bluevolt

I am in the same boat as you are, and am looking forward to buying my next motorcycle. I had a Ninja 250 for two years, which I sold recently. While it was a beautiful, fun, almost perfect road motorcycle, I always wished it was a tad more comfortable and more versatile on bad roads and no roads which you often ride on in India. I also cursed the nameless (and faceless) bureaucrats whenever I hit a pothole or when the roads became slushy and mud splashed up on the chain and on the bodywork. The Ninja did not look nice dirty. A lowside (which I never had on the 250) was potentially bank balance busting.

I am definitely not going to buy a fully faired motorcycle since I don't do track days and even if I do, it is going to be 4 days in a year. I would want to use my new motorcycle to commute everyday, and then hit the highways once in a month or so.

From what I hear about new launches, I seem to have only two choices:

1) Triumph Tiger 800 XC or BMW F800 GS (rumored)

2) BMW F650 GS (strong rumor for auto expo launch)


Tiger 800 XC -Pros:

a) Probable 'affordable' price due to Triumph's intent to assemble components locally and save duties.
b) Tall, mid weight Adv motorcycle which will have no problems on B roads or slush.
c) Punchy (as reported in reviews) engine which should be happy cruising at 160kmph
d) Sounds great.

Tiger 800 XC -Cons:
a) Sales of Triumph might dip after the initial euphoria and the dealerships might be not be sustainable to run. Case in point is Ducati/Hyosung. That might lead to non-availability of spares and service if dealerships closes.
b) Very tall. Stock seat height does not allow me to place my feet on the ground, and the low seat is still tall. I am 5'9". I will probably keep dropping it in the Indian traffic.
c) Tube type tires: Punctures will be a pain to get fixed if you are a little away from civilization. Roadside quickfix Johnny will bang and pound your swingarm/fork/rims into an unrecognizable mass of imported metal.
d) Triple engine will heat up in Indian weather very quickly, making it uncomfortable for commutes.

A standard Tiger 800 might have made more sense with tubeless tyres and low seat height. I would have a similar opinion of the BMW F800GS

BMW F650GS -Pros:

a) An all-round motorcycle with enough (yet tame) power to do anything you want.
b) Low seat height and tubeless tyres
c) Detuned Parallel twin should heat up lesser than Triumph.
d) Will be sold through BMW car dealerships, so accessibility and long term availability should score higher than Triumph.

BMW F650GS -Cons:
a) Single disk brake up front.
b) Assumption that servicing/parts/spares cost will be higher.
c) 'Take it or leave it' looks.
d) Uninspiring exhaust note.

I would pick the F650GS over the Tiger 800 XC if they were priced the same. I would not buy a Bandit 1250 because frankly, I am not sure what it does. Is it a naked streetbike? Is it a tourer? Traillie? The way I see the Bandit, it is just a big motor in a frame with some basic components. So not sure what I am paying for.

Siddharth Jodh

Bluevolt and niks_devil666 both make very strong points in favour of and against the Triumph. It's not even launched here, so just wait until then. And if BMW comes out with some of its models, then you will be very, very confused in a good way. After all, BMW ruggedness is legendary.

The Mountain

I appreciate the view you provide, as you have been riding an "expensive" bike here for some time now. I agree on the parts issue, if Triumph goes under, though there's always ordering and having them shipped. Other than major engine work, I can manage most repairs. I'll get the shop manual, and I'll have my own tools, so I hopefully can manage any regular issues. Also, I would venture that a tube-type tire might be a plus, rather than a minus here. Tube rims can be bent back into shape after a bang-up, at least enough to get home (unlike alloy rims). Tube tires can be patched by the rider, with basic tools (think bicycle, except heftier). That's how the real adventure riders do it, after all; some guides even recommend putting tubes inside tubeless tires, so you can fix it yourself if you get a flat in the middle of Siberia or something. Also, the motor is water-cooled, and not that stressed compared to, say, the Speed Triple. I think I'll be ok (even the big four-cylinder bikes do ok in 40C Texas heat).

And, for the record, the Bandit is a "Naked" street bike. The version with the half-fairing (the one available in India) is aimed at "sport-touring". The Bandit has a history, in it's earlier air-cooled incarnation, as a good platform for customization, hence the streetfighter support.

__________________
ATGATT: All The Gear, All The Time!

Your helmet should be on your head, not your mirror!

Put the phone away and ride!

bluevolt

In India, I would think one would face a greater risk of a tyre puncture than a bent rim. While I am aware of the advantage tubed type tires offer over tubeless types, it will be more of a bother in day to day riding. The ideal scenario is that one buys a standard Tiger 800, and you swap tyres (like, switch to a set of Heidenau's) when going to places less travelled.

The Mountain

I agree that a puncture is a lot more likely. I was just pointing out the advantage of steel rims in a general way, not that I expected bent rims to be a common thing. Actually, I was planning kind of the reverse of what you suggested. Rather than having the ordinary tiger with an extra set of knobbies, I would prefer to have the longer-travel XC, and keep a second set of "street" tires for longer road trips.

__________________
ATGATT: All The Gear, All The Time!

Your helmet should be on your head, not your mirror!

Put the phone away and ride!

Siddharth Jodh

I just found out on a TV show and also in the news section here in XBHP that Triumph will not bring in its bikes as CBU's but will actually start a production facility here. Looks like it will be following in the footsteps of HD, this means that not only will the bikes be cheaper, but you will also be assured of parts and service. The Tiger XC 800 is rumoured to be in the range of 6.5L, so that is a big margin in favour of Triumph.

bluevolt

I am a shorter rider, hence my preference for the standard 800. I was also looking at what aftermarket knobblies you could mount on the tiger, the K60 scouts TL are a perfect fit.

Can't wait for the Auto Expo!

The Mountain

I'm partial to the Continental TKC80, myself. Plus, since Continental is already a big name, and is owned by Metzeler, a bigger name (for bike tires), the quality is likely to be more consistent. I'm not even sure the Heidenau tires are available in India.

And yes, I'm a pretty big guy, at 170cm and 90kg, so the taller bike doesn't worry me.

__________________
ATGATT: All The Gear, All The Time!

Your helmet should be on your head, not your mirror!

Put the phone away and ride!

Siddharth Jodh

I just hope they get the 600cc's here man, that will be something then...
As a side note, I do not think that putting knobby tyres is a good idea, because in India one second you will be on a road with Lunar scale potholes and the next you will be on a newly constructed silk smitha-smooth highway (including the curves ) with not a speed-breaker in sight (I know such a road near my place). So the best option IMHO is to stick to standard street rubber.

bluevolt

My being slightly taller would have solved most of my bike woes

I doubt one would find many DS tires in India at all, regardless of the brand.

I was meaning dual sport tires with off-road pretensions. While the tires will be noisier, it should still work ok on Indian roads.