[robby0707]

Owned the Ninja 300 for 7 years.
It satisfies all your criteria.
There is no heat in the city.
Still looks good
Reliable.
Can do 140 easily. I currently own a Versys 650. The ninja has a better mad top end acceleration than the v650. I’ve done high speeds (speedo shown speed on a closed road whereas the max I could do on the v650 was 170)
Absolutely vibration free.
Will give 30 kmpl if driven normally and 25 in any case.
I also think that the Aprilia RS 457 will meet your needs. But I do not have any personal experience.
I honestly miss my Ninja 300 at times.

[RodRowdyBiker]

I think the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 is the perfect fit. It is vibration free below 120 kmpl and gives approx 32kmpl. It is quite and well built. It can cruise at 120 kmph all day. Very reliable and low servicing costs.

I think it looks killer and is quite comfortable to ride with an upright riding posture.

I however feel that you are set on spending 5.5L and this bike less than half of it.

I think the next best bike to meet your requirements is the Ninja 500 which is within your budget if you look at ex-showroom only. It is a brand new model and I think it is VFM as well! You should be able to get more than 25kmpl if you hyper-mile it. Butter smooth engine. Insane Kawasaki reliability. I think it is worth it to stretch your budget by 50k to 6L for this bike. If you feel that it is relatively expensive, remember that it is a CBU and Kawasaki CBU build quality is on another planet compared to the REs and its about 40kg less.

[VW2010]

Have you come across ideas to contain the 390's vibe/buzz?

Ride it at red line. The ktm awakes and gives a fabulous ride when you keep it above 7k rpm. Many ride it at its worst rpm between 4000 to 5000.

It is a single pot generating close to 35bhp in the 390 and it will be vibey.


After all the exchanges here I believe you may like the rs457 as it fullfills most of your requirement. It can keep up with big boys too.

Used 650 is also not a bad option or used bonnie.

[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by V.Max

What is your current ride? By the way, I came across a 2021 CB500X for approximately 4.5 lakhs. It has run 8000 kms. Do you think its a good deal?

I currently ride a Honda CB350, which is perfect until 90KM. In fact, on occasion when I pushed it beyond 90, the engine itself didn't seem to have any issue. But the windblast was just too much for me. So, I take it a bit more leisurely now and enjoy things around me when I ride. The other positive thing about the CB350 is, it's fantastic to ride around slowly in the neighborhood with your children or wife. So, if I take the top speed out of the equation, this will just be fine.

I think anything around 4 will be a reasonable price for CB500X. What goes for it is also its Achillies-heel - that it sold in few numbers making it a rare find but also means maintenance is going to be hard to find spares etc.

[V.Max]

Originally Posted by Sudarshan42

Honda's vibe free engines are those with a lower compression ratio and are largely unstressed engines. Case in point- the CB350 brigade. Very smooth engines, but you have to be ok with a lower power output. Can't have both in the single cylinder domain. I think you should look exclusively at multi cylinder bikes then- also look at Benelli if you don't want to increase your budget to Kawasaki levels.

Or- add 2-3 more lakhs and get a Ninja 650- it'll be a 10 year purchase.

I realised I liked the low compression engines a lot. Those in the range of 10.6 :1 to 11:1. 12-ish is busy and fuel guzzling in my opinion. Benellis are a bit of a risk considering the service network and spares availability issue.

Ninja 650 made me realize that I'm in poverty lol. Its almost 9 lakhs Chennai OTR! Ninja 500 too is a little far fetched for me at 6.5 Lanks OTR. But the ground clearance worries me a lot. I live in that part of Chennai where we need a minimum of 150 mm to cross the obstacles course!

Originally Posted by aa-Crecy

I would recommend CB300R, relatively smooth, cruses at 100-110 comfortably. Light weight agile bike for the city rides. Should give an economy of about 35KMPL.

Now that's a fab ride for a single man. It even gives as high as 46 kmpl according to few riders! The non-existent pillion seat and puny fuel tank made me steer clear of it :(

Originally Posted by R-Six

It certainly is a good deal. If you change your mind to look at pre-owned bikes, you should certainly take a look. It is fairly new, and run less than 10K kms. Even the asking price seems to be fair, given that the first owner has already taken the depreciation hit. Give it a try, may be you will like it.

Otherwise you can wait for a couple of more months and Honda is expected start importing the NX500 early next year.

The only pain point I could envision for these Hondas would be the availability of spares.

