Need Bike Advice · DIGIT-ARC

After Riding the same bike for the past 14 years its finally time to get a new One.

Some background:
I have driven many bikes which do not include any bike more than 150CC
I don't like cruisers and naked bikes
I am/was a cyclist so riding posture is not an issue with me. (read R15v2 and KTM RC)

Usage requirements: Weekend rides (not long ones), Need power to overtake and keep up with the traffic, Especially Inclines.

Options that I am considering

Yamaha R15
Yamaha R3 - need loan
Honda CBR 250R - need loan
KTM RC 200 - need loan

I have never driven the KTM bikes or Honda 250

But I have driven R15 a lot.

Breakdown:
R15
- I am getting this second Hand for 85k from a friend of mine. Special Edition, 3yr, 20k kms, single owner, never dropped.
The engine is nice and has good amount of power.
Build quality is nice and the bike feels fat.
Many people say its not comfortable. I feel its only uncomfortable when driven too slow.

R3
Well no idea really, it looks nice in photos and the reviews/videos make is look really desirable.
Very expensive

CBR250R
I like that the bike is quite fat with thick tyres
Single cylinder=vibrations
People say that the build quality is not that great. I don't know that they are talking about. The bike seems sturdy enough.
I sat on it once when it was parked at the office. It felt quite confortable.

KTMRC 200
I don't like its sound.
It sounds like a moped.
My friend says that it has mad acceleration
It is slightly more uncomfortable than R15
I like the styling and matte finish.

Please share your suggestions and opinions.

You didn't say - What is your Requirements though ? - City Commute @ Dense Traffic / Highway Commute / Pure Touring / Race Track @ Cornering.

None of Bike you mentioned suitable for City Commute during pick hours - They all getting uncomfortable at those situation.

I will suggest Honda CBR250R with ABS but that will be biased suggestion due to own one (STD Version) for past 5 Years.

Anyhow if you want Trouble Free Ownership Go For Honda...

KTM got some issues so a well equipped SVC must be nearby...

R3 is new and equipped with Slipper Clutch (as I heard) which Got it's own advantage / disadvantage plus replacement is expensive.

And R15 - you know about it all....

Get a small car in installments.

dissel said:
You didn't say - What is your Requirements though ? - City Commute @ Dense Traffic / Highway Commute / Pure Touring / Race Track @ Cornering.

None of Bike you mentioned suitable for City Commute during pick hours - They all getting uncomfortable at those situation.

I will suggest Honda CBR250R with ABS but that will be biased suggestion due to own one (STD Version) for past 5 Years.

Anyhow if you want Trouble Free Ownership Go For Honda...

KTM got some issues so a well equipped SVC must be nearby...

R3 is new and equipped with Slipper Clutch (as I heard) which Got it's own advantage / disadvantage plus replacement is expensive.

And R15 - you know about it all....

Well I live in bangalore which means traffic but I will not be using the BIKE for daily use.
It would be semi touring/short distance runs/ Highway commute.

I am planning to keep my splendor for traffic as it is light and easy to maneuver .

KTM RC 390 has slipper clutch and so does the ninja but I am not a racer.

I do like CBR but its getting kind of old now but I like the new color schemes.

R15 is the cheapest option for me but none of my friends like it. Even my friend who bought one last year does not like it as much and is considering to buy Hyosung Aquilla.

- - - Updated - - -

Dr. House said:
Get a small car in installments.

Mate, I don't like cars.
My whole family is behind me to get a car like I am someone that can not afford a car and neither do I have place to keep a car.
I have to take permission from my landlord for keeping 2 bikes or sell the old bike.

Take my words from a friends perspective
If you have to put in a loan in getting a bike it is actually a lot to ask. I personally never favor taking loan coz if I can't afford something I won't buy it and look for the option which I can buy without any hassle or anything. So I would prefer you looking in to R15 or even Pulsar200 and please do not take my words otherwise.

R15 is a good touring bike. My friends have been on long runs on that bike and yamaha build is extremely reliable. RC200 is also good but considering it is out of your budget i suggest the R15

$hadow said:
Take my words from a friends perspective
If you have to put in a loan in getting a bike it is actually a lot to ask. I personally never favor taking loan coz if I can't afford something I won't buy it and look for the option which I can buy without any hassle or anything. So I would prefer you looking in to R15 or even Pulsar200 and please do not take my words otherwise.

