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**antz.bin** · 10-17-2012, 05:11 PM

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Since this will only be an occasional ride and you want to have as much fun on it as possible, I would recommend the KTM Duke. Of course, its a more expensive bike than a Pulsar 150 so the maintenance (obviously) will be higher. If you don't intend to carry a Pillion to office, why do you need pillion comfort?

0-100 on the Duke is among the fastest (if not The fastest) on this side of 3lac. There shouldn't be any spare availability issue with any KTM/Bajaj bike in Pune due to obvious reasons (they are all made in Pune

).

If you can compromise with something less 'fun' but easier to live with, pick one of the naked Air-Cooled 150s (FZ / Dazzler) which will be more practical choices in a 100% city riding environment. You can always upgrade later...

**Ezilkannan** · 10-17-2012, 05:31 PM

With your budget and requirements, the best bet will be P200NS. I'll give my views on all the rides anyway.
Firstly P200NS is really good with 23Ps of power and riding comfort for both you and the pillion, it would be the best bet.
RTR 180, this bike is low on power compared to most of the other rides, you do get a good throttle response, but won't be able to keep it on for long. ABS is an excellent tech, but for a 180 CC, I don't know it depends on your own braking skills. If you can brake precisely that you don't let your tires skid, you won't be needing it for a 180 CC ride. But for bigger machines, its a must.
CBR 150R is expensive than the others, so you are more likely to leave it out. I personally haven't ridden it yet, but from what I've heard you can manage it in the cities, but don't expect extreme flickability though.
KTM Duke the best city bike right now in the market, especially if you plan on riding solo. Its extremely flickable with its low kerb weight, got that monstrous feeling of an RX 100 with its rapid acceleration and very short gearing. You will zip through traffic like nothing else. The only disadvantage is the pillion seating. Its too small unless you have a supermodel for your pillion. And you will require several gearshifts when the traffic opens up.
R15 is a sporty bike, the best looking among the rides you've mentioned. Got some decent power, quite maneuvarable, though not as much as the Duke, but a close second to it. Gearshifting is quite normal, not as short as the duke. Here too, the pillion ride is a concern, I am not sure whether it will be comfortable.
P220 I don't think its worth considering as you already have 200NS on your mind.

NOTE: Duke will not fit in your 1.2 L budget, from what I've heard, the prices have gone up by 10k or so. If you can shell out the extra cash and not worry about pillion, then go for the Duke, its the best ride for city traffic.

**somen1984** · 10-17-2012, 06:02 PM

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

Requirements:
1. Should be fun to drive in the city. Minimal gear shifts and no handling headaches (seen some guys with the full-faired Pulsar220/CBR-250R struggle at traffic signals/stop-go situations to move through the cars).

CBR 150r /R15/ Duke are 1.3L+ bikes
Duke or FZ only!! These two bikes are awesome for city riding in heavy traffic!!

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

2. Top speed not a concern but the time from 0-80 should be minimal.I call it "The green signal burst!".

I think a car driver would prefer a relaxed riding position with low and mid range torque then high rpm torque, which lies in minimum twist or gear shifting.
FZ and Duke again here!!

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

3. Requires less Maintenance like my Pulsar150. Easy spare availability is a big plus.

No bike is less manitenance bike, If you don't need to visit SVC frequent that means spare cost would be on higher side=Good quality, so you decide which one to pick!!

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

4. My drive is 45km daily to-from office. I may not use the bike daily since it will take some time to get me out of the AC car

. Maybe twice a week would be a start.

45kms daily would need a decent mileage bike in future. So New FZ gives 45kmpl+ average along and if Duke is needed then 25-35kmpl.

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

5. Should be affordable preferably not over 1lakhs. However around 20-25k can be added if the bike is really worth it.

With in lakhs ????? hmmmm.... ok!!! FZ/Dazzler/RTR 180 ABS/Hunk/CBZ/SZR/GS150r.

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

6. Mileage is not much of an issue since my car gives only 10km/l.

Anyways the more the better. Can i expect at least 35km/l from the ones listed below?

RTR 180/FZ/if you can pay 1.4or+ then Duke.

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

One tricky requirement is: Should be able to take a pillion rider, maybe with some comfort if possible. This can be made optional if the bike is REALLY awesome

.

Duke has the worst pillion comfort followed with R15 V2.

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

Bikes currently in my mind along with their issues I read are:
1. Pulsar 200NS

alomost same like DUke apart from some features and pick up!! But NS 200 is not that good in city, has good pillion seat.

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

2. RTR 180 (is the ABS really needed

?) (Do vibration issues exist??)

ABS with in laks is anytime a steal deal!!

