Whether to buy New or Used Bike?

[Arun Unnikrishnan]

First of all, this is my very first post on Xbhp.... so a Big Hello to everyone

Guys, i am confused between whether to buy a new bike or a used bike.

I currently ride CBZ xtreme 2007 Model and completed about 20 K kms over the 3 years that i owned it. However as of late, i've been having a strong feeling of getting a new bike, my CBZ just doesnt provide the same thrills it provided during the initial period.

But the problem is that i am doing my Chartered Accountancy Counrse and have final exams this May and will most likely end up doing my further studies abroad. So in short i will be using the new bike only for a maximium period of 1 - 1.5 years.So i not too thrilled about spending big amount on a new bike and having to sell it off cheaply after only a year or so. But at the same time i dont want to end up buying a second hand bike and end up spending all the money saved on maintenance of the bike:P

Please give your suggestions as to what is the better course of action.

I plan to get the bike within May. I havent finalised on any particular model as of now but have the following requirements...


1. Must be more powerful Than Cbz xtreme(No compromise on this )

2. Should have a decent road presence.( Should get atleast a few heads turning )

3.budget max-1.5 lac..( but will gladly take a bike of lesser price, just quoted the ABSOLUTE maximium i can spend.)

3.will be used for 10 kms city commute everyday along with 1 or 2 tours of 100-150 kms in each month.

4.Dont care about the mileage

Please tell me as to which bike wil suit my requirements and also whether to buy a new or used bike. Also let me know if anything i typed is not clear or I missed some important information.

[sunilg]

Query approved.

[eliksir]

Narrowing down at every step,

1. Must be more powerful Than Cbz xtreme(No compromise on this )

RTR 160, ZMR, ZMA-R, P180, RTR 180, R15, P220, CBR 250R(when it releases), Ninja

2.

Should get atleast a few heads turning

ZMR, R15, CBR 250R, Ninja

3.budget max-1.5 lac..

ZMR, R15, CBR 250R (non ABS)

3.will be used for 10 kms city commute everyday along with 1 or 2 tours of 100-150 kms in each month.

ZMR, R15, CBR 250R

4.Dont care about the mileage

ZMR, R15, CBR 250R

[rameshmadhavan]

Thats a well drilled answer....ZMR in all 4 scenarios...

But getting a 2nd hand...I have seen many with rattling noise and nothing is < 60k

R15 - You can get it around 70k for a decent one...there is no rattling noise...today I happened to check on 2 R15s in Chennai and 1 ZMR at the same price tag...just tried a 2km stretch on those...

Was happy with R15 than the ZMR...I love the ZMR for its fairing and the colour. Performance wise R15 cannot be beaten

[jd666]

Go for a good second hand. The depriciation has already knocked off the majority of the price of the bike, and you will lose lesser when you sell it further.

[Arun Unnikrishnan]

@ moderator, Thanks for approval

@eliksir
thanks a lot for the explanation.. really helped ..

I am now starting to lean heavily towards buying a used bike. mainly because of the fact that i will use it only for a year.
out of the final three, dont like the looks of zmr much( personal opinion).
and i am scared to buy a new r15 now because i dont want to end up buying the bike and getting a new model launched by the time of first service. :P
as regards to CBR 250, the bike will be launched on april, I dont want to buy the bike without hearing atleast a few reviews from the owners. If i wait for the reviews to come and then book the bike, I will have to sell the bike by the time i complete the run -in. That would suck BIG time.

So im think of getting a used R15. How much should is the market price for a decent Yamaha R15 that i will run trouble free?

@rameshmadhavan
Did the R15 feel like a small bike after riding the ZMR? Frankly speaking, i am a little worried if the R15 will be a bit small for me. I am 5"10, weigh 78 Kg. Also which year was the R15 that was up for sale for 70K.

[Arun Unnikrishnan]

and just out of curiosity, is it possible to get a used Ninja for 1.5 lac? and even if i do, will i end up spending a fortune in maintaining it?

I know it is unlikely to get a ninja @1.5 lacs but just couldnt resist asking

[eliksir]

There are just over 1000 ninja's in the country. chances of getting a used one are almost zero. Also, Ninja isn't all that good for city (read high traffic) conditions. Gets heated up.

