[neil.jericho]

DeKay, first off, is your friend looking at a true blue sporty litre class naked? Or something close? In the Indian motorcycle community, owning an actual 1000 cc motorcycle is completely different from owning an upper middleweight motorcycle. Also is your friend open to used motorcycles as well?

If he wants a new naked 1000cc motocycle, then there isnt any option in that budget, barring the Speed Twin. But as GoBlue mentioned, that does heat up a lot in city traffic. Yesterday, a fellow enthusiast picked up one and shared that it does get quite hot.

If he wants preowned old school naked litre class bikes, he can get the Yamaha FZ1, Honda CB1000R, Kawasaki Z1000, Suzuki GSX S1000, Triumph Speed Triple 1050, BMW S1000R, Benelli TNT 1130, Aprilia Tuono etc.

If he wants preowned upper middleweight motorcycles, he can look at the Z900 (800), Triumph Street Triple (675 / 765 S / 765 RS), Honda 650s (CB650F, CBR650R, CB650R), Suzuki GSX S750, KTM Duke 790, Ducati 821 etc.

However, what your friend wants and what your friend needs, are two different things altogether. If he is going to be commuting 200 to 250 kilometers every week, then a litre class bike makes no sense. He will commute with it for a month and then he will get tired of having bulging muscles on his left hand, scalded thighs and overall irritation, by the time he gets home every night. And then he will take his R15 or his Leoncino to work.

My suggestion is that he gets something light, flickable, reliable and user friendly. The Honda CB650R fits what he needs perfectly. As do most other middleweight motorcycles that I listed above. The Honda just seems to do balance the urban commute and the highway fun rides, better than its competition.

[jackofsome]

I would put my perspective here.

You should get just one motorcycle there is and that is the Triumph Street Triple RS. Sure its not a Litre class naked but bear with me:
You wont get any litre class naked fresh out of the showroom for that price
The RS is a motorcycle which is very mature looking, has enough power to get you in trouble unless you ride on the racetrack all the time.
Its even lighter than a 790 Duke. The rest of the competition does not hold ha candle in this department.
Its got the best exhaust note money can buy (strictly my perspective)
Its crafted beautifully
The service is decent and parts availability as well (in most cases)
It has got a brilliant aftermarket ecosystem.
Its perfect for your friend's stature.
It can do it all- That commute, that racetrack weekend, those twisties and Ladakh as well if you wish to.
And the best part of all- that bidirectional shifter is the best that money can buy trust me. It will elevate your experience as a rider.
I suggest you take a test ride, i believe you will fall in love.

PS- Owned a Striple 675 for quite some time.

[Sebring]

With this specification I'd suggest just the Honda 500X. Not a litre class (in fact half) but what the heck! I'm 5'5" and loved every bit of the extended testride. The engine doesn't heat up on your way to work. Suitable for your regular rides. Seat is super comfy for long distances. Doesn't tire you out. Ample power on tap. Maneuvering is so easy. Do consider it. New launch is in April

Originally Posted by DeKay

I'm 5'5" tall and I'll be using the bike quite regularly to travel to work (~200-250 kms every week), so ride comfort is important.

[imp!]

I own a Street Triple RS and it's one fantastic bike. For a primary commuter though, I'd go with a Z900. It's more comfortable and the suspension is better suited to bad roads. Maintenance costs too are significantly lower.

[DeKay]

First of all, thank you all for the all the suggestions. Really appreciate it.
I read through the thread and tested a couple more bikes as per the suggestions made:

1) Triumph Street Triple RS: I had this in mind, but never really liked the appearance of it. But after all the suggestions here, I tested it today. No doubt an amazing piece of machinery, but I just couldn’t get past how it looked. Also, it’s got quite a sporty riding position, not too keen on that. Oh, and the heat…
2) Ninja 1000SX – Yep, I tested this. But I found it to be a little tall for me. And with around 240kgs, wasn’t very easy to manoeuvre. One more thing I should mention is that I’m getting this bike in my company’s name. And corporate registration for CKD units are a lot more expensive. On road price was going over 17 Lakhs (source: Kawasaki Showroom Andheri)
3) BMW S1000R – Way beyond my budget for now. Maybe the next one.
4) Honda CB1000R – This was only available as a “Made to Order” in 2020 (or so I was told by Honda Bigwing Topline (Andheri)). Not available anymore.
5) Triumph Speed Twin: Looks similar to my Benelli, didn’t test it.

Apologies to anyone if my use of the word ‘litre class’ mislead some of you, I am happy with anything around 900cc.

I ended up booking the Z900, and one of the biggest reasons was its heat management. I tested all the bikes between 1pm to 4pm today and it was quite hot here in Mumbai. No other bike held up as well as the Z900. It’s got comfortable riding ergonomics, plenty of power and amazing sound. Only thing I would have liked is some better colour schemes, both the colour variants are quite underwhelming. But overall I found it to be the best option.

Once again, thank you all! Ride safe!

[bf1983]

Congrats and good choice. For a do it all bike the Z900 is a great choice.

[RT13]

I came here to suggest the new Hypermotard RVE but see you’ve already booked the Z900. Wonderful bike. And you just can’t put a price on Japanese reliability and peace of mind imo. Congrats!

[krishsreedharan]

Congratulations on your booking the Z900! It is one hell of a bike - it can be a very docile commuter when you want and can be an absolutely bonkers hooligan when you want. It is pretty comfortable from the word go and heat management is awesome.

I am soon to cross 21k kms on mine and its my daily commuter. Even now, it brings a big smile to my face every morning when I start it up to ride to work.

Wish you miles and miles of smiles!