Cheers,
R-Six

Noted! Will do my homework on the CB500X. NX500 for some reason has its service charges boosted by almost 100% even though its mechanically the same as CB500X :(

Originally Posted by Siavi

As per me there are two options...

1. You could go ahead with the CB500x. I think it's a steal for 4.5 lakhs, subject to its current condition. It's a great bike, a true jack of all trades. Also you'll be getting it with all the accessories already fitted ( I'm hoping the owner has installed some). The only con is that it feels a bit unexciting and the availability of spares in future.

2.Just saw the spy shots of the Himalayan 650. Since you have already waited for so long, why not wait for some more time and then go for this. I'm also waiting for it with my fingers crossed. It will fit all your needs and also the spares availability will not be an issue. The only con will be that you'll have to wait for atleast 1 more year for it to launch and then some more if you don't wish to buy from the initial batches...

Waited for 3 years due to indecision. Waiting for another year is gonna make me go mad I guess. But yea thanks buddy, will keep these 2 in my mind!

Originally Posted by robby0707

Owned the Ninja 300 for 7 years.
It satisfies all your criteria.
There is no heat in the city.
Still looks good
Reliable.
Can do 140 easily. I currently own a Versys 650. The Ninja has a better mad top end acceleration than the v650. I’ve done higher speeds (speedo shown speed on a closed road whereas the max i could do on the v650 was 170)
Absolutely vibrations free.
Will give 30 kmpl if driven normally and 25 in any case.
I also think that the Aprilia RS 457 will meet your needs. But I do not have any personal experience.
I honestly miss my Ninja 300 at times.

Ninja's engine heat and low ground clearance worry me (would change the suspension linkages to boost the ground clearance. But engine heat?).
By the way, did you drive your N300 in the cooler Kannur of Karnataka or the Tropical Kannur of Kerala? I need to know that since Chennai's humidity makes an engine behave in an altogether different manner to be honest.

Originally Posted by RodRowdyBiker

I think the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 is the perfect fit. It is vibration free below 120 kmpl and gives approx 32kmpl. It is quite and well built. It can cruise at 120 kmph all day. Very reliable and low servicing costs.

I think it looks killer and is quite comfortable to ride with an upright riding posture.

I however feel that you are set on spending 5.5L and this bike less than half of it.

I think the next best bike to meet your requirements is the Ninja 500 which is within your budget if you look at ex-showroom only. It is a brand new model and I think it is VFM as well! You should be able to get more than 25kmpl if you hyper-mile it. Butter smooth engine. Insane Kawasaki reliability. I think it is worth it to stretch your budget by 50k to 6L for this bike. If you feel that it is relatively expensive, remember that it is a CBU and Kawasaki CBU build quality is on another planet compared to the REs and its about 40kg less.

Gotta agree with the Suzuki 250 traits that you mentioned. But when I took a test ride, I came back with an aching palm (the bottom of my palm became a bright red in just 2 kms of riding) Found it straining. Surprisingly the RS 457 didn't strain me although its more committed than the SF 250!

N500's at 6.5 lakhs OTR and its menial ground clearance of 145 mm keeps me thinking long and hard to be honest. Let me test ride it if possible.

Originally Posted by VW2010

Ride it at red line. The ktm awakes and gives a fabulous ride when you keep it above 7k rpm. Many ride it at its worst rpm between 4000 to 5000.

It is a single pot generating close to 35bhp in the 390 and it will be vibey.


After all the exchanges here I believe you may like the rs457 as it fullfills most of your requirement. It can keep up with big boys too.

Used 650 is also not a bad option or used bonnie.

4k-5k rpm is where any bike spends 60% of its lifetime in my opinion. Correct me if i'm wrong. Wish I didn't have sensitive hands, or there was an oil that magically boosts engine refinement to another level, even if it costs 3000 per litre! Might as well wait for the Gen 2 Adv 390.

As for a used Bonnie?! Whoa,tasty. Never ever thought of that! I know very little of it. *intense googling begins*

As for the RS457, its fuel tank range of less than 300 kms stopped me for booking what is otherwise the best bet for me as you said.

Originally Posted by prakash_ajp

I think anything around 4 will be a reasonable price for CB500X. What goes for it is also its Achillies-heel - that it sold in few numbers making it a rare find but also means maintenance is going to be hard to find spares etc.

All bigwing bikes unanimously suffer the spares issue, dont they? Sigh!

