[ajcpub]

Originally Posted by aargee

<snip>

• I'm sure you know buying is one time affair but maintenance is for lifetime, after all, we're all married & know this point much better. How may ASCs does RE vs BigWing vs Jawa have in the city? What numbers are being sold? Availability of spares, all these things matter more than aging & looks
• What matters most us is: DON'T WANT THE BIKE TO GIVE UP ON ME; from that point nothing beats a VFM Japanese motorcycle

Thank you for sharing this @aargee.

I prepared below matrix to help me with this decision making. The parameters in bold blue is something that am paying more attention to and Hunter is the only one that matches up. Anyways, more test rides on the card and will finally go with what makes me happy during those.

Not considering CB300R as styling is not to my liking, tank is too small, lights too weak. Regarding RE Classic, will take your advice and go for a test ride.

[ajcpub]

Originally Posted by Indraneel Bhat

<snip>

All in all - I love the bike and am largely happy with the purchase.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions. Happy hunting!!!

Thanks @Indraneel Bhat. I am happy that Jawa is working out great for you. I have read many reviews complaining about lack of spares, general reliability issues (bike not starting, having to replace parts too soon), etc. That is making me nervous but it's good to hear this positive experience.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by dvr08

I've been on a hunt to find a good cruiser for myself for almost about 3 months now. My requirement is to have a bike that can serve for short to medium distance rides (<400 kms max) and daily use in city too. The main reason I'm looking for a bike is to ride between Bangalore - Chennai thats it . I'm not an avid biker or neither I'm planning to become one. These days traffic in this route is heavy and the last 80kms to Chennai is horrible due to road construction and takes about 2.5 hrs to commute in car. Irritates me a lot.

drv08, I wasnt able to make out if you purchased the Highness 350 or really liked it the best from your options. In case you havent yet finalized your next bike, considering the requirement of highway riding with the constraint of long sections of bad roads, do try out the Adv 250 as well. It will be above your budget, but it just might be the right bike for you.

In case you already picked up the Highness 350, then congratulations on your new Honda!

Originally Posted by tarmacnaut

I own the VStrom, ride it everyday and have ridden 3000kms completely in Bangalore almost through all areas in South, North and East through the worst of the roads. Claiming that you felt every stone on the road is a bit too much of exaggeration.

tarmacnaut, while you seem to be a happy VStrom 250 owner, I am having trouble comprehending why you are so dismissive of drv08's feedback on the VStrom 250. Isnt posting unbiased and honest user feedback on automobiles, the bedrock of this great forum? Unless you have test ridden the exact same bike that drv08 has ridden, in the same mechanical state, on the same roads that he has done, isnt it rather presumptuous to state that his observations and opinion is an exaggeration?

[NSK123]

I own Yezdi Roadster, ergonomics good for long rides. I have ridden 250 KM a day. Service quality is good from Synergy in Banashankari, Bangalore. Mine is 1 year old and I suggest you to 3valuate other options than Jawa / Yezdi

[dvr08]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

In case you already picked up the Highness 350, then congratulations on your new Honda!

Thanks @neil.jericho. I haven't booked highness yet. I will try out ADV and probably book the bike in a couple of weeks.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Unless you have test ridden the exact same bike that drv08 has ridden, in the same mechanical state, on the same roads that he has done, isnt it rather presumptuous to state that his observations and opinion is an exaggeration?

Yes. That is exactly the point. All these bikes I rented were somewhere between 20k to 30k Kms driven and haven't been in the best possible mechanical condition. This also gives a perspective to me on how these bikes would behave after X no of kms. Plays a huge role in a purchase decision.

[Sebring]

Please check the tyre pressure. I/and my friends did a lot of trial and error before settling down on the right numbers. Vstrom250's comfort on bad roads are much, much better than the CB 350

Originally Posted by dvr08

Suzuki Vstorm 250[/b] - Felt every small stone on the road. Imagine driving this in bangalore roads!!

[Passatman]

[quote=dvr08;5525351]Thanks @neil.jericho. I haven't booked highness yet. I will try out ADV and probably book the bike in a couple of weeks.

Hi! I got back on 2 wheels during the lockdown V2, after being exclusively driving around on 4 wheels since the last 35 years. Hness is a great bike and being from the Honda stable, has the obvious reliability assurance. I had tried out this bike, but i found it a tad heavy @ 180+ kgs for city riding. I had no issues with the saddle height also being 5'9 .

