[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by ValkyrieAB

I’ve been finding examples of people replacing the rear sprocket on their CB350s.
Does anyone here have any experience around it?
Some changes were quite elaborate and honestly a little sketchy at best.
If there’s a straight swap, I might be interested in it to improve the city riding experience and sacrifice a little on top speed.

+1
This might just solve my problem

[sreejithkk]

Originally Posted by ValkyrieAB

I’ve been finding examples of people replacing the rear sprocket on their CB350s.
Does anyone here have any experience around it?
If there’s a straight swap, I might be interested in it to improve the city riding experience and sacrifice a little on top speed.

I have been also thinking about the same but decided to wait for a while as my H'ness only 2 month old. Only straight swap I read about was, some one in the FB group has swapped the rear sprocket with that of CB500X, which has 41 teeth. As per him, the sprocket is a direct fit, though he had to add one link to the chain.

[ValkyrieAB]

Originally Posted by sreejithkk

I have been also thinking about the same but decided to wait for a while as my H'ness only 2 month old. Only straight swap I read about was, some one in the FB group has swapped the rear sprocket with that of CB500X, which has 41 teeth. As per him, the sprocket is a direct fit, though he had to add one link to the chain.

Interesting. Do you by any chance have a link to their experience etc?
I’m also not keen on getting it done so quickly (mine is less than 2 months old!).
I am however realizing that the gear ratios are quite annoying for Bangalore conditions (traffic, humps & potholes that force you to slow down).
Overall quite happy so I don’t want to go for heavy modifications.

[sreejithkk]

Here is the link to the FB post.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/7327...ibextid=S66gvF

He has mentioned the picture of the sprocket and part number and details in the comments. As it is an FB group, you will find lots of noise in the comments. As per the picture, the MRP of the rear sprocket is Rs 1800.

[ValkyrieAB]

Originally Posted by sreejithkk

Here is the link to the FB post.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/7327...ibextid=S66gvF

He has mentioned the picture of the sprocket and part number and details in the comments. As it is an FB group, you will find lots of noise in the comments. As per the picture, the MRP of the rear sprocket is Rs 1800.

You weren’t kidding about the noise. The guy who’s done it just seems a bit, ahem, trollish. His claims also seem tall, 20-100 in 4th and 5th? At the moment even 3rd at 20 is a struggle.
This will need more research for sure though!
Thanks for the help mate!

[Ismail Swim]

Originally Posted by ValkyrieAB

You weren’t kidding about the noise. The guy who’s done it just seems a bit, ahem, trollish. His claims also seem tall, 20-100 in 4th and 5th? At the moment even 3rd at 20 is a struggle.
This will need more research for sure though!
Thanks for the help mate!

I do not think it is advisable to add one link, as it will definitely be dangerous move to do; if as the person who has done the modification has taken the stock rear sprocket of 500x, he might have also checked for 500x chain. I drove RX in Sholavarum (1989) with rr short sprocket and it increased my speed a little but definitely increased my straight-line speed. In my Yezdi RK I used to get a small Fr sprocket for an extra speed. Also, one question I have, does the speedo readings will be accurate? People does do modifications without proper research and that might be dangerous.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

1. Suzuki Gixxer 250 :
2. Interceptor 650:

My usage is more commute with a little of touring here and there. Pillion comfort is a must.

1. You might want to give this a read as a potential issue : Suzuki 250 vibrations (Vibration issues with Suzuki Gixxer SF 250)

2. The Interceptor isn't very comfortable in bumper to bumper traffic. Footrest positioning is a bit of an issue and pillion comfort is a concern. Don't expect the FE to be more than 20kmpl in the city, could go lower. In short you're not using its USPs hence skip it IMHO.

Some suggestions for your requirement of city commuter with good pillion comfort and a tractable motor somewhat agressive :
- Meteor 350 : better response than the H'Ness but pillion comfort to be checked.
- Classic 350 : comfortable for you and pillion, not so aggressive or spirited performer.
- Dominar 400 : won't disappoint on performance but relatively stiff rear, pillion comfort to be checked, some mods available from the showroom.
- Ronin : I know the looks but your use case fits perfectly with its USP, pillion comfort to be checked.
- 390 Adventure : Aggressive but stiff rear suspension could be a deal breaker
- Pulsar F250/N250 : the old school motorcycle, might just work for your use case

[aargee]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

The lacking midrange has been getting to me and I have resolved to replace the CB350 with a more peppier machine. My usage is more commute with a little of touring here and there. Pillion comfort is a must

If pillion comfort is important, then pls forget Interceptor as there's a compromise that has to be made.