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by V.Max

Ninja 650 made me realize that I'm in poverty lol. Its almost 9 lakhs Chennai OTR! Ninja 500 too is a little far fetched for me at 6.5 Lanks OTR. But the ground clearance worries me a lot. I live in that part of Chennai where we need a minimum of 150 mm to cross the obstacles course!

If you are open to moderately used bikes, also look at the Z650. Extremely underrated and fits the bill except the city economy.

[prakash_ajp]

Originally Posted by V.Max

All bigwing bikes unanimously suffer the spares issue, dont they? Sigh!

Not sure about other bikes. I remember reading someone saying this about the CB500X. I am pretty sure this is not an issue for the CB350 series as the sales has been pretty high by Honda standards.

[RodRowdyBiker]

Originally Posted by V.Max

Gotta agree with the Suzuki 250 traits that you mentioned. But when I took a test ride, I came back with an aching palm (the bottom of my palm became a bright red in just 2 kms of riding) Found it straining. Surprisingly the RS 457 didn't strain me although its more committed than the SF 250!

N500's at 6.5 lakhs OTR and its menial ground clearance of 145 mm keeps me thinking long and hard to be honest. Let me test ride it if possible.

The Suzuki experience sounds like you have a very bad posture where a lot of weight is resting on your wrist. I would look into bettering it before your shoulders and back take a turn for the worse. A good riding posture puts no weight on the wrists irrespective of the aggressiveness of the rider's triangle. Specifically, it seems like you are locking your elbows causing shocks to be directly transmitted and you are trying to compensate for this, in some part, by buying a "no vibration" bike. This is just my guess as I rode the SF 250 back from Goa to Hyderabad and had a blast.

Last I checked, N500 was about 6.1L on road Chennai. You might be able to squeeze out a decent discount if you wait a few months for the offers to be rolled out.

[Nayra]

Originally Posted by V.Max

How is the engine heat in a city like Chennai?? Though you've answered it, I'm asking about it specifically again since a couple of owners said that they had a hard time with engine heat in Chennai traffic.

That's quite unexpected. I've never encountered complaints regarding the engine overheating. It appears to be one of the few motorcycles over 40bhp without heating problems. Even when pushed to its limits during peak hour traffic, crawling at 5kmph under the midday sun, the heat vents effectively divert hot air away from the rider's legs, preventing any heat-related discomfort. Although I'm not sure about the conditions in Chennai, I've ridden extensively in Kerala and Kanyakumari from March to May without any issues.

On the flip side, the bike's height poses a significant challenge, especially in cities like Bangalore where the roads are akin to off-road tracks. I've installed different suspension linkages, which have completely resolved that problem.

The Ninja 300 was intended as a temporary ride before upgrading to a larger bike, but as gearheads, we know how that usually goes.

[Phantom 510]

Honda CB 300R is the perfect one for you. It's a whole lot of fun with it's high power to weight ratio, Honda refinement, neutral ergonomics, easy manoevrability, well tuned suspension set up and a really light kerb weight (146 kilos). It's a very underrated motorcycle but is an all round package.

[V.Max]

Originally Posted by b16h22

If you are open to moderately used bikes, also look at the Z650. Extremely underrated and fits the bill except the city economy.

Z650's ground clearance is a problem for me :(

Originally Posted by RodRowdyBiker

I rode the SF 250 back from Goa to Hyderabad and had a blast.

Last I checked, N500 was about 6.1L on road Chennai. You might be able to squeeze out a decent discount if you wait a few months for the offers to be rolled out.

Loved the rider triangle in SF 250 when I first sat on it. Felt kind of hemmed in and snug. Post ride, the pain came. Anyway, going to try a test ride again then. N500 is 6.6 L OTR man. Got the price list of all Kawasaki bikes in Chennai yesterday. 6.6 L is excluding K-Care & RSA by the way.

Originally Posted by Nayra

That's quite unexpected. I've never encountered complaints regarding the engine overheating. It appears to be one of the few motorcycles over 40bhp without heating problems. Even when pushed to its limits during peak hour traffic, crawling at 5kmph under the midday sun, the heat vents effectively divert hot air away from the rider's legs, preventing any heat-related discomfort. Although I'm not sure about the conditions in Chennai, I've ridden extensively in Kerala and Kanyakumari from March to May without any issues.

On the flip side, the bike's height poses a significant challenge, especially in cities like Bangalore where the roads are akin to off-road tracks. I've installed different suspension linkages, which have completely resolved that problem.

