[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by PetrolHead2272

I am recently about to turn 18

I would suggest you get a lightweight bike to learn riding with lower risk.

I think Triumph is the best bike for the money and would keep you happy for a while.

[antz.bin]

No KTMs in the shortlist? I thought those orange bikes were the college kid's favourites!

There is no reason for you to opt for a standard/roadster motorcycle. Live your life! Get that Sports Naked or Sports bike while you still can.

Get them with 200/250cc engines for better economy compared to this shortlist.

If I were you, my poll options would be the Duke 250 / MT-15 / R15 / Karizma XMR / RC200. All of these are lightweight motorcycles with dual channel ABS and extremely fun dynamics.

From the current shortlist, the Speed 400 is closest to the ones I mentioned so my vote would go to that but only because there is no NOTA option.

[aviator1101]

Originally Posted by PetrolHead2272

Dear all,
I am recently about to turn 18 and plan on getting my first bike soon.
Should I go ahead with the safe option of Hunter or should I take the risk and get the Triumph or the Harley and if yes then which?

From what you've shortlisted...
My head tells me to suggest Hunter to you
My heart tells me to suggest Speed 400.
And I'm sure many others who have guided you felt the same.

You may decide between head and heart.

[Raghu M]

Not to dishearten you but you are just 18. If I were you, I would go ahead and get a Unicorn or the Pulsar 180 and get the driving dynamics right for at least an year or two. You will then have a prefect understanding of a bike and can make the choice yourself (of course based on reviews as well). Obviously, it's not an advice in any way, just a suggestion. Good luck!

[Senotrius]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I'll buck the trend here. It all depends on your prior riding experience. If none, or next to none, unless you have been racing on track or off road competitively on a race license (not applicable for the road) I would opine that a 40 bhp bike is not a healthy buy for you and others on the riad you will be sharing space with. It would be best to start on a smaller 160-200 cc bike. And work your way up after the customary bumps falls crashes and scrapes. More often than not its not about reflexes or physical skills or senses but simply maturity experience and judgment. These 40 bhp bikes are starter bikes in the West. But those starters get formal training before being let on to the road on them.

Cheers, Doc

I would second this. No idea how a 40bhp bike can be suggested as a learner/starter 2 wheeler for Indian conditions. It's not just about the money. Even experienced riders get into accidents (that too with defensive riding). My suggestion would be be to look at an r15/mt15 category bike max. Get used to riding on our roads. Wrong siders, stray animals, below average lane discipline, other dhoom machale 2 wheelers, autorickshaw goons, rogue lorries, craters and so on. Save the money, get a CE level 2 certified jacket and leather gloves plus an ECE 22.06 full face helmet minimum. One can style up gears and the bike as per wish.


Of course I don't know if the fellow here has already been riding geared 100-150cc motorcycles since his early teens.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Senotrius

Of course I don't know if the fellow here has already been riding geared 100-150cc motorcycles since his early teens.

Again. Not being judgmental, merely observational. Most first-bikers with biggish bikes are usually guys whose dads do not ride and do not have a clue about what these bikes can do.

If you are an active rider. Who has ridden or rides these bikes. And has crashed enough. And seen friends crashing. And getting hurt. God forbid, even dying. You will not be giving your son a 40 bhp bike straight off. No way.

Cheers, Doc

[Brio2014]

Originally Posted by PetrolHead2272

Dear all,
I am recently about to turn 18 and plan on getting my first bike soon. Having considered various options within the 2-3 lakh price range I have narrowed it down to 3 final options:

Welcome to the biking community. If you really want to stand out from the crowd at this point, I say go for the Harley X440. You can be sure whichever institution you will be attending you will see enough Speed 400s and REs. The immediate torque and the great soundtrack of the X440 will set you apart from the crowd. The X440 sure is not the first thing that will be spotted in the parking lot but be assured you will probably have less scratches on it compared to a sparkling Triumph by way of jealous hands and keys. The X440 will also set you up on the journey of relatively bigger bikes right away (big bike feel). All this considering you keep yourself and others safe with the right riding gear. Cheers to whatever you bring home.

