Not sure about the height though, as am not 6feets.
But to give you an idea about the pillions comfort & luggage. I just did a 7 days spin with my wife. Even I had this concern, but surprisingly she was quiet comfortable. And even I didnt have any problem, she being behind..!!

I too had the same confusion whether to book ktm or RE classic.. for me even pillon seat is the concern so i finally ended up with RE classic 350.. but the bad thing is to wait for 8 months..

My views on Cl500 DS. Dont take my word on the Duke 200 or the CBR 250R.

Owning a Cl500 DS I can say that its very comfortable for touring purposes. I did a 370 kms run from Pune to Mumbai on my Cl500 with a pillion. I have also done Pune to Mahabaleshwar and other minor 200 kms rides. Not much but enough to say something about the Classic's ability. I have done total 2500 kms on the odo in 1 and a half months.
Those confused over the options should consider these things before you fixate on one of them:
1) The Classic 500 is a tourer and also a city bike to some extent!. It will give you comfort all the way on long rides. Not just you but the pillion also. The top end and the acceleration won't be as good as KTM Duke 200 or CBR250; thats for sure. KTM is merely 125 kgs in weight while Cl500 is 187kgs. Honestly if you are thinking of touring 300+ kms a day with a pillion then I think Classic seats would be most comfortable owing to its wider seats. KTM looks like an off road and on road bike for short and fast runs. Its a winner in a league of its own just like Cl500 is. If you are touring and don't want to wait for Cl500 then go for CBR250. That does NOT mean you can't tour on a KTM Duke 200. If you wish and have the will you can tour on a M80 also.
2) Especially for those who are married or soon to be...consider the pillion comfort (meaning someone wearing saree). Sitting on the classic is as comfortable as sitting in a chair for a pillion. On Duke..pillion is mountain-mounted.
Also the saree guards, and all customary things look good on a cl500. In Duke and CBR250 they just look a little out of place. But we can't do without them.
3) If you take the cruising comfort then I can assure you of Classic's ability. Its makkhan after 80kmph. You can really ride all day long at 80-100 speeds and the engine would never let you down. Above 100 I did feel a lot of vibrations that made the ride a little uncomfortable (meaning not smooth). I'm not a kind of rider who wants to rip the bike to its max but want to ride at speeds where there are less vibes and a smooth ride. On highways especially a 187 kg bike does not budge if a truck whizzes by. But go on a lighter bike in monsoons or windy situations and your bike will shift a good deal in such situations. I know this from riding Pulsar 150, an FZ16 and a Cl500. This is not really a drawback or a problem but can be considered.
4) You wont get a good and precise fuel indicator, digital panels on an RE for sure. The fuel indicator light on a RE is a little confusing.
So its all dependent on how you intend to use the bike. Also my opinions are subjective. You may not feel the same way I do. But these are the some things you have to consider none the less.
(Please don't take my opinions word to word, it might be a biased one. These days a disclaimer is a must it seems or people tend to go into technicalities and find minute details and take you in their crossshairs)

Happy Riding!

Thank You for all the inputs Viper !! Really appreciate your views about the CL500 DS.

I am fine with waiting for a few months. And my heart wants a CL500 so if I don't follow my heart then around few months down the line, I may end up feeling that I could have got the CL500 with the money. So decided, its going to be the Classic 500 Desert Storm !!

And btw I also own a Pulsar 150 UG3 (2008-present) and also owned a FZ-S (2009-2011) and will own a CL500 soon !! Same pinch.

Thank You for the reply rachitkohli. The CBR250 is no doubt a good all-purpose vehicle. You got a nice ride.

I have already booked a CL500 DS in December last week and the delivery is expected by April end/May first week. So I am willing to wait as I want the bike around May only so that I can save up cash till then. The CL500 has a waiting of around a year in Bangalore when I last enquired. But I booked the bike from Kolkata where the waiting period for a CL500 DS is around 4-5 months.

Yes there is some serious competition in the market. But since I need a comfortable touring motorcycle, I am not considering the Pulsar NS and KTM 200 anymore. The CBR250, though an ideal all-purpose bike, is not being considered currently. I am in a fix between C5 and T5 too but the T5 will overshoot my budget, hence C5 DS will be the obvious choice.

After how many km's of riding on Duke, did you started to feel discomfort?


Off-road bike with those tyres. :|

Wow! You wrote all of this even without riding the Duke or the CBR250.. Pretty knowledgeable person you are!

And a pretty biased comparison of the 3 bikes.

Go for the RE500 .It is very good for touring.As KTM is not Yet Performed .So best you gor for the Indian Legend.

Yes true the KTM is yet to perform. And by the looks, the pillion seat/pillion comfort doesn't seems adequate for touring.

My intention was not to undermine the Duke but to simply compare the seating of the 2 bikes. I'm not giving some gyaan here or trying to preach.

I have ridden the CBR250. In fact I was going to end up buying the CBR250R if it hadn't been for my friend who convinced me to buy a bullet. I might have hurt your feelings since you are soon to be a owner of the Duke. My points are biased I agree. My knowledge about bikes is as good as a first grader in school.

Guys,
Chill yaar. Let's not compare KTM with CBR or Bullet. All of the mentioned 3 bikes have different characters. KTM may not be seen as a touring bike but rest assured, members from XBHP will do touring on KTM nevertheless.

That's true. I know this that KTM will be leh'd many many times.
Checked out KTM today afternoon. Its a great bike! Awesome looks! Great specs.

Your personal options can't be fact, if they aren't backed by proper data. And as per your recent reply, it seems you haven't even sat on a KTM before you put your opinion("fact") as its seat not being comfortable for 300+km's ride.


A friend of mine who has booked a KTM (he seems to be one of the very first ones in Pune, having booked it), while gathering more data about the bike, he came across your "opinion" about KTM's seat and was worried about its comfort, as he plans to do some tour's on it as well.

Having ridden a few bikes myself, for some small distances(they might not be as big as Pune - Mahabaleshwar), I felt this comment to be a bit strange, as I haven't felt uncomfortable, on bikes with some not-so-comfortable seats, over a distance of 500km's or so. Hence, my question.

Now that you are so good at spotting sarcasm, go and find it in this post.