I hear you mate. If I save enough I can buy R15 New after 2 months from now. as I have saved up 1L already.
I was really hoping for a new bike as this will be my first bike from my own money and not my parents.

.jRay. said:
R15 is a good touring bike. My friends have been on long runs on that bike and yamaha build is extremely reliable. RC200 is also good but considering it is out of your budget i suggest the R15

My friend once went on a long ride to a place called ambur from Bangalore.
His 1 month old R15 died in the middle of the road due to a faulty kill switch relay.
Poor guy had to find a tow truck on a sunday night to come back.
His was a one off event but I'm just saying. There are many a people who can swear by the name of Yamaha's reliability.
I guess same goes for honda.

Bad times can come to any bike. I am not a big fan of R15 but the fact that you can buy it without loan is a big plus from my point of view.

Among your choices, its a no brainer that the newly launched Yamaha r3 is definitely the best performer... The initial reviews have been very positive...to be honest, based on the price, it can't be compared with the other listed ones due to the huge difference( twice the price!!)..I'd suggest KTM rc390 but as you have pointed out, the noise is not appealing...if you can wait a bit, full detailed reviews of Yamaha r3 will be out in a month or so...Honda was also planning to launch cbr300r, but there is no confirmation as of now( might release in November)..
If waiting is not an option, go with the old but trusted Honda cbr250r..
Ninja 300 is also an option.( expensive one though).

ThunderBird , ftw! [MENTION=148045]anirbandd[/MENTION]

$hadow said:
Bad times can come to any bike. I am not a big fan of R15 but the fact that you can buy it without loan is a big plus from my point of view.

I feel the same too, but I am afraid I may be making a hasty decision.

ashs1 said:
Among your choices, its a no brainer that the newly launched Yamaha r3 is definitely the best performer... The initial reviews have been very positive...to be honest, based on the price, it can't be compared with the other listed ones due to the huge difference( twice the price!!)..I'd suggest KTM rc390 but as you have pointed out, the noise is not appealing...if you can wait a bit, full detailed reviews of Yamaha r3 will be out in a month or so...Honda was also planning to launch cbr300r, but there is no confirmation as of now( might release in November)..
If waiting is not an option, go with the old but trusted Honda cbr250r..
Ninja 300 is also an option.( expensive one though).

I have also read many reviews of the R3 but as you said, its Expensive.
And as shadow said, I am asking for too much when I have to get a loan for a bike.

But I question to myself, is this my last bike? Who knows? Life is short. Live now or grow old and struggle to get off the chair.

Hrishi said:
ThunderBird , ftw! [MENTION=148045]anirbandd[/MENTION]

I am not talking about cycles

Gollum said:
I feel the same too, but I am afraid I may be making a hasty decision.

I have also read many reviews of the R3 but as you said, its Expensive.
And as shadow said, I am asking for too much when I have to get a loan for a bike.

But I question to myself, is this my last bike? Who knows? Life is short. Live now or grow old and struggle to get off the chair.

I am not talking about cycles

Wut....really ? It's Royal Enfield Thunderbird.

Hrishi said:
Wut....really ? It's Royal Enfield Thunderbird.

I am not interested in cruisers

Dude. Just test ride the R15 or RC200. Both of them are great bikes. RC200 is a track focussed machine and is essentially better than R15 at what it does but its almost twice your budget, hence i dindnt suggest it. Just test ride some bikes and im sure you will find out which one is right for you.

Mean while I am still happy with my pulsar 180

.jRay. said:
Dude. Just test ride the R15 or RC200. Both of them are great bikes. RC200 is a track focussed machine and is essentially better than R15 at what it does but its almost twice your budget, hence i dindnt suggest it. Just test ride some bikes and im sure you will find out which one is right for you.

You are right, I have not driven the rc200.

Frankly speaking I wont mind the sound when I drive it. Know what, every time a KTM is near, I know it just by the sound.
The only other bike that does that is a Royal Enfield or a Harley Davidson.

$hadow said:
Mean while I am still happy with my pulsar 180

see that's what I am talking about. Some people are happy with what they have. I get that.

But me, I've been happy. Happy for the past 14years riding the same old splendor. Would you be happy for that long?

Gollum said:
You are right, I have not driven the rc200.

Frankly speaking I wont mind the sound when I drive it. Know what, every time a KTM is near, I know it just by the sound.
The only other bike that does that is a Royal Enfield or a Harley Davidson.

