Comfortable multi-cylinder motorcycle under 10 lakh for a 40-yr-old

After riding my Kawasaki Versys 650 for four years and 20,000 km, I have overgrown it and looking to upgrade.

BHPian StepUP! recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello there!

I am seeking this community's advice/help in deciding on my next bike. Before that, just a bit of background - My current ride is, rather was, a Versys 650. 5 years old, odo stands at 20000kms. Before this, I had a CBR250R.

While CBR was a good bike, my wrists always hurt due to the sporty riding position. No matter how much I tried to correct my posture. I was in my late twenties then.

I went for Versys in my early thirties, it being an ADV has great suspension comfortable for long rides. It has enough grunt to keep up with superbikes, the engine is typical Japanese, low-speed high gears very much doable. Mild off-roading is a breeze.

However, after riding it for 4 years, I have overgrown it. With its advantages, I think it has its own flaws:

• I never felt connected to the bike, I sit on the bike and not in the bike. While it dismisses bad roads with aplomb, on the highway or taking corners, it feels usually boring. Don't get me wrong it has a superb chassis to lean in corners but this being a high CG bike, after you lean in, to get back in line, that nervousness is always there. Of course, attributed to my limited skills as well.
• Always top heavy
• Heavy 230+ kgs weight with high CG becomes scary to manage in traffic and tricky situations like when you have to stop on a slope or while coming to halt, your leg is on a slippery surface or in a ditch. For reference I am 5'9" and with riding shoes, I have to tip toe. I could never flat feet when in the saddle.
• Lacks character. Engine note is meh.

With a heavy heart, I let it go. Versys took me to so many places and a lot of beautiful memories are associated with it. Rode her to many forts, lakes, dams, and ghats around Pune. But I am convinced it's the right decision. I was not riding it much for many months.

What I want in my next bike:

• Budget max 10 lakhs OTR
• Not too much downgrade in terms of power
• Shouldn't be top-heavy, lesser the weight, the better.
• Comfortable to ride. I am 40 now and don't want to strain my back, wrists.
• Twin or more cylinders, no single-cylinder bikes.
• Open to pre-owned route.
• Reasonable ASS and maintenance.
• No Japanese.
• No cruisers.
• No KTMs

Am I asking too much?

My rides are weekend breakfast rides and sometimes to work which is 40kms to and fro.

Only 2 bikes come to my mind:

• Aprilia RS457 (actually it's RS660 but it's out of budget)
• Street Triple

Please suggest if the above are the right choices, and if there are more bikes to consider fitting my requirements.

PS - I haven't taken any test rides yet but soon will do.

Thank you!

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say about the matter:

Candidly, yes. I’d encourage you to think through this list and perhaps break it up into the ‘non-negotiable’ conditions and the ‘good to have’ ones. That might help you broaden your options list a bit more.

”Should not be too much of a downgrade”: That rules out the 457. As does perhaps the unknown on maintenance.

From the above shortlist of two, a sparingly used Street Triple R would suit your requirements quite well. You could also consider the Trident 660 perhaps. Again a nice enough motorcycle in its own right but the Street Triple will just be much nicer if you can snare a good one.

If you are open to classics you could also consider the classics range from Triumph. They’re heavier than the above two but not top-heavy. You’ll again need to go slightly used to make it fit in 10 lakh.

I can’t think of much else from your listed requirements, which applied strictly rule out most other options.

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

Aprilia RS457 may run into issues during servicing and spares because they don’t have market penetration for the foreseeable future.

Street Triple while being a huge upgrade to your Versys power wise will also be a huge downgrade comfort-wise. The rider triangle is decently committed and could get cramped which will not suit you either. I have owned this bike hence speaking from ownership experience.

I would suggest a brand new Kawasaki Ninja 500 (forget your no Japanese clause) which has just been launched and will fit in your budget. It will not be too much of a downgrade power-wise because it’s much lighter than the Versys 650 (~170 kgs versus ~230 kgs) and power delivery should be more direct. It should be comfortable to ride and own with Kawasaki service which should be better than Triumph and surely Aprilia.

Take a test ride with an open mind and see if it floats your boat. All the best.

Here's what BHPian Sudarshan42 had to say about the matter:

How about the Triumph Trident 660 or any of the other 660 triples (Tiger, Daytona) from Triumph? I know service is a hit or miss, but this will be the ideal upgrade given your constraints.

If not that, also consider the Honda Transalp or the CBR650R. The latter is a bit long in the tooth now, but given that it's a Honda inline 4, should be a decent upgrade. Another wild card can be the Z900, provided your no Japanese caveat is flexible.

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

Since the CBR250R used to put a strain on your wrist, I think the Aprillia and Striple will do the same. You may want to consider Triumph Bonneville or Street Twin. In the used market these two will come in between 5 to 7 lakhs. The classics offer you a no-fuss pure riding pleasure, a thumpy torquey engine, extremely healthy weight distribution that wouldn't feel top heavy at all and you can easily flat foot them. I own a Street Twin and I am very happy with what it delivers.

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