Originally Posted by nutcracker

1. Suzuki Gixxer 250

There cannot be a better ownership review than this one here, perhaps a PM to get more insights?

Originally Posted by nutcracker

2. Interceptor 650

A surprising factor that I too realized after buying Interceptor is, we humans always underestimate our capability of hedonic adaptation which is why we survived over 300000 years ago. Anyway, point is we are extremely good to adapt.

Regarding spoke wheel & puncture, one frank question is, how many times did you had to fix puncture with your CB350? Once in 6 months? If it's once a quarter or month, then it's time to take the road less taken Point is, puncture is just another black swan, not something a monotonous routine to reject the motorcycle just based on this.

If you want to look some positive side, then, there's limitless customization & perhaps can be left to your imagination as well. Except Bonneville variants & RE-Twins no other motorcycle (barring HD) is melody to ears!! Ofcourse the triple & inline 4 are music too, but, they're something like Western classic, if that's what you like. Ride to any major town you find a RE ASC; being pocket friendly is another attribute to consider because buying is one time affair but maintenance is for lifetime!! Ofcourse the ownership cost of Gixxer 250 may be lower than RE-twins, but, for 650 the ownership cost is throw away price.

Gixxer 250 vs Inty 650, the comparison is little difficult because one is rev monger sports bike while the latter is torque monster classic. Your entire riding style is bound to change with both these motorcycles; for sure it's not possible to ride 650 like a sports bike (unless it's CBR or Ninja 650). So pls do take these points also into consideration.

Good luck to your upgrade

Originally Posted by shancz

2. The Interceptor isn't very comfortable in bumper to bumper traffic. Footrest positioning is a bit of an issue and pillion comfort is a concern. Don't expect the FE to be more than 20kmpl in the city, could go lower. In short you're not using its USPs hence skip it IMHO

Boss, sorry I need to clarify couple of points pls:
Yes, it's not comfortable, but so is the entire bumper to bumper traffic; I think except Activa/Access/Aprillia & thereofs, nothing is comfortable in bumper to bumper traffic isn't it?
FE certainly will be over 24 Kmpl unless the bike is ridden like a sports bike, which I think is a good bike in wrong hands!! Just keeping the RPM around 3-3.5K RPM (80-90 Kmph) will certainly yield 24+ Kmpl for sure. But then inside city, consider me being a little pessimistic here, considering the ample USEABLE torque, more than sufficient to yield 22 Kmpl.

[dheer4]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

1. Suzuki Gixxer 250. Did a test ride. It felt really nimble and snappy. Plus its got glowing reviews over here. However, wasn't getting a comprehensive test ride on the highways so I'm unsure about its snappiness and willingness to overtake compared to the CB350. Also, I seek some aggressiveness in the open road, which the CB350 doesnt have. Inputs here would be really helpful.

2. Interceptor 650: Really loved the test ride. The engine is powerful. Somehow felt the ergonomics were not mature and comfortable enough. Then there's also the spoke wheels which give me puncture anxiety. Also, pillion comfort is unknown.

Any inputs here would be appreciated.

Having ridden a Gixxer SF250 for over 20,000 Kms, I would strongly recommend that you stay away from it. There is hardly any SVC support as this bike was sold in limited numbers and any issue you have will have to be escalated to Suzuki and get the technical team involved. Premature chain wear is a common issue as well.

I would go for the interceptor any day. RE's have come a long way and the interceptor is such a good bike for the price point. Pillion comfort is not great but everything else is really good if you don't care about the FE.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by aargee

- I think except Activa/Access/Aprillia & thereofs, nothing is comfortable in bumper to bumper traffic isn't it?

- 3-3.5K RPM (80-90 Kmph) will certainly yield 24+ Kmpl for sure.

- But then inside city, consider me being a little pessimistic here, considering the ample USEABLE torque, more than sufficient to yield 22 Kmpl.

- True, but the Interceptor with its weight, relatively higher heat (as expected) and some discomfort with the placement of footpegs when crawling through traffic while burning fuel which could have been better used for getting outside the city during weekends is relatively more difficult to manage than say the Meteor/Dominar.
The Interceptor to me is the perfect weekend bike but since the OP mentioned his commute based needs I felt it would'nt gel well along with the pillion comfort.
Although an Interceptor and an Ather/iQube make for a killer garage IMHO

- I got around ~30kmpl on similar lines on some fabulous roads over 200kms. Not my bike, just had it for a week or so.

