[gauravanekar]

Counterintuitive thought: more than an ADV you would be more comfortable on a sports tourer. In adventure sports bikes you actually sit straight by virtue of rider triangle thereby loading your lower back with your torso weight, in a sports tourer (with comfy suspension) you split your torso weight between your arms and back. Once you get used to a comfy sports tourer nothing else feels as comfortable in my opinion. Do give it a try by renting a cbr 250 or gixxer 250. You may try an apache rr 310 as well. A superior tyre set like apollo H1s in a comfy tourer should not be discounted.

[DivyanshuDiv]

Went to a nearby Royal Enfield showroom to check the Himalayan 450, and honestly, it looks beautiful in reality.
I was on the saddle for almost 20 mins and the suspension were too good when compared to CB350. Overall, it looks like a capable bike but, the fit and finish could have been better at certain places.

[Phantom 510]

To be honest it is more important to improve the overall core strength. Core strength is paramount when it's comes to riding a motorcycle (esp over long distances). Motorcycle suspension can only help till a certain point. One could travel long distances even with firmly setup motorcycle. It better to focus on the core strengthening over anything else IMO.

[Suited_rider22]

Originally Posted by DivyanshuDiv

Hello readers and enthusiasts,
This is an attempt to pen down my needs of a new bike as the options and budget, both are limited.

So here is the story -
Couple of months back, an impulsive decision was taken to buy a Honda CB350 RS, followed by excessive spending on gears and accessories, and today I feel, we both are still not ready for our next year trips to Ladakh and south India, courtesy my lower back pain(L4-L5 disc issues), which came back after an year, and making me anxious and eager to look for a right bike what could help me realizing and reaching my dream destinations.

With all the time invested on this forum, and at various sources on the internet, I was able to reach the right category - an Adventure bike, the one that should be compliment my journey, as well as, the options under my budget, which is 5L INR, comes down to ADV390, Himalayan 450, or a BMW GS310.

And I'm getting impatient and confused, need your help.

Regards,
Div

My only advice to you would be to be patient. The issue is not what bike you should get the real question is how long is your recovery going to be. I understand the excitement of ladakh and long trips but trust me none of it will feel worth it with pain. You got to ladakh for the first time only once, a surreal experience. I think you should first focus on recovery rather than spending money on a bike which cannot guarantee you no pain.

[Gordon]

I'd suggest go for a motorcycle that you can easily flat foot. With tall seat height bikes, you cannot afford being caught on bad terrain or bad roads to suddenly catch the weight of the motorcycle with an outstretched leg and lower back twisted in a compromising position (I can already feel the pinch, pun intended, while reading this). This may worsen your condition.

[aviator1101]

Originally Posted by DivyanshuDiv

courtesy my lower back pain(L4-L5 disc issues), which came back after an year

Please take care of your back. Do not overdo or hurry up things, especially with back issues. Give it proper time to heal or else, it can come back and haunt you and even spoil tours midway.
You may even seek help of doctors like A350 on the forum.

the options under my budget, which is 5L INR, comes down to ADV390, Himalayan 450, or a BMW GS310.

If you compare the three bikes, roughly it stands out as under :-
BMW 310 GS
Kerb weight 170 kgs
Seat height 835mm
Power 34 PS @ 9500 rpm Torque 28 Nm @ 7500 rpm
Service support: average
Maintenance: costly

KTM 390 ADV
Kerb weight 177 kgs
Seat height 855mm
Power 43.5 PS @ 9,000 rpm
Torque 37 Nm @ 7,000 rpm
Service support: good
Maintenance: cheap

Himalayan 450
Weight 196 kgs
Seat height 825 mm (min)
Power 40.02 PS @ 8000 rpm
Torque 40 Nm @ 5500 rpm
Service support: very good
Maintenance: yet to ascertain

None of these have the perfect combination. Personally I would not recommend the BMW given limited service support and costly maintenance. Also it's the least powerful and most plasticky amongst the three. You would think thrice before dropping it.

Ironically, the one here with lowest seat height is also the heaviest. You may like to consult a doctor as to what would be the best for you. Low seat height or lighter bike.

However, if you leave out the weight part, the Himalayan is equally powerful as the 390, has the max suspension travel, fantastic ride quality and is nearly as cheap as the BMW. But remember, it's a RE with lots of firsts and lot of people will recommend it without even having ridden the bike themselves. So choose wisely.

Went to a nearby Royal Enfield showroom to check the Himalayan 450, and honestly, it looks beautiful in reality.

It's a good bike, but will need time to prove itself in the hands of the masses.

I would rather recommend you to test ride two bikes which aren't included in your list : The Triumph Speed 400 and Scrambler 400x. They are equally powerful as the above three bikes, comparable seat heights, light weight and comparable prices.

Especially, if your use is not riding with a luggage and pillion, and solo most of the time, the Scrambler is a good choice. If your want further low seat height, the Speed 400 is the better choice.
Some people have ridden these bikes to Ladakh and both bikes have performed beyond expectations.

But yes, they are Triumphs. So they come with issue of limited sales and service network. But, they also come with the added brand value and bullet proof reliability associated with Triumphs.

Whatever you choose, don't hurry up, some of these bikes are newly launched and yet to come with proper long term ownership reviews. But that's a good news in your case as it gives your back more time to heal completely.

Regards