX100 and bought one from Mysore. Fortunately got a stock version this time and was a bit unhappy as I was the third owner. However, the bike was good and at the second bore. I had this bike for a good 8 years and thought of going for a higher capacity machine. Sold RX for a very good price, and bought FZ25. Made several road trips on FZ25 (Mangalore, Ooty, Chikkamagalore, Sakaleshapura, Shivamogga, Coorg, Kerala, Coimbatore, Chennai, and a few more places). Though I did not enjoy its top end, I had quite fun.

Again I had to move to Sweden and sold my FZ25. Now coming back to India and looking for a better and more reliable bike. I am not the same rider I used to be 15-20 years ago. And now I am not a speed guy. On the highway, I enjoy cruising at 90-100kmph so that I can enjoy both the ride and nature. I take breaks every 2 hours. You can say I am a middle-aged biker with not-so-good knowledge of technicalities. I always had the skill of engine breaking/rpm matching but never knew that word. That dumb I am.

On four wheeler front, I owned Alto and Estilo in the past and now have an i20. I am not a car guy but love my i20 and my dream car is Volvo XC40.

Apart from bikes, I have a special interest in watch collection, hiking, creative designs, philosophy, cooking and "creative thinking" is my stress-buster.

I am sorry for such a long introduction post. I just revved my thought flow.

A sincere "Thank You" to all of you here. The whole community is awesome and helpful. I may not contribute much with technicals and would be a better participant with my two cents wherever possible and within my knowledge.

Before saying bye, I would love to have some suggestions/leads on the bike to buy. I prefer an upright or slightly committed riding position. I am 5'7" tall. And the budget is 3.5 lakhs maximum. As of now, I have made some research and these are my thoughts.

Kawasaki Ninja : Very narrow ground clearance. I loved this bike but as I have to travel to my farm near Mysore where roads are not good, the low ground clearance would be an issue. So I have kept this out of the list as of now.

FZ25 : I had owned and experienced. Good for the city and decent on the highway, but want to go for a change. (If nothing comes up, this is my final call)

Honda CB300R : Loved the compact machine. Promisingly agile and nimble. Not very good with features for the price. But probably a good buy.

Yamaha R3 : I do not have much data from reviews.

Storm 250x : Assist and slipper clutch is missing which would have been great. Also, the power is not that great for that price.

BMP 310R : Found it interesting and exicting. But worried about the service network as I am planning to go for long road trips once a month.

KTM bikes : I do not think KTM's non-linear power delivery is for my liking.

Thanks again, Good day!

J

[GreyNomad]

Hi Jnani, welcome to this awesome community.

With 3.5lacs, you should look at the RE Interceptor650. It has a slightly forward leaning stance (in a good way), a decent ground clearance, more than enough power for your kind of riding and is cheap and easy to maintain. The only problem could be the weight, given your preference for lightweight motorcycles (though the Ninja isn’t).
You could also check out RE Hunter and TVS Ronin - compact, nimble, fun and can cruise at 90-100. If the Honda CB300R didn’t fee VFM, check out the Honda CB350RS.
Most of the bikes I’ve suggested are retro themed, basis your love for Rx100.

[shancz]

Welcome to TBHP

Deriving from your history of RX100, Apache and FZ25, an upgrade could be to the likes of :
- Honda CB300R, CB300F, CB350RS : all three very different bikes
- KTM 390 Duke, 390 Adventure both in the white/black colours : purely due to the power to weight ratio and the performance package on offer.
- RE 650 Interceptor, GT : I would recommend to at least ride the GT unless averse to REs. Its a completely different experience and a likeable one at that.
- If possible, wait for the upcoming Himalayan 450 and the XPulse 400. I would count more on the XPulse 400 due to the expected lower weight.

[Mustang_Boss]

Originally Posted by Jnani

Hello all,

FZ25 : I had owned and experienced. Good for the city and decent on the highway, but want to go for a change. (If nothing comes up, this is my final call)

Honda CB300R : Loved the compact machine. Promisingly agile and nimble. Not very good with features for the price. But probably a good buy.

Yamaha R3 : I do not have much data from reviews.

Storm 250x : Assist and slipper clutch is missing which would have been great. Also, the power is not that great for that price.

BMP 310R : Found it interesting and exicting. But worried about the service network as I am planning to go for long road trips once a month.

KTM bikes : I do not think KTM's non-linear power delivery is for my liking.

Thanks again, Good day!

J

FZ25 is the right vehicle with a linear power delivery and an exceptional reliability. It is heavily detuned for efficiency. You cannot go wrong with this.

I think, R3 is discontinued, but am not sure. But it was not worth the price when it was launched. I would say, stick to mainstream bikes considering where you intend to go.

The other vehicle you need to consider is the new Pulsar 250/Dominar 250/400. They are good. Just check them out. You cannot go wrong with Bajaj.