Exactly, the sound isn't bad, i kinda like it, it grows on you. The first time i heard it i was like meh, but now i like it

Go with KTM RC 125 as it has mileage & style as well.

bssunilreddy said:
Go with KTM RC 125 as it has mileage & style as well.

RC125 isn't launched in india.

R15 is a great built bike, but as far I have read it's a track focused bike with a very aggressive riding position which makes it a poor bike when you are planning to do long tours and even in the traffic it will put lots of pressure on your wrist and back.

So basically, except for riding posture R15 has everything to impress me the looks, built, power and mileage. Don't you think it missed out on the most important thing?

The RC/Duke 390 uses Metzeler tires, which costs 21k a pair which needs to be changed after every 20kms or so... can do beyond if one rides a 390CC bike like a 100CC

Also the Synthetic Engine oil costs 2x the normal engine oil. The mileage of a 390CC bike is also something which I can't afford even after one year

But now that you will be using your Splendor for city riding you can consider getting the RC/Duke 390.

Now comes CBR which is good for the city as well as the highways. And I think you can't go wrong with a Honda.

RS200 is also a good bike which has optional ABS but that design is too much.

When it comes to riding comfort the best bike is RE (read Uncle's bike

), next comes CBR250 and the Karizma..

One thing I wont suggest is buying a 250CC+ bike for mostly city ride because that makes no sense to me and all other with limited money in their bank account.

Don't go for loan if you have to compromise with your standard of living.

If you are in urgent need then get one which has good resale value. Save up and get into higher progression for the one you dream to buy. But then again consider that if you are buying it for daily commute then it's better to invest in a good efficiency bike first and another one to satisfy your adrenaline craving.

If you don't have a safe parking area then do not invest in high value item. Chances of vandalism is higher.

kaz said:
R15 is a great built bike, but as far I have read it's a track focused bike with a very aggressive riding position which makes it a poor bike when you are planning to do long tours and even in the traffic it will put lots of pressure on your wrist and back.

So basically, except for riding posture R15 has everything to impress me the looks, built, power and mileage. Don't you think it missed out on the most important thing?

The RC/Duke 390 uses Metzeler tires, which costs 21k a pair which needs to be changed after every 20kms or so... can do beyond if one rides a 390CC bike like a 100CC Also the Synthetic Engine oil costs 2x the normal engine oil. The mileage of a 390CC bike is also something which I can't afford even after one year But now that you will be using your Splendor for city riding you can consider getting the RC/Duke 390.

Now comes CBR which is good for the city as well as the highways. And I think you can't go wrong with a Honda.

RS200 is also a good bike which has optional ABS but that design is too much.

When it comes to riding comfort the best bike is RE (read Uncle's bike ), next comes CBR250 and the Karizma..

One thing I wont suggest is buying a 250CC+ bike for mostly city ride because that makes no sense to me and all other with limited money in their bank account.

Aggressive riding position is the thing with R15. nothing else.

RC looks nice I feel its suspension is kinda soft. If not at least the pillion seat is soft to say the least. Girls dont like the seat of r15. Heck I dont like it.

Karizma? what the f is that? that is the ugliest piece of sh it on the road.

Faun said:
Don't go for loan if you have to compromise with your standard of living.

If you are in urgent need then get one which has good resale value. Save up and get into higher progression for the one you dream to buy. But then again consider that if you are buying it for daily commute then it's better to invest in a good efficiency bike first and another one to satisfy your adrenaline craving.

If you don't have a safe parking area then do not invest in high value item. Chances of vandalism is higher.

I dont have to change my standard of living. I just wont have much to save after paying the loan/emis every month.

But again I dont think my salary is going to go down. its only gonna rise. (fingers crossed

)

There is no urgency.
Every time my friends call me for a ride on a sunday or saturday I have to decline. They all have at least a 150 or a car.
I am always the last one cause my bike does not have have the grunt.

my parking spot is good. its a rented house with the owner living downstairs and the bikes are all parked in with no kids to touch the BIKE and the gate is locked at night and closed all the time in the day

For now I am thinking of dropping the idea of getting the 3yr old r15. What do you guys think?

Get the CBR 250

I think you will be good with either CBR250 or RS200

Gollum said:
Aggressive riding position is the thing with R15. nothing else.

