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  • Good tourer

    Hi guys am planning to get a bike exclusively for touring in a month. Initially planned for CBR250R but not interested anymore because of its long waiting period.. i have shortlisted the following which i feel would be good tourers.Any other bike suggestions also welcomed.. here goes the bikes....

    Avenger 220 dtsi
    HH Karizma ZMR
    RE Thunderbird Twinspark
    RE Bullet electra 350
    New R15 ( it may not be a good option but i love that machine )

    Maximum i can stretch my budget to 1 lak or just above that..

    Priorities :

    Decent Mileage in highways (atleast 40),reliability,VFM
    Please help me out..

  • #2
    Query approved.
    (Been There Done That) x 3.25

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Raging Bull View Post
      Hi guys am planning to get a bike exclusively for touring in a month. Initially planned for CBR250R but not interested anymore because of its long waiting period.. i have shortlisted the following which i feel would be good tourers.Any other bike suggestions also welcomed.. here goes the bikes....

      Avenger 220 dtsi
      HH Karizma ZMR
      RE Thunderbird Twinspark
      RE Bullet electra 350
      New R15 ( it may not be a good option but i love that machine )

      Maximum i can stretch my budget to 1 lak or just above that..

      Priorities :

      Decent Mileage in highways (atleast 40),reliability,VFM
      Please help me out..
      Go for R15 dude eyes closed, however long you ride it never gives you any issues like back pain or something once you get adjusted to it. Bit less power in traffic unless you love revving her otherwise she is a boon.

      Comment


      • #4
        Advance wishes Ragingbull to get no single answer lol as each person is going to give you the model they like, which is no fault of theirs . Be prepared to get confused more. Here's some fuel to add your confusion...

        Avenger 220 dtsi - Good comfortable laid back riding position; can be serviced only at Bajaj PBK.

        HH Karizma ZMR - ZMA? Don't you think ZMA is good? Anyway, ZMA is titled as best touring machine in this country & needless to say anything more.

        RE Thunderbird Twinspark - Good option. Expect 3 months waiting period or more in Chennai.

        RE Bullet electra 350 - You may get it sooner than RE TBTS, but, are you buying this just because you want a touring machine or just compromising?

        New R15 ( it may not be a good option but i love that machine ) - Wait for some more time. New R15 is on the cards. It could be a sticker job (cosmetic changes ) or something better, nothing sure at this point. Remember to do a test ride before buying. Lot of our fellow members have one, try taking a test ride for long hauls, check the comfort & go for it. No doubt its a good machine.

        All the models you listed (and many more ) have pros & cons in them. Define your requirement in detail, just more than touring, mileage, VFM, reliability. Only then you'll be able to get one as all the above models meets more or less all the criteria you described.
        Skill is what keeps you on a Motorcycle
        Awareness + Skill is what keeps you out of harm's way
        ATGATT + Awareness + Skill means you might Live To Ride another day

        Comment


        • #5
          Like Argee said welcome to the world of uncertainity......heard that parts of R15 are indegenised ......The bull needs constant attention and you will spend time and money just maintaining it...My personal experience and preference will be a ZMA-R which is VFM...if your touring speeds are within 110 Kmph...if you are looking for speeds above this then you should look for a CBR 250 or a Ninja 250, which can give you 140 Kmph comfortable speeds...Pulsar 220 with 4 valves is expected by Diwali and should be a VFM contender.
          Ultimately choose as per requirements and Vitamin "M" you have.
          Know your and your bike's limitations and ride within it.
          When Was The Last Time,You Did Something For The First Time.

          Comment


          • #6
            Guess what, waiting till Diwali will be a good idea (if you have that much patience). Upgrades & new launches would most probably be there. Who knows Suzuki & Yamaha might also bring some new bikes. But if you want to go ahead and buy one right now, you can choose between P220F, Avenger 220 & Karizma. These ones got good seating position and good for cruising at speeds like 100-110 kmph.
            Let's bring down the monster of corruption to it's knees.. please visit http://ipaidabribe.com/

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            • #7
              Go for ZMA or ZMR.... They are the best bikes for touring...
              Don't Honk Unnecessarily

              Comment


              • #8
                let me add to the confusion..........

                on some points i agree with aargee, but differ on others.....


                Originally posted by aargee View Post
                Advance wishes Ragingbull to get no single answer lol as each person is going to give you the model they like, which is no fault of theirs . Be prepared to get confused more. Here's some fuel to add your confusion...

                Avenger 220 dtsi - Good comfortable laid back riding position; can be serviced only at Bajaj PBK. i think it can be serviced at all bajaj ASS. Avenger 220 is a good tourer, but may find itself in difficult situation in off roading, and touring in india means a fair bit of offroading.

                HH Karizma ZMR - ZMA? Don't you think ZMA is good? Anyway, ZMA is titled as best touring machine in this country & needless to say anything more. Very Good Tourer.

                RE Thunderbird Twinspark - Good option. Expect 3 months waiting period or more in Chennai. Good Tourer, but, as with Avenger, it may find itself in difficult situation in off roading, and touring in india means a fair bit of offroading. and bullets are known to breakdown notoriously in the middle of nowhere, leaks here and there.

                RE Bullet electra 350 - You may get it sooner than RE TBTS, but, are you buying this just because you want a touring machine or just compromising? Good Tourer, but, as with Avenger, it may find itself in difficult situation in off roading, and touring in india means a fair bit of offroading. and bullets are known to breakdown notoriously in the middle of nowhere, leaks here and there.

