Need BIKE Recommendation

R

Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy a bike. I'm choosing to buy it using EMI. I can pay upto 20k in advance. My preffred model is Pulsar 220/200 or (any CC bike from Pulsar series). I'm a novice in bike riding. Is this bike suits my need since I'm just a beginner. Many of friends are asking me not to buy the 220 variant since they're saying I'm not that much physically strong-enough(I'm a 5.8 footer and weighing about 60kgs, lean/slim, AND not a GYM goer) to handle this kind of heavy bike. But, I'm curious and ready to handle. Any feedback from a Pulsar user?

If you guys are not recommending Pulsar then which one would be best for me? I do not need recommendation for bikes costing over 1 Lakh.

What is your budget?
- upto 1 lakh.

Your height & body build (lean/medium/heavy).
- Height: 5'.8" , Build:LEAN/SLIM

Looking for 100cc or 125cc or 150cc or >200cc?
- 150 cc to 220 cc

How many KMs do you travel everyday?
- I will travel around 50 kms during weekdays, and 100 kms during weekends.

How do you intend to travel most of the times- Alone or with pillion?
- Mostly Alone (Sometimes a colleague might join me.

)

Looking for Naked/Semi faired or faired bikes?
-

Do you have preference to a certain brand or interested in any specific bike?
- Pulsar series

What do you want most out of your bike? (Mileage/Power).
- Pickup, Power.

Your place of stay and where you intend to buy it.
- Coimbatore.

What bikes have you owned in the past?
- None. This is my first bike.

How long do you intend to keep the bike?
- 5 yrs

since your are a novice in bike driving, i'd suggest you to postpone buuying a new bike and make do with a friend's or a 2nd hand bike.

first get familiar with gear shifting... you should know by second nature when to shift to which gear. since you will be wrong shifting while learning, it may risk breaking the gears. thats why better learn with a old bike.

also, when you are familiar with shifting techniques, go out into heavy traffic where you'll need all the presence of mind.

anirbandd said:
also, when you are familiar with shifting techniques, go out into heavy traffic where you'll need all the presence of mind.

That's the real test.

arrey Faunwa you are in Pune? cool.

Pune traffic = Hell.

R

anirbandd said:
arrey Faunwa you are in Pune? cool.

Pune traffic = Hell.

Come to Hyderabad.. You will know what traffic sense is all about. Being in traffic is one thing, fighting for the space in traffic is another thing.

rakesh_ic said:
Come to Hyderabad.. You will know what traffic sense is all about. Being in traffic is one thing, fighting for the space in traffic is another thing.

i was in Hyd for 3 months. the traffic volume was high, i concur, but it was much much more tamer.

in Pune the drivers dont know what traffic rules are. and the cops are meek spectators.

R

anirbandd said:
i was in Hyd for 3 months. the traffic volume was high, i concur, but it was much much more tamer.

in Pune the drivers dont know what traffic rules are. and the cops are meek spectators.

The roads are pretty wide in hyderabad. But the people who drive has zero traffic sense. I am very happy with the people here in bangalore. Atleast the people driving a car or any four wheeler or higher knows not to block the opposite lanes by driving though them unlike in Hyderabad

this is Incredible India!

lets stay on topic.

If you're comfortable driving bikes, you shouldn't have any problems with pulsar 220. tbh, the pulsar 220 is a good maneuverable bike..apart from the first 2-3 days, you should be able to do just fine.

NOw coming to 200 NS:

Which style do you prefer ?? Naked or faired ?

Performance wise the pulsar 200 NS trumps the 220 in every aspect..the 200 NS is just much better, meaner & faster than the 220.
The only field where the 220 is marginally better is the mileage section.
Otherwise, between the two, 200NS is much smarter choice.

Unless, you need a semi-faired bike (220), there's no reason why should skip the Pulsar 200 NS.

Get test drives of both the bikes & try driving them in small lanes or semi-crowded areas to get an idea whether you can handle them both or not.

S

I recommend rtr 160 or 180. Pulasr 200is k but mileage is less . whatever u buy don't go above 4rpm for first 5k kilometres and don't use synthetic oil.

R

ashs1 said:
If you're comfortable driving bikes, you shouldn't have any problems with pulsar 220. tbh, the pulsar 220 is a good maneuverable bike..apart from the first 2-3 days, you should be able to do just fine.

NOw coming to 200 NS:

Which style do you prefer ?? Naked or faired ?

Performance wise the pulsar 200 NS trumps the 220 in every aspect..the 200 NS is just much better, meaner & faster than the 220.
The only field where the 220 is marginally better is the mileage section.
Otherwise, between the two, 200NS is much smarter choice.