RC looks nice I feel its suspension is kinda soft. If not at least the pillion seat is soft to say the least. Girls dont like the seat of r15. Heck I dont like it.

Karizma? what the f is that? that is the ugliest piece of sh it on the road.

I dont have to change my standard of living. I just wont have much to save after paying the loan/emis every month.

But again I dont think my salary is going to go down. its only gonna rise. (fingers crossed )

There is no urgency.
Every time my friends call me for a ride on a sunday or saturday I have to decline. They all have at least a 150 or a car.
I am always the last one cause my bike does not have have the grunt.

my parking spot is good. its a rented house with the owner living downstairs and the bikes are all parked in with no kids to touch the BIKE and the gate is locked at night and closed all the time in the day

For now I am thinking of dropping the idea of getting the 3yr old r15. What do you guys think?

Dude. RC has a stiff suspension, stiffest among the lot. Thats what helps it be the best in corners, but on the road even the slightest imperfection is felt. But still i say that could be something you'll get used to. Pillion seat is nice and the motor packs a lot of punch. I say you get a get that. I did and she will arrive soon. Its like I'm in love with her.

Other Than Karizma (if considered by op as it not listed in the first post) only CBR xxx offer anything close which can used as Pillion Seat.

Duke offer = Nil

R15 v2 offer = 1st Floor.

.jRay. said:
Dude. RC has a stiff suspension, stiffest among the lot. Thats what helps it be the best in corners, but on the road even the slightest imperfection is felt. But still i say that could be something you'll get used to. Pillion seat is nice and the motor packs a lot of punch. I say you get a get that. I did and she will arrive soon. Its like I'm in love with her.

looks like I have to take a test drive with one of my lady friends to see what is good and what is not.

dissel said:
Other Than Karizma (if considered by op as it not listed in the first post) only CBR xxx offer anything close which can used as Pillion Seat.

Duke offer = Nil

R15 v2 offer = 1st Floor.

I know r15, its high and not good for small people and most of my friends are small

the seat at the back is like a cycles seat, hard and stiff

Gollum said:
looks like I have to take a test drive with one of my lady friends to see what is good and what is not.

I know r15, its high and not good for small people and most of my friends are small
the seat at the back is like a cycles seat, hard and stiff

If you do get one then awesome, i didn't get a test ride for the RC, they said they don't give out test rides for RC because of the fairing, had to make do with a ride on Duke instead.

My brother will be picking up the YZF-R3 and is still eagerly waiting to test drive one. He was looking for a bike last year and was about to buy Ninja with loan but I insisted in not taking loan and try to save a bit more and it resulted in him having a good amount of saving and now he will be buying this on for about 3.7lakh.

One of my acquaintances got the new Suzuki Gixxer SF MotoGP Special edition recently. Have you considered that?

$hadow said:
My brother will be picking up the YZF-R3 and is still eagerly waiting to test drive one. He was looking for a bike last year and was about to buy Ninja with loan but I insisted in not taking loan and try to save a bit more and it resulted in him having a good amount of saving and now he will be buying this on for about 3.7lakh.

Thats awesome'. Ive heard its a pretty good bike.

$hadow said:
My brother will be picking up the YZF-R3 and is still eagerly waiting to test drive one. He was looking for a bike last year and was about to buy Ninja with loan but I insisted in not taking loan and try to save a bit more and it resulted in him having a good amount of saving and now he will be buying this on for about 3.7lakh.

Nice, When is he getting it? Has he booked it already. I heard they are taking booking for 10k.

SaiyanGoku said:
One of my acquaintances got the new Suzuki Gixxer SF MotoGP Special edition recently. Have you considered that?

Gixxer SF is not a sports bike, its more like an improvised one.
its got a regular handle bar and no disc brake at the back
And no fuel injection.
Its slower than R15.

Sure, its cheap but its not really the bike I want to invest in.

A

Help me regarding teflon coating

$hadow said:
My brother will be picking up the YZF-R3 and is still eagerly waiting to test drive one. He was looking for a bike last year and was about to buy Ninja with loan but I insisted in not taking loan and try to save a bit more and it resulted in him having a good amount of saving and now he will be buying this on for about 3.7lakh.

Anilraj said:
Help me regarding teflon coating

You can get that done at almost any service center in south India.

bssunilreddy said:
Go with KTM RC 125 as it has mileage & style as well.