Also, have a look at Honda Highness 350. It looks like a Bullet, but its a different animal underneath. Considering your height and what i have seen, you might like it too. Everything is just perfect in this machine. Fits all heights of riders easily.

KTm's are not for your riding style. They are for 18-24 year old, who love to ride like maniac's.

[Jnani]

Originally Posted by GreyNomad

Hi Jnani, welcome to this awesome community.

With 3.5lacs, you should look at the RE Interceptor650. It has a slightly forward leaning stance (in a good way), a decent ground clearance, more than enough power for your kind of riding and is cheap and easy to maintain. The only problem could be the weight, given your preference for lightweight motorcycles (though the Ninja isn’t).
You could also check out RE Hunter and TVS Ronin - compact, nimble, fun and can cruise at 90-100. If the Honda CB300R didn’t fee VFM, check out the Honda CB350RS.
Most of the bikes I’ve suggested are retro themed, basis your love for Rx100.

Hello GreyNomad,

(Before anything else in this reply, I would like to apologize to everyone as I added my query in the introduction post. I should not have. After replying to everyone, I would end my query in this post)

Thanks for the reply and suggestions. I should have mentioned in my query that I do not like the bikes having Classic/Interceptor/CB350RS design. And also bikes from RE, TVS, or Bajaj.

I will do some more research and plan to hire a scooter for a couple of months so I get more time to test ride all the bikes (including your suggested bikes) and also can buy the 2023 model.

Thanks again,
J

Originally Posted by shancz

Welcome to TBHP

Deriving from your history of RX100, Apache and FZ25, an upgrade could be to the likes of :
- Honda CB300R, CB300F, CB350RS : all three very different bikes
- KTM 390 Duke, 390 Adventure both in the white/black colours : purely due to the power to weight ratio and the performance package on offer.
- RE 650 Interceptor, GT : I would recommend to at least ride the GT unless averse to REs. Its a completely different experience and a likeable one at that.
- If possible, wait for the upcoming Himalayan 450 and the XPulse 400. I would count more on the XPulse 400 due to the expected lower weight.

Hello Shancz,

(Before anything else in this reply, I would like to apologize to everyone as I added my query in the introduction post. I should not have. After replying to everyone, I would end my query in this post)

Thanks for the reply and suggestions.

- Honda CB300R, CB300F, CB350RS : I will checkout R and F. I somehow never liked the design of classic 350 or Honda's CB350RS.

- KTM 390 Duke, 390 Adventure both in the white/black colours : My friend told KTM 250 ADV engine does not have same kind of power delivery as in Duke 250. I will check this also.

- RE 650 Interceptor, GT : I thought GT requires a committed riding position. I will test ride. I assume RE have improved a lot on quality and service front over the years.

I will do some more research and plan to hire a scooter for a couple of months so I get more time to test ride all the bikes (including your suggested bikes) and also can buy the 2023 model.

Thanks again,
J

Originally Posted by Mustang_Boss

FZ25 is the right vehicle with a linear power delivery and an exceptional reliability. It is heavily detuned for efficiency. You cannot go wrong with this.

I think, R3 is discontinued, but am not sure. But it was not worth the price when it was launched. I would say, stick to mainstream bikes considering where you intend to go.

The other vehicle you need to consider is the new Pulsar 250/Dominar 250/400. They are good. Just check them out. You cannot go wrong with Bajaj.

Also, have a look at Honda Highness 350. It looks like a Bullet, but its a different animal underneath. Considering your height and what i have seen, you might like it too. Everything is just perfect in this machine. Fits all heights of riders easily.

KTm's are not for your riding style. They are for 18-24 year old, who love to ride like maniac's.

Hello Mustang_Boss,

(Before anything else in this reply, I would like to apologize to everyone as I added my query in the introduction post. I should not have. After replying to everyone, I would end my query in this post)

Thanks for the reply and suggestions. As I replied to GreyNomad, I should have mentioned in my query that I do not like the bikes having Classic/Interceptor/CB350RS design. And also bikes from RE, TVS, or Bajaj.

I will do some more research and plan to hire a scooter for a couple of months so I get more time to test ride all the bikes (including your suggested bikes) and also can buy the 2023 model.

Thanks again,
J

[shancz]

Originally Posted by Jnani

I will do some more research and plan to hire a scooter for a couple of months so I get more time to test ride all the bikes (including your suggested bikes) and also can buy the 2023 model.

Makes sense and also add the Yamaha Aerox to make things a bit varied. If it can be the scooter you rent, nothing like it but I doubt its availability in the rental market.

[Jnani]

Originally Posted by shancz

Makes sense and also add the Yamaha Aerox to make things a bit varied. If it can be the scooter you rent, nothing like it but I doubt its availability in the rental market.