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

3. CBR 150R (think this is very expensive for its power/ city maneuverability?)

Out ofyour budget

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

4. KTM Duke (spare availability/ city driving comfort?/ pillion seat comfort?

)

out of budget

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

5. YZF R15 (city maneuverability with the fairing and all? constant gear changes?)

A experience rider would handle this in traffic easily without frequent gear changes!! out of your budget!!

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

6. Pulsar220 (Is it worth considering even after 200NS has come?

)

Nope, anytime NS 200 is kooler!!

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

7. One random thought also crossed my mind to buy a used RX-100. Searched online and saw quite a few bikes for resale in 20-35k range

Drop it!

**sahibrain** · 10-17-2012, 06:18 PM

Originally posted by Ezilkannan View Post

With your budget and requirements, the best bet will be P200NS. I'll give my views on all the rides anyway.
Firstly P200NS is really good with 23Ps of power and riding comfort for both you and the pillion, it would be the best bet.

One point i didn't mention earlier: I am 5' 8" and weigh 85kg. A bit on the heavier side

. One issue i read on xbhp is that the silencer of the 200NS bangs on the speed breakers!! Is it true? Can something be adjusted (suspension/ shocks,etc) to ensure that it doesn't happen? I ask this since the Ground Clearance mentioned is a high 167 against 160 for the RZ15.

CBR 150R is expensive than the others, so you are more likely to leave it out. I personally haven't ridden it yet, but from what I've heard you can manage it in the cities, but don't expect extreme flickability though.

Guess that knocks out the CBR150. I was also skeptical of the fairing quality. Heard it rattles after 6-12months of buying the bike.

KTM Duke the best city bike right now in the market, especially if you plan on riding solo. Its extremely flickable with its low kerb weight, got that monstrous feeling of an RX 100 with its rapid acceleration and very short gearing. You will zip through traffic like nothing else. The only disadvantage is the pillion seating. Its too small unless you have a supermodel for your pillion. And you will require several gearshifts when the traffic opens up.

Like you mentioned it has short gearing and needs several gearshifts when the traffic opens up. Isn't that NOT good for city travel since it requires frequent gear changes?

The pillion seat comfort is a provision for my fiance/wife but not a Compulsion.

R15 is a sporty bike, the best looking among the rides you've mentioned. Got some decent power, quite maneuvarable, though not as much as the Duke, but a close second to it. Gearshifting is quite normal, not as short as the duke. Here too, the pillion ride is a concern, I am not sure whether it will be comfortable.
NOTE: Duke will not fit in your 1.2 L budget, from what I've heard, the prices have gone up by 10k or so. If you can shell out the extra cash and not worry about pillion, then go for the Duke, its the best ride for city traffic.

How does this stand vis-a-vis the 200NS in power and handling?
Also how much does the DUKE costs OTR now?

Originally posted by antz.bin View Post

Since this will only be an occasional ride and you want to have as much fun on it as possible, I would recommend the KTM Duke. Of course, its a more expensive bike than a Pulsar 150 so the maintenance (obviously) will be higher. If you don't intend to carry a Pillion to office, why do you need pillion comfort?
0-100 on the Duke is among the fastest (if not The fastest) on this side of 3lac. There shouldn't be any spare availability issue with any KTM/Bajaj bike in Pune due to obvious reasons (they are all made in Pune

).

So is it really worth to pay a 40% premium over the 200NS for the Duke?? Coz if there is I really hope the Duke is much meaner bike than the 200NS!
As i mentioned above, the pillion seat comfort is a provision for my future gf/fiance/wife but not a Compulsion.

If you can compromise with something less 'fun' but easier to live with, pick one of the naked Air-Cooled 150s (FZ / Dazzler) which will be more practical choices in a 100% city riding environment. You can always upgrade later...

Actually since I had the Pulsar 150 since I was 18.. not really willing to go for the same type of power now. Yeh Dil Maange more!

**Ezilkannan** · 10-17-2012, 06:31 PM

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

One point i didn't mention earlier: I am 5' 8" and weigh 85kg. A bit on the heavier side

. One issue i read on xbhp is that the silencer of the 200NS bangs on the speed breakers!! Is it true? Can something be adjusted (suspension/ shocks,etc) to ensure that it doesn't happen? I ask this since the Ground Clearance mentioned is a high 167 against 160 for the RZ15.

The exhaust hitting the speedbreakers is quite rare (atleast in my city). Unless you have crazy bumps that are too high in the route that you ride on, where almost every ride will hit its bottom end.

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

Like you mentioned it has short gearing and needs several gearshifts when the traffic opens up. Isn't that NOT good for city travel since it requires frequent gear changes?

