R2CRAWFORD

Hi Guys -

Firstly I want to thank you all for the great work u r doing in this website!!I beleive u would be helping me too in getting a new bike..

I am from chennai,27 yrs,height 5.7,weight 70 kg..I have not been riding regularly until i was 23 yrs old

Reasons

1)Never liked borrowing bikes

2)father scolded me when i have put down his bike during my learning days in school..after which i never touched that bike although i go in pillion..

At 23,when i joined my first job I was in need of a bike so my father was generous enough to give his bike as he was having problems driving it..that was a HH CD100..I had no intentions of using it in the city but as i was still not comfortable with city riding by that time i took it..on a additional note my father has ran the bike to only 18000 kms in 15 long years...and the bike was in very good shape..after a couple of months when i have got the confidence to ride in city, i thought of having this bike sold..but much to my disapointment it was not considered for a price of more than 7000 rs even though its engine still had a life of more than 100,000 kms ahead..

So I made some changes to it like

1)got the passion head fitted
2)changed handle bar
3)coloured wheels rim with red
4)had stickers all around

I managed to drive with it for 4 long years and have now driven 50000 kms..its still running good but I have now made the decision to buy a new BIKE and keep CD100 for rough uses(visit to T.NAGAR etc)

OK What i need in my new bike?i am not a bike geek so here are my basic requirements

1)60+mileage
2)good style(dont want to regret later in my 40s that i never drove a sporty looking bike)
3)less maintenance cost and time
4)should be comfortable for pillion seater(my wife -she sits both sides mostly and one sided atleast 25%)
5)solid braking
6)good service network

I personally dislike the products of the following for various reasons

Yamaha
Bajaj
TVS

The only exception was with TVS Flame(I had followed mr.Thunder's ownership thread for months and was almost convinced that i would buy Flame but then came a crisis and my money was gone leaving me with the option of buying bike after 2 months only)

When I look back now even Thunder has written in the ownership thread that he has started disliking Flame..My Mind finally won over my heart seeing these words and I have decided to forget TVS Falme to..

That leaves me with HH,Honda & Suzuki

- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -

GS150 R
Unicorn
CBZ XTREME
Hunk - All are super weights and gives 45km/l which is not ok for me
- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -
Passion pro
passion plus
zeus
splendour categories etc
shine - All look very old fasioned which is against my 2nd point above
- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -
Glamour
Stunner
Twister(How lucky I am with this new entry) are the ones left

- Glamour is 48000(ordinary) & 63000(FI) which I feel very costly
- Stunner is 61000(ordinary) & 72000(FI) which looks too much for me especially with its split seats...
- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -
So I have decided the new Guy - Twister - Disc/Alloy/Green colour ---> Its going to cost me 56000 On road

1)Please write whether I have made the correct choice by deciding Honda Twister?what Drawbacks does it have?please enlighten me

2)What Additional changes/accessories do i have to get/do?Do u know some Reliable Mechanic in Chennai(Velachery,Thiruvanmiyur,Adyar areas) who can do the ones higlighted in BOLD below just in a few days after I get my bike..I am afraid to take it pududpet..ur thoughts on it

Number plate - Included on road price
Free service - 4 services
Warranty - 3 years Included on road price


Saree gaurd - Need to buy
Tank cover - Do i need it?
Handle grip - Something in Red/Green
07 sticker - My favourite Number on the Head
Wheel stickering - Planning to get a Red colour sticker on rims
Mirrors removed - Wont it increase style?

Handle bar - planning to Change to Cutting(2/3 piece) Handle bar
Seat cover - Planning to get Black/Red seat cover
Engine gaurd - A single Bar not the rounded one
Engine cowl - would like to get something from out similar to one in Gladiator

3)What maintenance will the bike need from me? Can anybody direct me to a link or write here where can i understand abour Run In period?

a)Open Chains are a problem is what I heard? what maintenance is required from me so that it wont become a problem?
b)I am disliking the Rear Tyre size?I would probably change my Tyre size to a bigger once it looses grip in a couple of years may be(wont mind mileage if its - 5 kms or so)
c)what other maintenance tips has to be followed

please Advice..thanks in Advance !!

ken cool

Welcome to xBhp.

What are the bikes that you want to buy? And what are your criteria?

Approved

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ken cool

Threads Merged

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The Wheel was a great invention; Two Wheels with a Motor in between was even better!


BMW Motorrad Days 2011

Xbhp's Indo-French Kashmir-Ladakh Tour

chatterbox1

good choice mate! twister is a godsend for u. It has sporty styling and good mileage wth the honda reliability

R2CRAWFORD

Thanks Man !!

Guys - plz comment on the other points ..thanks!!

Sarvajit

It may, but at the cost of safety. You need them&please do make a habit of using them. With a helmet especially&turning to the side at higher speeds can be disastrous!

If you plan to carry a pillion sideways, see if you can get a ladies'footrest also alonwgwith the saree guard, else it would not make much of a difference.
If not, then you can do away with the saree guard. That, adds to the sporty look.