I too don't like the ZMR either but it matches all your requirements

no idea about the prices of used bikes. but if you get a used R15 in good condition, it'd be your best bet.

[REAPER]

ninja for 1.5 lac? I doubt that. Since u are 5 '10 ,R15 is bit tiny for you.(thats the main reason i avoided r15)
What about new zma -r in white(after all its a HH, so dont worry about resale)? Or p220?. (But my pick would be cbr.and im not a big fan of used bikes unless its from someone i personally know or trust)

[rameshmadhavan]

It did look small when compared to ZMR....I would suggest if you get a decent ZMR then you can go for it. am 5'11....But the performance of R15 is un comparable, the bike is too light when compared to ZMR. also check if you get hands on a ZMA too...

that was a 2008 R15 which he asked for 70k

[Arun Unnikrishnan]

just did a quick search for used bikes in my hometown. There is this one ZMR for sale just 6 months old done only 800 kms on odo. But it had an accident and was in showroom for 2 months because the front fairing was not in stock. He wants 90 k for the bike. It is a bit overpriced right?

@ Reaper, Asking this because we are in the same town .
do you happen to know any people looking to sell an R15? or any trustworthy dealer in tcr?
This is my first time buying a used bike, so am a bit overwhelmed.

[mitz]

Why not go for the P220 DTSI (Faired or unfaired)
Meets almost all your requirements bro.
Much more power then your CBZ
Price @ 85 k for a new one is just marginally above used R15's & ZMR's
Since you are not gonna use it for more then a couple of years, i dont see you facing long term maintenance issues which generally ocurrs with pulsars after 2-3 yrs.
Great low end torque.. So no problem in traffic & suits your 10 kms daily requirement + occassional touring can be accomodated too.
Decent mileage in comparison to R15 & ZMR
Wont turn many heads though.. bt wait for the new Orange P220 & you may get a couple of head turns for sure

My 2nd bet would be a used R15 for sure..

PS: A very good luck for your finals in May.. I'm myself a student of CA finals & will be appearing in may too. Will gift myself a CBR250 if i clear

[Arun Unnikrishnan]

considered p220, even rode my friends P220.But i am not a fan of the handling of the bike. I feel more confident cornering on my Cbz than i did on the P220. But cornering aside, i loved the pulsar 220, I didnt get the chance to rip the bike as it was a new bike and was still in run-in period, so no idea about how good it handles in high speed situations but from what i read on the net it is very stable even at high speeds, but i want to ride it myself and see before considering buying one. regarding the orange color, i havent seen it in flesh. will check out the bajaj showroom to see if they have it in display.....

P.S. Best of Luck to you for your exams as well.

[mitz]

considered p220, even rode my friends P220.But i am not a fan of the handling of the bike. I feel more confident cornering on my Cbz than i did on the P220. But cornering aside, i loved the pulsar 220, I didnt get the chance to rip the bike as it was a new bike and was still in run-in period, so no idea about how good it handles in high speed situations but from what i read on the net it is very stable even at high speeds, but i want to ride it myself and see before considering buying one. regarding the orange color, i havent seen it in flesh. will check out the bajaj showroom to see if they have it in display.....

P.S. Best of Luck to you for your exams as well.

Trust me dude, its one hell of a nice handler at high speeds.. Agreed it is nowhere as good as R15 but it does the job pretty well. Get your hands on a run-in completed P220 & rip it on a free way.. There's no way you would not fall in love with it. I own FZ & still I feel P220 is not far too behind in engine refunement & way too far ahead in power. Its a best value for money upgrade for any of us 150CC riders..
PS: First time when i rode a P220, I took it over 140 & suddenly approached a slight corner. Managed easily to get past the corner without any extra efforts while the dip in speed was no less then 110 on speedo at any point i guess.

[Arun Unnikrishnan]

i ve been looking around for a used R15. Today just saw a june 2010 Black R15. well maintained and Scratchless, run for 8000 kms. Was told the dealer that the bike was up for sale for 75 K.
Called the owner to find out that another guy had just bought the bike yesterday and paid an advance of 50K.
Just my rotten luck.......
just hope i can keep a check on my emotions and not end up buying the first bike i see