[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by shifu

But the RTR200 is kind of "hitting the right note" (quite literally - the sound is very unique and N-I-C-E).

A good choice indeed, you get a better built motorcycle when you opt for a TVS compared to the rest, japs included, plus the motor on the RTR has been around for the past 18 years and has a reputation of being one of the better built performance motorcycles around.

I hope you stay away from the EFI variant, I find it blasphemous to see this motor run off a EFI for some reason.

[Thebat]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

I hope you stay away from the EFI variant, I find it blasphemous to see this motor run off a EFI for some reason.

But for us mere mortals who would not go about tuning a carb depending on the altitude of our rides, wouldn't an EFI be a better option?

Not to mention, the fueling is much better on the rtr with EFI and I think that technology has evolved to a point where EFI's are as dependable as carbs.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by Thebat

But for us mere mortals who would not go about tuning a carb depending on the altitude of our rides, wouldn't an EFI be a better option?

The motorcycle would run just fine, the air box is designed so that the motorcycle would be ride'able through a wide range of conditions. Which was not the case of older motorcycles running off rudimentary intake systems, cough! Royal Enfield! Cough!

Given the state of after sales support in India, the quality of fuel and the price of the FI unit, I would still recommend a carburetted motorcycle for anyone considering a more robust and cost effective offering.

And I may be wrong, but don't most indigenous motorcycles come with open loop FI systems? in which case I doubt other than crispier throttle response there is anything substantial being offered here that would justify the premium pricing.

[Thebat]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

The motorcycle would run just fine, the air box is designed so that the motorcycle would be ride'able through a wide range of conditions. Which was not the case of older motorcycles running off rudimentary intake systems, cough! Royal Enfield! Cough!

Given the state of after sales support in India, the quality of fuel and the price of the FI unit, I would still recommend a carburetted motorcycle for anyone considering a more robust and cost effective offering.

And I may be wrong, but don't most indigenous motorcycles come with open loop FI systems? in which case I doubt other than crispier throttle response there is anything substantial being offered here that would justify the premium pricing.

Valid points, all accepted. However I am touring extensively on my Dominar and the fuel injection system has been working perfectly.

It however is still pending the test of time and Bajaj's famously inadequate service staff.

On an off note, on a recent conversation with an engineer who helped designed the rtr, he was of the opinion that most of the cases of fuel pumps of an FI going kaput is because of the inadequate fuel that is maintained in the tank which inadvertently heats up the pump and the habit of not letting the fuel pump prime completely before cranking the engine.

Any toughts in the above points Aswin?

[nosfreak]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Given the state of after sales support in India, the quality of fuel and the price of the FI unit, I would still recommend a carburetted motorcycle for anyone considering a more robust and cost effective offering.

And I may be wrong, but don't most indigenous motorcycles come with open loop FI systems? in which case I doubt other than crispier throttle response there is anything substantial being offered here that would justify the premium pricing.

I haven't yet come across an F.I unit failing, they build these F.I units and engine to take even worse quality of fuel and definitely it can be felt while riding the bike. My CBR has been through that route, it still runs fine, just need to clean fuel injectors and throttle body once.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by Thebat

Valid points, all accepted. However I am touring extensively on my Dominar and the fuel injection system has been working perfectly.

It however is still pending the test of time and Bajaj's famously inadequate service staff.

On an off note, on a recent conversation with an engineer who helped designed the rtr, he was of the opinion that most of the cases of fuel pumps of an FI going kaput is because of the inadequate fuel that is maintained in the tank which inadvertently heats up the pump and the habit of not letting the fuel pump prime completely before cranking the engine.

Any toughts in the above points Aswin?

The Dominar runs of a closed loop system if I'm not wrong, which makes it more tractable as far as use and reliability goes compared to an open loop system, but then again in the event of a failure it would be super expensive to fix.

I would suggest you do some research to find a better SVC if you find the current one inadequate, I'm from Kollam, Kerala and the Bajaj SVC is top notch compared to the rest as I've faced issues with Hero, Honda, TVS and Yamaha in the past. Spare availability and pricing is a bliss and the technicians and properly trained and professional, which was something that surprised me having heard only negative reviews about Bajaj before experiencing ownership first hand.

Absolutely, an FI system should never be let to run dry as the injector depends on the fuel being injected for lubrication and heat dissipation.

Though this is supposed to be commonsense I see a good number of first time motorcyclists filling for 50/- and running their Duke's dry before repeating the process, I can bet you that these are the same idiots who would end up blaming Bajaj for making unreliable motorcycles after their fuel pump goes kaput.

