Query approved.

I see,you are not a performance enthusiast....
I m still confused,why did u choosed pulsar back in 2006 then??
If Hero and Honda bikes are your priorities,then Hunk would be my first choice for you....its Awesumly comfortable,and milage around 50 kmpl, as it seems,you wont go above speeds of 80 kmph much,this would be the perfect choice.....the only con is,its a little heavy.
Also look for the pulsar 135???
it would suit your needs as well....

Twister is a good bike with lots of low-end power for daily commuting requirements. And it can offer a decent mileage of around 60 too for your riding style. Why not buy that?

There isn't much to talk about 60+ mileage in a 150cc bike within city. So you might have to settle for a 125cc bike.

I recommend you take a look at these:
1.Pulsar 135LS
2. Honda Shine
3. Discover 125

Thanks for your response..

After a fair bit of consideration, I've decided to put the Twister on the back burner. I get the feeling that its somehow not built for a 5ft11 inch tall, slightly obese guy :P

I'm still leaning towards the Unicorn which I've heard a whole lot of good things..I'm also considering the Shine and have a few queries:
-is the engine on the Shine as refined as the Unicorn?
-how is the build quality, reliability of the bike as compared to Unicorn?
-how much mileage can I expect?
-what would be the resale value of the Shine as compared to the Unicorn?

also, with the Unicorn and the shine, what is the minimum waiting period that I would be staring at?

And finally, please post your opinion about CBZ extreme and Yamaha SZ-R given my usage.

I know its a lot of stuff that I'm asking but hope you understand my anxiety/concern

As you already owned a 150cc segment, I won't suggest you to downgrade to a 110/125cc

You can opt for Unicorn/Xtreme/Hunk.

For the long waiting period of Unicorn, Dazzler is the best alternate. It is a bettered Unicorn which has all things which was missing in Unicorn. If you can digest the looks of Dazzler then go ahead.

Do test ride all the bikes.

SZ suits your requirements better than others.
-Better city bike
-45 and above mileage
-Pocket friendly
-Unicorn like smooth engine
It would still please you with its 150cc engine if you do occasional long trips.

Chose between Sz R & CB Unicorn

Ride SZ-R and you will forget cb unicorn, shine, twister, discover and etc. Mileage reported by my cousion is 52 and 55 before first service that too at the speed of 60-80.

I was also confused between unicorn and SZR. But after riding SZ i can definately say that it is the best handler and most comfortable bike in the category. I booked one and will be getting delivery after 7th of december. And everybody knows about the quality of yamaha bikes. You will also save 6-7k too. It is also the lightest bike in the segment of 150cc.

And dont get negative by non-availability of kick in SZ. You can start it by putting it at the centre stand and set top gear and then rotate the rear wheel, the bike will start.

>>I'm still leaning towards the Unicorn which I've heard a whole lot of good things
Yes,the engine is absolute perfection and so is the gearbox.But,the darn thing vibrates like hell at higher RPM's and it is evident at the foot rests,handlebars console etc.
I(a fat dude,5'10) found the ergonomics to be bad(handle bar was uncomfortably high to hold).
It's a Honda,so the plastic quality is pathetic and build quality is below par.(you need to carefully assess the bike before you take it home).
>>also, with the Unicorn and the shine, what is the minimum waiting period that I would be staring at?
Here(Bangalore South) the waiting period is around 9 months for the CB Unicorn.
Edit-If you are open to scooters then please rule out the Dio(own one and I am suffering!) and Activa(Insane waiting periods and unavailability of some spare parts).I,however found the Activa to be the smoothest of the scooters that I have ridden(Old Activa.Dio,Access,Duro).My ride is giving me a FE of 40 so the Activa will manage 45 along with the Access.

Whats wrong with these bike manufacturers ? 9 months waiting is absolutely insane!

Anyways, tomorrow, I'm planning to go over to a dealer and get a test ride of Unicorn and Dazzler and CBZ Xtreme and SZR (if possible)..

and btw, i've all but given up on the 110cc and scooters

Here at my place(haryana) no body buys unicorn. The bike is readily available and dealers are ready to give good discount on unicorn. But still no sale here.

Anyway you will forget unicorn after test riding sz. so no need to regret

Agree No more. I too felt the same and must say the Yamaha SZ-R feels good on highway, absolutely no vibrations even at high rpm and in city too comfy to ride with less gear changes.

From the list of Pulsar 135LS, Discover 150, Honda Shine and Unicorn, Yamaha FZ & SZ, TVS Flame that I test drove.. I finally brought the SZ-R at Bangalore wheels, rajajinagar
It has Amazing low end torque which lets you pull from 30 to like 70 even in top gear within seconds!! I dont know any other 150cc bike that can do that for the cost and quality its no compromise. First ride and you will tell that its great!

Only drawbacks are the mileage is about 40kmpl in city and 55 on highway which is great for Yamaha but compared to other bike which gives a little better mileage, the other bikes cost almost Rs.10K costlier and the spares are also costly (like Honda Unicorn)
Bike is bit heavy when compared to 125cc but lighter than Unicorn and seating height is more so it really feels great on long rides, you wont get backache or butt ache. I can reach my leg to push the bike back easily (I am 5ft7" so guessing it wont be any problem for you).

The self start has been so good, even in this december cold in bangalore, the bike starts in the first button press! When buying the bike I thought of installing kicker, but SVC guy told me that its a waste idea to install kicker when we wont be making use of it until when battery dies and recommended I change the battery after 1.5yr so that I may never ever need to push start the bike.

I need to get a pair of gloves or nice soft handle grips as I put more pressure on handle bars. The headlamps give good reflection, it doenst come with pass switch which I prefer for my ringroad/highway ride, the headlight high beam were pointing more towards the sky, so I got it adjusted.

Also I strongly recommend you if you are gonna ride it on highways like I do, get those TVS tyres changed they were giving little better mileage for me but since they dont stop quickly due to more nylon content in its rubber, I choose the mrf zapper to get my tvs replaced with after i finish 5000km. I dont think 1-2km reduced mileage is any factor when considering safety.

well said buddy. SZ has got everything in right proportion to please the rider except looks. It looks decent though and dosent have great looks. To some it may looks ugly too. But when u sit on the bike it gives u a very nice feeling. well i m waiting for my bike, yamaha guys promised to deliver it between 7 and 10.

Smoothness of the bike will increase considerably after first service. My cousin has got mileage of 50+ twice before first service thought he is not a slow rider like me.