Yes the RTR's would do the job at the price of vibrations but maintenance wise it might be cheaper than hondas you can expect somewhere btw 45-50kmpl mileage; its worth all the thrills it will give you (IMO for someone who has used two 2s bikes RTR's vibes wont matter much ; So it will be a good choice, some dealers do provide the carb RTR with a rear disc)

ok ive shortlisted a few bikes that friends have suggested and ones that I like. I would like to know what you guys thing about these bikes in terms of reliability , maintenance , fuel economy , USP , VFM amongst other parameters Here is what I am looking for :

Good Fuel Economy (45kmpl range )
Good Engine Build Quality
Good Torque - Low end would be essential - high rev performance would be added bonus
When things go wrong easy availability of Parts and they should not cost a bomb
Good Handling
Sturdy Build Quality is essential

aim is to achieve stress free everyday commuting with the capability to do a little more hopefully not at the price of mileage.

I so far like the RTR series though I am confused between 160 and 180.
Would like to hear owners valuable feedback - the owners thread goes into hundreds of pages - hard to filter through all of the information. What are the benifits of the 160 over the 180 and vice versa ? What are the 160s and 180s problems if any ?

Things i am not too sure about with RTR is pillion comfort and engine reliability - have been given to believe that it is a stressed motor that loves to be revved and hence wears out easily - mileage drops pretty fast too depending on condition of the motor. Is this true ? Can an owner clarify ?

My friend suggests Pulsar 220 - They say that owners are getting 45kmpl ( is this true ?)
Things im not sure about with Pulsar : Build Quality , Engine Reliability , Electronics . Since it is a split seat will the seat be comfortable for a pillion ?

Karizma R - Really like this bike - engine though is a bit harsh ( compared to my 2 stroke ) , I like the seat , I like the durability of the machine though there are a few problems - Poor Milage - ( 30ish ? ) , Gearbox prone to catastrophic failure , parts are expensive and are not easily available.

R15 i do not think makes sense for everyday commuting - I would sure own one but keep it only for illegal activities

Common guys please pour in your suggestions !

Please quote mileage figures in real world riding conditions - bit of ripping , bit of sedate riding with lots of traffic thrown in.

Please find my response in bold...

The CB Unicorn gets my vote. It can do everything that you are looking for and is mighty reliable.

You may consider Pulsar 150 and HH Hunk too if you like. Getting the Unicorn can be a challenge given the long waiting period so Pulsar/Hunk are good choices too.

Ok just back from a test ride of RTR 180 and RTR 160 at Megdoot Motors Trinity Circle.

The 180 i think was in junk condition : Barely any low end torque - took alot of time to rev - fueling wasn't right. Gears shift well , exhaust note was healthy , bike handles and brakes well . I found the riding position a bit painful on the 180 compared to the 160 (??)

The 160 i test road seemed to be in much better shape - sounded good too . Very decent low end torque - seemed to have a big flatspot while getting to mid ( though it seemed to go away as the engine got warmer )- and it is very rev happy . Found this bike alot more pleasant - it has very decent torque - enough to have fun with on a commuter - handling was great as usual , found the handle setup a little higher up and hence more comfortable for commuting than the 180 ( ? ) - surprisingly in the few corners i leaned it in - i did not find the tyres lacking (!) The showroom sent a muscular fellow to sit behind me and monitor - came back and told the staff that I road like a mad man - but honestly i put it through the kind of stuff and pace i put my 2 strokers through - love my RX man - these new bikes ( stock ) dont even come close. But alas, mind and pocket over heart and soul. Still find these bikes seating position quite radical and painful because of the weight on the front compared to my vintage strokers - would this be an issue / remain stressful or does one get used to it?

Things that stack up against the R15 for me as a commuter - which would mean riding through pothole filled , crazily congested roads and having to park your bike in public parking lots :

no main stand
full fairing ( 1000 scratches )
radical seating position
mechanical spare parts are really expensive ( or so ive been given to believe )
very poor low end torque

Dude Who told you about all this mis conceptions regarding R15 ?

Things that stack up against the R15 for me as a commuter - which would mean riding through pothole filled , crazily congested roads and having to park your bike in public parking lots :

no main stand : It comes as a extra accessory, though people dont put as while cornering the main stand hits the ground which is the case with pulsars and RTR too.
full fairing ( 1000 scratches ) : I am using my R15 in full blown pune traffic but this 1000 scratches and all are misconception unless you dont know how to handle a full faired bike.

radical seating position : Its better than RTR and once you get used to it you will love it.
mechanical spare parts are really expensive ( or so ive been given to believe ) : Its cheaper than karizma and CBR 250 dude.
very poor low end torque Dude see its a bike which is not designed to ride on 6th gear at speed of 40. But the torque is decent enough and once you start hitting the 6k rpm you will see every one on road are in your RVM.