[shifu]

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

.

I hope you stay away from the EFI variant, I find it blasphemous to see this motor run off a EFI for some reason.

The EFI variant doesn’t come with ABS. So it’s not in my list.

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

...
Meanwhile OP, why don't you hire different motorcycles / scooters for some days to get a taste of living with one such vehicle? Spend 5000-7000 in this process and finalize a perfect bike, rather than saving this rental amount and risking a guess.

I have the same advice for you. It is not easy to maneuver a heavy bike and/or larger wheels, especially on our city roads. You will either realize that this is important for you or you may feel comfortable riding a larger heavier bike - test them all out by renting them for a few days. Motorcycles these days have adopted the "sexy" look without much regard to safety and maneuverability (not that it ever was a consideration). The large top heavy petrol tanks imitate the super-bikes but do not have the larger, heavier engines below to keep the center of gravity low.


Good luck, and let us know what you've decided on.

(Nothing quite like giving out free advice, I guess )

[shifu]

Originally Posted by ani_meher

Meanwhile OP, why don't you hire different motorcycles / scooters for some days to get a taste of living with one such vehicle? Spend 5000-7000 in this process and finalize a perfect bike, rather than saving this rental amount and risking a guess.

Originally Posted by mvadg

I have the same advice for you.

Thanks, I did consider this. There are couple of hindrances -

a) The bike that I am specifically interested in - RTR200 isn't available with onnbikes or rentmojo or Driven. Not sure if I am missing any other rental player, but kind of stuck there. The bikes available are either the lower end (so no ABS, and hence off my list), or something north of 2 lakhs (and hence off my list).

b) I did think I'll pick one of the other bikes from the above players, but the lack of gear is the next hindrance. Now I could go and buy the gear if I am going to need it anyways. But before I spend 10k or so, need to be 100% sure that I am going ahead before I buy it.


But yeah, I might actually take one for a ride, just for the heck of it!

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by shifu

But before I spend 10k or so

Bump that budget to 20k, better safe than sorry.

Going with the Cost effective options;

Helmet: MT Revenge 7.5k (SHARP 5 Star Rating)
Jacket: BBG Xplorer 6k
Gloves: BBG Gloves 3k

Just to give you an idea of how things would be, even if you skip the jacket and gloves do make sure to get a decent SHARP rated helmet.

Now all that's left is to see this suggestions thread turn out into an ownership thread.

[greenoval]

Unlike Shifu, I am yet to conclude if my yearning to ride a bike stems from having hit a mid-life crisis (maybe borderline). But like him, I am nowhere near a solution to the “perfect bike for a born-again biker” conundrum. Following two of the most sensible suggestions on TeamBhp – graduate from a small capacity bike and buy a pre-worshipped bike to assess your real passion, I started searching for used bikes. However, even before I could check the bikes in person, I realized that the prices quoted for some popular low capacity models made no sense and I had neither the patience to haggle nor the time to evaluate the condition of these bikes. Checking these bikes online, it dawned on me that I'd like some sense of occasion every time I am on the saddle and so commuters were dropped.

Subsequently, these were the bikes I test rode –

Duke 200 and 250 – Value for money, good fit and finish. However, a little too flashy for my taste. No ABS was another negative.

RE Himalayan – Having owned two Royal Enfields before (including a 2004 Electra), I was instantly comfortable. However, the clunky gearshifts, poor fit and finish and vibes, which were a non-issue in 2004, were bothering me in 2018. Still booked the Sleet ABS variant in the excitement of getting a new ABS variant with all issues sorted.

Ninja 300 ABS – Honestly, the 300 segment was not even under consideration. I was not confident of handling the power. However, the Dukes and Himalayan had not really overwhelmed me like I had initially expected. With the news of Ninja 300 ABS reaching the showrooms around the same time, I decided to check it out. One test ride was enough to cancel Himalayan and book the Ninja 300. The bike was near flawless, with all that you desire put together in a single package - refinement of parallel twin, fit and finish, relaxed ergonomics, sharp styling. I was so smitten that I even compromised on my colour choice (booked the flashy green over the subtle candy blue colour). However, illegal handling charges, attitude of the dealer and the general apathy of Kawasaki ensured that my dream of riding a Ninja never saw the light of day.