                New R15 ( it may not be a good option but i love that machine ) - Wait for some more time. New R15 is on the cards. It could be a sticker job (cosmetic changes ) or something better, nothing sure at this point. Remember to do a test ride before buying. Lot of our fellow members have one, try taking a test ride for long hauls, check the comfort & go for it. No doubt its a good machine. power and torque is less in low rpm range. seating position can cause problems in long tours, specially on bad roads. otherwise good machine.

                All the models you listed (and many more ) have pros & cons in them. Define your requirement in detail, just more than touring, mileage, VFM, reliability. Only then you'll be able to get one as all the above models meets more or less all the criteria you described.
                why have you not considered, mighty P220, power and torque in all rpm range, seating position is more relaxed as compared to R15, very reliable, VFM package, can take you anywhere.
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                • #9
                  Yep.. Avengers ans 220s can be serviced at any Bajaj SVC, atleast here.

                  And my vote goes for ZMR - all the good things from ZMA + a lot more feature packed + the advantage that its a lot newer.

                  REs require a lot of attention and care. They come with their own set of unique problems, lack of service centers, quality issues and so on. And from my personal experience, don't go for an RE if you are not a hard core RE fan. You won't enjoy the ride.
                  MOTORCYCLING IS AS MUCH ART AS IT IS SCIENCE

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                  • #10
                    Raging Bull, My top choices would be:
                    1. HH Karizma R: Engine refined, stress free at 80-90kmph cruising, japanese engine reliability, good ride quality, stability, handling.
                    2. RE Electra UCE: It has the best seat position for touring. Period! (The Zma R does not have a fully upright position in comparison). The engine has got good top end however it's not as refined or reliable as a Jap engine. Fuel efficiency is better than Zma. Another plus point is that it is easy to secure luggage on Electra. Also Bullets look good even with panniers, luggage racks etc.

                    Another good choice if you dont mind the lack of power is the Unicorn. Gem of an engine and most comfortable of the new age bikes.
                    RIDE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!
                    04' PULSAR 180 DTS-i
                    09 ZMA-R

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by princesirohi View Post
                      i think it can be serviced at all bajaj ASS
                      Are you sure? There's a BAL showroom near my home & they don't take anything more than P180 including Avenger. That's in Chennai.

                      Originally posted by princesirohi View Post
                      bullets are known to breakdown notoriously in the middle of nowhere, leaks here and there
                      Whoa!!! Who ever gave you that info??? Did you check the UCE ones? I'll have Tarc speak up if possible who has done all way from Chennai to Goa & back on his C5. IIRC he only had his speedo cable broken in his journey.
                      Skill is what keeps you on a Motorcycle
                      Awareness + Skill is what keeps you out of harm's way
                      ATGATT + Awareness + Skill means you might Live To Ride another day

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I agree with Prince. Myself have been in such situations, not once but twice.

                        Once with a 4 month old Electra UCE - battery went kaput in the middle of nowhere. Later mirrors simply fell off while riding.

                        Second with a 6 months old std UCE. SVC mechs screwed up the carb to core. Not the bike's fault, but shows how bad is the RE service.
                        MOTORCYCLING IS AS MUCH ART AS IT IS SCIENCE

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by sooraj_vs View Post
                          I agree with Prince
                          Is this what Prince had said on leaky cylinder heads & stopping in middle of nowhere?

                          Originally posted by sooraj_vs View Post
                          4 month old Electra UCE - battery went kaput
                          Originally posted by sooraj_vs View Post
                          Later mirrors simply fell off while riding
                          Originally posted by sooraj_vs View Post
                          how bad is the RE service.
                          Skill is what keeps you on a Motorcycle
                          Awareness + Skill is what keeps you out of harm's way
                          ATGATT + Awareness + Skill means you might Live To Ride another day

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            @raging bull : what's your riding style man???what do you prefer???would you like to corner on twisties or simply glide over the road in a stretched position???

                            I guess answering this question will help you eradicate some confusion,at least...

                            look...almost all of us like almost all classes of bikes...but everyone has a different taste...there are people who have done a world tour on R1..so technically..it is the matter of personal choice...whatever you have listed here,as argee said, have their own pros and cons..decision depends on what you want to do with them...

                            regarding the bikes,,i guess by now you must have enough idea of what each one has and what hasnt...

                            all the best...
                            Live large...


                            sigpic

                            ...Adarsh...TN-09-BB-2221...

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Raging Bull View Post
                              Hi guys am planning to get a bike exclusively for touring in a month. Initially planned for CBR250R but not interested anymore because of its long waiting period.. i have shortlisted the following which i feel would be good tourers.Any other bike suggestions also welcomed.. here goes the bikes....

                              Avenger 220 dtsi
                              HH Karizma ZMR
                              RE Thunderbird Twinspark
                              RE Bullet electra 350
                              New R15 ( it may not be a good option but i love that machine )

                              Maximum i can stretch my budget to 1 lak or just above that..

                              Priorities :

                              Decent Mileage in highways (atleast 40),reliability,VFM
                              Please help me out..
                              I think it will be better to go with HH ZMR or Karizma R
                              The ROAD MASTER quote:Speed Thrill but remember it also kill.So Ride safe

                              Comment

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