[davelok]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Again. Not being judgmental, merely observational. Most first-bikers with biggish bikes are usually guys whose dads do not ride and do not have a clue about what these bikes can do.

If you are an active rider. Who has ridden or rides these bikes. And has crashed enough. And seen friends crashing. And getting hurt. God forbid, even dying. You will not be giving your son a 40 bhp bike straight off. No way.

Cheers, Doc

Absolutely. That's why I've suggested an Aerox 155 or an Xpulse to the OP here.

Cousin's son wanted a Royal Enfield when he turned 18. He got an Access 125 so that his parents can sleep a bit more peacefully while he stays at a hostel.

[pv5]

Reminds me of my first bike(RX 135) when I was 19 & I guess this question has rekindled a sense of nostalgia for a lot of people here.

I purchased used but it was a great bike to learn. Kept it with me for more than 8 years (it was 5y old when I bought it) & to this day I regret selling the bike(had to since I moved places).

And I did have an misadventure(I guess I was lucky to escape with only scratches all over the body since it happened in a desolate road at night) early in the ownership. This event changed my riding and there was no looking back after that.

The thing I found very easy with my first bike was that it was very light weight, nimble to drive in city & very easy to maintain & had that X factor when you twist the throttle at traffic signal but not so much that you hit triple digit speeds in single digit seconds.

All the bikes you have listed are 175 Kgs plus (compare this to i-activa which is around 100), it won't be a easy starter bike. Getting used to weight takes time and can make or break your experience. Speed 400 can do 100 in single digits (closer to 7-7.5) and I am not sure I can recommend that to anyone starting with this beast as their first bike.

Why not look at something which is much lighter (130-150kg range) & something that is not as powerful that will also make you happy when you twist the throttle. And if you want to really move to bigger bikes later, can go for used as it won't pinch your pocket.

I am not an expert on bikes, but mainly suggesting based of my personal experience.

Best of luck for your bike and have many happy miles ahead.

[Himanshu809]

As a Triumph 400 owner I’d say amongst the bikes you shortlisted Triumph is the best choice. Spare & service are handled by Bajaj now so don’t worry, my first service was 2,000/- only. And the bike is near perfect.

But like many guys said here, a 40 bhp machine is deceptively fast and a young hot blooded guy like you could get into trouble really quickly. No one here including you wants to see you to end up in a situation like that. You have not made your riding experience explicitly clear here.


If you’ve driven a 150-200cc bike in your teenage days and are well settled on it go for Speed 400. If not then I’d suggest get a Hunter, a much more tame bike and it’s a decent machine.

Also, use protective gear and ride safe, don’t be a hooligan and make TBhp proud.

[rishi.roger]

Get the Gixxer 250cc/SF. It is fast, but not too fast, it looks beautiful <3. It has good FE so it will be decent on your pocket. It's also a bit more forgiving than the 400cc machines.
It has ample power to help keep it fun on the road while you have a pillion. A 150cc is going to disappoint you when you sport a pillion, a 400cc sports category might be just too fast for you as begineer (in India, you'll learn over time how crazy and unpredictable our roads can be), and not to forget that they'll come with higher ownership cost.
I would have recommend Triumph Speed 400 but after looking at it in person, it looks very tiny and goes unnoticeable for its size.
Another unpopular but optimal opinion would be Honda 350cc bikes.

[ss11011988]

Hi Petrolhead2272,

I believe your priority at this time should be to hone your riding skills on a smaller machine, say a quarter mill and graduate onto bigger machines thereafter. You would also be wanting the bike to be a reliable one at this stage. As such, may I suggest :

1) Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 : Reasonably powerful to keep your entertained, yet refined as well. The fully faired one looks sexy, especially in the MotoGP livery. You will enjoy riding this machine.

2) Yamaha R15 / MT 15: Manic fun, these two without burning a hole in your pocket. Immensely flickable, extremely refined 155cc powerplant with racing genes, handles like it's on rails. Service or spare parts ain't a problem at all, and guaranteed admiration, especially the fully faired R15.