So now I am back to where I started. I want a parallel twin in the sub 500 cc category and the options seem so limited. I am not keen on the Yamaha R3 (at the price, Ninja 300 makes more sense). I can wait for the RE twins but a faired tourer is my first choice. The previous bikes I have owned include RX100 (second hand purchase with my first salary), Yamaha Enticer (wanted it so badly that I got the showroom display bike), 1982 Royal Enfield (again pre-worshipped) and 2004 Electra. However, I completely stopped riding around 2006 though I still ride a gearless scooter sparingly. The total riding experience on all these two-wheelers put together is around 25000 kms.

Wanted the opinion of experienced riders on the forum if 650cc category is practical enough for someone riding again after more than a decade (though I will still have to deal with Kawasaki dealers for Ninja 650). If not for the price, I would have also considered the Ninja 400. I am also not sure that if I am getting a false sense of confidence with respect to my capabilities as during most of my test rides I had kept the RPMs low. I understand that bikes like Ninja 300 come to life at higher RPMs. Being around 174 cms, I am not keen on tall bikes like 310 GS or Versys. Aslo, not keen on stretching my budget beyond INR 6 lakhs, around 4 lakhs is the sweet spot. Are there any other sub 500 cc parallel twin expected in 2019 besides RE twins & R3 2019?

[ethanhunt123]

Originally Posted by greenoval

Wanted the opinion of experienced riders on the forum if 650cc category is practical enough for someone riding again after more than a decade (though I will still have to deal with Kawasaki dealers for Ninja 650).

Totally - if you have self-control on your right wrist. I went from Karizma - no bike for a decade - Z900. The thing with most of sub-liter class bikes is that power delivery is quite linear - so they wont scare you in lower rpms. Once you start feeling more confident with the bike - you can start exploring the power at the higher end.

[The Great]

Originally Posted by greenoval

I am yet to conclude if my yearning to ride a bike stems from having hit a mid-life crisis (maybe borderline); Are there any other sub 500 cc parallel twin expected in 2019 besides RE twins & R3 2019?

Sir, I would suggest you to first rent a bike having the committed sports position, since none of the previous bikes that you have owned are from that category. Short test rides wont suffice for this particularly.

The RE twins make the most sense with your criteria - twin cylinder and under 4L (speculated).

The second bike that I would suggest is the Benelli 302R. It has the twin cylinder and the sports riding position and just a little over your budget of 4L. Comparatively the R3 is also a good buy. The Kawasaki 300 is the perfect bike actually for your criteria, but I read your ordeal with them in your thread and can understand the reason for not buying it.

The problem here is the dilemma of selecting a category, because otherwise at every budget - for a little more, there is a higher capacity bike teasing with the "why not" question. Hence, I am finally and eagerly waiting for the RE twin.

So firstly you have to decide what purpose is this bike for.

Hope this helps, all the best sir.

[sukarsan]

Originally Posted by shifu

Hello guys,

* Avenger 220 - My heart is on this bike. Partly because it reminds me about my Enticer, and partly because my legs are able to reach the ground while I am seated on the bike. LOL. Unfortunately, this doesn't have ABS.

Any other suggestions?

Exactly the same page . At 33, I am not too keen on any racing kind of bikes. I too am a sedate driver and want to drive with comfort. The only issue I have had with my current 2011 model Discover is that it was skids quite easily. At 18,000 kms , I have not replaced the tyres, but there is sufficient threading left with the original tyres. Avenger hits a sweet spot and I am having funding approval for the same also from my wife. I am only waiting for the ABS version to be launched and I will be set to buy one.

I have decided to continue with my current Discover. Its doing a good job and I suppose I can wait till the Avenger with ABS is launched.

I am only surprised by the drop in demand for Avenger in the current year. It was doing a good 8k in Jan, but now limited to 4k sales monthly. No competition(Intruder does not make the mark). No sales issues. Maybe I am missing something here.

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Safety gear, the wreck reinforced the notion, hence why now you see me riding a 30k motorcycle wearing a 10k helmet.

Came to this thread thinking of buying an avenger to replace my aging discover. Considering the waiting time for avenger with ABS, have decided to upgrade my helmet based on your post. Will be going to Karol bagh in delhi to get a good fit with a budget of 5-6k. Any recommendations??

[The Great]

Originally Posted by sukarsan

. Will be going to Karol bagh in delhi to get a good fit with a budget of 5-6k. Any recommendations??

I am using the MT Revenge which has a 5 star sharp rating and it is budget friendly too sir. Last year when I bought it was around 7.5k.