- Could be my riding style but my city(T2) runs hovered around the 20 mark. Could've been around 22 but I usually round it off conservatively.

[GreyNomad]

The Interceptor can actually be customised to be a comfortable motorcycle. Good aftermarket seats and AOM handlebar w/wo risers (depending on height) alter the riding position + comfort level (even for the pillion) considerably. Add the w2s tubeless conversion kit and you can go for tubeless tyres, though this entire puncture fear is a bit overhyped IMO. Swap the exhaust and you’ll get noticeable weight reduction. You can even lower the height of the bike with suspension lowering kit. And these are some of the more obvious mods.

Even if you do all the above mods you’ll still end with a twin cylinder machine - guaranteed to keep you happy both within and outside of city limits - at a substantial lesser purchase cost than anything comparable in the market today. When you add maintenance costs and spares availability, it becomes a no-brainer.

If you stagger the mods, it’ll also keep you engaged with the motorcycle over a period of time.

I ride in peak Mumbai/Pune traffic during weekdays and intercity highways during weekends and still get a healthy 26kmpl. And while the highway rides are gentlemanly fast, the city rides are torquey/snatchy, if that’s the right way to put it.

[rajeevsulu]

I own a cb 350.Iam totally happy with it as I rev the bike a lot and I like the bike for this nature. I have been eyeing the interceptor as a second bike. The bike is totally different to the cb 350 but is a torque monster. I am booking the bike next week. I don't use my bikes for daily commute so that is not an issue.

[aargee]

With due respect & no intention to argue sir:
I fell for the reviews of auto journalists before booking Inty (including the test ride), only to realize how far they were true during the ownership (aggressive stance, heavy, heat, wind blast, discomfortable footrest etc). Again, I like to credit the auto journalists for their incredible ability to write a review based on few hours of riding, which is something not everyone can do. So they write what they observe, while, it's also our understanding that differs among each readers that changes perspective.

However, the fundamental truth is we all ADAPT, only caveat being, how far one can adapt is a question. Riding a Volvo of two-wheeler for over a decade, I thought I was going to ride a vehicle with cart wheel powered by rocket after reading the reviews; certainly I don't ride a Harapan wheel, but neither it's Michelin, somewhere in between, say 1960?

The bike is certainly bad on bad roads as the suspension is pure wood!! Coming from the era of 100's (Max100, Rx100, KB100 & CD100), I will say RE-Twin's suspensions are as good as Max100's but far inferior than Splendor's comfortable ones; it doesn't take rough with smooth (unlike CBR), it still takes rough with rough & smooth with smooth. Most other things (pillion comfort, riding position, wind blast) can be alleviated if not eliminated & spares don't cost arms & limbs (auto manufacturers today here are like 70s of USA, fully protected)

One immutable truth is, RE twins are 80%-90% reliable on major components (barring few lemons); still there're some minor niggling issues that has to be borne by the rider, but not life threatening ones, in that aspect they're not that boring Japanese to fill it, shut it & forget it, there's always some constant reminder that seeks the owner's attention, if we're willing to live by that.

Ather is also a perfect solution for bumper to bumper traffic (infact slightly superior to ICE scooters provided the commute is restricted to 100 Km) & if one can afford based on the need.

[R.Daroga]

You may try the CB300 R and F . Honestly, there's no motorcycle that works well on the highway and in traffic. You have to make that compromise and somewhere you have to adapt.

I am super happy with my CB350 RS. Have adapted my riding style to the torque curve and extracting maximum fun out of it in the city and on the highway. Wouldn't change it for any current motorcycle.

[The_Medic]

Originally Posted by aargee

Boss, sorry I need to clarify couple of points pls:
Yes, it's not comfortable, but so is the entire bumper to bumper traffic; I think except Activa/Access/Aprillia & thereofs, nothing is comfortable in bumper to bumper traffic isn't it?

I hope your are aware about the concept of degrees of comfort. Oversimplification of this concept into just "anything other than a city scooter won't be comfortable" is gross negligence. A CB hornet or an FZ will be quite comfortable. So will be the xpulse 200 (4v is amazingly peppy and has a fantastically plush suspension). I find the Duke 390 a lot more comfortable than the int650 in traffic coz it has a lot more nimbleness and a lot less weight. A d250 would be even better. But some might be turned off by the stiff suspension and I will agree with that logic. But putting the int650 in the same class as xpulses and d250s for city traffic, let alone bumper to bumper stuff; should be borderline criminal.