Unless, you need a semi-faired bike (220), there's no reason why should skip the Pulsar 200 NS.

Get test drives of both the bikes & try driving them in small lanes or semi-crowded areas to get an idea whether you can handle them both or not.

Dude, I'm driving Hero and TVS bikes very comfortably. I've got a license. How much mileage Pulsar 200 ns and 220 produce?

N

ramkumarvcbe said:
Dude, I'm driving Hero and TVS bikes very comfortably. I've got a license. How much mileage Pulsar 200 ns and 220 produce?

Pulsar 200 ns is a good pick but milage is around 40 . My friend owns a 200ns it is really peppy n hard to handle in high speeds despite of both disk breaking. Bajaj will soon launching a successor more than the current displacement decision is yours . I personally like enfield more durable and sturdy and comfortable. In sports category I like yamaha bikes . Decision is urs .

ramkumarvcbe said:
Dude, I'm driving Hero and TVS bikes very comfortably. I've got a license. How much mileage Pulsar 200 ns and 220 produce?

well, your opening post indicated otherwise.

R

Is 220 also hard to handle in high speeds?

depends on the rider.

how novice are you?/

If you intend to have the bike for 5 years, rule out TVS.
Pulsar 220 is not too high for you, but it may be a bit big for your shoulders (You said your are lean).

What ever you choose, get one with non racing ride posture. I suggest you go for 125 cc bikes which have a better balance between performance and fuel consumption. A fifth gear will help you get better mileage on long drives.

ramkumarvcbe said:
Dude, I'm driving Hero and TVS bikes very comfortably. I've got a license. How much mileage Pulsar 200 ns and 220 produce?

The 200 NS produces around 35-38 kmpl under normal conditions while the 220 produces around 40-42 kmpl.

like i said previously, its only marginally better.

Handling mostly depends on your end.. afaik, both 200NS & 220 are highly stable at high speeds .( i had no problems in handling both bikes at around 100-105 kmph)

If you want more mileage, the better option would be to wait for :

1. The New Pulsar 150 NS - This bike is heavily similar to the pulsar 200 NS in styling department. Ride dynamics will be upgraded & the Engine will tuned up for more power just like the 200. Mileage should be more than 45-48 kmpl ( expected ). However, bajaj is very quiet about its launching date.

it was earlier expected that it may launch the 150 NS at the end of Q2, but it now looks like it may be delayed to end of Q3.

2. The new Suzuki Gixxer 155C - This bike WILL launch at june-july end & is one of the awaited bikes of 2014. It has a all new 150 engine ( not from GS150R) & fine-tuned for boosted performance with decent mileage.
This will be the Suzuki flagship model in india & will compete against FZ, Dazzler, P150, RTR160... If possible, wait for this bike to launch.

*1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.motoroids.com/motoroids.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Suzuki-Gixxer-155cc-motorcycle-india.jpg,Mce_.Bjzfx4an4d.jpg.pagespeed.ce.Bjzfx4an4d.jpg

3. TVS Apache RTR160- One of the most robust bikes out there. Performance is good & mileage is also good. The only problem most people have, is with the Company's name & reliability - TVS.

haha jumping around 150cc bike go for 350/500cc enfield like a man.

R

ashs1 said:
The 200 NS produces around 35-38 kmpl under normal conditions while the 220 produces around 40-42 kmpl.
like i said previously, its only marginally better.

Handling mostly depends on your end.. afaik, both 200NS & 220 are highly stable at high speeds .( i had no problems in handling both bikes at around 100-105 kmph)

If you want more mileage, the better option would be to wait for :

1. The New Pulsar 150 NS - This bike is heavily similar to the pulsar 200 NS in styling department. Ride dynamics will be upgraded & the Engine will tuned up for more power just like the 200. Mileage should be more than 45-48 kmpl ( expected ). However, bajaj is very quiet about its launching date. it was earlier expected that it may launch the 150 NS at the end of Q2, but it now looks like it may be delayed to end of Q3.

2. The new Suzuki Gixxer 155C - This bike WILL launch at june-july end & is one of the awaited bikes of 2014. It has a all new 150 engine ( not from GS150R) & fine-tuned for boosted performance with decent mileage.
This will be the Suzuki flagship model in india & will compete against FZ, Dazzler, P150, RTR160... If possible, wait for this bike to launch.
*1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.motoroids.com/motoroids.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Suzuki-Gixxer-155cc-motorcycle-india.jpg,Mce_.Bjzfx4an4d.jpg.pagespeed.ce.Bjzfx4an4d.jpg

3. TVS Apache RTR160- One of the most robust bikes out there. Performance is good & mileage is also good. The only problem most people have, is with the Company's name & reliability - TVS.

thanks a lot, for your valuable suggestions, ash1.

