[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by TheVaas

Small world. Option 2 is my bike. And I’m sure its got equal accessories as Option 1 - and lot more stuff that might have not been shared with you. I’ve PM-ed you

And we spoke!

In other news, I convinced wifey to get a helmet . She even asked me if I had already bought a bike and parked it somewhere else

[2nd_gear_7krpm]

Take a test ride of NX500. If you're not power hungry and happy with the power of your 390 Duke, this machine is possibly perfect for your needs. For the same power you get a another cylinder, comfortable ergonomics for touring, Honda reliability/ fuss free ownership, butter smooth engine and it's built to last.

As far as I know, the onroad price on NX500 in Bangalore is 7.5 lakhs should be slightly less in Mumbai.

Also check out the Versys 650 which gives you ~ 66 horses, however comes with an additional cost of 2 lakhs over the NX500.

I wouldn't suggest to rent any motorcycles atleast in the range you're looking for. For someone who is completely new to motorcycles, yes! Renting a dominor or KTMs for few trips would help deciding whether they're actually interested. But looks like you're crossed that stage. Take multiple test rides, sleep over it for few weeks or months and most importantly, journal your experience after each test ride. Trust me, you'll not have the same perspective of a motorcycle in your first test ride vs. the test you take after 2 months. In those 2 months you would've watched lots of reviews, tested different types/style of motorcycles and so on. I was also somewhat in the same boat as yours for more than 1.5 years, now kind of finalised on RS 457. Although I've booked one, I will still wait for the real world reviews before taking the delivery.

Good luck 👍

[MileCruncher]

I think have reached the stage where I'm fairly certain what I want. And it is the Tiger 800. This decision was arrived after taking test rides across bikes which are above and below in the value pyramid.

The not so wow factor or NX500 and Tiger 660 put straight out of the window. KTM 390 Adventure was/ may be still is a strong contender because of the price value package that it provides and smile it brings everytime you twist the throttle above 5000 rpm. But then a) already spent considerable time with the 373 cc motor b) its not exactly a pillion friendly tourer c) ride height of 855 mm d) the 2024 Adventure should be out soon e) and the most important heart wants to try something bigger.

But the million dollar question I'm left pondering

"Is the Tiger 800 too old a motorcycle to buy in 2024?"

Keeping budget and usage in mind, I'm looking at a very well maintained, 29K done, mid 2016 edition. I'm very clear, I don't want to plonk in a lot of money when I'm unsure how much I will be riding. So want to take baby steps.

The Triumph Tiger was always in the list of bikes that I have wanted to own, hence that is where I want to go, but from a maintenance stand point, what are the downsides?

So, what I want to know is, if maintained well, can the Tiger 800 be expected to live till 15 years of age? Typically what is the life of these 3 pot motors ? I would like to keep it aleast for the next 3-4 years, before either graduating to a litre class or a full EV superbike.

[MileCruncher]

This came home last night.



Rode it home from Pune, about 180 Kms.

[Axe77]

Congratulations Milecruncher. The 800 XRx is a very rewarding bike indeed and that gem of an inline triple in the 800 guise is absolutely fabulous. Wish you many happy miles with the cat!

Do post a review of the bike once you’ve had enough saddle time with it.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

This came home last night

You've done something that I almost intended to do; when I started hunting for a motorcycle in 2021, I wanted a White XRx; white because its easy to clean & the "x" because it has alloy instead of spoke wheels that's easier to maintain.

Finally landed up buying Interceptor 650 that meets most of my requirements until now.

But still, a Tiger is a Tiger. In my opinion, you've taken a very good middle path & maybe even a wise decision.

Wishing you safe rides, happy, delightful & awesome ownership experience

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by aargee

You've done something that I almost intended to do; when I started hunting for am motorcycle in 2021, I wanted a White XRx; white because its easy to clean & the "x" because it has alloy instead of spoke wheels that's easier to maintain.

Even I wanted a white, but alas none of the white XRx were coming in my budget. Also XRx because, the 19inch front gives the 810mm seat height which is just fab for the 164cm me. The spoked versions are 21 inch front so seat height is 840mm minimum.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

Even I wanted a white, but alas none of the white XRx were coming in my budget. Also XRx because, the 19inch front gives the 810mm seat height which is just fab for the 164cm me. The spoked versions are 21 inch front so seat height is 840mm minimum.

For a moment I thought I was talking to myself!! You're simply echoing what's on my mind or perhaps are you reading by any chance? Like telepathy or something?

Number + budget + color + caringly used + clear title + present condition are some of the perils with the only benefit of the cost factor.

But Blue is also a good color scheme, especially on Tiger {including Yamaha Blue} they look very pleasing {atleast to me}

[TheVaas]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

This came home last night.

