[cool.aquarian]

Hi..looking for advice which bike to go for..
I am a single guy in early 40s, about 5'7" height medium built.
Only bike which I owned before was Bajaj Discovery 125, which served me very well with good balance of looks and performance. I wouldn't mind anything similar or better than that.

Here are my focus areas in the order of priority high to low:

• Between 125 to 160cc engine.
• Mainly to be used for 20-25 min x2 daily office commute and running errands in a metro city
• Smooth gearbox
• Comfortable ride with good seat, soft/medium front/rear suspension and weight distribution on handle bar.
• Good safety features like Disk brakes, ABS(dual channel), rear mirror size, horn and bright lights.
• Spare parts should not be issue in next 7-10 years
• Decent tyre profile for grip(not too thin tyres)
• Covered chain (less maintenance)
• Other bells and whistles like digital display, USB, Bluetooth(nice to have)
• Mileage: anything better than 45kmpl
• Budget: less than 1.75L on road

Some options I have in mind so far are Honda SP 125, Unicorn, Suzuki Gixxer, Hero Xtreme 125,...
Please help me decide by providing your valuable advice among above or any other model which fits my requirement better.

[BullettuPaandi]

I suggest the RTR 160 & the FZ 250. Just a word of caution to get you up to speed if you were out of the loop: the Unicorn isn't what it used to be. BHPian Vagabond27 made a informative thread on this; will link it here (2023 Honda Unicorn Review BS6 OBD2 & Problems Faced).

Since you mention Dual Channel for ABS specifically, Apache 160 ticks most of your boxes. But I don't know about smooth shifts and suspension. Yamaha's FZ 250 is worth checking out, although over your CC requirement, specifically for smooth shifts and supple suspension. I used to own an FZ 150, which I know for sure has one of the smoothest transmissions in the segment, but the seat was comfortable enough for even a 19 years old me. I find most split seats uncomfortable, but the FZ 250 didn't feel as such for some reason.

[SaurAswale]

Any reason you have not considered and Electric 2-wheeler?

In my opinion, while electric cars still need some time to mature, 2 wheelers/ scooters absolutely make sense. Especially for city use with traffic. On road price is similar to ICE bikes. In 1.5L you can get a decent scooter. Running cost is negligible, requires less attention and maintenance.

Since your commute is 25 mins in a metro city, I am assuming 7-8 km one way or 15 km a day. Anything with 100km range will work. You will need to charge it once a week. Only you have to ensure if you can charge it at your home or office. One of my relative has got an EV scooter for same use and light bill hiked by only 80-100rs, a laughable amount for the utility offered. Additionally, all of them offers decent tech. Keep the discover in case you need something for longer rides.

If you are considering bikes only, Apache RTR 160 is a very strong product. We bought one last year for my brother and we're happy with it. Even you want to go on occasional long rides, there is enough performance and comfort. You can expect a little less mileage than 45, which won't matter much if your running is limited. (Hardly 200rs difference per month for 20km/day)

Best luck!!

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by BullettuPaandi

Yamaha's FZ 250 is worth checking out....

FZ250 is no longer on sale. It was discontinued on 2023 (I think).

https://www.yamaha-motor-india.com/yamaha-bikes.html

[Bane214]

Hi cool.aquarian,

I would suggest you to check out TVS Ronin in addition to your choices.
1. The mid variant would be in your budget. Misses out only on adjustable levers and bluetooth. Also with your limited city usecase, is bluetooth connectivity a mandatory requirement.
2. The suspension tuning on Ronin is on softer side, perfect for city. It has USD front with monoshock in rear.
3. Availability of digital display
4. Has covered chain
5. Little higher engine capacity than you mentioned
6. Bigger profile tyres than all of 125-150cc range bikes

Please do a test ride and have a thorough evaluation. Looking forward to your updates on the search and buying experience.

[Ratan Prabhu]

TVS Apache RTR 160 4v is the best all rounder in the 1.5L to 1.7L price bracket. Other than covered chain, it will satisfy all the remaining points. Also it will be a nice upgrade over your Bajaj Discover 125.

If you want a simpler bike yet fulfil most of the points, check out Hero Xtreme 160R and Yamaha FZ150. However, these 2 bikes will feel underpowered and won't be a substantial upgrade over your current bike considering you intend to use it for 7-10 years.

[It's Magic]

Originally Posted by cool.aquarian

Some options I have in mind so far are Honda SP 125, Unicorn, Suzuki Gixxer, Hero Xtreme 125,...

I would suggest considering a few other options like the TVS Raider, Honda Shine, and Bajaj Platina.

They are well known as daily riders and provide good value for money. You can also check out the Bajaj Freedom 125 CNG bike; you might like it.

[revhappy]

There are 3 bikes in 160 segment and you can test ride all 3 and see which one suits you
Hero Xtreme 160
TVS Apache RTR 160
Bajaj Pulsar NS160/N160

Personally I would choose the Duke 200

[throttleAddict]

Fellow RTR 160 4v owner here since 2018, most refined and smoothest sub 200cc bike that you can get. I’m getting 42 Kmpl in sedate driving within city and it’ll easily climb up speeds when you want it and the sweet sounding dual barreling exhaust is amazing.

[maverick029]

Why not consider unicorn 160? Both SP and Standard variants are comfy, engine is good, quite cheap to own and maintain. Unless you are looking for sporty commuter Unicorn is kind of perfect as you sit quite straight. Apache, extreme and Pulsars while great in their own right cannot match the comfort on the unicorn i feel and hondas have been known for being cheap to run and maintain.

[shankar.balan]

Would you not consider an e bike? I think one of those might do you very nicely indeed.

I, for one, am waiting to see what the new Enfield Flying Flea will be like. It is likely to launch in 2026 they say.

[Mukunthan91]

Honda Hornet 2.0 would be ideal choice. But why not try the electric scooters from Ather and TVS (I would stay away from OLA ). It perfectly fits your budget and its also fun to ride and easy on pocket.

[pravint]

If main usage is to run family errands, nothing beats Shine/ Unicorn/ SP 160. Low on maintenance, easy sitting position for ladies (almost flat and wide seat).

All wannabe sport bikes dont offer comfort and convenience offered by regular commuter bikes.
SP 160 offers ABS, good tyres and good honda reliability.

[Sebring]

I would suggest the latest NX 200 from Honda.

Slipper Clutch
Super smooth engine
Reliable
Good mileage
Heavy on features
Comfortable seat
Great rider triangle
Good service

[cool.aquarian]

Thank you for suggestions. Very insightful.

How is Yamaha Aerox ? Seems like a good balance for city ride + highway with automatic transmission.

For electric option, I might lean towards Ather 450X, but tbh most current electric bikes in this price range look more like delivery boy vehicles (apologies in advance if I hurt anyone's sentiments.. I've delivered far too many pizza's in gta to ignore this observation)