I wouldn't get a tank cover with pockets&spoil the sporty look. If you are keen on covering the centre portion of the tank which is more prone to scratches, maybe you can get a tankpad, or a tank cover which is just like a thin strip of rubber running only across the centre of the tank. Maybe my older bike has it-just check in my profile album.

If that makes you feel more comfortable, then go for it. I prefer the stock rubber feel on my palms.

I think plain black looks the best.

Your wish-my bikes have the xBhp official sticker on their heads.

If the bike is green, why not go for green rim stripes? Make sure that they are not too thick, i.e., leave some gap from the sidewalls.

Why not get text xBhp.com written?

Not sure about the shops in your area. If you can give me your budget, maybe I can suggest some good models. Look in the Helmets thread also. Also visit this site to get some idea on various helmets&prices: www.thehelmetshoppe.com

If you are living/parking in a potentially unsafe area, maybe you could think of wheel locks/chains.

I think the regular one offers more protection.

I'm not in favor of aftermarket mods. If you are insistent, maybe you could see if the new Twister's fits in.

Now this would surely void the warranty, as well as upset the balance&handling of the bike. The stock handlebar is really comfy IMO.

If you love your shoes that much, yes, please check with the mechanic. It has been done by my friend for his new Uni.

Overall, I feel subtle mods that enhance the visual appeal&function well are good, but stick to stock for getting the best out of your product.

__________________
Quench my thirst with gasoline!

rajesh1136

bike itself is very small why you want to add engine cowl etc ? twister has style in its own way..

rest like seats,handle bar grip etc you can very well change and go to any sticker shop get all you works done there. They will stick the alloy rims too.

__________________
Rides: HH SPl (2000-2005) | TVS Vic GLX (2005-2010) | S GS150 R (Current)

Gears: Scoyco JK -17 | Cramster Twister | Cramster Bionics | Vega Boolean

Pinaki

I had almost decided to buy honda twister for it's fantastic combination of
minimalistic styling ( which I like ) , great mileage and a sweet 9 bhp Honda engine ... but on close inspection and test drive of the bike i grew several reservations which now makes me think that it's not a "practical" vehicle for Indian conditions .

1) lack of any storage space - where am i supposed to keep even the bike's ownership tax insurance emission etc papers ? or even a bottle of water or a spare clutch/brake/acc cable ? means I would have to carry a side-bag or back pack everytime i go out with the vehicle . The dealer says and it appears so also , that it would be ugly and almost impossible to fit the bike with a side storage box / pannier . No rail / hook etc anything to tie any stuff / luggage for a long drive .

2) even if a saree-guard can be fitted the bare chain and open rear makes it very likely for a saree / salwar clad female to get entangled , if she is able to climb up the high narrow rear seat at all .

3) my city , Calcutta , has heavy and long monsoons and is very muddy and has lots of potholes puddles and waterloging . I am unsure what a daily wash for hours of rain and driving thru slush and sticky mud would do for the open rear chain . I would not like to clean & oil the chain everyday when I am back home wet & tired and need rest and tea instead . I think if honda knew any better about real indian street conditions it would make atleast an optional full chain-cover for it .

4) leg guard / saree guard not "standard-fitting" for 50k+ Rupees ?? These japs are funny

5) tank-side faux air scoops are thin plastic and likely to crack if the bike falls or scraped by another vehicle etc , making a costly replacement for just a cosmetic part , it's not connected to the engine or air intake etc in any way .

6) only toe shifter for gears and no option to fit a full toe-heel shifter too,
ruins my shoes and impossible to use with sandals , I hate it .
Pinaki .

R2CRAWFORD

So to Summarise

1)Lack of storage space
2)Very High pillion(uncomfortable for women)
3)open chain
4)More Body Plastic

Experts - your opinions please?

Pinaki

I have , in the meantime also taken test drive of a Bajaj Discover 100cc Dts-si and a friend's few months old HH Passion plus bikes . My observations are mainly the defects which i look for . I am 5'5" and 60 kgs .

1) HH passion plus has that very nice HeroHonda quality on all fronts like
suspension , switches , paint- finish etc . A bit more noisy than the old splendor plus I have . Gearbox too is a bit notchy and hard than my bike , maybe because it was almost new bike .... but didn't expect this from a bike which HH sells as a step-up from splendor plus !! Lastly the deal breaker for me , it has very bad seat-handle-brake-gears geometry for my height . I can't reach the ground with a flat feet on both sides seated on it !! i can do this comfortably on my old yamaha rx135 / crux and splendor plus . Do try this out , it's very important to reach ground comfortably on both sides if you intend to drive in a city jam or thru a crowded bazaar or say a political procession ( daily in kolkata ) .

2) The bajaj discover was great on all fronts except -

a) I did not like the unfinished looks of very visible weld-joints on the frame .

b) the front-headlight-meters-indicator cowl is Biggg and heavy making
turning the handle difficult for me at standstill , unlike my light handled
splendor or crux or rx135 .

c) the bike's engine turned off several times while braking in 4th-5th gear even with full clutch applied , which the dealer's mechanic said was owing to a new untuned engine , auto-choke feature and my inexperience .
My friend's who own this bike says this is usual when new and goes away
at a few thousand kilometers ...hmmm .