That depends on your skills. If you are an experienced rider, you won't find trouble in shifting gears, though some still say its a pain to do so. The way I see it is that you'll get used to it as you keep riding. Its perfect for city riding due to its low kerb weight and high power. I mean its PWR is around 184 bhp/Ton. Duke is absolutely meant for those eager, youngsters. Pure power along with maneuverability.

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

The pillion seat comfort is a provision for my fiance/wife but not a Compulsion.

If you can compromise on the pillion and willing to extend your budget, go for the Duke

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

How does this stand vis-a-vis the 200NS in power and handling?
Also how much does the DUKE costs OTR now?

Duke is far ahead of 200NS in terms of both power and handling. OTR costs in Chennai at present are around 1.3~1.4 K from what I've heard.

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

So is it really worth to pay a 40% premium over the 200NS for the Duke?? Coz if there is I really hope the Duke is much meaner bike than the 200NS!
As i mentioned above, the pillion seat comfort is a provision for my future gf/fiance/wife but not a Compulsion.

Its absolutely worth it. Go for it if you got the cash, you wont regret it.
BTW, Have you test ridden them? If you do, you'll find the difference for yourself. Just try it.

**somen1984** · 10-17-2012, 06:34 PM

MUmbai and pune i guess price figures are almost same!!
IN mumba NS200 is 97800K approx 1L but not more than that!!

MUmbai and pune i guess price figures are almost same!!
IN mumbai NS200 is 97800K approx 1L but not more than that!!
Handling wise DUke is little better than NS200. Cornering and speed catch is better in Duke.

IF you get a open road after traffic then you have to change the gears for any bike!!

**sahibrain** · 10-17-2012, 08:19 PM

Any ideas about the fuel these bikes need Premium or normal? The reason i ask is, i read somewhere that premium petrol is going to be raised by a big margin sometime soon.. I just want to be prepared of a situation where diff in premium and normal petrol is > 10/15 rupees. This is currently the case with diesel...
Assuming both Duke and the 200 NS need the same type of fuel, the summary of above discussion is that if I don't mind pillion comfort and can afford the 40% premium I should go with the Duke over the 200NS.
One more thing i read is that there is a buzz of a Ninja 150 coming sometime soon. Any clues??

**somen1984** · 10-17-2012, 08:58 PM

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

Any ideas about the fuel these bikes need Premium or normal? The reason i ask is, i read somewhere that premium petrol is going to be raised by a big margin sometime soon.. I just want to be prepared of a situation where diff in premium and normal petrol is > 10/15 rupees. This is currently the case with diesel...
Assuming both Duke and the 200 NS need the same type of fuel, the summary of above discussion is that if I don't mind pillion comfort and can afford the 40% premium I should go with the Duke over the 200NS.
One more thing i read is that there is a buzz of a Ninja 150 coming sometime soon. Any clues??

Nope, Premium fuel is not necessary!!

Secondary Petrol would be hike anytime so you can live with fear!! So if petrol matters to you then go with simple 125 or 110cc bikes that would be better on mileage terms!!

Are you ready to wait for a yr two ??? if yes then you can think of Ninja 150R, but this is not concrete news of arrival!! So think again before you act!!

**Ezilkannan** · 10-17-2012, 09:03 PM

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

Any ideas about the fuel these bikes need Premium or normal? The reason i ask is, i read somewhere that premium petrol is going to be raised by a big margin sometime soon.. I just want to be prepared of a situation where diff in premium and normal petrol is > 10/15 rupees. This is currently the case with diesel...
Assuming both Duke and the 200 NS need the same type of fuel, the summary of above discussion is that if I don't mind pillion comfort and can afford the 40% premium I should go with the Duke over the 200NS.
One more thing i read is that there is a buzz of a Ninja 150 coming sometime soon. Any clues??

Duke doesn't require premium fuel, it runs just fine in normal fuel. Some have mentioned about issues with normal fuel, but I've also had people say that its fine with normal fuel, so no, premium is not a necessity. And regarding Ninja 150, forget about it, there's no official news, and even if its gonna be released, don't expect it to be cheap. It will be way above your budget. I mean even a CBR 250 R might be cheaper than a N150, though Ninja 150 has 30 Ps I think (not 100% sure though)
EDIT: Yup, N150RR has 30.1 Ps

**somen1984** · 10-17-2012, 09:18 PM

Originally posted by Ezilkannan View Post

Duke doesn't require premium fuel, it runs just fine in normal fuel. Some have mentioned about issues with normal fuel, but I've also had people say that its fine with normal fuel, so no, premium is not a necessity. And regarding Ninja 150, forget about it, there's no official news, and even if its gonna be released, don't expect it to be cheap. It will be way above your budget. I mean even a CBR 250 R might be cheaper than a N150, though Ninja 150 has 30 Ps I think (not 100% sure though)
EDIT: Yup, N150RR has 30.1 Ps

150cc 30PS would be really Kool!! But now we all are moving to 250cc or more so 150cc giving 30ps is something needs to be thought!! what about the torque ?? Is it par??