Congratulations! As Axe77 pointed out, you cannot go wrong with the 800 - especially the XRx variant considering the more accessible seat height and the alloy wheels that come in handy during puncture repair in remote areas.

Wish you a great ride and hope you now start 'crunching miles' on 2W

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by TheVaas

Wish you a great ride and hope you now start 'crunching miles' on 2W

Amen to that!

Picked up the bike on Monday evening at 29100 Kms. At close of work on Thursday odo stood at 29430 . In this the bike was in the workshop for 36 Hrs for servicing!

Wifey quipped today, you just need an excuse to go riding. Just don't keep vanishing for hours!

[nidhinpr]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

This came home last night.

Attachment 2582040

Rode it home from Pune, about 180 Kms.

Hey MileCruncher! Congratulations on your new Blue Tiger, it looks beautiful indeed! May every ride be filled with thrilling experiences & unforgettable memories. Just stay safe on the road and enjoy every moment of your journey with your magnificent motorcycle!

[MileCruncher]

As you all know, an used Tiger 800 XRx entered my garage 2.5 months back. It was an effort to get it home, especially managing permission from the better half and so on so forth.

However since then, she has had couple of rides within the city in 5km radius. Also in the process of getting her riding gear sorted (jacket, boots, et al). Trying to inject the passion for biking slowly.

Also over the last 2 months, I have been using the bike quite often especially when doing intra city criss-cross solo. All this to meld with the bike as one. One thing I realised is that i'm able to manage the weight of the bike and due to a reasonably fit state, am able to sit on the saddle for 2 hours at a go without issues.

A couple of weeks back, out of the blue, an interesting conversation transpired with wifey:

W: If you didn't have any budget constraints, what bike would you have bought?
Me: I'm happy with what I have bought.
W: But still?
Me: May be I would have also bought the Himalayan 450. As an addition and not instead.
W: Hmm. If I get some extra money, I'll gift you that!

That conversation opened up a new line of thought a) wifey is not averse to biking anymore b) she understands that a person can have more than 1 bike in their garage.

I was also left thinking; how many bikes are enough?

Is it just me or is it normal for mango peeps like us to desire to have more than 1 bike in the garage?

I think I'm falling for the Himalayan 450. God save me!

[Rachit.K.Dogra]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

I was also left thinking; how many bikes are enough?

Is it just me or is it normal for mango peeps like us to desire to have more than 1 bike in the garage?

I think I'm falling for the Himalayan 450. God save me!

Dreaming or more and more bikes is very common, especially among Mango Peeps like us
It keeps us going.

How many bikes are enough has a very personal situation based answer. I know a friend who would ride at least 6 of his bikes in a week (He had many more). I personally was very confident that with my usage only one was enough and I wouldn't be able to do justice to a second one.

As of now, I have two and I am fairly happy with what the bikes allow me to enjoy. R1 for the weekends, GS310 for local commuting (which in my use case is very negligible) and touring.

In your case, the only thing I can say is why buy 2 bikes of the same type. There is hardly anything that Himalyan will give you above the Tiger without having the same compromises (Size, Heft etc).

Why not something different:
- Sporty like an Aprilia 457
- Something retro like a Triumph 400 even Street Twin
- Ducati Hypermotard/Scrambler 400X for Super Moto
- Xpulse with Rally kit for Dirt riding etc.


Rachit

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

I was also left thinking; how many bikes are enough?

This has been already been researched in great detail by cyclists, resulting in the formula below. Applies just as well to motorcycles.

If you’ve been around bikes long enough, you’re likely familiar with the “n+1” principle. Velominati describes it as follows:
The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.

While the minimum number of bikes one should own is three, the correct number is n+1, where n is the number of bikes currently owned. This equation may also be re-written as s-1, where s is the number of bikes owned that would result in separation from your partner.

Detailed link

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

I think I'm falling for the Himalayan 450. God save me!

I’d say hold out for the launch of the all new KTM 390A. I think it should launch sometime later this year.

[ebonho]

Honestly speaking, regardless of greed and n+1, the absolute top limit of bikes you should have in your garage is 2. Of these, there will be one that will be run a lot more, maybe in phases, the other will become the primary bike too for a bit. If one is in the workshop or awaiting parts or has broken down or worse, crashed, then the other comes to your rescue and kreps you riding. One of the bikes becomes your workhorse, the other your hooligan. One is favored for chilled night rides. One is the bike of choice for a long tough tour. A third bike in this mix will 100% get neglected. At least vis a vis the favourite duo. And bikes need to be run. Regularly. So yeah, my vote goes to 2 bikes. Ditto for bicycles.

Cheers, Doc