Bike for a 6 ft tall guy returning to motorcycling after 15 years

I am a sucker for neo-classics and my dream bike is the Triumph Speed Twin 1200. I also like some of the Royal Enfields like the Shotgun 650, Guerrilla 450, and the Scram 411.

BHPian hot_wheels recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Okay, so I decided to return to motorcycling after almost 15 years. I am in my early 40s. After getting married, I gave up motorcycling (not consciously) and completely used cars for both commute and long trips. Now, I started to miss the joy of motorcycling and want to slowly get into it. Although I want to eventually get a higher capacity tourer (preferably a sports tourer), I am thinking of starting with a decent low-capacity city bike to say dip my toes and see how it goes. I also have a back issue from a past injury, so want to take it slow to begin with. My current use case will be occasional city commutes and weekend city outskirts rides with friends.

I am a sucker for neo-classics and my dream bike is the Triumph Speed Twin 1200. I also like some of the REs like the Shotgun 650, Guerrilla 450, and the Scram 411. I like the Triumph Scrambler 400 X as well. I am 6'1'', so would appreciate a riding stance that is not too cramped. So far I have test driven only the Guerrilla. While the bike looks good and feels powerful, I felt the bike is too low-slung and the pedal placement too high that it didn't feel very comfortable.

Ultimately I prefer a neo-classic roadster/scrambler design. I am not interested in the Himalayan as it's very purpose-built and I don't want to ride an ADV in the city. I was also a bit overwhelmed by Bangalore traffic when I test rode the Guerrilla. Taking the handlebar after so many years I experienced the insane chaos of the Bangalore traffic, particularly the two-wheelers, autos, and mini trucks. I know I will get used to it shortly but it would immensely benefit me if my future bike is relatively easy to manoeuvre in the city. That said for me beauty and proportion are very very important and it doesn't matter how good the bike is to ride if I don't stare at it to derive pleasure.

I request experienced T-BHP bikers to offer their pearls of wisdom to help me find the right one for my needs and tastes.

Here's what BHPian Ratan Prabhu had to say about the matter:

More often than not, I find myself recommending the Triumph Scrambler 400x for some or the other reason.

At 6'1, the tall stance of the Scrambler 400x would suit you perfectly. It has good low end torque so city riding won't be difficult, capable on the highways, linear power delivery which won't feel scary (since you will be starting to ride after many years of gap). Very comfortable ergonomics. The front brakes are spongy. But from what I've read, switching to sintered brake pads improves the experience.

Other than this, In case you want a more chill ride with lower power, you can try the Suzuki V-Strom 250. It isn't really an adventure bike but more of a comfortable adv looking sports tourer which can do a bit of "bad roading". It also has comfortable ergonomics, smooth engine, linear power delivery.

So my vote goes for Triumph Scrambler 400x followed by Suzuki V-Strom 250. Both will fulfil your requirements.

Here's what BHPian timuseravan had to say about the matter:

I would strongly recommend you to check out the BSA Gold Star 650. It is a surprisingly fantastic bike. I am in the same age group and 6' and found the Gold Star had a very comfortable seating posture. The bike has good low end to potter around in the city and yet it can pull fast enough that it is faster to 100 than the Interceptor!

Below that I would suggest either the Scrambler 400x or the Scram 411.

Here's what BHPian MileCruncher had to say about the matter:

Good to see that you want to get back to motorcycling. You are part of the rising trend captured in this thread.

I think you have captured some pertinent points very well. I would like to point them out a bit more for your consideration.

• 15 yr hiatus from biking and mainly using a car means you are not used to the agility required for bikes
• In the last 15 years bikes have gotten heavier. Significantly.
• Riding a motorcycle beyond an hour at a stretch requires a good core and back. You have a bad back.
• Plus during the test ride, you were slightly out of sync in the traffic

What if after a couple of rides, you realise that this motorcycling business is too much to handle and is affecting your back? You realise it's not worth the trouble to spoil your back and disrupt your regular life.

The 400cc and above used bike market is full of low-run specimens. The higher CC you go, the more you see its prevalence. Because people buy the bikes but then realise that either time, health, other commitments or all are not permitting enough riding to justify a vehicle at home.

Hence, my contrarian view will be, Buy a Used Xpulse. Ride it for 6 months to see how motorcycling fits back into your life. Once you have a little more clarity, buy a bigger bike.

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