However do try out the Suzuki Gixxer 250 ; being a Suzuki, it is a well put together package, offers a smooth no hassle ride, powerful and frugal too, is quite light @ 155 kgs, and scores high on the jap reliability quotient. I tried out the SF 250( faired version of the twins) and loved it so much, I bought it immediately. Trust me, it will delight you both in city commutes and longish highway rides.
It's not a retro styled bike, but i guess this design will age well!
Happy hunting !

[ajcpub]

Originally Posted by aargee

Test ride please

@aargee, test rode Classic 350. Loved the ride! The bike feels super steady, very comfortable to ride. I was able to connect to this machine better than Honda highness.

Given the weight of the bike, I would like my feet to be more planted. How much would I gain if I put low rider sea? What do I lose in terms of seat comfort and/or riding posture. Any inputs?

This is my feet position:


Thanks

[aargee]

Originally Posted by ajcpub

Given the weight of the bike, I would like my feet to be more planted. How much would I gain if I put low rider sea? What do I lose in terms of seat comfort and/or riding posture. Any inputs?

Since I'm not experienced, you can check this or from any third party accessory shop {customization unlimited} & they'll perhaps give you best guesstimate or some experienced & esteemed member of this forum can throw some light on this please

And to be honest, all of us underestimate the power of adaptability. Point is, even if you tiptoe to a certain extent, you'll soon learn to handle, maneuver & live with it. That's the power of our human Brain!! So, my opinion will be, buy what you like & ride it for sometime, in all probability you'll learn how to circumvent what you think is your biggest concern at the moment.

Remember, RE's quality & reliability is way too less than Honda, this is not just my strongest opinion, but also the facts from what I've owned & experienced.

[ajcpub]

Originally Posted by aargee

Since I'm not experienced, you can check this
<snip>

Yes, of course, customization unlimited!! I know the seat reduces the height by 33mm or so. I was looking for practical experiences of the gain and whether it negatively affects comfort etc. And sorry, didn't mean to direct the question to you but was to the forum.

I understand the reliability aspects of Honda and get the human adaptability point. However, I consider a good firm feet position very essential for safe riding, esp for heavy bikes. I can control my riding but can't predict how others around will ride and want to protect myself from those "race ahead(or whichever direction) at any cost" types.

At this point, this leaves me with "low rider Classic" or a new entrant in my list -- "Apache RTR 180". Will test rider the later soon.

[unoczar]

Originally Posted by ajcpub

At this point, this leaves me with "low rider Classic" or a new entrant in my list -- "Apache RTR 180". Will test rider the later soon.

Did you buy? How does this story end, curious..

[ajcpub]

Originally Posted by unoczar

Did you buy? How does this story end, curious..

It hasn't ended yet. Most likely I will rest my case with CB300F or CB300R, waiting for the 2024 lot to be available. If you have any questions on the decision making, feel free to DM. Will be happy to share my thoughts.

[Anupkumar]

Not sure if this is the right thread but, since there aren't many live threads on Jawa 42, I am posting here.
I own a 2019 Jawa 42. Now all of a sudden I got a message from the service centre (Chennai) that there is a special campaign for 2019-2020 Jawa models and that there will be FREE replacement of silencers, shocks, and speedometer! Sounds bit fishy to me. Or, am I over thinking? Did anyone else from other cities got this message?

[AlQuazi]

Originally Posted by Anupkumar

Not sure if this is the right thread but, since there aren't many live threads on Jawa 42, I am posting here.
I own a 2019 Jawa 42. Now all of a sudden I got a message from the service centre (Chennai) that there is a special campaign for 2019-2020 Jawa models and that there will be FREE replacement of silencers, shocks, and speedometer! Sounds bit fishy to me. Or, am I over thinking? Did anyone else from other cities got this message?

This is valid. A friend had posted of a similar service camp here in Pune with the same details. In fact, Shumi had mentioned something about this in the MotorInc Jawa 350 review. He said the company is conducting service camps across the country and offering goodwill replacement for a lot of components.

[Anupkumar]

Went and got them changed. The guys have come from Pune and camped in Chennai for 3 days. They have replaced both the silencers, rear shocks, and the handle bar nut! That's is anything that has rusted has been changed. And every single bike that came there for the camp had rust on all these parts! Looks like they wanted to show that they do remember their first customers at times. :-)