IGNITOR.. I've seen many of them on road by now to be honest.. Its got the looks, the mileage, the reliability, resale value and the service network.. Also a sexy console

If possible go for SZR best in that price range. For 125cc although I would have preferred Disc 125ST sans the tyres, I would recommend the Shine or SS125 or definitely and preferable SZR if mileage can be somewhat compromised but the looks are among the best at the price segment. Have ridden Shine extensively and it performs good on the mileage and smoothness front although looks are bland. Don't go for Stunner it has very low mileage and engine feels stressed after 60 and its pricey for 125cc segment (I own it now). I disagree with someone saying Ignitor would have good resale value. Infact it is selling <2000 units (read somewhere) even at that segment and June 2014 is where Honda engines will go so there is an uncertainity and unreliability attached to it. SS125 looks outdated to me. SZR should be the best bike in that range and then 125ST.

You can consider Yamaha SS125. After a lot of research and reading a lot of reviews I bought it last week and I must say I have made no mistake. Although, I didn't own a bike of my own prior to this, I have some experience in biking. And from that, I must say, SS125 is your best bet if you intend to keep your bike for at least 5-6 years and don't want to let it look like a rugged and spoiled machine after 2 years. Better if you can arrange for a test drive. Also, SS125 is one of those bikes which have very few negative reviews(probably the lowest). Now the choice is yours!
HAPPY DIWALI!!!

awkward!

Then I should say, no bikes can fit your friend's demands. Pulsar135 and Discover 125st are the perfect match. Else there are some bikes with 11 bhp namely yamaha ss125, hero Ignitor and honda Stunner. All of this will return 50-55 kmpl and on highways sometimes may return 60 kmpl. Ss125 has better top end power while the rest two are good at lower end. Ignitor has a digital speedometer, absent in the other two. Ignitor also has tubeless tires, absent in stunner. Probably the new models of stunner or ss wil include tubeless tires. If 60 mileage is his first concern, then he may consider the hero glamour-fi with some 9 bhp.

Yeah Hero ignitor is the way to go..

Here its again!! Bro its clearly stated in a thread and also the source is attached.. None of the bikes earlier manufactured by hero will be discontinued! If that was the case about the honda stopping its engine supplies, then the entire range of hero bikes would be stopped! They say the bikes remain in market but the engine for each model will be upgraded.. So no tension for buyers of ignitor.. And i do not know the figure but what i mean is i see more no of ignitors day by day.. Am not comparing it with any other bike.. And bro resale value for ignitor is less?? I doubt that statement.. I do not totally disagree but i doubt that statement..
TS: Ignitor is perfectly safe to buy and also have a look at other brand bikes.. If your friend is so brand-oriented then its his wish.. Take him to the yam showroom.. TD all the available bikes in the segment if possible.. And choose wise

It would be better for the thread starter to go for ignitor.
I have brought a stunner for my cousin brother and let me say i am not satisfied. He is satisfied because this is his first bike and he looks at style more than anything else. But ignitor is better because:-
1. The front fairing is not as bulbous as stunner and the lower portion is trimmed.
2. The headlight is smaller and thus beam will be stringer because in stunner the headlight is big and scatters the light.
These are my views after riding the IGNITOR:-
1. Torque has been moved from 6.5k rpm in stunner to 5k rpm in ignitor as a result the initials are great
2. Due to low end torque the gearing has been made tall as a result it doesn't feel strained on highway like stunner
3. Mileage is more because the gear is taller
4. Seating position is like seating in the bike rather than sitting on the bike like stunner
5. The digital instrument is best as it also contains service due reminder along with other features
6. The checking of digital instrument is excellent- It will light the whole console- meter lights, neutral light,indicators on the instrument panel, do a full sweeping of tachometer, and unlike other digital speedo which shows 188 and then zero, here it shows 150 and then starts decreasing in tens- 150,140,130,120,110,100......... and finally zero. The best instrument console in commuter bikes
7. The vibration are much much lesser than stunner

And regarding someone posting about honda stopping supply of engines then let me inform you honda doesn't supply engines or anything but it supplies the technology and copyrights which hero buys from them.
Hero is the only manufacturer after escorts yamaha(which was later made yamaha after escort parted ways) who manufactures 50% parts on its own. After the partition of escorts from Yamaha even Yamaha doesn't produce so much parts on its own.
And as a mechanical engineer i know simply selling the technology is not guaranteed to better production.If Honda sells its technology to me then i cannot manufacture the same quality as Hero. So the quality that hero makes is its own credit.
For information let me tell the companies under hero group are:-
SUNBEAM- THIS IS A HERO SUBSIDIARY WHICH MANUFACTURES CASTINGS SUCH AS ENGINE CASINGS, CHASSIS, BLOCK PISTONS e.t.c. oTHER COMPANIES SOURCE FROM ENDURANCE AND OTHERS.
MUNJAL SHOWA- THIS IS A SUBSIDIARY BETWEEN MUNJAL AND SHOWA OF ITALY AND THEY MANUFACTURE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS AND PRESENTLY THE ONLY MANUFACTURER IN INDIA WHICH SUPPLIES ITS OWN COMPONENTS WHILE OTHER COMPANIES SOURCE FROM ESCORTS,ENDURANCE E.T.C
FCC RICO-IT IS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN FCC OF HERO AND RICO OF JAPAN AND THEY MANUFACTURE CLUTCH AND BRAKE COMPONENTS.
Gearbox- Hero manufactures its own gear trains and it was in news in xbhp itself that hero was to supply gear trains for BMW bikes.
These are some that i can't recall and i will add later.

Honda was previously supplying engines but in 1990 hero got the permission to manufacture engines in its plant. Pre 1990 hero honda CD 100 came with HONDA on their engine casing but in the 90's when CD 100 SS came then hero manufactured its own engines and those engines had HERO HONDA markings. Only the CD 100 prior to 90 had honda on their casing. After 90 all engines had HERO HONDA markings and were manufactured in-house.Hero has largest manufacturing base and has a lot of units in its subsidiary.

Hero has bought these technology from honda and will continue till it gets its profit from the cost of purchase.
But eventually these technology will be phased out and new engines will come but the models will remain.
Hero will revamp all its model from splendor to karizma with new and powerful engines.

TS: Remove the thought of ignitor getting in trouble due to split up and all.. Test ride ignitor and if you feel any problem in comfort then forget the bike. But do not make the mistake of leaving this bike thinking spares and discontinuity will be a problem..

I would suggest Stunner or Ignitor. But to be frank, your friend is asking too much. He wants a bike that should perform and at the same time deliver 60+ FE ? He must understand that he has to sacrifice one thing for the other. If he is so concerned about mileage why does he want to go for a performance bike? And he is also brand conscious to not pick Bajaj. Else I too would have suggested the 125 ST or the 135 LS. None of the bikes in the world will completely fit into his requirements. He must understand that.

I told him about all the suggestions from each and everyone here.But in the end,its he who must decide.
And he is going to buy a hero glamour tomorrow.

Well the discussion helped us all too right....at least we spend time discussing the topic we love the most..

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