Yes, I would like to rent a scooter and not a bike. During finalizing phase I would go for renting bikes that get shortlisted.

Haha, you just spoke for me. Aerox is the one I had decided on. Yes, it is listed in RoyalBrothers, Bangalore. Thanks.

[aargee]

Welcome Jnani aboard, from your introduction, we seem to be sharing a lot of things in common including our tastes with one of them being motorcycles, especially Rx

When you say max budget is 3.5 Lakhs & upright position, I cannot think of any other fun machine than Fatty Inty

Anyway, R3 isn't sold anymore; Ninja is 400CC & could fit your bill, if budget is extended a little more; FZ25, CB300R, Storm 250X, 310R & even KTM are all good motorcycles; we could perhaps apply more filters to see if some of them can stay on top or below the filters.

Good luck on your new motorcycle

Originally Posted by shancz

- RE 650 Interceptor, GT : I would recommend to at least ride the GT unless averse to REs. Its a completely different experience and a likeable one at that.

Even if one is averse, I would encourage to give a try; GT650 & Inty 650 are gentlemans way of speeding

[Jnani]

Originally Posted by aargee

Welcome Jnani aboard, from your introduction, we seem to be sharing a lot of things in common including our tastes with one of them being motorcycles, especially Rx

When you say max budget is 3.5 Lakhs & upright position, I cannot think of any other fun machine than Fatty Inty

Anyway, R3 isn't sold anymore; Ninja is 400CC & could fit your bill, if budget is extended a little more; FZ25, CB300R, Storm 250X, 310R & even KTM are all good motorcycles; we could perhaps apply more filters to see if some of them can stay on top or below the filters.

Good luck on your new motorcycle


Even if one is averse, I would encourage to give a try; GT650 & Inty 650 are gentlemans way of speeding

Thank you Aargee. Ninja400 is bit stretch for me. I will be making a pugh matrix (selection weighted matrix) and start doing calculated analysis. It may sound funny, but it's proven approach for selection. I'll share that once it's complete.

RE bikes, I have never given importance to them. Blame my preoccupied mind. I've seen my colleagues suffering from RE's quality, vibrations and above all their service quality.

But I'm seeing most of TBHPians suggesting RE. I think RE has improved over the past few years. I should include them in my list.

Thanks again,
J

[madbullram]

Welcome to Teambhp family. I was also looking for a bike in the 3.5 range and more focused on Highway cruising. Tried interceptor, ninja, etc (already own CBR 250 & Machismo) and nothing made me smile like KTM 390 ADV. It's brilliant and loaded with tech which bikes above 12 lakhs have. Most probably picking it up, though powerwise its not a big upgrade from my CBR, it really brought a smile to me.

The only concern is that KTM planning to launch a 490 ADV soon which in my mind will be a perfect bike but it might also cost 1 to 1.5 lakhs more. So do ride a 390 Adv before you decide and please do not try 390 Duke to evaluate Adv (they are different bikes). If you don't get a test ride bike, try Olx, I see now and then some 1000 km Adv on sale due to owners shifting or upgrading.

All the best brother.

[Jnani]

Originally Posted by madbullram

Welcome to Teambhp family. I was also looking for a bike in the 3.5 range and more focused on Highway cruising. Tried interceptor, ninja, etc (already own CBR 250 & Machismo) and nothing made me smile like KTM 390 ADV. It's brilliant and loaded with tech which bikes above 12 lakhs have. Most probably picking it up, though powerwise its not a big upgrade from my CBR, it really brought a smile to me.

The only concern is that KTM planning to launch a 490 ADV soon which in my mind will be a perfect bike but it might also cost 1 to 1.5 lakhs more. So do ride a 390 Adv before you decide and please do not try 390 Duke to evaluate Adv (they are different bikes). If you don't get a test ride bike, try Olx, I see now and then some 1000 km Adv on sale due to owners shifting or upgrading.

All the best brother.

Hello Madbullram,

Thank you. Yes, KTM 390ADV has very good tech upgrades. I'll try a test ride the ADV variant to check how comfortable it'll be for my height. I am planning to rent most of the shortlisted bikes from RoyalBrothers so that I can test ride both in city and in highway.

Thank you again,
J

[vishy76]

Welcome to the forum jnani! You have a very captivating style of writing.

Would love to hear more about your adventures with the legendary RX100 on a dedicated thread.

Enjoy your stay

Regards
Vishy

[Jnani]

Originally Posted by vishy76

Welcome to the forum jnani! You have a very captivating style of writing.

Would love to hear more about your adventures with the legendary RX100 on a dedicated thread.

Enjoy your stay

Regards
Vishy

Hello Vishy76,

Thank you. I'll try to recall the moments about my experience with RX and will post them someday. Those were the days with Nokia 1100. So I don't have any photos. :(

Thanks again,
J