**sahibrain** · 10-17-2012, 09:40 PM

Good to know that Duke/200NS don't require premium fuel...
Also about the Ninja150RR.. think the main issue is that the Ninja150RR is a 2stroke machine, giving 30PS. For some reason 2 strokes production is banned in India.

So as you said it maybe a very long time before Kawasaki changes the engine on the Ninja just for the Indian market...

So will have to be one from Duke/200NS...

**antz.bin** · 10-17-2012, 10:04 PM

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

Also about the Ninja150RR.. think the main issue is that the Ninja150RR is a 2stroke machine, giving 30PS. For some reason 2 strokes production is banned in India.

Actually there is a very good reason why Ninja 150R or for that matter any other 2-stroker (> 68cc) cannot be sold in India. The reason being, they don't comply to emission norms of our land. (Similar reason to why Diesel cars are not sold in US even they are an order of magnitude more fuel efficient than their petrol counterparts).

What the govt. has done in both cases is in our interest and in the interest of our (would be) children, grandchildren and our planet in the long term. If these companies want to sell their 2-strokers in India, obviously they will have to invest in Gasoline Direct Injection technology which will help them easily clear emission norms. The fact that they can still sell cheap and low-tech carburreted 4-stroke bikes in their truckloads means they won't invest in any such technology unless they absolutely have to. And then there is also the history, at least in the recent times, it has always been the Japanese who have been left playing catch-up with EU with EU being the first ones to introduce revolutionary technologies in the automotive sector. Its just our bad luck that the lowest capacity EU-origin bike sold in India is still 200cc.

**Ezilkannan** · 10-17-2012, 10:07 PM

Originally posted by antz.bin View Post

But if they ever do it, this would mean that we will suddenly have a slew of cheap and fast bikes with extremely low maintenance

Fast bikes with low maintenance, maybe possible, but definitely not gonna be cheap.

Originally posted by somen1984 View Post

150cc 30PS would be really Kool!! But now we all are moving to 250cc or more so 150cc giving 30ps is something needs to be thought!! what about the torque ?? Is it par??

Torque is 21.6 Nm @ 9000 RPM. I would say its pretty good.

Originally posted by sahibrain View Post

So as you said it maybe a very long time before Kawasaki changes the engine on the Ninja just for the Indian market...

Yes its plain ridiculous actually to develop a 4 stroke engine just for a particular market that too for one like India, where not everyone is gonna buy the bike even if its designed so.

**antz.bin** · 10-18-2012, 02:17 AM

Originally posted by Ezilkannan View Post

Fast bikes with low maintenance, maybe possible, but definitely not gonna be cheap.

Thats what we are made to think. Until something really revolutionary happens

There was a reason why, in its heydays, the 11bhp RX100 was priced at par with a 7.xxbhp Splendor. 2-Strokers are cheaper to make simply because they use less components. Because they use less components, there are less components which can go bad. If less things go bad, there are less things that need fixing. If you are fixing less stuff, you pay less for maintenance.

My father had a Kinetic Honda scoot back in the day which he stopped using when he got his first car. Since me and my elder bro were not old enough to ride it, it remained parked for ~3 years at a stretch.

Do you know what we had to do to restart that scooter after 3 years? All we did was pour petrol in the tank and 5 kicks later, Voila!! These things can practically go on and on and on.. no matter how much abuse they get. But most of us here don't desire this kind of reliability and longevity in this day and age of 100kmpl bikes and global warming.

Originally posted by Ezilkannan View Post

Torque is 21.6 Nm @ 9000 RPM. I would say its pretty good.

Isn't it funny that these specs are awfully close to the 33Ps and 21Nm of the Ninja 250R? Which one do you think is more expensive to make?
A 250cc DOHC 4-valve Twin-cylinder engine? Or a 150cc, 0-valve, no cam shaft, Single cylinder one?

Just to answer this question for you, the Ninja 250R sells for 20.4k Malaysian ringgits. Ninja 150RR sells for 11.8k Malaysian ringgits.

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Performance Oriented bike below 1.2Lakhs (200NS/ RTR180/ Duke/ P220/CBR150R/YZF R15)

Performance Oriented bike below 1.2Lakhs (200NS/ RTR180/ Duke/ P220/CBR150R/YZF R15)

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