3) TVS Apache RTR 2004V : It's not a quarter mill, but it can hold on it's own out on the roads. A bit unrefined when you compare it with the Japs, but will give you tons of fun. Easier to maintain and spare parts availability should not be a problem either.

I think it's a bit too early for you to ride bikes with long stroke, low revving engines, but hey, if that's your style then nothing wrong in going for them. In which case, better to go with the X440 for the exclusivity.

Additionally, whichever bike you own, at the end of the day make sure you invest on quality riding gear as well. At least, a good quality fully faired helmet, good set of gloves and a decent all weather jacket. Don't be one of those morons which you see in YouTube a lot these days, riding dangerously and putting your life and the fellow motorists' lives in danger just for the sake of fake social media attention. Respect the machine, take good care of it, and it will take care of you back.


Hope this helps, cheers!

Regards,
SS

[MVM]

Hi Buddy,

I was 18 until very recently and here's my humble suggestion.

You're fairly new to riding

I was pretty overconfident when I first started riding, I thought I could ride any and every bike on the planet like a pro, I was lucky that a low speed fall crushed that quickly.


I would suggest a sub 15 or even sub 10 horsepower bike.
(Unicorn,SP160,Pulsar 150/125) These bikes aren't slouches either and you can use the entire rev range in the city without reaching dangerous speeds.
Owning such a bike may seem uncool to you and your friends may even make fun of you (make new friends jk) but it will actually teach you a lot in the safest manner possible.

A slow bike teaches you 3 things mainly :

1. Proper throttle control, clutch control, effective braking measures, low speed balance etc. Basically making you a better rider.
2. How to properly maintain and care for a bike, sub 15hp bikes are pretty easy to work on and you can learn to do some basic maintenance. Doing this isn't great only for the bike but also for you, it makes you value and feel proud of what you have.
3. You don't need to have the fastest, most powerful bike to have fun

There are only 2 kinds of riders, those that have fallen and those that are about to fall. Even a minor fall on a bike will have a major dent on your confidence and it'll take a while for you to get back your confidence on the road, the chances of having a more severe fall on a powerful bike are higher.

Just a suggestion, let us know what you plan to get.
Ride Safe

[GutsyGibbon]

Originally Posted by MVM

You're fairly new to riding
I was pretty overconfident when I first started riding,
I would suggest a sub 15 or even sub 10 horsepower bike.

You are spot on about being overconfident when you have not started riding in different conditions.

Valid comment about power, if he was buying a liter class bike. I am not convinced about the power of these bikes making a big difference, for a responsible adult. One needs to practice fine grained control, and not be rev happy. The new 400cc bikes are certainly something a new rider can easily get upto speed on. Just know that there is power if and when needed. The important aspect is skills training. Take it easy, get along with experienced riders, and practice riding in all conditions, preferably controlled conditions.

Lot of friends start riding in the US on 600cc bikes, but they attend Motorcycle Safety Training that's provided on tiny 150cc bikes. Rent a 150cc bike for a week, practice, and then buy the bike you like. It can be a quick learning curve. If you suck at riding the 150cc bike, listen to other suggestions here.

[hikozaru]

If you want to have a 'riding career' and your parents are willing to spend money on petrol start with the speed 400. 150cc bikes are all fine in the city but they are quite dangerous on highways because they have zero passing power, come with poor braking at highway speeds, fiddly throttles that you can whack all day without getting yourself into trouble (read as zero chance to learn throttle control), toe-heel shifters and all sorts of things that are very different on bigger bikes.

It is true that a 40hp bike, especially one that makes its power low down like the speed 400 can be terrifyingly fast in the city, but you can always pretend that the bike has only 2 gears and use the rev limiter in each gear as traction control (I think KTMs and very likely the speed 400 comes with programs that won't let the bike rev past certain rpm before first service, so you won't even accidentally thrash the engine), so really there is no way the bike will kill you or other people on the road unless you decide to be particularly daft about it.

I learnt riding on the Hunter (I still do) and it is a terrible first bike for reasons that will take me too long to write down.