EMKAY

Hai Friends,
I owned R15 since its launch. I liked it in all ways. But due to the sitting posture my back neck developed some problem. Hence often, after driving the bike continously for some time I used to get problems like stiff neck, neck pain, left hand pain and numbness in left hand fingures, for next two three days. Even though it is in initial stages, my doc advised to use bikes which doesn't need to bend forward. Hence I sold my bike and now after research I have zeroed in on TBTS (have booked Red colour and expect to get hands on it only by March '12). My friends here says TBTS will be hard to maintain (no service centre in my town) and it will vibrate over speeds of 80 Kmph. I use to drive around 100 Kms speed normally -With R15 I have driven at 137 kmph (speedo reading) speed- and so my friends say TBTS won't suit my driving nature.

Mine is a C class city and I will be driving 25 kms a day in city and also about 250 / 300 kms (up and down) every fortnight for my business purpose. Even though I have Vista Qjd, I love to drive 2 wheeler atleast when it is not rainy season.

After test driving Yamaha FZ, I feel it also doesn't need to bend forward. Budjet is not a criteria (but not above 1.25 lakhs) and consumption around 40kmpl is okay. I doesn't like Bajaj Eliminator as I feel it vibrates more and many says its life time is not upto the mark.

So which bike shall I go for TBTS or FZ. I have time till March '12 to choose between two.

sunilg

What bike query approved.

Personally, I won't buy a bike which doesn't have a service station in my town.

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aargee

If there's no ASC nearby for RE, then there's no point to buy it right? If FZ has a ASC nearby then go for it.

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Karthik Mathur (Orange)

Though the FZ is better than R 15 in terms of riding position, it is not the best that u can get.
Bajaj Eliminator is no longer sold.
Bajaj Avenger 220 frankly, in my opinion, doesn't vibrate so much at normal speeds(including 100kmph) that it should so significantly affect your buying decision.
And, yeah a bike TBTS needs to have a service centre not very far away.
btw, why don't think about Honda Unicorn Dazzler or even the new Pulsar which for sure would be released before March 2012.
At least the Pulsar 220 which i have now, doesn't hurt my back inspite of 50-60 kms riding daily in heavy traffic conditions.
but none of the others will satisfy ur heart as much as TBTS.

jayanth_b_p

I would say either go for the Avenger even though i have a TBTS but since you dont have a svc nearby i wouldnt suggest it. Fz may be okay since you like to cruise @100km/hr their might be a little stress on the engine. The Avvy 220 is a better choice for you. And BTW TBTS dont not vibrate @80km/hr but it does after 95km/hr infact 80-95km/hr is the sweet spot of the bike. Test drive before deciding on any bike.

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shv18

Hi,

FZ is a good bike, a proper street fighter as it claims to be, has a good riding posture and if maintained well will give an FE of about 40 - 45+ kmpl. I am a proud owner of one and it has never given me any trouble or ever let me down so far.

However, if you intend to ride for 300+ kms every fort night on a two wheeler then you will definitely feel the lack of top end power of FZ on highways and speeds above 90kmph you'll need to keep the engine on high revs at all the time unless you intend to mod it with new power kits from Joel (:.Welcome To Race Concepts.:) and change the front chain sprocket to 15T.

I feel considering 200cc and above would be a better bet. If you do have bajaj pro biking showrooms close by and do have the budget to spend then do consider the new soon to be launched 25 bhp KTM Duke 200. Reliability is definitely not an issue considering the parent company's heritage and good back end support from Bajaj.

Another bike to consider would be the proven tourer Karizma. Has a relaxed engine and ample amount of torque to eat miles and miles of roads without sweating.

I feel KTM will be a better bet.

P.S.: not a big fan of RE for maintenance issues. A good bike though on highways but definitely quality is an issue.

Cheers

EMKAY

THANKS FRIENDS.
Sorry, yes it is not Bajaj Eliminator, it is Avenger. It has got a powerful engine to cruise. But it seems it detoriate sooner and skids a lot (from friends words).
Ofcourse Hero ZMA is a nice option. It has all the things, but when I test drove it, I have to lean a little forward (but not as in R15), so haven't considered it.
Yes Bajaj may launch Pulsar before March '12.
I am not interested with Dazzler's looks (It is my opinion) but it too has nice engine to cruise.
KTM might be a nice choice, but think it will be priced around 2 lac and it will be a hefty pricefor me.
So I decided RE or FZ will be a right choice.
Regarding RE, they don't have SVC in my town. And if even I am ready to take it to their SVC in nearby town, it seems the bike needs more attention towards maintainance. Querried with local mechanics whether they could attend small repairs, but they are not ready to deal with RE except oil change and chain tightening (one of my friend who owns Electra says chain tightening in Bullet too is a great art). So I have to go to the RE's SVC in nearby town only, that too often. This will be a trouble for my work nature.
Yamaha dealer in my town has become my friend, as I did owned RX100, RX135, Libero, Gladiator and R15. (All Yamaha's except old yezdi, Bajaj chetak and Legend). FZ handled very well, it cornered easily, it didnt had any hint of vibration and touched 115 kmph (speedo reading) during my test drive at ease. Everybody who already owns FZ said flat tyre is a problem with the vehicle and I hesitated as I have to travel on highways often. But you people had a lots of idea here viz., using slime and filling nitrogen will solve a lot. I also got the idea of using Philips 50/55 W as head light from here (whether it is a direct fit or I have to use a rectifier for that). To use Mobil FS after 5000 kms are nice ideas. Friends, any idea how I could carry my laptop bag in FZ.
I am ready to mod with Mr.Joel (I read a lot of his writings about R15 before buying R15 in net and really he is a genius), but I am 500 kms away from Bengalooru. I checked his site, it doesn't give ideas about how much it may cost.

shv18

Hi,

if you have set your heart on FZ then go for it. It is an awesome bike when it comes down to cornering and handling and overall the bike's quality is top notch. Yamaha has indeed done a good job with it. The only let down is the top end. Even with Fazer which they advertised to be more of a touring bike, the top end is still an issue. For long distance rides you would not want to keep your bike on the higher revs throughout as beyond a certain point it simply becomes annoying hence, the recommendation of KTM/ZMA. Regarding the mods yes they can be easily done. 55W 60 H4 bulb is a direct fit though others may recommend HID kits available anywhere between Rs. 1200 - 20,000/-

Regarding power up kits from Joel, yes they are reliable and do give the output what Joel promises. For pricing you will have to get in touch with him joel@raceconcepts.in . I am one happy customer and with the FFE alone the power bump is evident.

i would still suggest to wait out for a bit till the Jan 2012 auto expo (barely 10-15 days away when new models will be announced. it will help you making your decision simpler.

Cheers

vikhyath

FZ is a good bike but cruising at 100km/h would stress the engine because its just an air cooled 2-valved 150. Why dont you consider Karizma ZMR because it offers good comfort and also delivers decent FE.

Satyamzma

For your use ...the ZMA or ZMR will be great....

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