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My journey from a Bajaj Pulsar 200 to a Honda CBR650R

16th April 2024, 17:30 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

Over the years, I owned many motorcycles such as Kawasaki Ninja 300, Yamaha R3 and TVS Apache RR 310. I even had the Yamaha MT-15 and Aerox 155 for a while.

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Hi all,

I am an architect with my own practice and I also teach at a private college full time based in Kerala. Slowly reaching the middle age category, happily married! Have been riding some form of two wheels since I was six starting from the Bajaj Sunny. I am not a hyper tourer, but have been using my bikes almost daily for my work.

Coming to my journey on two wheels, just like most other boys of our generation, I was waiting to get my license to get hold of a bike and start riding, though I used to ride scooters regularly before that. I have been lucky that my parents were more than supportive and got me a Pulsar 200 (black) in 2009. It was the DTSI version with the aluminium end can and drum brake at the rear. Absolutely loved it and learnt the nitty-gritty of bike riding from this bike. A year later, I plonked the Pulsar 220 front fairing and projector setup on it and enjoyed it for another year before selling it.

One of the few images I have. Those days were without smartphones.

The big bike buck had bitten. The Ninja 250R was launched in 2009, though I hardly knew anything about it in 2009. But come, 2010, 11 I was smitten by it and I had read almost all the posts on online forums.

I wanted the Ninja in lime green. It was also the time the CBR250R was launched, but something in me wanted the Ninja badly. Got the Ninja in November 2011 and enjoyed a good 6 years with it. Got riding longer distances and enjoying it. However, my profession did not entirely allow me to use it to its full potential. At a time when Kawasaki started jacking up their spares and service prices, I started to think it was time to change, but did not know what to get.

From our ride to Mahabalipuram from Chennai

I parted with him in 2018 and had almost decided to get the R3, but went with the RR310 which was newly launched in 2018. A decision I regret to this date. Going from a parallel twin to a single will never be appealing how much you try. Though both had almost the same power figures, the refinement and drivability were totally different. I never test rode the RR310 and went with the online reviews. The first batch of bikes had terrible vibrations and I could hardly feel my palms after a brief 20-minute ride.

From our ride to Mudaliyarkuppam, Chennai. My riding buddy since Ninja days.

Also, my short experience of riding the R3 was always at the back of my mind. The butter-smooth engine, vibe-free nature and comfortable stance were something I loved when I took the R3 for a short spin. It came back to bite me and I sold the RR310 in four months and got a pre-owned 2015 R3 as the new one was discontinued due to the BS4 norms back then and the new ones weren’t launched yet. Yes, selling a brand new vehicle and getting a three-year-old one… the cycle will repeat!

From our ride to Yelagiri

That began a journey knowing the bike inside out completely. I could completely strip down the bike fairings and put them back in less than half an hour. This was also the time I could afford to spend a lot of time with the bike on the weekends. I learnt a lot of things hands-on. Previously with the Ninja, I was scared because if anything went wrong, it would burn a hole in my pocket. But with the R3, I knew what I was doing and parts were relatively much cheaper. My profession allowed me longer and more frequent rides and I enjoyed every mile.

Then COVID hit and like many others, finances took a beating. The bike was lying around unused for months. I would start him up and ride around my apartment, keep him covered. I missed riding. But as things opened up, life brightened up and I started teaching as well and he started running again. A car purchase put an end to my daily use of the bike. I started loving car drives a lot more and occasionally took my bike for work.

Then the next lockdown hit us and that was when I had to really sell the bike to manage my finances and priorities. The decision was difficult but practical. I was hardly using the bike, it was nearly 6 years old and 45000kms and I was hardly getting time on the weekends to tour. Sold him for a very good price and was without a bike for nearly 9 months. The longest I have been after getting the license! I thought my bike life was done, I would never get another bike in my life. I sold all my bike-related stuff like the paddock, helmets, gloves etc. I even told my wife-to-be, I was no longer a biker. Innocent soul believed me only to be dismayed later!

From our ride to Munnar.

I got married in between by the way and my wife has been one of my biggest pillars of strength for such decisions. The ever-increasing fuel prices led me to the next purchase.

The Aerox 155. My travel of around 45kms daily through decent roads required something which was easy to handle and without gear, but rode and felt like a bike. The Aerox ticked all the boxes. I test rode it with a pillion and felt comfortable on normal roads as well as highways. It was set. But a week after I started taking it for work, I started developing pain from my head to toe. Every bump on the road was felt. Every little imperfection. I am 6 ft tall, probably the height also played a bit. I kept quiet for a while thinking I would adjust to it. But three months down the line, I was in complete pain because of the poor suspension setup on the Aerox. It’s a beautiful scooter and I absolutely love it and would purchase it again if I could. But I realized whatever engine you put in, a scooter is a scooter and it will never do what a bike does and commuting 45kms daily on a scooter is going to ruin my health.

Decided to part ways with it in three months and get an MT15 as it had a similar engine and economy figures. Once you become a family man, economy is something you consider on a priority basis! Got a new one and rode without any fuss. Great bike, but hard suspension again, but much better than the Aerox. But then it’s a single-cylinder engine with 19 PS power and I wondered whenever I rode it, why it felt different. I hadn’t ridden a single-cylinder engine bike daily for nearly 11 years. I pacified myself saying, it's serving its purpose. It's taking me safely and back and giving incredible mileage compared to the R3.

Fresh after taking delivery

But one day, just as I was scrolling through YouTube, I came across a video of some random 300cc bike and kept watching as I was jobless. Then, all of a sudden, there was this scene wherein the R3 emerges from behind traffic with both headlights on and he says, there’s nothing that beats this King in this segment. I still have that screenshot with me. The moment I realized what I was missing. That made me skip a beat. It made me think deeply. I missed the R3. I missed that parallel twin feel, the grunt, the comfort. I wanted it so badly.

The screenshot which changed my life.

Back then I also thought if I should get the R3 or get a used Ninja 650 instead. It would have more power and the absolute screamer of an engine was tempting. But the upkeep costs and budget constraints led me to the R3.

From Malampuzha ride with my wife

This was no easy job to convince my family. It was the third bike in less than 9 months and I am sure a lot of people would call me crazy. I told my wife; it was going to be my last bike as it’s the best in the segment and it’s a keeper. I picked up a pre-owned 2018-end R3 and sold the MT15. Yes, it repeats again! I followed my heart. A matte black monster. I removed all the red decals and made it absolutely stealthy. Replaced all the fiber parts as they had become aged. I did all that I could to keep him in the best shape possible. Made him as good as new, well almost as I was without any thoughts of an upgrade. He was doing all well and I started doing trips with my wife as well and she enjoyed them too. It was a lifestyle change for us. I had test-ridden the Triumph Trident and the Tiger 660 sometime back and realized their power is hardly usable in the city, but they were definitely addictive!

From Valparai ride

Completely black!

This was when I started thinking of planning an upgrade, well not immediately, but after a year. Initially, the plan was to get the USD forks on the R3. That was all I needed to make him perfect. But once the new R3 was launched and I started getting the spares prices, things started taking a turn. It would cost almost 70k for the system. My mind went like, “Should you spend that amount on a six-year-old bike? Rather get a used 650cc bike by putting in a bit more.” This thought struck and I started looking at options like Ninja 650, Trident 660, Tiger 660 etc. They all cost around 5-6 lakhs on the used markets. That’s when I got into the CBR650R category. It was going to be an upgrade. Why not go full monty?

After a lot of research and understanding the bikes and their maintenance, I figured out the Honda was the best choice as it offered an inline four, fairing, decent maintenance etc. The Ninja 650 was a parallel twin and I was worried that I would outgrow it very quickly. Had ridden the Trident, and though it felt great, I missed the fairing and inline-four feel. Then there was the Z900, but Kawasaki’s expensive maintenance kept me away from it. But here was a catch, the CBR was a very rare bike, hardly found on the used market, and those that were there were extremely priced. But I was in no hurry as I had a year to make this plan work. Also, the CBR was the most practical choice in terms of useability, maintenance, touring etc. It could go like a missile, but also potter around town. The pillion was comfortable, spares were cheap and an average of nearly 25 kmpl was perfect.

I spoke to my wife about the plan, though apprehensive in the beginning, she realized how much it meant to me and supported me with conditions…We fixed a budget and split it into three. A part would be achieved by selling the R3, the next would be a loan and the third was something I had to make additionally by doing something other than my work. When we reached that amount, we would get the CBR. As I said earlier, I am an Architect and an Assistant Professor. I started working in the evenings in another firm to get that additional income as well as learn new stuff which I thought was the best I could do rather than starting a YouTube channel or something as it's completely not my field. (No offense to YouTube channel owners, I enjoy your content)

I added a lot of CBR owners on Instagram just to get connected and see their lives with the bikes. Spoke to a few of them. This was in December 2023. And then I also test rode the CB 650R, to get the feel and it just felt amazing. The pillion was also happy and that was a positive. I checked Olx and kept finding high-priced less used ones way out of my budget. I had only seen one in my town, never ridden one. Saw one for sale and thought maybe I should at least try and sit on it, but it got sold before I could even see. There was another one on Olx which was within my budget, but after multiple attempts, I could not go and check the bike. Fate, I believe!

First taste of the 650 engine from Honda

The CBR I couldn't meet and missed - part 1

The CBR I couldn't meet and missed - part 2

By this time, I had realized that it was not going to take a year and my other family matters would not allow me this luxury at that point. Something my wife also agreed to. A CBR owner texted me on Insta stating his friend’s vehicle is up for sale, but it's priced high. I just asked him to send the details and I contacted the owner. We spoke and exchanged a number of texts, but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get it. I also got the number of the CBR owner in my place and told him I was looking for one. He incidentally told me there’s this bike which a dealer has and he will settle the deal without the Akra exhaust for an amount which was close to my budget. I immediately asked him for details and Tada! It’s the same bike. Felt like things were falling into place. I was traveling to Bangalore the next week for work and the bike was also in Bangalore. The dealer also told me to confirm quickly as the CBR in the used market sells like hotcakes. But I did not hurry. I wanted to see the bike and ride it in person and then decide. If not this one, something else would come!