It seems you have not done test ride of R15 or may be people who told you all this are anti R15 not serious enthusiasts.

No you are mistaken ive had extensive rides on the R15 and think it is a fantabulous machine however it is a little too track focused so that IMO automatically disqualifies it from being an effective commuter on a budget. I did not know it comes with a mainstand - thanks for the info . Btw what kind of gas mileage are you getting on the R15 ?

Agree to that. However seems like you have been mistaken about the RTR 180. Go to another showroom and take another test ride of the 180.

Its slightly more stable than the 160, ergonomics are pretty much the same. Power is slightly more and both wheels are 17 inchers which means you can fit the R-15 tyres.. that you had mentioned earlier.

dude you want a commuter bike than dont look at r15 or 220 as both are powerful bikes, in fact RTR also does not come in commuter segment.

Again its only track focused is also wrong as people have toured, commuted and used in all other way how you will use a commuter bike.

I am getting 45 mileage of my r15.

double post

@Moderators : Please change the name of the topic to " The Perfect All Rounder ".

I have made an appointment to test ride the Pulsar 220 tomorrow . I hope I get to test a good piece to make an unbiased judgement.

After lots of thinking , posts on this thread and the valuable advice of friends who know more than me on bikes if decided that the 220 has many many things stacked in its favor starting with :

Decent mileage - ( 40kmpl ballpark - I own a ported and piped RX135 and an RD350 so these figures sound wonderful to me )
Decent Power and torque - ( the word decent maybe modest compared to its competition )
DC Electricals.
Excellent Headlight.
Cycle parts and brakes are decent.
Parts and Maintenance should not be an issue for a long time to come.
Parts are inexpensive.
Pillion Seat is good enough to carry a well built pillion comfortably.
Can perform touring duties.
Can perform commuting duties.
Can give you speed thrills.
Basically seems like a bike that can do everything and at a very good price.

220 owners am I right or wrong about any of this ? Please post ur valuable feedback. Thank you.

you can go for P135/150/180..dey have got gud mileages except P135(personal experience)..handling is very good for city conditions..sturdy build and brand name bajaj gives no chance of spares problem.

As everyone has said before, there's no perfect bike. You win some and lose some. But anyway, CB Unicorn gets my vote too as it is more of a mix of good things, and lasts long thanks to Honda refinement.

But as you have been discussing about higher powered bikes, I would suggest test riding a ZMA-R too, after trying out P220. I own a ZMA, and I am more of a commuter kind of guy who enjoys occasional speeding (or sane speeding) in the streets of Bangalore and frequent weekend riding. ZMA suffices my need for power in the city, and need for comfortable highspeed riding on weekends. Apart from this I get a fuel efficiency is 40kmpl - but thats because of no erratic revving, smooth shifting, turning off the engine at signals, and keeping the chain and tyres in condition they should be in. I also know that if I rip this bike hard the FE would drop to ~30, the fiber parts are costly, some of the spares are a bit hard to find and one'd have to wait to get them. Yet I like ZMA more.

I probably would have liked a high revving machine when I was 20, but now I don't really see a need for such a rush, but I do want the bike to behave and be silent while in operation, thats why the ZMA. So bottomline is, P220, RTR 180/160, R15, ZMA are all good in one way or the other. Think what kind of a rider you are and then decide on the ride.

OT: Why not Royal enfield Thunderbird? Sure it costs some 15k above 1 lac. But has decent fuel efficiency, spectacular comfort & power. Great in the city traffic (as long as you can handle a big bike) thanks to great weight distribution and torque. And highway? we're talking about the Indian leader here.

Go for a enfield.......

I love the bullet for what it can do - but i am also pretty aware of its limitations. The only reason I am staying far away from it at this period of time is that rite now I already have 2 motorcycles that are expensive to run on a daily basis and need special attention when it comes to maintenance by my standards - im looking for the most efficient and stress free bike that can do all of these things while saving me cash on running and maintenance as well as time in tuner shops . And I do not want to worry about parts and cost of them on this one. In short I want everything and I want the best deal. The guys at Khivraj did not have the 220 to test when i went in. will make another trip soon . 220 seems like excellent VFM to me. Do 220 owners think the same ?