Do you think Suzuki Gixxer will be that much awesome? Can you tell me more.abt it?

N

ashs1 said:
Handling mostly depends on your end.. afaik, both 200NS & 220 are highly stable at high speeds .( i had no problems in handling both bikes at around 100-105 kmph)

.

It jumps to 60 in less than 4 seconds and 100 in 10 seconds and its top speed is about 150 kmpl so I don't think u can ride a bike with 23 horse power at slow speed . You need good biking skills to control that bike at the right time

ramkumarvcbe said:
thanks a lot, for your valuable suggestions, ash1.

Do you think Suzuki Gixxer will be that much awesome? Can you tell me more.abt it?

yeah, i think Gixxer will be a game changer..
More info on Gixxer150 here : *www.autocarindia.com/auto-reviews/new-suzuki-gixxer-first-look-review-372573,0.aspx

R

Ash1, any idea on Fazer and FZ R, dude?

ashs1 said:
yeah, i think Gixxer will be a game changer..
More info on Gixxer150 here : *www.autocarindia.com/auto-reviews/new-suzuki-gixxer-first-look-review-372573,0.aspx

ramkumarvcbe said:
Ash1, any idea on Fazer and FZ R, dude?

There is a newer model of FZ on the line from yamaha..It is expected to be releasing around july-august..
the FZ update is expected to have a new 170cc 17PS carburetted motor which is essentially a bored out version of the old 153cc engine.

There are some changes in the styling department too :
Kick-starter will not be present..Exhaust is more stylish...split seats and split grab rails are introduced..& other minor changes.

The price will be slightly higher than the current price of FZ.

FZ-S concept at India auto expo :

*www.indiancarsbikes.in/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Yamaha-FZ-S-Auto-Expo-2014.gif

no kick starter??

what happens when the electronic ignition goes kaput??

if there's some problem with the electronic ignition, i guess, the only option with the user is to call for servicing..

But, the electronic ignition are built for rough usage..the chances of these electronic ignitions going kaput are extremely extremely low..They normally don't give much problems..

Even Pulsar 220/200ns/r15/cbr250 don't have kick starters

not a good idea IMO.

kick starters are fail safes.

moreover, its a good practice to start the engine by kick starting when starting it for the first time of the day. i follow it.

R

Guys, mileage wise which one is best? Pulsar 150 & 180?

R

Bump.

ramkumarvcbe said:
Guys, mileage wise which one is best? Pulsar 150 & 180?

the pulsar 150 will surely give you much better mileage than 180..but, the difference won't be very vast..for e.g. If pulsar 150 gives you around 55 kmpl, you can expect the P180 to deliver around 45 kmpl.

My vote goes to 200NS

R

Thank you, ashs1 and flyingcow. You guys are really helpful. I'll surely post the review after buying and using it. Thanks

Not to hijack OP's thread but I do have a query and I don't wanna start a new thread for it. Will it be better to wait for the launch of Gixxer or the new line of FZ than to buy FZS now?

my personal opinion would be to wait it out if possible..The 150-200cc bike market hasn't seen many new models in 2013.. Gixxer & the new FZ sounds promising...
The current FZS is a good choice, but since the launch is almost here, it would be wiser to wait.

& not to forget, Bajaj WILL BE releasing a new Discover150F.
The F stands for faired ( probably) ..In terms of looks, it will be similar to the current Pulsar220 & pricing will be slightly higher than the Discover125ST..& ofcourse, mileage will be good too, just like the discover series.

^^ Thanks for opinion. I'll wait. I never really liked the looks of Discover series, but if its gonna look like 220 then it'll be worth the wait!! Thanks again buddy!!

I was also about to buy FZS but now I will wait. When new line of FZS is expected to come?

nikku_hot123 said:
I was also about to buy FZS but now I will wait. When new line of FZS is expected to come?

There is no given timeline as to when the bike will be launched. However, most sites ( with trusted sources ) suggest that the new FZ will be launched either towards the end of May or sometime during June.
I think we can assume that it should be launched within 2 months ( atmost ) !

^^Will the launch of new FZS push the cost of current gen down?? Hope it does. FZS is 88k in B'lore!!

M

Why Pulsar?

^^ What do you mean by "Why Pulsar"?