- - - Updated - - -

KTM Duke/RC and Yamaha R15/R3 will be back breaking in bangalore traffic. also, not to mention that the engine fan WILL start within sometime in traffic jams.

but get them to an open road with good tarmac, and feel the world whiz by.

Honda CBR is sports tourer and Yamaha R is Racing and hence top speeds are more but the CBR is more comfortable than the R series.

R15/3 has no ABS. CBR has ABS versions.

Also, while you are in the market, it will worthwhile to check out and test ride the RS200. it ahs ABS too.

- - - Updated - - -

Anilraj said:
Help me regarding teflon coating

waste of money on two wheelers.

use wax. better and maintains the paint.

- - - Updated - - -
[MENTION=85950]Gollum[/MENTION] i will always recommend buying a new bike. there are always one issue or the other with 2nd hand bikes. unless you get it at dirt cheap rate, which certainly is @85k for a 3 yr old r15, it not worthy.

if you can buy the R3, nothing like it.

PS: sionce we are talking about bikes here, its only just that i mention the importance of a good quality helmet. for starters, if you can buy 2L bike, you can surely buy a 3k helmet. there are simply no comparisions between the well known helmet brands [LS2, SOL, MT, Kyt, Airoh etc] and the desi ones [Studds, Vega etc]

anirbandd said:
- - - Updated - - -

KTM Duke/RC and Yamaha R15/R3 will be back breaking in bangalore traffic. also, not to mention that the engine fan WILL start within sometime in traffic jams.

but get them to an open road with good tarmac, and feel the world whiz by.

Honda CBR is sports tourer and Yamaha R is Racing and hence top speeds are more but the CBR is more comfortable than the R series.

R15/3 has no ABS. CBR has ABS versions.

Also, while you are in the market, it will worthwhile to check out and test ride the RS200. it ahs ABS too.

- - - Updated - - -

waste of money on two wheelers.

use wax. better and maintains the paint.

- - - Updated - - -
[MENTION=85950]Gollum[/MENTION] i will always recommend buying a new bike. there are always one issue or the other with 2nd hand bikes. unless you get it at dirt cheap rate, which certainly is @85k for a 3 yr old r15, it not worthy.

if you can buy the R3, nothing like it.

PS: sionce we are talking about bikes here, its only just that i mention the importance of a good quality helmet. for starters, if you can buy 2L bike, you can surely buy a 3k helmet. there are simply no comparisions between the well known helmet brands [LS2, SOL, MT, Kyt, Airoh etc] and the desi ones [Studds, Vega etc]

Thanks mate.
r3 and CBR are at part with comfort.
R3 does not have an aggressive riding position and so its more upright and the rear suspension is adjustable. Which is a great plus point.

If not R3 then CBR for sure but I don't really care about ABS as I wont go so fast

for bangalore traffic I have splendor

and it still is difficult as hell to drive. your fingers get sore by riding the clutch.

Just waiting for showrooms to get the bike so that I can test ride it.

R3 and CBR at par in comfort? you sure?

coz R3 is more racing oriented and CBR is touring oriented.

and in touring oriented bikes the comfort is invariably better and more than racing oriented bikes. although, yes the R3 ought to be more comfortable than the R15.

But then, this is just my thoughts, coz i have not ridden the R3 yet.

anirbandd said:
R3 and CBR at par in comfort? you sure?

coz R3 is more racing oriented and CBR is touring oriented.

and in touring oriented bikes the comfort is invariably better and more than racing oriented bikes. although, yes the R3 ought to be more comfortable than the R15.

But then, this is just my thoughts, coz i have not ridden the R3 yet.

I saw a lot of video reviews on Youtube of R3 and everyone is saying that this will be good for daily commute.
I am yet to see someone compare it with CBR.
Although, I am liking the new color of the CBR250
*i0.wp.com/www.autosarena.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Honda-RevFest-2015-3.jpg?resize=440%2C326

Umm sorry for the late reply guys.
He paid 20k adv for res. [MENTION=85950]Gollum[/MENTION]

$hadow said:
Umm sorry for the late reply guys.
He paid 20k adv for res. [MENTION=85950]Gollum[/MENTION]

Hey I thought it was 10k for booking the bike.
It was all over the news

Gollum said:
Hey I thought it was 10k for booking the bike.
It was all over the news

It was kinda for making the res a bit more upward in the list :mrgreen: