Pillion comfort:
R 15:Zero.
Duke:Not that great either.
ZMR:Good.
TBTS:Awesome.
Pulsar 180/200/220:Satisfactory.
Pulsar 200NS-No Idea.
The R 15 is really good on the highway and is really comfortable/confidence inspiring(After you've gotten used to it,that is).
You know, for a 150 CC engine, the performance isn't bad.
I've ridden the TBTS too and it is a friggin' beast.
Massive road presence and it's torque is really good.
but the gearbox sucks, the rear tyre looks puny and the headlight beam throw is terrible(not that the R 15's is good;it is equally suck-y).

Please see the bold parts above. Thanks!

I would recommend you to wait for the thunderbird 500,
It has comforts,you have lots of options for carrying your luggage(when compared to plastics),you have loads of torque and you must be able to cruise at 100 or 110 very easily,Good for rare city rides(considering the high torque for B2B traffic)..
But...
You will have to look after it like your girlfriend,you will have to clean the bike regularly,maintain and run in meticulously,Look after rusting(chrome parts) and yeah will have bear the pain of waiting period,I am going through it since I have booked the classic 350(However you can avoid it to some extent if you can book immediately after the launch).
However you love the bike and the bike will love you more than it loves itself,also you need to respect her.
Owning an RE needs more than a normal bike-owner relationship....It would last(RE) for 30-35 years if do the above!!!
So think about it,See which bike steals your heart!!!

Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350 is a great option

Dear Devansh,

I am owner of TBTS and man nothing beats this baby when it comes to touring!!! Following are the points to be considered:

1. Sitting posture
It has an upright sitting posture with very comfy seat for the rider as well as the pillion also there is absolutely no chance of back pain or wrist pain because of relaxed sitting posture and back rest for the pillion.

2. Great Power with great control:
Although it stretches till 110-115 only on the highways but it is always under full control and there are absolutely no chances of skidding or losing balance due to some pits because of its weight.

3. Decent Mileage:
On highways it gives nearly 40 and in the cities it comes down to ~35, but considering its 350 cc engine it is worth considering

Some cons of this bike are:

Low torque: It is like a rail engine but a diesel one. It catches speed slowly but when it comes to speed you will just love the feel.

Maintenance: You have to get a very good mechanic for this baby as it is very sensitive and lack of care will cause you serious pains. Also some parts take some time to get delivered so it becomes annoying(happened only once in last 3 years when I opted to change the electrical wiring of my baby)



And at last but not the least "THE FEEL" which comes from this baby is out of the world, you will feel special when in the traffic and this makes you feel like a man when you are on it. Also its engine lasts forever..... 3 years(35k+) and still the same grunt and thump

I would like to suggest you take a test ride and then decide.

(The views are solely personal and I respect each and every riding machine on the planet )

It will come anytime above 1.8L approx 2L. becuase current CL500 comes for 1.75L so TB500 will be abytime above this!!

@Somen:Yeah It will reach that price...Also its going to be a flagship bike.Since he said he can stretch his budget to CBR...I thought TB 500 would be a good buy,also any RE would last for 25 yrs if maintained well....So I guess its worth..

Thank you everyone for your comments... They were invaluable in making me reach my decision - Karizma ZMR.
Sorry I disappeared for a while there, but I finally decided on a Karizma ZMR and I've been happy with my choice. I did try most of the bikes, and while it was a tough call to make, one factor really made the decision easy - Looks.

Haven't gotten a chance to take longer rides, but have done a few day trips. M hoping to join upcoming rides with xbhp. Thanks again, hope to ride with the folks from Bangalore!

For a tourer bike around 1.5 lakh, the best option is always the CBR 250.
But since you are not interested in it,and you have already eliminated some bikes, the other options would definitely be the Pulsar 220 F or the Karizma ZMR.

As far as pulsar is concerned it has everything that you need ie fairings, power style and performance.
But on the other hand the Pulsar lacks reliability. So if you are looking for a short term relationship budget bike, the pulsar 220 is the best option for you in terms of your requirements.

Now coming to the Karizma ZMR, well I would have always voted for the earlier Karizma R, but certainly not the ZMR. Solely because of performance. It seems to be an under performing bike even though fitted in with all the technology that you would like to have. But since you have mentioned that you don't want a power house, ZMR can prove to be worthy for you. The ride comfort is also good as far as the ZMR is concerned.

So certainly in my opinion your first choice should be Karizma Zmr and the second choice should be Pulsar 220 F ( Well if you want a full fairing , you could get your Pulsar 220 F modified too)..

For a complete specification comparison between the Karizma ZMR and Pulsar 220F, :Bajaj Pulsar 220 F Vs Hero MotoCorp Karizma ZMR - PlannTo

Congrats & post few Pics !! if possible install a Fat rear Tire in ZMR!