The Ninja 300 was intended as a temporary ride before upgrading to a larger bike, but as gearheads, we know how that usually goes.

Seems promising to me. The last time I test rode it for 30 mins, I felt a good bit of heat where the petrol tank meets your crotch. Did not feel heat on the legs though. I also like a bike with less tech. Makes it serviceable rather easily. I must get the suspension linkages then.

Math says N300 helps me save almost 90K on the RS457! Thats enough for 4 years of servicing & fuel for 10000-15000 kms.

Originally Posted by Phantom 510

Honda CB 300R is the perfect one for you. It's a whole lot of fun with it's high power to weight ratio, Honda refinement, neutral ergonomics, easy manoevrability, well tuned suspension set up and a really light kerb weight (146 kilos). It's a very underrated motorcycle but is an all round package.

Love the 300R to bits. BUT as i mentioned earlier, its non-existent pillion seat and puny fuel tank made me steer clear of it. It lives up to its name of being CB - "City Bike" very well though!

[Mitadru]

Hey V.Max ,I will suggest something out of the box here. Since you're looking for vibration free rides, it's better if you look at electric bikes. I would suggest you test drive the Ultraviolette F77 Mach 2 recon. Since you have a habit of hypermilling a bit, you would not feel out of place with an EV. It also has instant power delivery, which ICE bikes don't have. This shall also satisfy your requirement for power in short bursts.The weight is a bit higher at 207 kilos, but from what I've read on reviews, it shouldn't be an issue, as it also has a dedicated reverse mode, to help you in backward maneuvers. It's on road 4.5 lacs in Delhi, I guess it would be cheaper in Chennai.

Now the only question that remains is whether you're okay with an EV or not. You have not mentioned whether you do very long rides , where the f77 may be a bit problematic. It does have fast charging, but since it uses a proprietary port, and the Ultraviolette's network of fast chargers is not available Pan India, you will have to take breaks to charge up the bike using the provided charger.

Do let us know which bike you buy ultimately.

[Passatman]

Originally Posted by V.Max

Loved the rider triangle in SF 250 when I first sat on it. Felt kind of hemmed in and snug. Post ride, the pain came. Anyway, going to try a test ride again then. N500 is 6.6 L OTR man. Got the price list of all Kawasaki bikes in Chennai yesterday. 6.6 L is excluding K-Care & RSA by the way.

SF250 ( or it's twins) would probably be the only bike which ticks all your boxes; It's VFM, great mileage ( I sometimes see a shocking 50+kmpl) no heating, no vibes, and can hold 120 kph all day long!
Get yourself one along with a good quality road bike ( cycle) to work on your posture ; a few days of riding the roadie will align your posture ( and fitness too) and then it's gonna be smiles all the way!

The other closest bike is the RS457! Whichever u buy, ride safe and have blast!

[V.Max]

Originally Posted by Mitadru

The weight is a bit higher at 207 kilos, but from what I've read on reviews, it shouldn't be an issue, as it also has a dedicated reverse mode, to help you in backward maneuvers. It's on road 4.5 lacs in Delhi, I guess it would be cheaper in Chennai.

It does have fast charging, but since it uses a proprietary port, and the Ultraviolette's network of fast chargers is not available Pan India, you will have to take breaks to charge up the bike using the provided charger.

Do let us know which bike you buy ultimately.

Thats a unique suggestion and I receive it with a huge thanks. But as summed up very well by your good self, the weight and range anxiety actually worry me. I want to see Performance EVs take-off and establish before I invest. So i'm waiting on this segment to atleast come up with 2 or 3 competitors.

Originally Posted by Passatman

SF250 ( or it's twins) would probably be the only bike which ticks all your boxes; It's VFM, great mileage ( I sometimes see a shocking 50+kmpl) no heating, no vibes, and can hold 120 kph all day long!
Get yourself one along with a good quality road bike ( cycle) to work on your posture ; a few days of riding the roadie will align your posture ( and fitness too) and then it's gonna be smiles all the way!

The other closest bike is the RS457! Whichever u buy, ride safe and have blast!

Suzukis are actually close to my heart as my dad had a Max 100 and I grew up with it. Wish they launched the global twin cyliner VSTROM 250 here, instead of the single we have! Gotta agree with all you mentioned. Service can be if-fy I hear, but not to worry I guess. As for cycle, yes am gonna need one, not only to work on my posture, but also my newly discovered paunch lol

Will keep you all posted of my choice for sure! Thanks