[Waspune]

Given your main requirement being that it has to be a retro bike please consider either the 350 Classic or the H’ness 350.
Yes the Classic weighs a beefy 195 kgs but the weight management is excellent. So you won’t feel the weight 99% of the time. Another positive of the new platform is the awesome stability. You can ride at sub 5 km/hr speeds without needing to put your feet down. It just stands straight as if its riding on 4 wheels. Even U turns are a piece of cake.
The power delivery is also very smooth and the ample low end torque coupled with nice gearing will make you putter along without the need of changing gears often.
All these attributes make the Classic a very easy bike to ride. Much easier than the sport bikes where it’s not as easy to balance at lower speeds. Also most sport bikes usually have a snatchy throttle at lower revvs. With the long stroke Classic or CB350 you won’t get a snatchy throttle. So that’s a plus as well.
The Honda CB350 is again a very easy bike to ride. It’s clutch is lighter, the weight also stands at 181 kgs. It also comes with traction control. The gear ratios are taller though, that prevents it from exploiting the low end torque fully due to which you need to change gears more often than the Classic.
Also both the bikes have a very smooth and friendly power delivery that wouldn’t frighten a newbie like you. So please test ride both the bikes and pick the one you like more.
Cheers!

[mr_punks]

I was in a similar situation like yours. I am 19 years old and have bought a honda highness cb350 in Feb'22 for my college commute which is approx 10kms one way from my home. I would suggest you to go for it as it is very easy to maneuver in the traffic and the power is just adequate. Moreover you have dual channel abs and traction control which will help you to control the bike more efficiently. Regarding the road presence of Highness I will just say you need to ride it in the city to experience it.

[jithin23]

Hey,

First up, it's great that you're planning your bike purchase well in advance. I'd suggest that you first bike needs to be pocket friendly on maintenance and daily running.

3L budget might be a stretch, you can consider an NS200(an all round package), Vstrom 250 is good as well, FZ25(an underdog but very reliabe). The latest crop of 350cc REs too are good.

Plus you can use the remainder money on some good riding gear(very important) as I learnt it the hard way after breaking some bones.

Even down the road once you hone your riding skills, you can use these bikes for touring as well. My first bike was a 200NS when I turned 18 back in 2014 and ridden almost 1.5lakh kms in 8 yrs. Also, this might be one of the sunset years to ride a pure ICE motorcycle.

Good luck for your riding journey!

[AnAntinspired]

If not fixed on retro, buy yourself a Tvs 200cc Or a Suzuki 250 (though for your physical age and mental ability, a 150-200 would be ideal no matter how capable you think you are, both of which these companies make excellent variants of) and you can't go wrong.

You still want to stick to neo- retro? The xpulse 200T is a more practical choice (tubeless tyres etc) than The xpulse and fits a retro look. The upcoming tvs on July 6th may also be a retro styled bike. The fz-X from yamaha is retro styled in a way that will make you throw retro out of the window, imho! The rest are either overweight, under- serviced or resting on their laurels making sub-par quality motorcycles. Which is which, is for you to discover later on in life, however make sure your first bike is about good journey's not bad!

[The_Medic]

Originally Posted by Waspune

All these attributes make the Classic a very easy bike to ride. Much easier than the sport bikes where it’s not as easy to balance at lower speeds.

The RC series would like to have a word with you. You can bring it to a standstill, wait for a couple of seconds and fire off the line again without losing balance. I really don't understand why people spout off things they don't know. Of course, if you are just putting all weight on the handlebars then what you said might be true but then you are riding the bike all wrong. So, the classic might have a much better balance than previous generations but I don't think it can match the inherent nature of sportsbikes to be better balanced at both low and high speeds.

[Waspune]

Originally Posted by The_Medic

The RC series would like to have a word with you. You can bring it to a standstill, wait for a couple of seconds and fire off the line again without losing balance. I really don't understand why people spout off things they don't know. Of course, if you are just putting all weight on the handlebars then what you said might be true but then you are riding the bike all wrong. So, the classic might have a much better balance than previous generations but I don't think it can match the inherent nature of sportsbikes to be better balanced at both low and high speeds.

I feel you got it all wrong! I just meant that the Classic isn’t a flickable bike like any sport bike due to which it gets additional stability at sub-5 kmph speeds at stop-go traffic that is the Achilles heel for a new rider. Even with a pillion the stability is unaffected. This is something that I have felt while riding my G310R and a friend’s Classic back to back.
And what made you deduce that I put my weight on the handlebars? Please don’t assume things just because you want to!

[Fuldagap]

Originally Posted by W16rocks

Hey guys,
I searched through the forum and could not exactly find a thread with this question.
I am turning 18 in jan 2023, and the biking bug has bitten me, my family has two cars in our garage

My advice from your options would be, Honda CB 350. Reliability, ease of use go a long way when it comes to riding safely and with peace of mind. The bike is already a favourite among enthusiasts.

A different but better advice would be to just by an Aprilia SR 150. Matches the energy of a young person. Great engine, fantastic chassis and very youthful not to mention it is different from the crowd.

Here's a little video from Autocar India:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTaVQFWRByc

And my honest advice would be to just drive the two cars you have in your home. Or buy a used car. Learn along in the many years to come about nitty gritties while being much much safer than compared to a 2 wheeler. 2 wheelers are unsafe

[The_Medic]

Originally Posted by Waspune

And what made you deduce that I put my weight on the handlebars? Please don’t assume things just because you want to!

If you read my statement again, i said IF you put your weight on the handlebars. It does not imply that you definitely put the weight on your handlebars. It was a simple causation to effect sentence. You assumed I am accusing you of things when i was just putting my point across that I disagree with the stance of a classic 350 having a better inherent balance compared to a sportsbike. Don't assume victimhood just because you want to as there was no attack to begin with. Just a simple disagreement on views.

And my view comes from my experience of having ridden multiple bikes over time and realising a well kept sportsbike with a well serviced suspension, brakes, tyres (including tyre pressure) will always outbalance a similarly kept street bike in the hands of a rider who is sticking to the basics of riding. Hopefully my point is more understandable for you this time. Peace out.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by The_Medic

The RC series would like to have a word with you. You can bring it to a standstill, wait for a couple of seconds and fire off the line again without losing balance.

I have actually done this so many times on my BS3 RC390; braked to a standstill and not had to put even one foot down before getting on the move again. Which is why I recommend that people don't disregard KTMs just because they are loud or orange or some older person that one respects doesn't like them. I myself was someone who felt like a KTM wasn't my style but after riding it once at the showroom after test riding the Ninja 300, I was sold. I feel any rider new or old who appreciates a good and eager chassis might find the KTMs to be the only product that services their needs (unless they fit in a Yamaha which I find a bit cramped).

[Waspune]

Originally Posted by The_Medic

It was a simple causation to effect sentence. You assumed I am accusing you of things when i was just putting my point across that I disagree with the stance of a classic 350 having a better inherent balance compared to a sportsbike. Don't assume victimhood just because you want to as there was no attack to begin with. Just a simple disagreement on views.

Copied from your earlier reply:

“I really don't understand why people spout off things they don't know. Of course, if you are just putting all weight on the handlebars then what you said might be true but then you are riding the bike all wrong”

This should clear about what came from where. We can have different views, but not at cost of disrespecting others!

Originally Posted by The_Medic

And my view comes from my experience of having ridden multiple bikes over time and realising a well kept sportsbike with a well serviced suspension, brakes, tyres (including tyre pressure) will always outbalance a similarly kept street bike in the hands of a rider who is sticking to the basics of riding. Hopefully my point is more understandable for you this time. Peace out.

I was saying it from a newbie perspective, especially in the stop-go traffic where as per me the Classic feels easier to ride at very low speeds without putting your foot down even with a pillion when compared to a sport bike.The chances of the Classic falling/swerving on either side is much lower compared to any sport bike which is much lighter on its feet and is much more flickable than the Classic.

I am not asking you to agree with me. It’s just my ‘view’.
Peace out!

[The_Medic]

Originally Posted by Waspune

I was saying it from a newbie perspective, especially in the stop-go traffic where as per me the Classic feels easier to ride at very low speeds without putting your foot down even with a pillion when compared to a sport bike.The chances of the Classic falling/swerving on either side is much lower compared to any sport bike which is much lighter on its feet and is much more flickable than the Classic.

I am not asking you to agree with me. It’s just my ‘view’.
Peace out!