First glimpse of my bike to-be through pics

I traveled to Bangalore and the first impression was not great. The bike is a 2022 model but it was covered with dust and mud and had bug splatter all over. It did not look like a 2-year-old bike. I rode the bike to see if that side was clean. And boy it was wonderful. The inline-four pull and symphony. I quickly got adjusted to the riding posture. The weight was felt at turns and slow speeds, but otherwise, it felt absolutely smooth. I discussed it with my friends who had accompanied me and they suggested we don't go by looks alone. If the engine is good, we can always get the bike cleaned and polished. I too felt it was right and it was hard to ignore the other goodies as well. The quickshifter, MRA visor, frame sliders, spools, fork sliders, extended warranty, engine warranty, RSA etc all come within my budget. I thought really hard about it and after a good night’s sleep, paid the token and confirmed the deal. The CBR650R was going to be mine. I asked him for a couple of weeks to arrange for funds and sell my R3 which he was more than happy to accept.

The big day. Saw him in person and it was decided.

The next two weeks were crazy! The R3 was not getting sold as I was already the third owner and it had done around 43000 kms. People wanted it for the price of an R15. That was creating pressure as I thought the R3 had great demand and it would get sold pretty quickly. Finally, someone came with a decent offer and I felt it was good enough and we agreed to close the deal within two weeks as he also had to get the funds ready. The second week, I asked the owner to change the Akra to the stock exhaust and that was when another bullet hit me. The ignition sensor failure light pops up on the CBR. I had booked tickets for Thursday night and Thursday evening, and this news hit me. The owner tells me, the service centre needs time till next Wednesday to sort it out. Not sure what to do, I had no option but to wait for further info from the service centre. Meanwhile, I got my funds ready and set for transfer without hiccups.

On Friday afternoon he called and confirmed it was just some wiring issue and it has been rectified. Now the exhaust swap is only pending which would be done by Saturday morning. So, I booked tickets for Saturday night after confirming with him thrice. I did not want anything to go wrong again. The exhaust swap is done, the bike is back and rolling. I got a call only late evening confirming this… absolutely tensed up until then. Settle the deal with the dealer for the akra and sort the balance funds. Board the bus with butterflies in my stomach. I was going to ride a superbike for such a long distance for the first time in my life; around 450kms with no one for company. It was the first ride on the CBR for so long.

Catch some sleep on the bus to ensure I am not tired for the long ride the next day. Reach on time in Bangalore. Freshen up at my friend’s place, have breakfast and leave. My mind is in one place, body is in another. The excitement, the joy, the fear, the tension everything just kept convoluting inside. Finally, reach the owner’s place and check the bike and ask my wife to transfer the funds confirming that the bike is perfect. It was dusty again and stuff, but I did not care. The fund transfer had one minor hiccup again, but my wife sorted it out and we were ready for the key handover. One of the biggest joys in my life had come true. I was the owner of an inline four beauty from Honda. Bid goodbye to the owner’s friend. The owner had gone to Mumbai to get his next superbike…

The official handover - I am the owner now.

Filled up the tank and headed to my friend’s place with him in his car as pilot. The roads were terrible, which gave me enough time to adjust to the slow speed capabilities of the CBR. Reached his home safely, packed up and got ready for the long haul. Bangalore to Thrissur. Glad his house is located in Electronic City, I could hit the highway within ten minutes. The first experience of opening the throttle made me smile ear to ear. It was pure joy. Took it easy for the first few kilometers before gaining speed. Soon, I was doing good speeds and covering good distances without any issues both to the bike as well as myself. The temperature was pretty high, but I was completely covered and the sun was not in my face. Stopped every hour to let my wife and friends know I was okay and the current location and hydrated myself with water and fruits.

Starting from Bangalore

Somewhere en route

Closer to the destination -Thrissur, Kerala

Kept going and at some point started feeling the rear tyre was losing grip. Stopped and checked but it had enough air. Thought it was my feeling. Finally, I reached home after a 7 hour ride including breaks. The only time it felt difficult was when the Sun was on my face from 4pm to 6pm between Erode - Coimbatore - Palakkad. Otherwise, it was perfectly smooth. I wasn't even tired, to be honest nor had any sort of body ache. Took my wife for a short spin before showing my parents my prized possession.

For a few days, I had the best of the Japs - The CBR 650R, the R3 and the Baleno.

The next week was spent getting to know him better. Getting the Puja done at the temple after a good wash, swapping the tyres and then finally handing him over for a good detailing session. Done! He looked as good as new and my OCD was satisfied. He was ready to go. The following week, I took him for a short 110km ride along with my wife to Athirappilly Falls near Thrissur, Kerala and back. Could not open him up much as the roads were all twisty and patchy, but the short stretch of highway was excellent. The next ride was with my close riding buddy to Travelounge, Walayar which is around a 150 kms ride. The roads were excellent but peppered with speed cameras. My plan is to take him for rides whenever possible on the weekends or holidays. I believe there’s no point in having a superbike in your garage and bragging about it. Looking forward to continuing this thread with updates about my bike and rides in the future. Hope you all like it.