You are mixing up flickability and balance now. Two different aspects of the same characteristics of the handling of a motorcycle. A good chassis, brakes and suspension will make the bike obey your commands more accurately. The command might be to stay upright while braking/ slow manoeuvres or to tip into a corner. The classic might have improved in this generation and it is easy to confuse it's reluctance to follow inputs with that of having good balance. It'll always be more reluctant to change direction as compared to sportsbikes and it'll always be more reluctant to accept inputs to correct a tipover compared to sportsbikes. Not to mention that the classic is quite heavy and this unnecessary bulk doesn't help much either. The Honda 350 is significantly easier to handle in slow moving traffic compared to the classic (lower weight and better chassis). So is the xpulse 200 4v (21 inch front and much lighter weight). This is coming from a combination of simple physics understanding, many thousands of kilometres of riding different bikes across different terrain and a very recent adventure of choosing the best motorcycle for my Dad with a bad back and past knee injury which involved extensive riding of all motorcycles i could get my hands on. The classic scored poorly in terms of both plushness and chassis control as compared to even an tvs rtr 200. The hero xpulse is the most plush bike of the lot and definitely way better balanced than the classic. (Again, all these are nowhere in comparison to proper sports bikes because of the inherent nature to respond better to inputs). A newbie is much better off with a sportsbike if he wants to learn fast about bike handling or on a Honda 350/ hero xpulse /tvs rtr200 if he wants good safety net. I wouldn't want to subject the newbie to handle the 195 kgs of a falling classic in case the bike is indeed tipping over. Much easier to correct that on all the bikes i mentioned above.

And if it is just your view, don't feel threatened if someone counters it. This is an internet forum.

[selfdrive]

Posting my query on this thread as I found it more relevant than starting a new one.
@mods, please move elsewhere as appropriate. I could not find a what bike thread.

Our son will turn 18 in a few months, time does fly indeed!

We are looking for a first motorbike / two wheeler for his daily usage. Some key factors that we will consider:
- will be used primarily within Pune city (to/ from college)
- he is around 190 cm, and around 90+ kg. Dont want something that will look puny (main requirement)
- there could be occasional pillion rider (I hope so!)
- mileage not a concern. We are open for either planet busting fuel guzzler or planet destroying battery appliance, this doesnt matter to me unless you intend to convince me either is better.
- we plan for him to take driving lessons (for 4 wheeler) so that he can use one of the existing hatchbacks whenever needed (rainy season etc)
- his mother has set a 100 cc limit (with max 25% excess granted) knowing my previous shenanigans. I hope this will also help me keep alive my unrealistic dreams of buying a parallel twin in the near future for myself (suggestions not needed for this as of now )
- if needed, we may buy a separate automatic 2 wheeler (activa/ aether/ whatever) for the boss. Adding this statement to avoid any confusion that this needs to be the only 2 wheeler in the garage.

Appreciate your suggestions on two wheelers, for son and the boss.

[hothatchaway]

^^^will a well built college going youngster be happy with a gearless scooter? With the 125cc limit, the only geared bike that may be acceptable to him is the Duke 125. But that may not meet with your wife's approval.

[ajay0612]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Some key factors that we will consider:
- will be used primarily within Pune city (to/ from college)
- he is around 190 cm, and around 90+ kg. dont want something that will look puny (main requirement)
......
- his mother has set a 100 cc limit (with max 25% excess granted) knowing my previous shenanigans.
.......
- if needed, we may buy a separate automatic 2 wheeler (activa/ aether/ whatever) for the boss. adding this statement to avoid any confusion that this needs to be the only 2 wheeler in the garage.

Bike with small engines with large size frame does not exist.
In this capacity, Duke 125 may be a bike which is premium offering.
TVS Raider is VFM offering, looks good too. Honda Shine is another one.
Many choices in higher capacity bikes (150cc plus).
W.r.t. scooters, maybe TVS iQube (reliable, spacious).
Honda Shine

[antz.bin]

Bikes >125cc have something that sub 125cc bikes barring the Duke 125. That is ABS.

With inexperienced riders, it's better to give them as big a safety net as possible so that they don't hurt themselves given the excitement of youth.

Budget no bar and a strict displacement limit, I would suggest that you go for the Duke 125. The EU A1 (teenager) license actually allows motorcycles upto 125cc/14.75 BHP, and that is who this Duke is actually for.

With a lower budget and a 125cc limit, you could opt for the next 2 BEST 125s in the country:
Pulsar NS 125
TVS Raider 125

Both of these are dynamically sorted motorcycles with a lot of mechanical grip. But no ABS here.

But if the displacement limit can be relaxed, for a similar budget as the Duke, you could get one of 3 Yamahas.
MT-15
R15
Aerox

I really wouldn't look at sub 100cc motorcycles. Too many compromises there. I wouldn't subject my kid to this torture.